What are some good ways to reach people who are not Christians?

[distracted]

i guess you could stand on a street corner and preach…

or go into taverns and ask people if they know Jesus…

but i was wondering if there are other and better ways… Why i am clue-less about this is kind of beyond me… but…

maybe i am clueless because i feel uncomfortable doing this kind of thing and need some help…

 

[Rascalking]

The best way I do is try to focus on the love and forgiveness of Christ. Focus on how much God loves us and wants us to be on His side.

Preaching to them will just tick them off.

 

[distracted]

The best way I do is try to focus on the love and forgiveness of Christ. Focus on how much God loves us and wants us to be on His side.

Preaching to them will just tick them off.

how do you do one w/o doing the other? How can anyone know if we are focusing on Crhist if we don’t evangize?

 

[YinYangMom]

how do you do one w/o doing the other? How can anyone know if we are focusing on Crhist if we don’t evangize?

By focusing our energies and efforts on Christ we unite ourselves with him, we open ourselves up to becoming his instruments (read the prayer of St Francis of Assisi). This means all that we ‘say’ and all that we ‘do’ reflects Christ’s love for others. A simple ‘Hello’ becomes an evangelizing moment if it’s sincerely delivered with compassion and love. The recipient feels the love, the kindness, in our greeting and they are drawn to us as a result. This is why a simple smile and eye contact given to high schoolers passing through the halls can result in changing a person’s mind about committing suicide later that afternoon. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.

The love we allow ourselves to feel from him eminates outward to others. This is what I think of when I hear messages from the pulpit about being the light of the worl’…when we ourselves are in the light of the Lord we reflect that to others. This is evangelization in its simplest form.

The key is to be so in tune yourself to God’s love for you, your personal relationship with Christ, that you are free to be his hands, eyes, ears, mouth and heart here on earth. This is where Eucharistic adoration, reading of scriptures daily and receiving the sacraments regularly come into play. The exercises keep us connected to him, keep the light glowing, so to speak.

 

[distracted]

This is why a simple smile and eye contact given to high schoolers passing through the halls can result in changing a person’s mind about committing suicide later that afternoon. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.

k.

funny you mentin this because earlier, i was walking in a store parking lot and this woman smiled at me… there was no one else around and she looked directly @ me… so i know she meant to smile @ me but i cna’t figure out why…. I mean, it ws kinda eerie… the way she deliberately smiled at me…like I’d done something special… or something… but anyway… it DID make me feel better…

(not all smiles do that for me… have to admit… 'cause i tend to think some smiles are kinda phony…? or maybe that’s my ptsd speaking?? )

anyway, her smile seemed very sincere…

which makes things all the stranger… 'cause i didn’t know her from Adam…

anyway… your post makes me think of the statistic (used to be true, probably still is?) that young people take their lives far more often these days than … say, 2 decades ago… very sad…

that’s why i try to give people the Word of God… It helps me VERY much… so i know waht it can do… So glad i discovered daily Mass some yrs ago…

 

[YinYangMom]

which makes things all the stranger… 'cause i didn’t know her from Adam…
…
that’s why i try to give people the Word of God… It helps me VERY much… so i know waht it can do… So glad i discovered daily Mass some yrs ago…

Please consider the woman received inspiration from the Holy Spirit to smile sincerely at you on behalf of your Father. If your immediate response was recognition that God just smiled at you through her rather than suspiciously question whether or not the smile was intended for you or why, you would have been the recipient of an evangelization moment. You would have received evidence that God exists AND he loves you without a single word being exchanged.

The Word of God is wonderful but more important is the Love of God. Your love alone, without any words, can inspire someone to receive the Word of God on their own or through another person.

I’m suggesting we are each moved to evangelize in different ways given different circumstances. There is no one approach. Even if you are blessed at being good a delivering the Word through speech, you are still capable of evangelizing through the glint in your eye and smile on your lips. Remain open to those opportunities, not only to give the gift but to receive.

It was a lovely story you shared, affirmation for me that God works through others. Thanks.

 

[Peter167]

If you want to reach people who aren’t Christians, you have to know people who aren’t Christians.

No one listens to love or forgiveness from someone they don’t respect. And no one respects someone they don’t know… unless you’re famous for being loving and forgiving i suppose.

You have to hang out with sinners if you want to save them.