Kirk Cameron comes to State College

Last night was Faith Night at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, home of the State College Spikes. I'm the chaplain for the Spikes, so you'd think that I'd be in the park to hear Kirk speak, right? Actually, I could hear Kirk speak from our house--it's that close to the stadium. But, sadly, I didn't make it over to hear him talk about his faith and how his relationship with the Lord has made a difference in his life. My wife was out doing the Mary Kay thing, so I was home with the kids.

But I got to thinking--Is that really the most effective way to share the gospel with people? I talked to a few people who were there last night, and they said that the presentation was really bold and clear, which is good, I suppose. But I don't know that the "Bring in a celebrity to talk about Jesus" mothod is the best way to get people to hear the gospel. My guess is that most of the folks who stuck around (after the Spikes lost) were either church folks or Kirk fans.

Bob Robinson was thinking the same thing on his blog, and he cited a great article from Stan Grenz. Grenz asks the question: Does Evidence Still Demand A Verdict? The bottom line is Yes, but there's more to the situation than just presenting an overwhelmingly factual case. There's an incarnational element desperately needed. My neighbors are not going to be persuaded to follow Jesus by an elegant argument.

I truly believe that the majority of my neighbors are open to talking about spiritual life, but they are more likely to become followers of Christ if we are involved in a relationship. I could show up on their doorstep and walk through the script from Evangelism Explosion or hand them a tract. But I'm sure that they're going to be more inclined to listen and believe when I share my life with them, when I love them.

That's what I'm counting on, anyway.

Oh yeah, the Beaver threw out the first pitch last night! And there was much rejoicing...