As Christians, we are called by Jesus to “spread the good news,” or evangelize, and 96% of practicing Christians agree that part of their faith means being a witness for Jesus. What they disagree on is how to share their faith.
In the past, churches found enormous evangelistic success in proclaiming the truth through gathering a crowd and sharing the tenets of faith.
Reviving Evangelism, a collaboration between Alpha USA and Barna Group, shows that as cultural perceptions have shifted, evangelism as we know it has begun eroding and there is no longer a one-method-fits-all approach.
With these cultural shifts, we must ask ourselves: What does successful evangelism look like today? It often starts with a genuine, non-judgmental conversation.
This study reveals that the top qualities that non-Christians would look for in a person with whom to talk about faith are “listens without judgement” (62%) and “does not force a conclusion” (50%).
At Alpha, we believe in the power of proclamation AND conversation. Alpha groups meet in churches, cafés and homes in communities around the world. Guests can ask any question at Alpha. There’s no obligation to say anything, and there’s nothing you can’t say.
Watch David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group, explore what we learned about the latest trends in evangelism in Reviving Evangelism, and share how the Church can and must mobilize a new generation of evangelists.
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“Evangelism today often starts with genuine, non-judgmental conversation.”
