New Perspectives
by Dr. Marshall M. Windsor, D.Min.
Over the holidays I received a wonderful new pair of boots. However, this self-purchased gift was wrought with a serious paradigm shift. You see, I’m an old-school kind of guy. Keep it simple. Keep it regular. Keep it conservative so I can wear it forever. Although its been said that the only constant is change—I must admit I’d rather preach it than parade it!
I’m a conservative dresser and boots were always meant to have round toes—right? I remember when lace-up boots came into style. I was like, “nobody will want to wear those things!” So much for my prophetic skills—it is still a popular boot today. And now the craze is the square-toed boot. I’m saying to myself, “That’s not a real boot! Who would wear those things!” Well, it turns out that almost everyone in boot-country is wearing them and loving them. The styles have certainly changed but it’s still a nice boot that protects your foot and keeps them nice and dry. Ok, so I’m changing…SLOWLY.
So why am I sharing a boot story in an evangelism post? Because styles and perspectives change all the time. Sometimes, just like I had to wrestle with getting a square-toed boot, we have to step back and wrestle with our current evangelism strategies. Most new Christians today came to Christ through family members or friends. So what are we doing to foster trusted relationships where friends and family can share the Good News? Do people even know your church exists?
In 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, the apostle Paul shares some interesting insights, but sums it up in verse 22 by saying: “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” It is often difficult to change, but if change will help us impact our communities for Christ, then by all means we need to change our methods. Make a concerted effort to take some time to evaluate the effectiveness of what you have been doing, and brainstorm on new ways to reach your community for Christ. It’s time for a new perspective—even if it comes with square toes.
Loving Jesus,
Marshall
Dr. Windsor is founder and president of Windsor Evangelistic Ministries, Inc. A Registered, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
