Tag Team Evangelism - Lutheran Society for Missiology

Tag Tcnnl E\sangel~sm I 1Tag Team Evangelism:Congregations Helping Memberswith Christian Witness in Daily LifeRobert KolbThe adventure of Cluistian \\-itncss is labor intensile In his goodness. Godhas called all those \irhon~ hc has re-creatcd as his children to sene asinstruments ofhis saving Word. Hc has sent all ~11c peoplc of his famil!, into tllcworld to bring others into tllc fa~nil!. (Matt. 28: 18-20). and Ilc breathcs his HolySpirit on all the baptized. so that tllcy might retain and. above all. forgi1.c sins(John 20: 19-23). But Cluishans are not hit-and-n~n \s~imcsscs in most situations.God calls us and emponrcrs us to live a life nrl~icl~ becomes the setting forspealung the good news of God in Cluist, \vith all its joy and peace. The dclightof such a way of life does arise. ho~vever, in the midst of effort and struggle.The &t of being the Holy Spirit's witnessing tool, for the rebirth of God'schosen people, is an adventure and a privilege. Yet many Cluistians shy awayfrom enjoying the gift, for a variety of reasons. Some of us hesitate to begin towitness because we sense the depth and the breadth of the challenge before us.and we are not certain that we are up to such a task alone. Many hours of longconversation and many false starts or detours in the journey mark the transitionfrom the false believer's "Ur of thc Chaldces" to the Promised Land. If theChristian believer wishes to help a Friend or acquaintance make that transitioninto faith in Jesus Chnst from belicf in whatever false gods have previouslyguided and guarded that person's life, the Cluistian ~vitness will espend muchtime with much patience. insight. and skill.The fact of the matter is. however, we never witness alone. Few if anyChristians alone can ever do evcn~hing that is necessary to bring the gospel ofJesus Christ to clarity in the life of another person. 41 need brothers and sistersas soundmg-boards, guides. counselors. and correctors in the midst of Christianwitnessing in daily life. God has so dcsigned his church that n7e are called notDr. Robert Kolb is Missions P~.ofe.~sor oJSvsternnric Thcology nnd Direcrorofthe Institute for Mission Strldies nl Concordia Seminnn! St. Lolris. Dr.Kolb notes: I am gratefil to my colleagues in the Institute for Mission Studiesof Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis-Victor Raj, Henry Ro\\rold. and DavidSchmitt-for helpfil suggestions in refining this article.

12 Missio Aaostoliccronly to ~vitness but to support one anothcr in testifying to the loye of our God.The imagery of a "tag team" may elicit some unfortunate associations from"professional 'rasslin',"' but the dictiona~ reference to that fom~ of thc sportinvolving "alternating representati\.csL' helps focus on thc need of Christians tocooperate in the witness \vluch happcns in dail!- life. Thc tern1 describcs hon. theHoly Spirit uses his people to build the body of Christ: he involves us in eachother's witnessing situations. So~netilnes n-e substitute for another in theconversation; sometimes we join them at thcir side in presenting the gospcl tothose outside the faith.Our Lord presumed that the disciples necdcd to go forth to wimcss wit11 atleast one partner along (Lukc 10:l-12). and Paul saw liimsclf as part of a largerteam of confessors of the faith as hc rccalled ~vhat he had done in Corinth (1 Cor.1:14-17). So it is in our day also. The churcli is dcsigncd as Cluist's body (Rom.12:4), with each member possessing different gifts for mutual cooperation in themany &&rent tasks of the body. Also in the task of Christian wimess. the HolySpirit almost always constitutes a speciaI task force to bring the gospel tosomeone outside the faith. Individual Cluistians aln~ost never carry the fullburden of giving witness to the gospel of Jesus Cluist. neither in the long hoursspent in preparing the ground for the planting of the gospel sced througli thework of the law nor in the arduous hours of building of tn~st which enables theperson to hear our confession of the gospel.Llke tag-team wrestlers. witnessing Cluistians need partners-and usuallymore than one-who will come into the struggle against unbelief and false faithin the life of an acquaintance. to relieve, to assist. to sharpen the sword of theSpirit in ways difficult for the person who began the witnessing conversationwith the non-Cllristian.It Is Not Good for Christian Witnesses To Be AloneMost witnessing takes place within a broader nehvork of relationships.Indeed. one individual believer may be the only Cluistian ~vithin reach for thebeginning of the conversation about the meaning of life or the solution topressing problems. That sih~ation can make this believer feel terribly alone.However. all Cluistians are members of the bod? of Cluist. Inevitably. Christiansdraw on one another for support. through prayer. through counsel. through the'The Oxford English Dictionon). 2. ed.. ed. J. A. Simpson and E. S. C.Weiner. XVII (Oxford: Clarendon. 1985), 539.

Tag Team E\.angclism 13assistance which conies \vhcn sonie brother or sister joins ns-or is callcd to beat our side or to substitute for us-in cam.ing out thc n-ill of thc Lord. WlicnChristians feel alone as they n.i[ncss to a non-Christian acquaintance in thenetwork of fanlily or neighborhood or \\-orkplace or sports club. tlicy nccd toremember that tliey also livc ~vitllin 3 nehvork ~vithin thcir congregations. Thatnetwork of believers exists. among other reasons. to play back-up for all themembers of Cluist in that place as they witness to Christ's lo\,e and bring othcrsto become acquainted 11-ith hinl as tllcir Lord and Savior.Some Christians fear bcginning the conwrsation about the decper questionsof life with the non-Christian because they feel that they would have to continuethe conversation alone. Tlley arc hesitant to do so bccausc they feel that theywould have to have all the answers and bear all the burdcn in bringing thc newconversation partner who does not Lno~v Cluist to faith in him. Christian n.itnessis not, however, a Bible class. and it is not a catechism class. Those 1uho bcginthe conversation which aims at leading people into God's family are onlyintroducing two acquaintances. our friend Jesus Christ and someone else weknow, an acquaintance of a few moments or many years. Those n>ho begin suchconversations must realistically e1Tect to be joined by others as the Holy Spiritproceeds to deepen the acquaintance. .211 Cluistian witness is part of a tag-teameffort which als in the pieces of the picture of God's love in Jesus. so that thosewho do not know him can come to love and trust him.There are at least seven reasons why witness to the gospel must be a tagteam effort."I Don't Always Know What to Snj)''First, all Christians are al\vays witnessing. Those who know we areChristians are always getting some impression of \\'hat Christ means to us. Thosewho do not know we are Christians are also getting an impression of \vhat ismost important in our lives, what seems to be the "god that directs our livesand gives them worth. We do not al\vays witness well. but we often nitnessbetter than we tlunk we are nltnessing. Suddenly, a Christian may be confrontedby a neighbor or co-worker n.110 has been growing in admiration for theChristian's way of life and wants to i;no\v more. This particular believer mayh d that the challenge of flus fricnd's questions is too uncomfortable or too bigfor bun or her. But the questions are not too big for God. and he mav let thcm beposed to a single believer in order that that person might serve as the door to thelarger body of Christ as the contact point with other Christians who can continue

14 Missio Apostolicathe conversation.Second, Christians have different esperienccs that may come closer or befurther away fiom the exrperiences of tlie unbclie~.er \\.it11 \\.horn thcy are talking.Some Christians see the faith and t11c dilanmas assaulting thc fait11 from differentangles because of their differing experiences. Thus. experiences in daily life maymake one Cluistian a more apt wih~ess for a specific unbclie\,er than for another.A Christian couple whose children are gro\\n or \\.I10 have never had childrenmay be less able to comfort the neighbors across the apamnent building hallwhen they suffer a crib death. But this Cluistian couple can begin the process ofChristian oumch and then call in fellon7 members of the congregation who ha1.eendured the loss of an infant. The believer familiar with addiction can talk aboutthe presence of Jesus Christ nith an addiction-ridden unbclic\fer outsidc thc faithon a level that the most sympathetic Cluistian who has never combattedaddiction cannot imagine exists.Tlurd, the long journey fiom unfaith to faith involves not only conversationbut different kinds of support as the unbeliever \vrestles wit11 giving up falsegods and being found by Jesus Christ. Some Christians do not have the specificskills necessary to support a specific conversation partner through such struggle.Particularly as the battered and broken psyches resulting from the various crisesof North American society at the end of the twentieth century-abuse anddomestic violence, addictions. critical illnesses. collapse of employment and lossof home, etc.-approach the church, some Christians need more than averagepsychological insight as well as patience and courage to begin and support theprocess oflearning trust and learning to trust Christ. No individual Christian cantake on such challenges alone. Thus. some Christians may be ablc to make aninitial move to interest the unbeliever in the Christian faith but do not have theproper gifts to convq clearly the significance of Jesus Christ for this particularindividual. Those gifts include patience with and sensitivity to this particularperson's needs or the proper understanding of his or her experiences andsituation. Those gifts include specific kinds of biblical knowledge as well aswisdom and insight. In such cases the circle of conversation must be quicklyexpanded to include others who can respond more patiently. wisely. orsensitively to the unbeliever in the midst of struggle."Sometimes I Just Wear Out "Fourth, even when Christians have such skills. they can be overestendcdand even exhausted by tlie physical or psychological or spiritual burdens of

Tag Tcanl E\-angclis~n 1 ?another person. Thq. cannot carg. thc burdens of this person alone and thcrcforethey need help at their side. Somcrirncs thcy c\.en nccd to lay thc burdcn onanother Cluistian as they recover and recoup.Fifth. some Cluistians are pressed hard b!, their callings to be spousc andparent and child. or their calling to sewe thcir finn in spccific Ivays. or callingsto sen1e ~iitliu~ the congcgation or in thc con~niunih.. Such people ma!! halt lessti~ne to spend in the long con\,ersations ~vhich often mark the so-journ towardfaith. Such an "o\.ercon~mittcd" or "o\~ercallcd" Christian may be ablc to makeinitial contacts or be to ablc gilt a fen- rninutcs or a very few hours in thedrawing of someone to Christ but may not be ablc to be thcre o1.u thc long haulfor the kind of support nccdcd day afier day aAcr day."You ond I Do hot Seem 10 be on il~e ,Some Wr~ve I,englh "Sidl. not e\.en Christian personality matches the personality of n spccificunbeliever. The communication connection is more dificult bchveen somepersonalities than behveen others. My sense of humor or my prcfcrenccs inclothmg or food or sports team may be enough to cnd thc conversation quickly.When a believer recognizes that someone at work or in the apartment buildinghas a deep spiritual hunger and suspccts that the hvo personalities clash ratherthan match the Christian will want to seek someone else to begin or pick up theconversation about \vhat life is really wonh. so that Christ may shine clearly intothat neighbor's life without interference from his or her own personality quirks.Seventh, different individuals learn in difl'crent ways. and each of us teachesand conveys information in different ways. Learning and listening styles mayclash in the midst of one particular believer's making the first steps in interestinganother person in thc Christian faith. Some people learn through arguing,through posing the hard questions and then testing them. Some Christians do notunderstand that approach and are quickly discouragcd: others may learn that waythemselves and enjoy the verbal spaning. Some Chnstians are more cercbral thanthe fellow-employee who needs simple answers and lots of s!mpathy: otherChnstians do not how the \\.a!- to supply infonation and meet objections froma person ~vho has never liked tile church becausc it has oftcn appeared so shortsightedand ignorant. One Christian can begin the con~rersation with anacquaintance who learns and seeks ho~vledge in a strikingly different wa!. thantlus Christian does. Once that fact is recognized. ho~~~evcr. the con\~ersation \\.illproceed better when othcr Christians with cominunication shles similar to thatof this non-believer are dfann into the circle of eon~ersation and assume primary

esponsibility for continuing it.No individual Christian mn ever cqect to be tlic only instn~nicnt n-hich theHoly Spirit uses to bring anothcr person to faith in Christ. All Christian ~vitnesstakes place witllin the broadcr nchvork of congregational lifc. ~ongrcgations canconsciously and intentionally rccognizc this and assist nicmbcrs in dcli\,eringtestimony to the gospel of Jesus Christ tvith a minimum of cfT0r-t.Therefore, I Will Malte Helpers in Witnessing Suitable for ThemCongregations can support and assist indi\,idunl ~nembers in thcir Christianmimess by helping everyone in tlic congegation scc that Christian n.itness is atag team effort. Congregations nccd not organize tllcir tag tcams elaboratcl!. butsome sense hat the ~vliole congegation and cach or its membcrs is in\.ol\.ed ingiving witness to the Christian faith on a dail! basis n.ill llclp us intentionallysupport one another.Individ~tnl Support: With the Help of Htrmnn "Complrtcr.~ "Computers cannot do this work. because the task of Clirislian witncss is toocomplex. But the entire witness of the congregation can be inipro~cd andenriched by a human "coniputer." a person tvho can match the needs of anunbeliever to whom one meniber of the congregation has been witnessing withother people in the congregation. xhose sliills or esperienccs make thcm bcnerconversation partners for that unbclicvcr. This human "computci' may bc thepastor, but it may be a member who knows the espericnccs and thc problcms ofmany of tlie members. Such a person may be a seventy-year old woman or aforty-year old local merchant who has goun up in the congregation and dcalswith many of its members on a daily basis. Such a person ~vili know whichcouple might assist an older member of the congegation in giving ~vitness andsupport to the young non-Christian couple nest door \\,hose infant has justsuffered a crib death. This "witnessing coordinator" can know who has specialslcllls in dealing with people \\-hose lives ha1.e been brokcn by alcohol or dnlgsor by unemployment, or by family tragedy.Such a person serves in complete confidentialit!,. He or she always seeksto avoid putting pressure on a membcr of the congregation. no mattcr howsuitable this person might be for meeting the needs of another \vitncssingmember and the person to nlhon~ tlie lancr member is witnessing. Thecoordinator avoids sending people who are hesitant to accept a specificassignment. That would be tantamount to sending thcm on guilt trips bccause

Tar! Team Evan~clism 17they cannot go to thc aid of a f'ello~~~ nien~ber who nccds hclp in witnessing. Buttlus coordmator does recognix the joy and the escitement \vliicli ~vitness in dailylife brings-lvhile bcing sobcrly realistic about the cl~allcngcs and costs of suchwimess. With the pastor. this human "computer" pla!.s coach and friend andsounding-board for those in\-ol\.ed in giving ~vitness to Christ.Vital in Christian wimess is prayer. Those ~vho are n-itncssing arc nlwa!.sbeing thrust back into pra!.cr. into dialog \\lit11 the Holy Spirit. \\,hose coachingwe may need to dcmand. n-hose dircction we often \\ant to second-gucss. Weneed. however. the prayer support of others as well. Thc congcgation"computer-coordinator" can also enlist this kind of pra!.cr support for thetestimony of fello\\: saints.Large Group Srcpport: With [he Hcip ofRej7e.shcr "Cozirses"Not only do indil-idual Christians need to be ablc to tag off to othermembers of the congregation when special problems arise in a witnessrelationship. Thev also need guidance. instruction. and practice in a safc havcnfor the battles of the faith that go on in workplace and neighborhood. in schooland sports club. It is hard to imagine any Bible class or topical discussion whichdoes not help prepare participants for bringing the material under study into usein con\lersation wit11 non-Christian acquaintances as well as in every other sphereof the believer's life. Nonetlicless. congregations need to periodically scheduleboot camps in the form of rirorkshops and classes. specifically dcdicatcd tolearning and practicing the skills involved in mining the biblical message for usein introducing Christ to those who do not know and trust him yet. Theseworkshops and classes may take place on Wednesday evenings or Sundaymornings or all day Saturday: the! may take place quarterly or annually: theymay involve guest teacllers or local talent. In any case. they arc vital in refreshingthe imagination and creativity of members involved in daily Christian ~vitness.They sharpen understanding of'thc biblical message and of the psychological andsociological contest in which wimessing takes place. They sharpen skills inla\v/gospel listening and speaking. They use role playing and case studies andother metllods to help participants practice skills and fcel at ease. These kinds of"training" not only deliver materials taught by someone well prepared to instn~ct.but they also providc a form for mutual exchange of insights. espericnces. andencouragement among all 11l11o participate.Among those acti~ities ive practice together. among those skills we learnt@er. in such a group is tkc activity and skill of prayer. In such a workshop.

18 Missio Apostolicnthe Lord binds us together not onl!- as wc listen to his Word to us. but also as v7etogether address him rcgsrding the needs we ha1.c in our onn communirics forhis strength and guidance.Such workshops or spccinl classes provide gcncral cxpcncnccs for 3 largernumber of members of the cong~egation. But Christian wlmcsscs encounterspecial problems more frcqucntl! than every three months or oncc a ycnr. \\'henthey do, they do not want or nccd to air their questions in a larzcr group or class.They would like to look to a small goup. Somcti~ncs they need to sinipl!. retreatto a safe ground and eschangc ideas. gather ~~isdom and insi~ht from a fc\\~fellow members. Congcgations may organize a small goup mecling oncc amonth in which a core of tllc pastor and one or m.0 othcrs gi1.e continnip- to anongoing discussion of specific ~~itness problems. Indi\-idurll members of thecongregation might fade in and out of such a group. Some \~ould con~c oAcnsimply because it would be another way of sh~dying the Word of God to~cther.Some would come one month. n.it11 a special problem regarding ~\.imess in theworkplace and the neighborhood. and new s11o1~ up again. One session n.ouldsufiice to solve the problem and to enable this person to go funher in ~~itnessing.Role playlng and case studies cnrich such the learning and encouraging in thesesmall groups as well.Once again. the role ofprayer along \\ith discussion and Bible sh~dy in suchsmall groups cannot be emphasized too strongly. Together n.e go to thc Lordwith our gratitude for the oppom~nitics to be instn~rnents of his sn\.ing Word andwith our pleas for his presence and aid in our witnessing.As life grows more comples and times become more hcclic. NorthAmericans find life increasingl~ fragile and frazzled. Membcrs of Christiancongregations are being aslicd ever more frequently for answers to problems thatseem insurmountable for non-Christians friends. family n~cnibcrs. andacquaintances. In such a hectic and complcs world. as never before. Christianscan feel ovenvhelmed and intintidatcd by tllc cllallcnges prcsentcd in rapidlyincreasing opportunities for \\.itness of Christ in daily life. in e\cn,daycircumstances and circles. The!. need to kno~v that thcy are nor alonc. The HolySpirit is with them. and tllc Holy Spirit comes in thc persons of thosc fclloivmembers of the body of Christ to n.liorn he has joined and bound us