I'm Joyce White. I a member of Meridian Friends Church and I attend a small worship meeting. Working with youth and seeking to understand human cognition are two of my hobbies; something the former informs the latter. I hope these personal accounts of evangelism help
I was saved at a Billy Graham Meeting and again at an evangelistic meeting and again in Sunday School.
I became an evangelist while still in kindergarten. After taking quite an interest in a religious sect predominant in the area, I tried to convert a schoolmate by sitting her down and saying "Now this is the way it really is. . . ." She was unyielding in her belief, and her mother never let her play at my house again. Personal evangelism didn't seem to work.
Somewhere during elementary school, I picked up how important it was to invite people to church. My grandparents took neighborhood children to church and always talked with their neighbors about God's kindness and love. My parents took my brother, sister and I to church, Sunday School, prayer meeting, and Wednesday night service (and attended themselves). I enjoyed being with my friends, fellowship time and correcting the way my teacher would tell the Bible story I already knew. All of those things and experiences were great, but none of them really moved me to invite people to church.
I think it was the radio preachers that finally got to me, but I can't be sure. Our church might have been putting on a "bring-a-friend" Sunday or maybe I was getting points in youth group for bringing a friend (even more than bringing my Bible). Whatever it was, I felt very strongly that I ought to invite my two next-door neighbors to church. It needs to be mentioned that I did not feel that I should talk with them about God or ask them what they believed. Church was the answer.
Finally, to my amazement, both came with me to youth group one Wednesday evening. One friend didn't like the people and for whatever other reasons, she never came with me to any church-like event again, although I didn't stop asking until her mother said they'd let me know if she wanted to come. The other friend came a few more times to youth group. My mother got her younger siblings to come to Vacation Bible School that next year. But that was it. Church evangelism was out too!
I became more and more convinced that the eternal salvation of these two next-door neighbors somehow depended upon my willingness to confront them about their lack of salvation. So, instead of trying again with personal, friendship evangelism, I wrote them both anonymous letters. In the type-written letters, I explained my concern for them to know God, and what else I'm not sure. One figured out that I had written her letter - it was probably because I wasn't yet proficient in my use of white-out and I'd tried to cover-up rather incriminating evidence.
During this same time, I befriended an outcast in middle school. Vanel sat and ate alone at a table in the cafeteria. I sat with her. My other friends wouldn't join us, but I felt like I was doing the right thing, being Jesus to her. Vanel started doing things fill the void in her life. At the time I saw her as a bad influence and didn't realize that what she needed was Hope. We parted ways.
In high school, I read how as a high schooler, one of my favorite singers, Margret Becker, used to go early to school and greet her fellow classmates as they came into the high school building. That was something I couldn't stop thinking about. At the time I had retreated from mainstream high school culture into Honors and AP classes, and I avoided to masses as much as possible. To take time to get to know even the students I had classes with filled me with excitement and FEAR. I decided it was too risky: I might get hurt, I might be made fun of.
My focus up to this point was, and often still is, on me.
Two things happened in the next years to change the way I approach evangelism:
1. I had good mentors/ models in youthwork who asked the youth questions, listened to them, payed attention and played enthusiastically. I learned that paying attention to people is important.
2. I became less concerned about living a perfect life, and more convinced of God's love and work in every person's life (saved or pre-saved). God is already at work.
At a recent high school camp, one of the girls in my cabin told me that she did not believe in God. I asked questions, I listened to what she said, I shared my own experience and then I stepped back. I trusted God to lead me to say something if need be, but also to continue to work in her life just as God had been doing. Later, she told me that she has regained her belief in God and is following God. But I can't take any credit.
In working with youth at church youth group, outreach events and camps, my goals are to provide 1. an opportunity (as free from distraction as possible) for youth to pay attention to what God might be communicating to them and 2. myself as someone who pays attention. In outreach events, we usually have lots and lots of playing and then a short devotional thought. The adults are the ones who make contacts with the youth at school events and other gatherings, and as God draws these youth to God's self, the adults are there for youth to ask questions. At camps and youth group, I believe it is important to include time for youth to respond to God or questions God. This takes various shapes but has included journalling, silent worship, open worship, drawing and responsive art and praying the scriptures.
This page is moderated by Johan Maurer as part of the "Evangelism and the Friends Testimonies" project, supported during the academic year 2003-04 by the Ferguson Quaker Fellowship program of Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre. Johan has a minute of service from Reedwood Friends Church.
