Identifying receptive people

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Want more out of life?

10/40 Window

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An African martyr's statement on commitment

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This material is from a Church Growth class presentation by students. The words in bold face type are those which students were supposed to write in blank spaces on a printed lecture guide.

Some people are like the "good soil" of Jesus' parable in which the seed of God's Word is planted, takes root, grows, and flowers.

In terms of openness to the gospel, Donald McGavran noted that cultures swing back and forth along an imaginary line -- from hostility, resistance or just indifference, to interest and receptivity. In every population, some people will almost always be scattered along various points of that line although the majority of a population is often clustered at one single point.

Christians must see that the Holy Spirit prepares people. While He reveals God to us and is responsible for conversion, often He chooses to make face-to-face appeals to people through human agents. While the Holy Spirit empowers us to make those appeals, it is He Himself who had already prepared those people. [ more on prevenient grace ]

John Wesley's strategy, like that of Donald McGavran's, stressed concentrating on the harvest. That meant continually seeking out receptive people and attempting to win the winnable.

Speaking to the masses means:

Preaching the gospel to all people, in season and out of season.

Establishing public credibility for the gospel.

Testing the soil.

Seeing our ministry to the resistant as an investment for the future.

How open is the local church to receptive people?

Does the church . . .

. . . want newcomers?

. . . seek newcomers?

. . . invite newcomers?

. . . invite newcomers?

. . . welcome newcomers?

. . . involve newcomers?

. . . nurture new people when they come to Christ?

Effective personal evangelism

Need help and guidance in personal evangelism? How do you share your faith with someone who is receptive? [ read more ]

SNU missions course materials and syllabi

Cultural Anthropology Introduction to Missions Linguistics Mexican Field Studies Missions Strategies Modern Missionary Movement (History of Missions) Nazarene Missions Church Growth and Christian Missions Theology of Missions Traditional Religions World Religions

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Howard Culbertson, Southern Nazarene University, 6729 NW 39th, Bethany, OK 73008 | Phone: 405-491-6693 - Fax: 405-491-6658
Copyright © 2000, 2001 - Last Updated: March 19, 2006 | URL: http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/receptiv.htm

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