{"id":1011,"date":"2011-01-25T08:47:55","date_gmt":"2011-01-25T14:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marccardaronella.com\/?p=1011"},"modified":"2011-01-26T09:45:41","modified_gmt":"2011-01-26T15:45:41","slug":"the-secret-of-st-pauls-evangelization-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marccardaronella.com\/blog\/2011\/01\/25\/the-secret-of-st-pauls-evangelization-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Secret of St. Paul\u2019s Evangelization Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
How do you care for infants? <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

[This is a part of the\u00a0Evangelization Basics<\/a> Series. Have you read the other parts?<\/em>]<\/p>\n

Whatever level of catechetical ministry you\u2019re in, you’ll have to\u00a0evangelize and convert your students if you want to be effective<\/a>. That is key!<\/p>\n

The crucial starting point for evangelization is establishing a trusting relationship<\/a> with your students. Trust gets you heard.<\/p>\n

But how do you go about gaining your student\u2019s trust so they\u2019ll listen to what you have to say?<\/p>\n

Thankfully, St. Paul left a tutorial! In 1 Thessalonians, he writes about his first encounters with the believers in Thessalonica, and in the process clues all of us into his evangelization strategies.<\/p>\n

Here are five examples of St. Paul’s methodology\u00a0from 1 Thessalonians 1 and 2 and the passages that illustrate them.<\/p>\n

1. He Become An Example By His Life and Actions<\/h2>\n

\u201cYou know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord…\u201d (1 Thess 1:6).<\/p>\n

What does it mean that Paul and his companions \u201cproved\u201d themselves for the sake of the Thessalonians? It means they sort of put themselves on probation! Their actions had to back up what they were saying or their message meant nothing. So, their lives became a living witness of the gospel.<\/p>\n

The result? The Thessalonians began imitating them. Paul showed them the beauty of God\u2019s way of living and they followed his example.<\/p>\n

2. He Was Open, Honest and Transparent<\/h2>\n

\u201cFor our appeal does not spring from error or uncleanness, nor is it made with guile…\u201d (2:3).<\/p>\n

In other words, he was honest with them. He didn\u2019t try to trick them or make false claims to get them to believe. He was open and transparent because he preached \u201cnot to please men, but to please God who tests our hearts\u201d (2:4).<\/p>\n

3. He Was Sincere and His Motives Were Pure<\/h2>\n

\u201cFor we never used either words of flattery, as you know, or a cloak of greed, as God is our witness; nor did we seek glory from men…\u201d (2:5).<\/p>\n

Paul didn\u2019t butter them up with insincere compliments or disguise his intentions in order to get something for himself. He wasn\u2019t seeking \u201cglory from men\u201d but the glory of God.<\/p>\n

We have to check our motives and our pride to make sure we\u2019re working for God\u2019s glory and not our own.<\/p>\n

4. He Was Gentle<\/h2>\n

\u201cBut we were gentle among you, like a nurse taking care of her children\u201d (2:7).<\/p>\n

This is the most important part. Paul\u2019s attitude toward them was like a nurse (or nursing mother) gently coddling her baby. <\/strong><\/p>\n

How do you handle infant children? You treat them with kindness, patience and extreme gentleness. You give them carefully prepared food that can be easily digested. You lovingly shelter them and protect them. You put yourself out to see to their needs.<\/p>\n

5. He Was A Close Friend<\/h2>\n

\u201cSo, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us\u201d (2:8).<\/p>\n

This is the second most important part. It\u2019s almost as if he\u2019s saying he wasn\u2019t ready to share the gospel with them until he was affectionately desirous of them! <\/strong>And not only that, he shared himself with them as well. And that in turn helped him share the gospel more fully.<\/p>\n

This is not a fake kind of kissing up to get what he wants. He’s genuinely interested in these people. He likes them and calls them his friends.<\/p>\n

Paul developed deep relationships with the people he met on his journeys. The accounts in Acts make it look like he breezed into town, went to the synagogue and started arguing. But when you read his letters, especially the references to his friends, you see the level of affection he had for those he ministered to.<\/p>\n

What Happened? They Converted!<\/h2>\n

How did they react? Go back to chapter one and you\u2019ll see Paul says the Thessalonians \u201cturned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God.\u201d They turned…converted! They had a metanoia<\/a>!<\/strong> They went beyond their old way of idolatrous thinking and embraced God’s way of thinking.<\/p>\n

These are five examples of how St. Paul worked to build trusting relationships in order to share the gospel with others. Can you think of any other? Do you have any favorite passages from Paul’s letters that illustrate this principle? Tell me about them in the comments.<\/p>\n

[This is a part of the\u00a0Evangelization Basics<\/a> Series. Have you read the other parts?<\/em>]<\/p>\n

Image: Louisa Stokes \/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever wonder how St. Paul was so effective and made so many converts? 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