469. Evangelism through lifestyle, not knowledge transfer
Recently I joined Caleb, Jen, and the grade twelve graduates for graduation dinner, during which the graduates shared one thing they took away from youth ministry. Of course as the youth pastor, I leaned in to listen to their answer. None of them mentioned my sermons. Both of them replied (paraphrased), “I learned how to love and serve people through watching my youth shepherds.” If they were placed in a situation where they had to love and serve others, they said they felt like they could, because of what they experienced in their youth house church. Some of them also received Jesus because of those very experiences.
The more we do house church ministry I’m convinced what changes a heart to open up to living by faith isn’t simply through knowledge transfer of “Christian teachings” but the modelling of Christian life through church community. The feeling, “maybe I can do that too,” was instilled in the youth because of what they could see; namely, an adult leader, a couple years ahead of them, trying their best to live out a Christian life. The impact we leave to the next generation is not how perfectly teach Jesus, but the visible effort we made to follow Jesus, even imperfectly, and their proximity to it.
In house church, we can all be part of someone’s finding of Jesus, not because we transferred our knowledge, but because we showed them who Jesus is through our service and actions. So if you truly want to bring someone to Jesus, instead of agonizing over your next potential argument (knowledge transfer), focus on inviting them to come see the community of Jesus (Christian life modelling).
As a pastor, my temptation is to believe knowledge transfer is always the answer to the gap between someone not growing in faith. But through youth ministry, I’ve learned many times the gap is filled organically through spending time with them and modelling love, care, and service. There is definitely a place for knowledge and learning. However, I’ve come to accept my main evangelistic channel is living the Christian life, to the best of my ability, and to allow others into my life that they may see Christ through me, despite my imperfections, just like the youth shepherds. What blesses people is invitations into our lives, not invitations into our minds. So even if you’re not a Bible scholar, you have a lot to offer others in their journey of faith if you do life together in house church ministry.
