kevin harney is the senior pastor of shoreline community church in monterrey, ca, and author of several books with zondervan. his most recent book is organic outreach for ordinary people: sharing good news naturally. in organic outreach for ordinary people, kevin helps readers experience the sheer joy of helping someone encounter Jesus; find natural openings to begin spiritual conversations; and use creative approaches to discuss faith in attractive ways. i wanted to share an interview i had with kevin regarding his book. here is the interview:
what reasons do you hear for why people aren’t more active in evangelism?
kevin harney: some of the common responses are: “it is not my gift… it just does not feel natural for me.” others say, “i don’t want to be pushy, obnoxious, and drive people away from God with pressure tactics.” i also hear people say, “i just don’t know where to start! i would like to share my faith, but i don’t know what to say.”
would you explain the one degree rule?
kh: the one degree rule is simply the idea that we can increase our passion and heart for outreach incrementally. if you think of a scale from one to ten (1= cold and 10= hot) i ask people, what is your present temperature for outreach? is it sizzling hot, ice cold, or somewhere in-between. almost everyone can give a number right away, we have a sense of where our heart is when it comes to outreach. the one degree rule is about making a commitment to increase your temperature by one degree today. i suggest three things that can act like gas on the flames of our hearts when it comes to outreach. 1) pray for people who need Jesus. 2) spend time with those who are still far from God. 3) tell stories of how God has and is changing lives.
what are 3 simple ways a person can start evangelizing?
kh: 1) begin praying for and with people. When someone is hurting or in a time of great joy, offer to take a moment and pray for them. its amazing, almost everyone says, “yes!” when we pray, right there and then, the Holy Spirit shows up! we spend so much time trying to get people to church. but, when we pray, we bring the church… the presence of Jesus … right where they are.
2) serve in the name of Jesus. look for chances to serve those who are in need and when they ask you why you care, love, and serve, let them know about the one who loves you and them.
3) tell your story. God is at work in your life. he is doing things. share your stories of God’s faithfulness and power in your life. don’t force these, just let them flow. if you love and know Jesus, stories of his goodness will often be on your lips.
can a person just be not cut out for outreach?
kh: there are some people who are more naturally gifted for outreach and who share faith on a very regular basis. but, every believer has a story to tell. every christian can be God’s salt and light in a dark world. i have met many believers who say, “i can’t do outreach.” but, when they discover that outreach can be organic and very natural, they get excited and it becomes part of their daily life.
what mistakes do people make in outreach?
kh: one of the biggest is that they force things. they don’t let the Spirit lead and doors open, but they have an agenda and program they force on people.
another is that they reserve outreach for special moments of life like mission trips and special weekends at their church with an “outreach emphasis.” outreach is more about who we are than some pre-set program. when we get this, it becomes a part of the fabric of our life.
if more christians accepted the call to become evangelists, how would the world look different?
kh: people who don’t know Jesus would not have silly stereotypes of christians and evangelism. instead they would hear about Jesus on a regular basis and they would not feel pressure, but love.
also, many more people would be hearing stories of faith, the message of the gospel, and would be receiving loving care and service.
churches would be growing and lost people would be looking to christians to help them find meaning and purpose in life.
to read a sample chapter from organic outreach for ordinary people, click here.
to purchase a copy of organic outreach for ordinary people, click here.
JS: There seems to be two factors at work here. 1) Some in church leadership are just as confused as lay people in recognizing the value of the church. I know because for years I was unsure about the value of church. I did church because it seemed like the right thing to do, but I didn’t have any way to articulate “why church”? When I didn’t feel confident about the answer to this question, I certainly didn’t want to try to answer it for other people. Nothing in my evangelical heritage or training had prepared me to answer that question. It took writing a dissertation on the subject before I began to understand the value of church. 2) The second factor is that no one wants to seem self-serving. For a pastor to stand up and preach church attendance sounds like he is only out for what is in his best interests.
this week there are a number of blogs that are reviewing 
