“A Christian, an atheist, a lesbian and a New Ager walk into a restaurant.”
Sounds like the start of a really bad joke right?
Nope, that was the reality of my lunch date today with fellow teachers in our ‘transition time’ before heading out to some professional development workshops.
The funny thing is when we walked through the door to sit down, all I knew about them was that they were really pleasant workmates and that we were killing some time together.
What happened between walking in the door and out? A very politically incorrect, (in liberal education circles anyway) conversation about the role of religion and faith in society from our multiple viewpoints.
God sure has precision timing.
I’ve just started a study with our church’s youth group that is directed at helping them to discover and apply their unique evangalism styles in an attempt to build personal relationships that will open doors for them to share the gospel. It’s called Contagious Christianity, and teaches the kids how to work around the stereotypes of what evangelism is seen to be, to find their own approach to peer evangelism.
The study provides simple strategies for creating and building sincere longterm relationships, and provides tips on how to make that transition from secular to spiritually infused conversations in their daily lives.
I’m learning as much as the kids are, and today God provided me with a master class opportunity to push myself out of my comfort zone in ministering to my liberal workmates.
Oh.. there was no ‘Come to Jesus or else’ moment. Rather I had an amazing opportunity to present myself as a believer who cared about them regarless of their non traditional religious or lifestyle viewpoints.
Our very secular conversation about the sensational ‘pregnant man’ evolved into a discussion on the limitations placed on adoption for gay couples, and one teacher expressed frustration at the roadblocks thrown up by religious conservatives to the rights of others to be happy.
I felt led at that point to remind them that Jesus did not himself judge and throw up roadblocks to the happiness of others, in fact he went to parties with the very folks that the traditional religious society of his time rejected.
My faith in God, and my perception of the character of Christ and how He sees people in a non-judgemental and loving light, opened the door for future one on one conversations when other aspects of our accountability to God could come up.
It is not easy to talk to others about God, to share the love of Christ in a non religious environment, especially environments where those topics are taboo, but we need to try.
All of my tablemates revealed that they had been exposed to the overly agressive and pushy evangelism efforts of parents and friends, and that it had pushed them away from, rather than drawn them closer to God.
I never sought these individuals out for friendship, they kind of found me. Perhaps the Lord sent them? My own mission field on the job? Maybe I’m one of the few christians that they will have the opportunity to connect with personally?
Whatever the reason, I don’t take my opportunity to minister lightly. They are not projects, but acquaintences who could become friends. They are also individuals who could be my workmates until I retire in 20 years.
That’s a long time to share God’s love and message of hope 
We should all be looking for ways to be contagious christians in our daily lives. Sometimes our mission field is right under our noses.
His handmaiden.
Wow, i really admire your viewpoint and your wisdom. It is definitely inspiring.
I attend a Christian university where, interestingly, there is a great diversity of nationalities and religious backgrounds. I hadn’t anticipated that coming here; in fact, I tried to avoid attending this school in the beginning because I was sure that, “Everyone there will be a Christian and I won’t have a chance to share with anyone!” Boy, was I mistaken. Some of my best friends at this school are Muslim, Hindi, Buddhist, and even a couple of atheists. There is also a broad spectrum of people who claim Christ, each having very different viewpoints and understandings of the Bible, morality, the origin of the universe, salvation, and other topics.
I have found soil here where I can share my faith, and I want to be a Contagious Christian here at my university. The thing I struggle with is building good, solid relationships before I open up conversations about faith, church, salvation, etc. I guess I’ve been trained in “rapid-fire evangelism”-getting the message to people quick because they may never hear it again! But something I have realized recently is that, if God wants this person to hear the message of the Gospel, and he wants to use me to deliver it, then as long as I am actively developing a relationship with that person that is wholesome and will allow for a future discussion if it arises, and if I am living a life that they can can see Christ through, I’m doing my job. It is hard sometimes, and definitely takes patience. Read Mark 4:1-20 - Look at the parable of the sown seed and Jesus’ explanation of the parable. Some of our seed will not germinate, some will but will die, and some will grow and prosper. Our job is to plant. God provides the increase. Again, in Mark 4:26-29 - the story of the man who sows the seed and finds it growing without any other input on his part. God will bless our efforts if we are faithful to work. Keep it up Maiden Song…
Great article!
It actually goes along with this book I am reading, unChristian. The old days of thumping people over the head with Bibles is done and gone, thankfully.
I was thinking about this a few weeks ago, and the thing I see Christ doing repeatedly in his 3 year ministry on earth is building relationships. And it is why God has gone to all the trouble He has for us - to be in relationship with us.
For me that is the core of what being a Jesus follower is all about. If we live a transparent, broken, and humble life while following Christ, others will be drawn by our life style and our actions.
Think about the crowds that followed Christ. He did not have a publicist, or a PR campaign, or even ad advertising budget. He just loved the people where they were and built relationships.
If we could translate this relationship building into our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as everyone else we come into contact, whether that contact be lengthy or short, what a transformation we would see inside and outside the church walls.
I often wonder what it would be like if Jesus where living today and moving among us.
To Maiden Song:
I just came across your April 17, 2008 post on “Contagious Christianity,” which arose out of your social time at a restaurant with three other teachers that might be classified
as an atheist, a lesbian and a New Ager. I do not wish to criticize the concept of relationship evangelism, for I think that
a Christ given, Holy Spirit motivated love and service toward all kinds of people in all kinds of circumstances is an admirable and needed goal.
But I think also that realistically the message of the cross
that Christ preached and literally practiced and that His true disciples must also preach and practice, has never been popular. Perhaps it has been even more unpopular among the
educated “intellectual” and professional classes that seek out philosophies and practices of life that are alien to true Christian belief, discipleship and practice. There were many that were ready to follow Christ when he fed them and healed them with miracles, but fewer when He presented the hard truths. Christ once turned to Peter and said, “Will you also go away?” as He saw erstwhile followers fall away. These fellow teachers might complain about pushy evangelism and a judgmental Christianity and hypocrisy (and we certainly can be and are often at fault), but the fact remains that they don’t really want Christ because He and His demands interferes with their own pleasures and pursuits and with getting along
with the intellectual and cultural trends of the world.
Until deep need in their own lives is felt or deep conviction of sin and need by the Spirit of God comes upon them, they will
keep Christ and His demands and sometimes His messengers
at a distance.