As a fellow evangelism trainer, what questions have you found useful to help people become aware of their current network of friends and see how “within or outside the cocoon” they are?

Chris.

Thanks for dropping by and commenting. I was reading another blog last week by Bill Tenny Brittian who mentioned that a good sign of a healthy church is a regular number of unchurched visitors, which sound’s like your church may have.

http://www.billtennybrittian.com/getting-started-at-the-ground-level/five-marks-of-an-effective-congregation

Blessings,

Chris.

A: Yes, but they are mostly old friends (from times when I was in secular communities: high school, college, soccer)

Q: If you have found yourself in the cocoon, how did it form in your life?

A: It’s really a matter of time investment. I work for a Christian owned and operated software firm, volunteer at church, participate in a Christian fellowship of artists and spend time with my family. After eating and sleeping, there is no time left.

Q: What steps can you take this week to get out?

A: At this stage in my life, none. The real answer for me is to be involved with another community, which isn’t going to happen this week.

That sounds defeatist, but the current situation isn’t so dire. I actually meet quite a few non-Christians at church. That’s because I meet way more people at church than anywhere else. Also, the conversations I have with people at church can much more naturally shift into spiritual matters. Non-Christians visiting church are often looking for friends and a community to plug into, as well.

Part of the vision for our art group is to engage artists in the community. The group is in its infancy, so we aren’t really doing that yet. When we get there it will be easier for me to meet more non-Christians.

In general, I think that the Church at large needs to become more involved with community organizations. We often reinvent successful organizations with a christianized version. Worse, we establish an isolated ministry in each local church. The ministries starve for lack of human resources and funds and the the world wonders where on Earth is the Church? Why not send teams out to join existing organizations?

For example, I have been building a relationship with a Jewish man who organizes trips to the holy land. I invited him to a Christian networking group luncheon yesterday. He is very open to spiritual matters. It is one of several relationships that I have been cultivating to share the gospel.

I wrote about the cocooning thing in one of my recent blog posts. It is a sad tendency that we have. See the post here http://www.friendfluence.com/2009/03/are-you-living-in-cocoon.html

Blessings…