I can't believe its been seven months since I last wrote my blog and I am sorry for the missed opportunity.
I wrote a few weeks ago that I was going to write a blog on 'Explore God'. If you live in Austin Texas you have no doubt seen the billboards and countless signs on churches and yards advertising 'Explore God' here, I wonder why they didn't call it Explore Christianity but that's a separate discussion.
The format of the evening was two video segments sandwiches by informal discussion on either side, the first video is people on the street being asked a question 'Why does God allow suffering' for example and the attendees answer that same question, followed by another video of 'experts' presenting their answer to the question. I think the format does a great job of opening up a topic for discussion but could do with a third video - that being some key bible verse and in the absence of that I would advise the host shares them to avoid it becoming an interesting discussion of opinion.
One huge positive about the acceptance to do the Explore God is it shows people in our town do want to reach the lost and do something positive. The video idea is a good one, because it takes allot of pressure off of people to put themselves out there to have allot of material prepared before hand to share competently. In that same thought, could you imagine the response to these same people if an Evangelist built them up in the ministry? If we read Ephesians 4 in context it tells us the gifts are for the benefit of the church so that we can ALL BE THE DOERS.
He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Video based home groups are quite common in the UK with varying durations, I think they are a great tool and allow those who are hospitable to open up their home, serve a meal and discuss the meaty things of life, some curse material's are better than others, I have often toyed with the idea of making a one episode video which is only the gospel. I only see them as training wheels like a gospel tract may be a good ice breaker and seeing the response to Explore God I may revisit this idea once again. A ten week course is a big commitment to ask of someone, in the examples of Explore God, Christianity Explored God, Alpha course, Emmaus or the Y course - if someone misses or leaves the week the gospel is presented isn't that the purpose of these tools?
Presenting the gospel is the joy of the Church, compulsory for all believer's and for all ages.
Recently, we've attended a training class at our new church called Training 4 Trainers that has an interesting philosophy about sharing the gospel. They tell people to "go" to people, rather than asking unbelievers to "come" to church. I love YouTube and many video presentations that spread the gospel in a variety of different ways. I don't at all condemn anyone who is trying to tell people about the truth in the Bible about Jesus. God can use many avenues. But I think we must remember that sharing the gospel is first about relationship. There is something super special about physically talking to someone sitting right in front of you. The intimacy, the one-on-one (or group) aspect, is something that you cannot replicate easily on a video (though when the Spirit moves...well..the Spirit moves). I love the idea and unity behind the "Explore God" movement. It has got the conversation started and I applaud it for that. But let us remember, as brothers/sisters in Christ, that WE are the ones to continue the conversation. See my blog post called, "Don't Invite People to Church."
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