Get Your Pretense On!

Chapter 6: The Oikos Factor • 147

(6) “Evangelistic crusade or television program” (7) “Church program or outreach” (8) “Friend or relative”

The results of the survey were incredible. Those who said special need was 1-2%, walk-ins were 2-3%, through a pastor 5-6%, by visitation 1-2%, through a Sunday School/small group kind of connection 4-5%, through an evangelistic crusade or TV show ½%, and a church outreach or program: 2-3%. However, those who said they came to faith through a friend or relatives was 75-90% ! What a survey like this shows is the effectiveness of oikos connection when it comes to sharing the Good News with others. People are more inclined to listen to those whom they know, with whom they are connected, and in whom they trust. Third, oikos members are already receptive to one another. This kind of evangelism builds on shared history, experience, and concerns. People of an oikos are more likely to listen to their own members than to strangers. The connection is there, the relationship already exists, cutting short the need for an evangelist, pastor, or church to cultivate a brand new relationship with them. Fourth, oikos evangelism is built on natural sharing of the Gospel ( with no cold calling ). Barriers of culture, language, relationship melt away when members of an oikos share with other members of their group. It is the least threatening form of sharing faith or, for that matter, for receiving faith. Such sharing of the Lord occurs through normal relational lines. We are not relating to people as strangers, as “headhunters” alone, purely “targeting” people to proselytize them. Rather, no cold calling is involved in this kind of sharing. They are fellow students, co-workers,