Sharing your faith

sweetandsour · Post by **sweetandsour** » 02 Apr 2023, 09:09

Who among you would walk up to a college age (young adult) student at a University and ask if they had ever considered where they are going after they die? Personally I have mixed feelings wrt this approach for this age group and setting. I'm not throwing stones, just am thinking about it

A couple of friends of mine, literally, it wasn't me, asked a young lady this question last week at a local college, and the reply was that they hoped to go to Hell so they could party with their friends.

jmg · Post by **jmg** » 02 Apr 2023, 10:16

I don't mean this as a Jesus juke, but if the Holy Spirit tells you to go that route, then that's the best route. I've personally never been led to do that exactly though. As a rule of thumb, I think developing a personal relationship is best way to go. However, we never know what the Holy Spirit has been doing behind the scene. We never know what seeds have been planted and that right then may be the time of harvest. So, in short, do what the Spirit tells you to do, so long as it is not contradictory to Scripture...and it if is, then the Spirit didn't tell you...as least not the Holy Spirit. (I put that last part in simply because I can't count the times I've heard people tell me, "God told me to do..." when that particular thing is in complete contrast to Scripture. Then, even though I pointed that out, most have stuck to what they said."

Side note, years ago when I was a student pastor in Alabama, I took the kids and some adults to the local mall. I had instructed the groups to ask, depending on how the answers went, two questions. We were up front with every person. We told them who we were, what church we were with, and that we were more or less doing a survey to understand better what people think about spiritual things. 1. Do you believe in a literal heaven and hell. 2. If you do, what do you think it takes to go to heaven.

I had told them before we ever went there that even though we were in the "Bible belt" they should be ready to hear a LOT of "Well, I think you have to do more good than bad," or "You just need to be a good person."

Most folks were pretty cooperative and we got to present a really simple and clear Gospel presentation to quite a few folks that day. I knew what the results were going to be, but it was pretty eye opening to many of the folks that went that day, including the adults.

Del · Post by **Del** » 03 Apr 2023, 13:49

I will keep this thread in mind.... and report back after I have talked with Pipeson and Cigarson. Especially Cigarson, as he labored four years as a Catholic campus missionary.

Most of Cigarson's battle stories involve helping guys turn their lives around, get on the path to holiness, and amazing progress they made. But he also engaged strangers.... one mission coach encouraged him to carry a pack of cigarettes and learn how to smoke 'em, so he had a ready excuse to join that group of guys hanging outside that building. (He favored American Spirit Black, the one with perique.)

FredS · Post by **FredS** » 04 Apr 2023, 06:39

Del wrote: 03 Apr 2023, 13:49 I will keep this thread in mind.... and report back after I have talked with Pipeson and Cigarson. Especially Cigarson, as he labored four years as a Catholic campus missionary.

Most of Cigarson's battle stories involve helping guys turn their lives around, get on the path to holiness, and amazing progress they made. But he also engaged strangers.... one mission coach encouraged him to carry a pack of cigarettes and learn how to smoke 'em, so he had a ready excuse to join that group of guys hanging outside that building. (He favored American Spirit Black, the one with perique.)

I was once on a 'silent' retreat at a Catholic monastery/seminary, sitting on a bench smoking a pipe, when a seminarian flashed a pack of cigs and a lighter and asked if he could sit. After only a minute of small talk he got serious and told me he thought he might leave (quit) the seminary. He was apprehensive of discussing it with his vocational advisor, and scared to death of telling his parents. He hadn't even talked to fellow students because he was afraid they'd rat on him. Turns out he wanted to be a cop in Austin.

I think that 15 minute break from my vow of silence for the day was the right thing.

The kid never did light up a cigarette.

Del · Post by **Del** » 04 Apr 2023, 09:33

FredS wrote: 04 Apr 2023, 06:39
Del wrote: 03 Apr 2023, 13:49 I will keep this thread in mind.... and report back after I have talked with Pipeson and Cigarson. Especially Cigarson, as he labored four years as a Catholic campus missionary.

Most of Cigarson's battle stories involve helping guys turn their lives around, get on the path to holiness, and amazing progress they made. But he also engaged strangers.... one mission coach encouraged him to carry a pack of cigarettes and learn how to smoke 'em, so he had a ready excuse to join that group of guys hanging outside that building. (He favored American Spirit Black, the one with perique.)
I was once on a 'silent' retreat at a Catholic monastery/seminary, sitting on a bench smoking a pipe, when a seminarian flashed a pack of cigs and a lighter and asked if he could sit. After only a minute of small talk he got serious and told me he thought he might leave (quit) the seminary. He was apprehensive of discussing it with his vocational advisor, and scared to death of telling his parents. He hadn't even talked to fellow students because he was afraid they'd rat on him. Turns out he wanted to be a cop in Austin.

I think that 15 minute break from my vow of silence for the day was the right thing.

The kid never did light up a cigarette.

As pipe smokers and Christians, we should be open whenever the Holy Spirit uses our special talents to put such encounters into our lives!

coco · Post by **coco** » 06 Apr 2023, 12:17

sweetandsour wrote: 02 Apr 2023, 09:09...ask if they had ever considered where they are going after they die?

This is one of the "Kennedy Questions," and was widely used in the late 80's, early 90's. To be sure, it isn't the only way to have a significant conversation about spiritual things with someone who is non-Christian.

Without getting too far into it, the general tendency among Christians is to think that it is someone else's job to talk about Jesus, or to say that one should only do so when there is a special leading of the Spirit, probably a burning bush or something. It would be better to take the following to heart: “'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.'

The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price" (Revelation 22:16–17). Note that the one who has heard about Jesus is to tell others to come to him.

Hugo Drax · Post by **Hugo Drax** » 06 Apr 2023, 15:44

I'll talk about it with anyone who asks. I'll talk about it when appropriate to a conversation whether it was asked or not. What I won't do is browbeat a man or back him into a corner to preach at him rather than to him. That sort of horse poo leads men away from Christ. My record is blotted enough without that particular millstone.

Our shop has become a Saturday hangout for Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox, all of whom get together in peace togethwr and I don't think that would ever have happened by anything resembling aggression. I think the lesson is in how Christ healed the crowds. The mission has to be love first because love builds openness and openness leads to conversion.

But that's just a theory. I'm no great evangelist.

Hovannes · Post by **Hovannes** » 06 Apr 2023, 17:02

Hugo Drax wrote: 06 Apr 2023, 15:44 I'll talk about it with anyone who asks. I'll talk about it when appropriate to a conversation whether it was asked or not. What I won't do is browbeat a man or back him into a corner to preach at him rather than to him. That sort of horse poo leads men away from Christ. My record is blotted enough without that particular millstone.

Our shop has become a Saturday hangout for Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox, all of whom get together in peace togethwr and I don't think that would ever have happened by anything resembling aggression. I think the lesson is in how Christ healed the crowds. The mission has to be love first because love builds openness and openness leads to conversion.

But that's just a theory. I'm no great evangelist.

God bless you, Hugo.

Yohanan · Post by **Yohanan** » 06 Apr 2023, 19:39

sweetandsour wrote: 02 Apr 2023, 09:09 Who among you would walk up to a college age (young adult) student at a University and ask if they had ever considered where they are going after they die? Personally I have mixed feelings wrt this approach for this age group and setting. I'm not throwing stones, just am thinking about it

A couple of friends of mine, literally, it wasn't me, asked a young lady this question last week at a local college, and the reply was that they hoped to go to Hell so they could party with their friends.

Wow, and not in a positive way, a lot of folk speak, but don't know what they mean or even understand what they uttered, May God Bless them to understand, and hopefully they will grasp the truth before it is too late, this also applies to the ones who do understand, but for whatever reason choose their own path, which may not lead to where they are supposed to be, just my farthings worth. I am a Human, God Help me.

FredS · Post by **FredS** » 11 Apr 2023, 15:33

Hugo Drax wrote: 06 Apr 2023, 15:44 . . . Our shop has become a Saturday hangout for Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox, all of whom get together in peace togethwr and I don't think that would ever have happened by anything resembling aggression. I think the lesson is in how Christ healed the crowds. The mission has to be love first because love builds openness and openness leads to conversion.

But that's just a theory. I'm no great evangelist.

"They don't care what you know until they know that you care."

That's what I tell myself anyway, when I'd rather just visit with someone than evangelize to them. Which is pretty much always.