Talking about Jesus

I realize we talked about "Initiative" last Sunday (which we mean as initiative with one another inside our church community), but this is a great reminder about how important it is for us to be people of courage to engage those who don't follow Jesus. This is from an interview with Chip Arn.

Asked why each person became a Christian, here's a list of eight things that are always mentioned.

1. A special need arose in my life, such as a death or catastrophe. That's 1 percent to 2 percent.
2. A spontaneous walk-in—I just decided to go to church one Sunday. That's 2 percent to 3 percent.
3. I had a relationship with a pastor or someone else on church staff. That varies from 1 percent to 6 percent.
4. I was visited; somebody just knocked on my door. That's 1 percent to 2 percent and continually dropping.
5. I participated in Sunday school or some other Christian education. That's 4 percent to 5 percent.
6. Participation in evangelistic crusades, television, and radio ministries is less than 1 percent.
7. Church programs, such as special events or other advertised activities, drew 2 percent to 3 percent of those surveyed. If you've been following the numbers, the percentages are still very low and there's only one item left to list.
8. A friend or relative talked to me about Jesus. Of all the tens of thousands of people we surveyed, 75 to 90 percent of them said they're Christians because a friend or relative talked to them about Christ. That's not just a U.S. thing, that holds true from my visits to Korea and India as well.