Initial Thoughts on Dayhoff's Evangelism Style

 So, the preacher gave me a book on evangelism to read because it is up my alley and I'm interested in growing my obedience in this area.  Now, the book is entitled, "Church in a Blues Bar" by  Allan Dayhoff.  

1. I love the title and I think the shadow of a man wearing a golf hat makes the front cover realistic and approachable.  The title is apt and shocking for a number of reasons.  For starters, who has ever heard of a church meeting in a blues bar?  I know I hadn't until I heard about Dr. Dayhoff.  It's so interesting that anyone looking to explore the topic of evangelism would be immediately drawn in by the title and cover.

2. One of the things he really excels at doing in the first few chapters I have read is convince me that the way we do evangelism has to change because the people in the "wild" have changed.  There is growing cynicism about all things church in our society.  Those who are in the "wild" that is in, by with, and under the secular culture are not looking for truth in the church.  And, no wonder!  Look at the abysmal doctrine being pumped out of the PCUSA and the Episcopal church.  God has turned them away from the church in some respects because they don't have the insight to know which church is really preaching the truth

3.  Now, I'm a southern boy and I grew up in the south and everywhere you go you'll find Jesus followers, but even here in the bible belt, the gap between the church and the wild has grown marginally.  People sometimes have some inkling of the Christian dogma, but often times they are completely in the dark, left with their suffering and their doubts and fears. This is where Dayhoff is so helpful. He explains that the entry point for conversations about the gospel is not by listening to respond, but listening to hear.  These folks need us to hear their suffering and commiserate with their wounds as a connection point of relationship and reality that gives us an open door to more easily talk about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

4. Dayhoff emphasizes the importance of listening or hearing.  It's so important to remember to listen to people's suffering.  Maybe they will not respond to our logical syllogisms, but maybe they will respond to our empathy and understanding of the fallen human condition and ultimately how the Gospel answers the hard questions of suffering and the need for resurrection in our lives.

5.  The importance of presence is illustrated in his chapter where he talks about an artist who sits motionless for days, while others come and sit with her and even look in her eyes.  She does this to be present wtih them.  Simply being present in the wild with our ears open is a great way to build lasting relationships with people who need to hear the Gospel message.  This makes sense because I think for instance of Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman.  Jesus didn't just hop into a long sermon about how the Jews know who they worship.  It starts off with a common feeling of thirst, human frailty, and need.  Jesus tells her that he's thirsty.  She gives him some water and the rest is history

[UPDATE] 6. I should also say that I feel really redescent about going out and doing evangelism alone in a blues bar.  One of the things that I think is a draw back to this method of evangelism is that if done alone and without the structure and depth of church involvement one could lose themselves in the wild.  What I mean by that is there is a danger to fall in with the heathen and act like the heathen and talk like the heathen and sin like the heathen.  If I went about this type of evangelism I would want one other person with me and I would want to be deeply rooted in a reformed church that exalts the Risen Christ and has a deep fellowship.