http://mix.chimpfeedr.com/8bd47-Ed-StetzerEd Stetzer2018-03-02T14:00:00+00:00http://www.chimpfeedr.com/http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/february/three-types-of-evangelistic-contexts-contact-context-and-fr.htmlThree Types of Evangelistic Contexts: Contact, Context, and FriendshipDr. Jerry Root2018-03-02T14:00:00+00:00Few things are more enjoyable than being in partnership with the God of the universe.
Over the years, I have noticed at least three different kinds of evangelistic contexts we may encounter when engaging in personal evangelism. Of course, if there are three types of contexts, there may be 33; but for the purposes of this article, let’s look at these three.
First, there is contact evangelism.
This is the kind of situation similar to what is depicted in John 4, where Jesus meets and speaks with the woman at the well, or the passage in Acts 17, where it speaks of Paul in Athens talking to anyone he happened to meet in the marketplace (or Agora).
Unique to this context is the fact that the one with a heart to share the love of God and his offer of forgiveness in Christ goes out and encounters whoever happens to come by. The context is one of intentionality.
Both Jesus and Paul are there with the goal to share the gospel with others. It is interesting to note that both begin their discussions with what is accessible and noteworthy, common to all parties. Jesus begins his discussion with the woman at the well with water. He even puts himself and his needs at the disposal of the woman and begins with the request, “Give me a drink.” She is surprised by the Jesus’ disregard of social custom and her curiosity awakens. From this, the discussion begins and opens up until the gospel is presented to a hungry soul.
Similarly, Paul is talking to those he meets also using the signs he observes in the culture. Consequently, he is brought before the intellectuals of Athens as they gather at Mars Hill. Here, Paul’s observation of Athenian culture provides further points of contact and he is able to open the door wider, enabling him to share the gospel also in the context of growing curiosity.
]]>Few things are more enjoyable than being in partnership with the God of the universe.
Over the years, I have noticed at least three different kinds of evangelistic contexts we may encounter when engaging in personal evangelism. Of course, if there are three types of contexts, there may be 33; but for the purposes of this article, let’s look at these three.
First, there is contact evangelism.
This is the kind of situation similar to what is depicted in John 4, where Jesus meets and speaks with the woman at the well, or the passage in Acts 17, where it speaks of Paul in Athens talking to anyone he happened to meet in the marketplace (or Agora).
Unique to this context is the fact that the one with a heart to share the love of God and his offer of forgiveness in Christ goes out and encounters whoever happens to come by. The context is one of intentionality.
Both Jesus and Paul are there with the goal to share the gospel with others. It is interesting to note that both begin their discussions with what is accessible and noteworthy, common to all parties. Jesus begins his discussion with the woman at the well with water. He even puts himself and his needs at the disposal of the woman and begins with the request, “Give me a drink.” She is surprised by the Jesus’ disregard of social custom and her curiosity awakens. From this, the discussion begins and opens up until the gospel is presented to a hungry soul.
Similarly, Paul is talking to those he meets also using the signs he observes in the culture. Consequently, he is brought before the intellectuals of Athens as they gather at Mars Hill. Here, Paul’s observation of Athenian culture provides further points of contact and he is able to open the door wider, enabling him to share the gospel also in the context of growing curiosity.
]]>http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/february/network-leaders-hero-makers.htmlNetwork Leaders & Hero MakersDave Ferguson2018-03-01T14:00:00+00:00Network leaders are distinct from other leaders in their motives, methods, and measurement of success.
The ‘Shalane Effect’
For the first time in 40 years, an American woman won the 2017 New York City Marathon! Shalane Flanagan crossed the finish line of the 26.2-mile race in a blistering time of 2 hours 26 minutes. Running experts are now calling her, “The greatest American distance runner.” But the New York Times explains that Flanagan has an achievement that’s even greater than winning the New York City Marathon:
“…perhaps Flanagan’s bigger accomplishment lies in nurturing and promoting the rising talent around her, a rare quality in the cutthroat world of elite sports. Every single one of her training partners — 11 women in total — has made it to the Olympics while training with her, an extraordinary feat. Call it the ‘Shalane Effect’: You serve as a rocket booster for the careers of the women who work alongside you, while catapulting forward yourself. Shalane has pioneered a new brand of ‘team mom’ to these young up-and-comers, with the confidence not to tear others down to protect her place in the hierarchy.”
Shalane is not just a great runner; she is a great runner that makes other runners around her great! In a similar fashion, a network leader is a unique leader amongst all kinds of leaders. A network leader is not just a great leader, but also a great leader that makes other leaders around them great.
The ‘Network Effect’
Network leaders are a new and important kind of leader in the church today. They lead their local church to grow and multiply, but they also lead other church leaders across a region or affinity to grow also and multiply. Jon Ferguson is perfect example of a network leader.
]]>Network leaders are distinct from other leaders in their motives, methods, and measurement of success.
The ‘Shalane Effect’
For the first time in 40 years, an American woman won the 2017 New York City Marathon! Shalane Flanagan crossed the finish line of the 26.2-mile race in a blistering time of 2 hours 26 minutes. Running experts are now calling her, “The greatest American distance runner.” But the New York Times explains that Flanagan has an achievement that’s even greater than winning the New York City Marathon:
“…perhaps Flanagan’s bigger accomplishment lies in nurturing and promoting the rising talent around her, a rare quality in the cutthroat world of elite sports. Every single one of her training partners — 11 women in total — has made it to the Olympics while training with her, an extraordinary feat. Call it the ‘Shalane Effect’: You serve as a rocket booster for the careers of the women who work alongside you, while catapulting forward yourself. Shalane has pioneered a new brand of ‘team mom’ to these young up-and-comers, with the confidence not to tear others down to protect her place in the hierarchy.”
Shalane is not just a great runner; she is a great runner that makes other runners around her great! In a similar fashion, a network leader is a unique leader amongst all kinds of leaders. A network leader is not just a great leader, but also a great leader that makes other leaders around them great.
The ‘Network Effect’
Network leaders are a new and important kind of leader in the church today. They lead their local church to grow and multiply, but they also lead other church leaders across a region or affinity to grow also and multiply. Jon Ferguson is perfect example of a network leader.
]]>http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/february/billy-graham-memorial-impact.htmlPreparing for Rev. Billy Graham’s Memorial Service, and Reflecting on His Love for Our Hurting WorldEd Stetzer2018-02-28T15:00:00+00:00Truly effective evangelism is a matter of friendship, mentorship, and unconditional love.
Nearly a week after Rev. Billy Graham’s death, so many around our world are still mourning. Closed-casket viewings will take place in Graham’s childhood home on the grounds of the Billy Graham Library where the Billy Graham Association is expecting long lines and many visitors. These public viewings will be followed by a funeral service this Friday in Washington, D.C.
Before the invitation-only service, though, Rev. Graham’s body will lie in repose in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday and Thursday. It’s important to note that this privilege is regularly given to U.S. presidents, members of Congress, Supreme Court judges, and elite military personnel; rarely, though, are citizens outside these particular realms of public service given such an honor.
Looking at the size and scale of these proceedings, it becomes clear that Rev. Billy Graham wasn’t just beloved by some small ground of fundamentalist followers. You don’t have to be a Bible-thumper, church-goer, or even call yourself a Christian to love and respect this man.
Former President George H.W. Bush, reflecting on Graham’s legacy, said:
His [Graham’s] faith in Christ and his totally honest evangelical spirit inspired people across the country and around the world. I think Billy touched the hearts of not only Christians, but people of all faiths, because he was such a good man.
President Bush is right. Rev. Graham was a man who appealed to all people—believers and unbelievers—because of his exemplary character. There is much that we, the church, can learn from his leadership and legacy of outreach even today in our 21st century context.
Cultural Trends
Newsflash: we live in a broken world. The realities of human ...
]]>Truly effective evangelism is a matter of friendship, mentorship, and unconditional love.
Nearly a week after Rev. Billy Graham’s death, so many around our world are still mourning. Closed-casket viewings will take place in Graham’s childhood home on the grounds of the Billy Graham Library where the Billy Graham Association is expecting long lines and many visitors. These public viewings will be followed by a funeral service this Friday in Washington, D.C.
Before the invitation-only service, though, Rev. Graham’s body will lie in repose in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday and Thursday. It’s important to note that this privilege is regularly given to U.S. presidents, members of Congress, Supreme Court judges, and elite military personnel; rarely, though, are citizens outside these particular realms of public service given such an honor.
Looking at the size and scale of these proceedings, it becomes clear that Rev. Billy Graham wasn’t just beloved by some small ground of fundamentalist followers. You don’t have to be a Bible-thumper, church-goer, or even call yourself a Christian to love and respect this man.
Former President George H.W. Bush, reflecting on Graham’s legacy, said:
His [Graham’s] faith in Christ and his totally honest evangelical spirit inspired people across the country and around the world. I think Billy touched the hearts of not only Christians, but people of all faiths, because he was such a good man.
President Bush is right. Rev. Graham was a man who appealed to all people—believers and unbelievers—because of his exemplary character. There is much that we, the church, can learn from his leadership and legacy of outreach even today in our 21st century context.
Cultural Trends
Newsflash: we live in a broken world. The realities of human ...
]]>http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/february/getting-small-churches-on-mission-part-3.htmlGetting Small Churches on Mission (Part 3)Ed Stetzer2018-02-27T15:00:00+00:00More ways small churches can serve their communities
Small churches can adopt the same (or different) unengaged, unreached people groups currently living in the United States.
In addition to overseas work, consider how you can share the gospel effectively and long-term with a people group in America. States like Oklahoma, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Iowa, to name only a few, have thousands of people who comprise various unengaged, unreached people groups.
They are as spiritually destitute and lost as those living overseas without a gospel witness. If your church is geographically near one of these groups, then begin praying about how you can begin a ministry to them. Preach on the value of avoiding worldly wealth and, instead, storing up treasures in heaven in hopes that some of your members will envision themselves selling their homes and moving closer to this group to encounter them daily in their neighborhoods.
These groups, depending on location, are either centralized (think one main neighborhood) or decentralized (think ethnic neighborhood[s] spread throughout a city). But as a people group, they share common languages and customs. Interacting with them in their environment, learning their culture, understanding their traditions and religion(s) will allow you to be better prepared to engage them with the gospel.
Befriend them. See them not as a project to be conquered or a task to be checked off the list, but people who are lovable and need to learn about their Creator.
Churches that are willing to pursue both international and national unengaged, unreached people groups could look, for instance, at the Khuen people. There are 3,000 in the San Francisco area and 13,000 in Myanmar (formerly Burma). Churches in or near the Bay Area could interact with U.S. residents first ...
]]>More ways small churches can serve their communities
Small churches can adopt the same (or different) unengaged, unreached people groups currently living in the United States.
In addition to overseas work, consider how you can share the gospel effectively and long-term with a people group in America. States like Oklahoma, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Iowa, to name only a few, have thousands of people who comprise various unengaged, unreached people groups.
They are as spiritually destitute and lost as those living overseas without a gospel witness. If your church is geographically near one of these groups, then begin praying about how you can begin a ministry to them. Preach on the value of avoiding worldly wealth and, instead, storing up treasures in heaven in hopes that some of your members will envision themselves selling their homes and moving closer to this group to encounter them daily in their neighborhoods.
These groups, depending on location, are either centralized (think one main neighborhood) or decentralized (think ethnic neighborhood[s] spread throughout a city). But as a people group, they share common languages and customs. Interacting with them in their environment, learning their culture, understanding their traditions and religion(s) will allow you to be better prepared to engage them with the gospel.
Befriend them. See them not as a project to be conquered or a task to be checked off the list, but people who are lovable and need to learn about their Creator.
Churches that are willing to pursue both international and national unengaged, unreached people groups could look, for instance, at the Khuen people. There are 3,000 in the San Francisco area and 13,000 in Myanmar (formerly Burma). Churches in or near the Bay Area could interact with U.S. residents first ...
]]>http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/february/how-do-we-respond-when-someone-mocks-us-for-our-faith-gospe.htmlHow Do We Respond When Someone Mocks Us For Our Faith? [Gospel Life Podcast]Ed Stetzer2018-02-26T19:00:00+00:00Start each week with this encouragement to show and share the love of Jesus.
How Do We Respond When Someone Mocks Us For Our Faith?
Today, Karen Swanson, Director of the Institute for Prison Ministries at the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, talks about how it feels when people mock you or make fun of you because of your faith in Jesus. How do we respond?
From Jeremiah to Jesus, we are in good company and have all we need to endure and press forward. Although we don’t seek opportunities to be mocked, as we are faithful in our evangelism, insults are likely to come. But these times can actually build our faith, and make our lights shine even brighter.
Ed Stetzer holds the Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College, is executive director of the Billy Graham Center, and publishes church leadership resources through Mission Group.
]]>Start each week with this encouragement to show and share the love of Jesus.
How Do We Respond When Someone Mocks Us For Our Faith?
Today, Karen Swanson, Director of the Institute for Prison Ministries at the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, talks about how it feels when people mock you or make fun of you because of your faith in Jesus. How do we respond?
From Jeremiah to Jesus, we are in good company and have all we need to endure and press forward. Although we don’t seek opportunities to be mocked, as we are faithful in our evangelism, insults are likely to come. But these times can actually build our faith, and make our lights shine even brighter.
Ed Stetzer holds the Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and Evangelism at Wheaton College, is executive director of the Billy Graham Center, and publishes church leadership resources through Mission Group.
]]>http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/february/can-multi-site-work-in-rural-context.htmlCan Multi-Site Work in a Rural Context?Jon Sanders2018-02-26T15:00:00+00:00Many churches have embraced a multi-site strategy with a lot of success.
When people find out that I pastor a church in rural South Dakota that has four multi-site locations (in South Dakota, Illinois, and Jamaica) as well as an online, iCampus, they are often quite surprised.
I have a feeling if I told them our church was in Dallas or Atlanta, they wouldn’t think that much of it. But the thought of a small church reaching a rural context with a multi-site strategy is somewhat of an unusual concept, although that’s beginning to change).
Over the last decade or so, we have seen many churches embrace a multi-site strategy with a lot of success. But often, we see that playing out in larger churches in urban and suburban areas. We assume that for multi-site to work, it needs to come from a large congregation with numerous staff, lots of money, expensive technology, and skilled people to operate that technology.
Essentially, the thinking is that because of the challenge of limited resources almost all small-town and rural churches face, utilizing multi-site to reach a region beyond their small town is simply out of the question.
I’m here to tell you that multi-site can and does work in a rural context.
So what does your rural church need in order to go multi-site? While the following is probably not an exhaustive list, I’ll offer up six essentials to get you started:
You need a call from God.
While I could offer many reasons for why a church should consider going multi-site, I could also come up with a list of reasons for why not. At the top of that list would simply be this: If God has not called you to multi-site, tell him thank you and keep doing church in a single location to the best of your ability.
Multi-site should not be entered into just because it’s trendy, or because ...
]]>Many churches have embraced a multi-site strategy with a lot of success.
When people find out that I pastor a church in rural South Dakota that has four multi-site locations (in South Dakota, Illinois, and Jamaica) as well as an online, iCampus, they are often quite surprised.
I have a feeling if I told them our church was in Dallas or Atlanta, they wouldn’t think that much of it. But the thought of a small church reaching a rural context with a multi-site strategy is somewhat of an unusual concept, although that’s beginning to change).
Over the last decade or so, we have seen many churches embrace a multi-site strategy with a lot of success. But often, we see that playing out in larger churches in urban and suburban areas. We assume that for multi-site to work, it needs to come from a large congregation with numerous staff, lots of money, expensive technology, and skilled people to operate that technology.
Essentially, the thinking is that because of the challenge of limited resources almost all small-town and rural churches face, utilizing multi-site to reach a region beyond their small town is simply out of the question.
I’m here to tell you that multi-site can and does work in a rural context.
So what does your rural church need in order to go multi-site? While the following is probably not an exhaustive list, I’ll offer up six essentials to get you started:
You need a call from God.
While I could offer many reasons for why a church should consider going multi-site, I could also come up with a list of reasons for why not. At the top of that list would simply be this: If God has not called you to multi-site, tell him thank you and keep doing church in a single location to the best of your ability.
Multi-site should not be entered into just because it’s trendy, or because ...
]]>http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/february/one-one-one-brian-stiller-wea.htmlOne-on-One with Brian Stiller on the World Evangelical AllianceEd Stetzer2018-02-24T23:00:00+00:00Ed Stetzer talks with Brian Stiller about World Evangelical Alliance important happenings.
Ed: Tell us a little about the World Evangelical Alliance and some of what you are up to around the world.
Brian: The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) was founded in the 1840s as a way for Evangelicals to connect globally. (It is estimated there are up to 600 million Evangelicals today.) Connections happen around a variety of issues, including evangelism, religious persecution, missions, slavery of all kinds and public engagement. There are 130 National Alliances, formed to serve as a voice and presence within their respective countries.
Ed: We often run “Dispatches from the World Evangelical Alliance” on The Exchangem where you talk about your visits to various countries and what God is up to. Where do you see God moving powerfully and how is that playing out?
Brian: For example, in 1900 there were 50,000 Evangelicals in Latin America. Today, that has jumped to 100 million. Not long ago, there were just a handful of Christians in Nepal. Today, that is closer to 1.5 million. While numbers keep growing, the real stories are about how the transformative presence of the Christ is bringing healing and witness in the most surprising places and ways. In Kiev, Ukraine, a concert choral group and symphony created an ‘adoption’ of widows, providing food, medical care, home assistance, and of course, great music and worship.
Ed: How can people in the West get more plugged into what’s going on globally with the Christian faith and witness?
Brian: It takes effort for us to see and hear beyond the noise and news of our own worlds. This is so true here in North America. I wrote An Insider’s Guide to Praying for the World, which is designed to help us think about and pray for other peoples and countries. ...
]]>Ed Stetzer talks with Brian Stiller about World Evangelical Alliance important happenings.
Ed: Tell us a little about the World Evangelical Alliance and some of what you are up to around the world.
Brian: The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) was founded in the 1840s as a way for Evangelicals to connect globally. (It is estimated there are up to 600 million Evangelicals today.) Connections happen around a variety of issues, including evangelism, religious persecution, missions, slavery of all kinds and public engagement. There are 130 National Alliances, formed to serve as a voice and presence within their respective countries.
Ed: We often run “Dispatches from the World Evangelical Alliance” on The Exchangem where you talk about your visits to various countries and what God is up to. Where do you see God moving powerfully and how is that playing out?
Brian: For example, in 1900 there were 50,000 Evangelicals in Latin America. Today, that has jumped to 100 million. Not long ago, there were just a handful of Christians in Nepal. Today, that is closer to 1.5 million. While numbers keep growing, the real stories are about how the transformative presence of the Christ is bringing healing and witness in the most surprising places and ways. In Kiev, Ukraine, a concert choral group and symphony created an ‘adoption’ of widows, providing food, medical care, home assistance, and of course, great music and worship.
Ed: How can people in the West get more plugged into what’s going on globally with the Christian faith and witness?
Brian: It takes effort for us to see and hear beyond the noise and news of our own worlds. This is so true here in North America. I wrote An Insider’s Guide to Praying for the World, which is designed to help us think about and pray for other peoples and countries. ...
]]>http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/february/advocate-for-all-remembering-billy-graham.htmlPreaching Redemption Amidst Racism: Remembering Billy GrahamCarl Ellis2018-02-24T15:00:00+00:00Carl Ellis, Jr. reflects on the impact of Rev. Billy Graham on race relations and culture today.
When I was a young campus minister working with Tom Skinner Associates, I had the honor of meeting Dr. William Franklin Graham twice. I remember him as an approachable man, not given to living out the greatness of his own press. I actively participated in his evangelistic crusades whenever they were in or near my city, and I would do so again today without hesitation.
Although several of Dr. Graham's early Southern crusades were racially segregated, he came to see segregation as inconsistent with the gospel. In the early 1950s, he began refusing to speak in some segregated auditoriums. Before the start of the 1953 Chattanooga Crusade, he personally took down the ropes intended to enforce segregation, telling two of the ushers, "Either these ropes stay down or you can go on and have the revival without me." [1]
Yet after that, he acquiesced to preaching in segregated venues in Asheville, North Carolina, and Dallas, Texas. At times, Rev. Graham made statements that seemed to reveal a lack of awareness of the connection between segregation and sin. At other times, he forcefully condemned White racism. By the mid-1950s, he courageously and consistently defied Jim Crow laws by insisting that all crusades be conducted on a non-segregated basis.
At the 1957 New York Crusade, Graham welcomed Thomas Kilgore and Gardner Taylor (both African American Pastors) onto the crusade's executive committee, [2] and openly called for "anti-segregation legislation." [3] He also had Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. join him in the pulpit at the crusade.
Later, Dr. King praised Dr. Graham for his commitment to non-segregation:
I am deeply grateful to you for the stand which you have taken in the area of race relations. You have ...
]]>Carl Ellis, Jr. reflects on the impact of Rev. Billy Graham on race relations and culture today.
When I was a young campus minister working with Tom Skinner Associates, I had the honor of meeting Dr. William Franklin Graham twice. I remember him as an approachable man, not given to living out the greatness of his own press. I actively participated in his evangelistic crusades whenever they were in or near my city, and I would do so again today without hesitation.
Although several of Dr. Graham's early Southern crusades were racially segregated, he came to see segregation as inconsistent with the gospel. In the early 1950s, he began refusing to speak in some segregated auditoriums. Before the start of the 1953 Chattanooga Crusade, he personally took down the ropes intended to enforce segregation, telling two of the ushers, "Either these ropes stay down or you can go on and have the revival without me." [1]
Yet after that, he acquiesced to preaching in segregated venues in Asheville, North Carolina, and Dallas, Texas. At times, Rev. Graham made statements that seemed to reveal a lack of awareness of the connection between segregation and sin. At other times, he forcefully condemned White racism. By the mid-1950s, he courageously and consistently defied Jim Crow laws by insisting that all crusades be conducted on a non-segregated basis.
At the 1957 New York Crusade, Graham welcomed Thomas Kilgore and Gardner Taylor (both African American Pastors) onto the crusade's executive committee, [2] and openly called for "anti-segregation legislation." [3] He also had Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. join him in the pulpit at the crusade.
Later, Dr. King praised Dr. Graham for his commitment to non-segregation:
I am deeply grateful to you for the stand which you have taken in the area of race relations. You have ...
]]>http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/february/billy-graham-faithful-leader-on-narrow-roadripples-of-faith.htmlRipples of Faithfulness: Remembering Billy GrahamGreg MaGee2018-02-23T13:00:00+00:00Dr. Greg MaGee shares his experience at a Graham Crusade as a young boy.
I thank God for Billy Graham. Graham invited me to take the plunge into life with Jesus, and his example of trust and integrity in ministry continued to inspire me as a campus minister and professor. Throughout my life, Graham has stood at the center of the stage in the evangelical world. I will feel the void now that he is gone.
A Lit Match
When I was in sixth grade, my father took me to a Billy Graham Crusade in Houston. I remember Graham's sincerity, his earnestness, and his clear message that night. With conviction, Graham presented Jesus and his death on the cross as the only solution to a life marked by sin and a world filled with problems.
On the fifth or sixth stanza of a classic altar-call hymn (I think it was either "Just As I Am" or "Have Thine Own Way, Lord"), I nudged my dad and asked him to walk down with me from the upper deck to the field of Rice University's stadium so that I could proclaim my faith in Jesus.
It was obvious to me that evening that Graham was a gifted and compelling speaker. And at that time in my life, I had been pondering making a profession of faith in Christ. But I believe that what happened in my life that night was neither inevitable nor manipulated.
Graham was talented and effective for sure, but he was also a lit match, ignited by the Spirit of God for fruitful ministry. That night, the same Spirit lit the match of new life in my heart. Even though I had heard similar messages countless times before, in one evening Jesus went from being a great idea for other people to a precious treasure for me.
Life and Doctrine
As I began to perceive a call to vocational ministry, Graham's life shouted "follow me, as I follow Christ." Graham was far from perfect, ...
]]>Dr. Greg MaGee shares his experience at a Graham Crusade as a young boy.
I thank God for Billy Graham. Graham invited me to take the plunge into life with Jesus, and his example of trust and integrity in ministry continued to inspire me as a campus minister and professor. Throughout my life, Graham has stood at the center of the stage in the evangelical world. I will feel the void now that he is gone.
A Lit Match
When I was in sixth grade, my father took me to a Billy Graham Crusade in Houston. I remember Graham's sincerity, his earnestness, and his clear message that night. With conviction, Graham presented Jesus and his death on the cross as the only solution to a life marked by sin and a world filled with problems.
On the fifth or sixth stanza of a classic altar-call hymn (I think it was either "Just As I Am" or "Have Thine Own Way, Lord"), I nudged my dad and asked him to walk down with me from the upper deck to the field of Rice University's stadium so that I could proclaim my faith in Jesus.
It was obvious to me that evening that Graham was a gifted and compelling speaker. And at that time in my life, I had been pondering making a profession of faith in Christ. But I believe that what happened in my life that night was neither inevitable nor manipulated.
Graham was talented and effective for sure, but he was also a lit match, ignited by the Spirit of God for fruitful ministry. That night, the same Spirit lit the match of new life in my heart. Even though I had heard similar messages countless times before, in one evening Jesus went from being a great idea for other people to a precious treasure for me.
Life and Doctrine
As I began to perceive a call to vocational ministry, Graham's life shouted "follow me, as I follow Christ." Graham was far from perfect, ...
]]>http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2018/february/evangelism-racial-tension-graham-king.htmlEvangelism, Racial Tension, and Clay Feet: Reflections on the Life of Billy GrahamJohn C. Richards, Jr.2018-02-22T13:00:00+00:00Billy Graham, Martin Luther King Jr., and racial tensions and bridge building today.
“People are often led to causes and often become committed to great ideas through persons who personify those ideas. They have to find the embodiment of the idea in flesh and blood in order to commit themselves to it.” - Martin Luther King, Jr., February 13, 1961
For 20 years, I didn’t know a thing about Billy Graham. Over that time, he came to be affectionately known as America’s Pastor. But as an American, I had not heard one of his sermons or watched any of his crusades. As it turns out, I wasn’t alone.
As LifeWay Research recently pointed out, 33% of Protestant churchgoers don’t know Billy Graham’s ministry. I’d venture to say that a good percentage of those churchgoers are African-American. For 20 years of my life, that was true of me. As an African-American man raised in a Baptist church in the South, Graham wasn’t on my radar.
In fact, I stumbled upon Graham’s ministry accidentally. As I consumed biographical content about one of my heroes in the faith, Martin Luther King, Jr., Graham’s name and his relationship with King peaked my interest. Who was this man of whom King said, “Had it not been for the ministry of my good friend Dr. Billy Graham, my work in the Civil Rights Movement would not have been as successful as it has been?”
Graham met King during a 1957 crusade in New York. They soon became friends—a friendship that led King to ask that Graham call him by his childhood name, Mike. As I read more about Graham (via King’s life), I decided to listen to some of Graham’s Crusade messages. They were simple, yet profound. As I listened, I hoped one day to learn more about his life and legacy. Little did I know that one day, ...
]]>Billy Graham, Martin Luther King Jr., and racial tensions and bridge building today.
“People are often led to causes and often become committed to great ideas through persons who personify those ideas. They have to find the embodiment of the idea in flesh and blood in order to commit themselves to it.” - Martin Luther King, Jr., February 13, 1961
For 20 years, I didn’t know a thing about Billy Graham. Over that time, he came to be affectionately known as America’s Pastor. But as an American, I had not heard one of his sermons or watched any of his crusades. As it turns out, I wasn’t alone.
As LifeWay Research recently pointed out, 33% of Protestant churchgoers don’t know Billy Graham’s ministry. I’d venture to say that a good percentage of those churchgoers are African-American. For 20 years of my life, that was true of me. As an African-American man raised in a Baptist church in the South, Graham wasn’t on my radar.
In fact, I stumbled upon Graham’s ministry accidentally. As I consumed biographical content about one of my heroes in the faith, Martin Luther King, Jr., Graham’s name and his relationship with King peaked my interest. Who was this man of whom King said, “Had it not been for the ministry of my good friend Dr. Billy Graham, my work in the Civil Rights Movement would not have been as successful as it has been?”
Graham met King during a 1957 crusade in New York. They soon became friends—a friendship that led King to ask that Graham call him by his childhood name, Mike. As I read more about Graham (via King’s life), I decided to listen to some of Graham’s Crusade messages. They were simple, yet profound. As I listened, I hoped one day to learn more about his life and legacy. Little did I know that one day, ...
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