In this post, we will look at evangelism through the lens of building bridges to people in our culture.
“Our job, then, is to go to our fellow-men and tell them the gospel of Christ, and try by every means to make it clear to them; to remove as best we can any difficulties that they may find in it, to impress them with its seriousness, and to urge them to respond to it. This is our abiding responsibility; it is a basic part of our Christian calling.” (J.I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God)
The first step in building a bridge is to understand your audience. Who are you talking to about the gospel? What is their background? We need to look beneath a person’s behavior and choices and understand their worldview. John Nyquist puts it this way:
“A worldview is a general understanding of the nature of the universe and one’s place in it; how one perceives reality, standards of judgments or values, standards of conduct or behavior.”
Examples of a worldview are the individual’s beliefs about God, origins, man, and morality.
- Behavior — What is done?
- Values — What is good?
- Beliefs — What is true?
Once you understand your audience, you can more effectively contextualize your approach. The Apostle Paul did this without compromising the message:
“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-22)
“Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.” (Acts 16:1-3)
Another critical factor is to be aware of the generational characteristics in the culture. Sociologists recognize several broad demographic cohorts, or groups:
- Greatest Generation (born 1901-1927)
- Silent Generation (born 1928-1945). These are the “Builders” with a traditional / Theism approach.
These two generations were shaped by World Wars I, II, and the Great Depression. Key issues for them of safety, security, and stability have been reflected in their conservatism and belief in the value of institutions. There is safety in numbers, and Builders have been joiners — from the PTA to the Rotary Club. They have worked hard, saved their money, and sacrificed for the good of the whole.
- Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964). Boomers view is generally that of modernism and secularism.
The 76 million Boomers have been shaped by the significant social and political changes of the 1960s and 70s, the shift to a consumer culture and music / media. Indulged by their parents and a culture that responded to each new stage of their lives, these searchers have been on lifelong journeys of discovery. They tend to be “cause oriented,” with the ultimate cause being themselves. Key issues have been personal growth, identity, meaning, and materialism.
- Generation X (born 1965-1980). These are the “Busters” with a postmodern worldview, including spirituality without traditional theism.
The first postmodern generation, Busters have been shaped by the emergence of a global economy, the end of the Cold War, revolutions in information and technology, dysfunctional families, environmental pollution, and crises of addiction, AIDS, and violence. Key issues center around personal identity and establishing and maintaining relationships that result in meaningful community.
- Millennials (born 1981-1996). Less likely to identify as religious but consider themselves spiritual.
This generation has faced significant economic hardship, such as economic insecurity and debt. They are also known for adeptness with technology as they have lived the rapid advancement of technological development from a young age.
- Generation Z (born 1997-2012). These are the first generation to have largely grown up using the internet, modern technology, and social media.
- Generation Alpha (born 2010-2024). These are the first to be born entirely in the 21st century. The rise of technology (screens) in the hands of kids has led experts to call Gen Alpha “the anxious.”
In assessing the diffences between these generations, two key themes become evident: Modern vs. Postmodern, and Moralistic Therapeutic Dualism.
“Modernity said that moral absolutes can only be discovered by human reason and research; post-modernity says that there are no moral absolutes at all to be discovered. The older secularism said that only science / reason could find ‘public truth’ (Newbigin) — truth that one could publicly appeal to for public policies and decision. But the newer secularism says there is no public truth except relativism and the freedom for every group to discover their own truth. Intellectuals used to be open to absolutes and closed to miracles, but now they are open to miracles and closed to absolutes.” (Tim Keller, Reaching the Secular Person)
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism was initially identified and named by sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Denton in their 2005 book, Soul Searching, which was based on national research among the teenagers of the turn of the millennium. Smith and Denton identified several core beliefs that characterized the thinking and behavior of the group:
- Belief in a God who remains distant from people’s lives
- People are supposed to be good to each other (i.e., moral)
- The universal purpose of life of being happy and feeling good about oneself
- There are no absolute moral truths
- God allows “good people” into Heaven
- God places very limited demands on people
One final note in talking about building bridges in order to share the gospel is the variety of other cultural shifts that take place over time:
- Mobility
- Isolation
- Family breakdown
- Graying / Aging
- Graphic revolution (image over word)
- Information revolution (information over wisdom)
- Marketing revolution (style over substance)
In next week's post, we will look at seeking maximum impact with transition questions to the gospel.