Self-Imposed Barriers Of Evangelism: Limits Of Creativity

If you listen closely enough, you'll hear the cries of lament coming from the people. They sound like, "The people don't want to hear the truth," or "There just isn't the same interest in religion as there was in the good ol’ days.” Maybe you’ve uttered these laments yourself. I know I have. While there may be some semblance of truth in those statements, or ones similar to them, they overlook an important point: some of the most significant hindrances to evangelism are not those things that are beyond our control but those things in which we have the most control. Our limits of evangelism are frequently self-imposed.

There are various ways we impose barriers on ourselves. Sometimes, we convince ourselves that we aren’t able to evangelize. Sometimes, we reason away the need. That was the subject of the barrier I shared last week. There are some other ways, though, that are not quite as obvious and may even surprise you. A few months ago, I was sitting in a conversation with fellow missionaries, and as we discussed the state of missions, one of the things that came up was the limit of creativity. Have you ever considered how we limit ourselves in evangelism by limiting ourselves in creativity?

Now, what is meant by creativity? Creativity is using our God-given ability to reason and think in order to develop something unique or to approach something from a different perspective. We could perhaps develop that further, but it gives us a basic framework to utilize here. Notice what creativity is not: it is not compromised. When people hear the word creative, they grow concerned that it means to compromise on biblical principles or, worse, tradition. Yet, we must remember that our ability to be creative is a gift from the Lord, and as a gift from the Lord, it should be used for the Lord.

In light of the command of the Great Commission, there are few ways to exhibit creativity than through our evangelism. What does creativity look like in evangelism? First, let's ensure we're on the same page and understand we don't get creative with the gospel. The message is God's truth that must remain pure and unadulterated. We can get creative through the methods in which we get it into people's hands.

Because culture changes, this is an area where we need to be adaptable and can employ a bit of creativity. For example, though Paul used to show up at the synagogue and share the gospel, it is likely that this would not work in the same way today (and might actually do more harm to the testimony of the gospel). At the same time, creating an app back in the 1500s would not have quite the reach as it does today. A great example of this is the gospel tract. There was a time when this was popular and left an impression on people, and I suspect many of you have memories of those tracts. Though they may be functional today, their level of influence is less than it once was.

So, what are some ways to utilize creativity for evangelism? That's not for me to say because I think it is dependent upon varying factors. Here are some things for you to consider though:

• Know your community.
• Know your church.
• Know yourself.

Knowledge is power, and here is where knowledge will help you in creative evangelism. Know your own gifts and the gifting of your church (both individually and collectively), and then learn about your community. Use that knowledge to determine where your gifts may meet the needs or functions of your community. Is there a particular park or coffee shop that people seem to frequent in your community? Then, determine how you can use the spiritual gifts of the church in those contexts. Is there a particular problem being faced by your area? Then, find out a way you might be able to be an influencer there with the purpose of bringing forth the gospel. In a previous city where I lived, the city put on an annual lighted parade for the holidays, and in the second year, I started coordinating hot chocolate stations along the route. We got the hot chocolate donated and asked our youth to serve, and it created opportunities for them to be challenged to share the gospel with those people. And if you are like me and lack creativity, enlist the help of someone who is.

Too often, the greatest hindrances to our evangelism are self-imposed. Interestingly, creativity is one of those self-imposed barriers. In this case, sometimes, we allow a lack of creativity (or a lack of willingness to be creative) to restrict our opportunities for evangelism. As a side note, sometimes our lack of creativity hinders our global missions as well. Yet, it doesn’t have to be this way if we are willing to take the steps to pursue some opportunities and challenge ourselves.