Tell Me A Story... How were you saved?

[Naphtali Moore]

I was reading through a post and came on the term "brand recognition" in reference to the denomination. It sent a shutter down my spine. Is the goal of Deep and Wide to 'sell' the church like some sort of product or is it to do our Father's work; to seek and to save that which is lost? If our goal is the later, to play our small part in the conversion of hearts and minds then it may be to our benefit if we all recall how we ourselves were saved. So, I put the question to you, "How and when where you born again?"

[Lowell Avery]

Hi, Naphtali.
Welcome (a year ago, I think you said) to the Family of God. I am sure you are a blessing to the church in Buckley, and that they are blessing you. It is sad to think about, but for some people "brand recognition" is simply a marketing tool used to try to attract members to sustain a religious institution financially. However, brand recognition does not work very well for us PC(USA)ers as a denomination; we're too much like Russia: anything you say about us is true, and that will probably be the case for years to come. However, if people in Buckley know they are being blessed by the folks who call themselves
"presbyterian", then your church is probably enjoying good brand recognition, and when non-believers sense the need for spiritual help, they will probably think about you folks. Won't that be great?!
Re: how I was saved, it was a long process of being raised, loved, and educated in a Bible-teaching presbyterian church, and then responding to the Gospel when I was in the Army and finally recognized that all that stuff I had learned as a child actually applied to me. You might say I had to spend some time "down in Egypt" before I was ready to head to the Promised Land. Some Army buddies befriended me, a civilian chapel-full of believers welcomed me, a faithful preacher proclaimed the Gospel, and the Holy Spirit convicted my heart. That was thirty-eight years ago, and God is still amazing to me.
Keep telling your story. Faith comes by hearing.
Grace and Peace,
Lowell

[Chris Walker]

I'll tell you that I became a Christian when I was in high school, in a Methodist church. I've got to write the whole story someday. I tell it in my workshops that I do, but I don't think I've written it recently.

As to your point, some times I would imagine that some discussions about evangelism will drift into marketing as many churches have blended evangelism and marketing. I maintain they are complimentary, but not the same. My friend Lowell makes that point well below.

Blessings
Chris Walker
http://www.evangelismcoach.org

[Naphtali Moore]

Christ came when there was no Internet, no TV, no radio, no printing press, not even a high level of literacy; two continents were still unknown to the people groups he directly touched. In spite of all of this the church exploded from a handful of disciples to thousands, then to perhaps 100's of thousands before we had the first mass media (printing press). Till that point evangelism relied on the folly of preaching. That is what the God calls on us to do.

1 Cor 1:17 "For Christ did not send me to baptize (in his own name, read chapter for full context), but to preach the gospel – and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless. 1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1:19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.” 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish? 1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching."

The medium by which we preach makes little difference; whether its by the written or spoken word. But falling into worldly language and means diminishes the cross. When we employ marketing, surveys and the other bells and whistles of this world we diminish the cross. The Greeks wanted wisdom, the Jews wanted signs, Americans want Hollywood glitz and the latest feel good series on marriage or how to manage your finances. God makes it clear that this is foolishness and we should rely on His word. I'm all for using every medium we can, and different tactics that causes the unsaved to pause long enough to preach to them; (ex: "stop light evangelism") so long as the means do not become the message in and of themselves.

Now, I think its critical that we make clear the difference in saving the unsaved and churching the un-churched. A saved person will find a church; Presbyterian or otherwise. They will seek out other Christians both because it is what God commands and because as Christians we love to be in community with other Christians. To that end our concern should be letting others know we truly are Christians. This is not done by branding but by love as the Bible tells us.

John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

This love in action extends to all parts of our lives and our church; from how we live each day, to our dedication to the Great Commission, to the more difficult parts including church discipline. It seems many churches just focus on the "social justice" role of the church to show their love and ignore the rest. They seem to think teaching discipline, depravity, Hell and the cross might offend and cause division. The cross is an offensive and foolish message to the unsaved. Christ Himself said he came bearing a sword or division.(Matt 10:34, Luke 12:52) But not sharing Christ and His cross first and foremost is dishonest and unloving.

In asking for people's conversion story, I sought only to make clear this distinction between evangelism and church and to call for a return to Gods means and not worldly ones. I will happily share the story of my salvation in my next post.

God Bless,
Naphtali Moore
http://www.buckleypresbyterian.org
http://www.myfatherswork.com (WIP)

[Uncle Max Bialystock]

Hello, Naphtali.
I'm short on actually being able to offer a story with ins-and-outs and intricate details. I was too young to recall any of that. It happened (as with us all) when I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. ---"Uncle Max Bialystock"