New Approaches
April 2024
“We can’t keep doing that! It doesn’t work anymore.”
Lily, a respected, experienced student ministry leader, was close to tears. Some in the room were nodding their heads in agreement. Others had raised eyebrows as if asking with their faces, “Is she seriously suggesting we quit doing initiative evangelism? That is who we are!”
Maybe you have been in some rooms like this. They can be intense! Emotions run high because every person there is committed to the Great Commission. It can be discouraging when results don’t seem to reflect the conversations we’ve had and all of the prayers we’ve prayed.
You may find it challenging to engage people in conversations about Jesus. Or you may have great conversations with people when you first meet them—confident they will engage again… but they don’t. People may be making decisions to trust Jesus, but they are not motivated to follow Him with their whole lives.
What needs to change? Will doing more of the same thing produce better results? Possibly, but many of us have been faithfully trying that approach for a long time, and it hasn’t worked yet.
Last month, we talked about approaches to ministry that are motivated by the love of Jesus. We can be motivated by the love of Jesus and fail to communicate the love of Jesus. What is the difference? The basic communication model shows us that effective communication doesn’t happen just through the sender’s intent of the message. The receiver has to hear, understand, and interpret the message sent before determining if effective communication has happened. Following in the footsteps of Jesus, we need to take the initiative to communicate to our people in ways that they can hear, receive, and understand.
I am happy to introduce you to a resource that will help you understand the people God has called you to love and reach even better than you already do. It is called The Audience Map. This website, which is in its beta version, is designed to help all our local teams (not just digital strategies) by giving insights into people's spiritual journeys. It is based on actual, ongoing global research. You will be able to hear from people in their own words as they tell us what they care about, how they are more likely to engage in spiritual topics, and what next steps they are likely to take.
The Audience Map is a sense-making tool. It will not give you the perfect strategy to reach people, but it will help guide you to be led by the Holy Spirit in more effective approaches to people. I want to invite you to explore it for yourself!
Our mission has not changed, but our strategies, approaches, and tactics must change. Our goal is not merely to proclaim concepts. We want to love people with the love of Jesus and help them understand the gospel so that their lives are transformed by a relationship with the God who created them and died to save them.
