Elsewhere I have commented on our approach to evangelism (Gospel, Social Networks, and Community).Tim Chester describes it as “Three-Strand Evangelism.” Austin City Life does not place our emphasis on doctrinal conversion, memorized gospel presentations or evidential apologetics, rather, we are cultivating communities of Spirit-led disciples who redemptively engage people. Consider Rodney Stark’s comment:
It is important to realize several important things about doctrine and conversion. After conversion has occurred is when most people get more deeply involved in the doctrines of their new group…conversion is primarily about bringing one’s religious behavior into alignment with that of one’s friends and relatives, not about encountering attractive doctrines.
How does evangelism typically play out for us? It means several things: 1) We form relationships for relationships sake; we value the friendship and perspective of those who do not believe as we do. 2) We invite people from these social networks into our community, a community centered on Jesus. We do this through BBQs, meals in the home, parties, and so on. 3) We strive to understand and apply the gospel in our lives and relationships, addressing the whole needs of our friends (celebrating a new birth, adopting foster children, counseling people through a hard time, sharing God’s forgiveness in Jesus, etc.). This approach to evangelism is the product of biblical reflection, study, practice and contextualization. This happens through our City Groups and social networks. Stark’s comments are, once again, apropos:
By now dozens of close-up studies of conversion have been conducted. All of them confirm that social networks are the basic mechanism through which conversion takes place. To convert someone, you must first become that person’s close and trusted friend.
One wonders how Stark accounts for Pentecost, a breakout awakening of people who did not even speak the same language. Well, he certainly makes room for “Damascus Road” experiences but argues that this is the exception, not the rule.
Quotes taken from Rodney Stark, Cities of God, 12-13. See also The Rise of Christianity.
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September 17, 2009 at 12:59 am
David Kueker
You wrote: “One wonders how Stark accounts for Pentecost, a breakout awakening of people who did not even speak the same language.”
Would you like to discuss this?
David Kueker
September 18, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Jonathan Dodson
Feel free…
September 18, 2009 at 6:32 pm
David Kueker
I love Stark’s work and would have utilized it widely if my DMin project (www.disciplewalk.com) had not already been 90% finished. It correlated very closely closely to what I had observed in my study of third world cell church and church planting movements (CPM/Garrison). Also Neil Cole, which is another foundation of the project.
I don’t recall him commenting on Pentecost, however; Stark is not an atheist but doesn’t claim to be a believer. His approach really is scientific rather than apologetic.
A factor I noticed a lot in the church growth literature was the ideal of what we could call “Acts-in-a-vacuum” – i.e., “just do Acts” or “let’s have a New Testament church of Acts” or “once you have Pentecost in our churches, we’ll see Acts happen” etc.
As the role of my research was to find correlations between how Jesus made disciples and evangelized and the modern practice of rapidly growing third world cell churches and church planting movements, I’ve always been a bit surprised whenever I encounter Acts out of context, i.e. that the revival in the book of Acts is the clear and direct result of the disciple making methods of Jesus and his other actions over the three years of his ministry. To put this point of view in the same phraseology would be, “if you want the church of Acts, do the methods of the Gospels.”
This is not to say that the Spirit is not powerful, but people seem to want to rely on the power of the Spirit falling without working toward the maturity resulting from the equipping of three years of walking in obedience to Jesus. So of the factors leading to the church of Acts, I believe the outbreak of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost is a minor factor when we consider everything else in the sociological context of that day.
In this day we are in a different context, as we cannot reduplicate these factors, and so praying for the Spirit is one thing we can do. But in that context there were many other sociological factors which Jesus utilized to achieve the goal of his ministry: “I will build my church” and I believe that he did just that.
Although I haven’t seen anything Startk has written on the ministry of Jesus described in the gospels, I believe that Stark’s principles identify quite a few of those factors which are present in both the gospels and church of Acts.
September 18, 2009 at 6:39 pm
David Kueker
What I typed in one key sentence might be confusing … what I should have typed is
i.e. I BELIEVE that the revival in the book of Acts is the clear and direct result of the disciple making methods of Jesus and his other actions over the three years of his ministry.
September 18, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Jonathan Dodson
Thanks, David. I agree that there is an overemphasis on Acts at the expense of the rest of Acts, the Gospels, and the Epistles (see above). In particular, we need to rely on the Spirit in order to produce new church forms that are contextualized. This has been the Spirit’s work throughout the ages.
Regarding Rodney Stark’s insights and their relevance to the contemporary church, I recently spoke at the Acts 29 bootcamp where I made some of these connections, along with insights from Robert Putnam. Feel free to download the audio. It’s great to reap the benefits from common grace among these thinkers.
September 19, 2009 at 12:25 pm
David Kueker
Putnam is the other sociologist I quote repeatedly. It appears we are travelers on the same thematic path. How wonderful!
I’m astonished at how rarely I encounter someone who has read either Stark or Putnam.