Demonstrative Approach
The third approach to evangelism that some young people emphasize is an approach that makes an appeal to culture through justice and mercy work. While incarnational evangelism is concerned primarily with “being the change” in an internalized sense, demonstrative evangelism is the proverbial, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Its orientation is outward, towards meeting the tangible needs of people and of the cultures to which God calls us. While the previous approach tends to emphasize a verbal proclamation of the gospel message, this approach tends to emphasize demonstrating the reality of the gospel as the first and primary means of Christian witness. This approach asks the question, “How do we take existing concerns (injustices, ills, etc.) in our community, and demonstrate how to right them so as to be a foretaste of the coming kingdom?” Those who emphasize demonstrative evangelism point to the long, time-tested history of Christians working among the poor, protecting the value of human life, and speaking truth to power—even at the cost of their own lives.
Christians are indeed called to labor in partnership with the Spirit to right the wrongs of our society. We are to be a voice for the voiceless, proclaim freedom to the prisoner, and elevate the status of the downtrodden. We are called to live out the words of the Christmas hymn: “In his name, all oppression shall cease.”
But like the other two approaches, demonstrative evangelism is also prone to an unhealthy extreme. Sometimes those who emphasize this approach become entangled in alliances with causes, organizations, political parties, etc., to such an extent that the gospel witness becomes tainted by other allegiances. What’s more, like incarnational evangelism, demonstrative evangelism can become so focused on the work of justice that Jesus fades into the background. The “cup of cold water” given in Jesus’ name simply becomes a cup of cold water.
Millennials and Gen Zers are the two most large-scale, justice-oriented generations in human history. We would do well to tap into that hunger to see the tangible fruit of the gospel born in our societies today, especially when that work confounds and transcends the political and ideological categories that our cultures have created. Yet, we also have to remember that a justice generation also needs Jesus, the One in whom we place our hope for ultimate liberation. Our culture not only needs healing from systemic sins, but it needs the great Mediator Himself to transform every person—which is, effectively, a dismantling of the unholy roots of systemic sin.
A Jesus-Anchored Evangelism
We have tremendous hope for the future of the church, in no small part because it is in the hands of this current generation of young people. We need all three expressions of evangelism to reach the world with the truth of the gospel, if for no other reason than because different people are reached in different ways. So while we cannot and should not dispense with any of these approaches, nor should we favor one or another as the “right approach.” We also must consider how each of these approaches are prone to their particular excesses which cause them to become something altogether different from evangelism.
We believe the way we keep evangelism focused and effective in this next generation is to keep Jesus as the anchor point from which that evangelism flows. If we incarnate ourselves in our community, we do so as “little Christs” (a term which is, quite literally, the definition of the word Christian). If we proclaim the gospel, we do it in proximity to people, stewarding their pain, their doubts, and their sin with the gentleness and love that Jesus modeled to us. If we demonstrate the gospel, we do so with the coming King and his kingdom in view. A Jesus-anchored evangelism, in all three of these approaches, is evangelism at its finest—and is how this next generation can reach the world with the unchanging truth of the gospel.
Encouragement to Young People
So where do we go from here? Well, first, learn what it means to share the Gospel with both grace and truth, and don’t hesitate to start. Don’t be discouraged by the shift away from cultural Christianity, rather be see it as a moment for gospel clarity and faithful mission. It’s a challenging time, and we need young people to evangelize with courage and conviction now, as much as ever. So, start now, and take up the mantel of sharing the gospel—and find your own style and voice to do so.
Karyssa A. Allen recently graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in Bible and Theology, is currently studying Media Arts and Worship at Dallas Theological Seminary, and works with Ed as an editor. She is married to Pastor Dan Allen, and seeks to use theological and creative writing to build up Christ’s Church with truth and love.
