 Posted Saturday, February 26, 2005 12:24 AM
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| I'm suggesting this new thread in hopes of hearing that someone has actually had a positive experience in sharing their faith with a former CS church member, be it friend or family, and actually seen it take effect. So many of our discussions deal with the seemingly insurmountable barriers that go up once we leave the fold. That's the situation I find myself in... sowing some seeds for years and years but not noticing any change, although I'm sure something must be happening in the unseen realm! After all, once the Word has gone out, it's not supposed to return void. There's got to be someone who's had results. Any takers?
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Posted Saturday, February 26, 2005 1:34 AM
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I have a work in progress to share and would ask for prayers to support it as well. For the sake of anonymity, I'm leaving out certain details.
A close CS family member came near to terminating all contact with me a few years ago. One visit to our home ended with her slapping my wife. It took a lot of prayer and forgiveness to maintain any contact.
Events transpired that required a mutual commitment with mutual benefits. The short time benefits were to be more in my family's favor though the CS family member was to realize long term benefits. Sorry to be so cryptic. Too many details and I might as well sign my name. Anyway, that opened up improved communications and opportunities for visiting.
In between the slapping incident and the mutual commitment, I became aware of and active on this forum. In spite of what some may think, I've learned a lot about sharing the Gospel from all of you. I've also learned some about how not to share the Gospel.
The new opportunities for visiting included occassions such as holiday concerts and plays where my CS family member would attend church with us. The members of my church represent an effective witness and I've become willing to let the Holy Spirit lead. Conversations with my family member have been much more productive since then.
Cutting to the chase, my CS family member is need of surgery and prayers. She asked me for prayers knowing that she would be placed on my church's prayer list. After several weeks of indecision, she has decided to have the surgery backed up with Christian prayers. She is still holding onto CS though and not fully letting go of the belief in the need to keep such matters secret.
If you're so inclined, please pray for her. Pray that God might be glorified in healing mercies attributed to Him. Pray that this work in progress may see fruit. Pray that she come to realize the power of many people praying specifically for her. Pray that she willingly stand in the light rather than hide in the shadows from error.
Do Go Be Man
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Posted Saturday, February 26, 2005 7:05 AM
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Do Go Be Man
I seem to recall a post from you going back a few months now. This concerned an event and answer to prayer after an extremely bad vehicle accident. That post had an extremely impressive effect on me and I was so glad to read it. I am actually sure that your CS relative is intuitive of your deep faith and may be relying more on you rather than the Church to get her through.
I do hope all goes well for your relative. When all goes wrong there is only one option left and that is to turn to our Heavenly Father.
Jan
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Posted Saturday, February 26, 2005 3:59 PM
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Here's a positive experience:
I had several religious discussions with mother during the decade after I became a born again Christian and left CS. I wasn't sure she was hearing what I was really saying as we had the CS language barrier between us. My mother finally left CS not for doctrinal reasons, but because she realized that CS has hurt so many people emotionally and physically. (She watched me go through a very rough recovery process. After I figured out what parts of my CS upbringing were troubling me, I opened up to her about them and also told her the horror stories of other former CSists with whom I had been talking. She then looked honestly at her own past and recognized that she had also seen too many people suffer for their CS beliefs.) Our religous discussions became more fruitful after she left CS and began to see what the Bible was really saying. A year later she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior, but she never really found a church where she felt comfortable. Last year she moved to a different part of the country, found a Bible believing church, and was recently baptized.
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Posted Saturday, February 26, 2005 4:11 PM
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Do Go Be Man and Linda,
Thanks for sharing your encouraging stories with us. We should dwell on the positive more often! Thanks for starting this thread, Barb. I think we have all too often thought, "You just can't get through to them! They speak a different language!" It least I know I have!
Blessings,
Susan
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Posted Wednesday, March 02, 2005 12:02 AM
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Wow...I'm glad I started this thread too. It's very true, Susan, that we don't hear many experiences like those of Linda and Do-Go-Be-Man. I think that we must have the utmost patience in this area. Just because we don't see immediate results, it doesn't mean the planted seeds aren't growing. I remember how turned off I used to be by preachy people approaching me on the street, handing out tracts. Now I see their heart, but that method didn't work with me. I had to have a respected friend, actually a series of them, share their concerns with me before I'd open my mind to another way of thinking.
Linda, the story of your mother is really encouraging. It's giving me renewed hope for fruitful conversations with my mom. She is seeing her CS friends "passing on" all around her - all younger than herself- and I think it may be shaking her up a bit. I simply express sympathy for their families with words like, "They must be feeling the loss even though they don't talk about it, Mom. I'm sure they feel the pain in their private moments. It's O.K. to ask how they're doing, you know. It must be rather lonely when no one at church even acknowledges the loss." At least that gives her "permission" to talk realistically about death with me, something she just won't do with CS friends.
Do-Go-Be-Man, isn't it great that we have the venue of church concerts, plays, etc. where we can invite CS friends/relatives to a non-threatening environment? I'm sure it satisfies some curiosity on their part about what a S.S. play might be like, as we sure never did anything like that when I grew up in the CS Sunday School. But more important, it's an opportunity, like you said, to introduce solid, mature Christian friends to our loved ones. Our friends will have their own unique influence on the visitors, apart from us. I've found this to be true when I bring Mom along to the down-to-earth Christian Bikers Assoc. meetings at a local donut shop after church, for example. She only visits once a year for about a week so I milk it for all its worth by visiting just the type of people she would feel comfortable with. (No...she's not an ex-biker, just a down-to-earth lady!) These friends have lived out their faith walk by being hospitable, humorous, gracious, sensitive and interesting. They are slowly building a relationship with her consistently through the years and now she even asks about them. They are the same folks who can pray with me to "let go and let God", because they know my mom and love her.
Let's hear some more encouraging words! Thanks guys.
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Posted Wednesday, March 02, 2005 8:58 AM
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Dear Barb,
You are right, it is encouraging to hear encouraging words. I have had modest success with inviting friends to church events that are considered secular. This lets the friend enjoy the event and realize how wonderful Christian fellowship is. Somewhere it says "you shall know them by their love" about Christians. The love of Christ incarnate is the real thing we have to offer the unchurched.
I would be interested in hearing about other non-intrusive one-on-one forms of evangelising.
Broncho
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Posted Monday, March 14, 2005 11:32 AM
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Dear Everyone,
I just wanted to let you all know that this is such a great day for me. I've read a couple of articles from the Christian Way website before, but it wasn't until today that I saw the discussion forum. My husband and I have felt so alone as we struggle with our desire to share our new beliefs with our CS family and friends. Our church family is very loving, but no one there understands CS the way everyone on this discussion forum does. This is such a relief and I'm so looking forward to reading through these posts and adding thoughts here and there.
Maybe I will have some success stories here someday.
Anyway, THANK YOU!!!
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Posted Monday, March 14, 2005 11:59 AM
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Anonymous Monday, March 14, 2005 11:32 AM,
Welcome to the forum! Your contributions are encouraged. May I suggest that you register or at least adopt a nom de plume? It makes it easier to keep postings attributed correctly. By registering, you do not need to give up your anonymity.
Do Go Be Man
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Posted Monday, March 14, 2005 12:06 PM
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