Two kinds of evangelism

"What I need," I told a group of leaders on Wednesday, "is parents who say 'you're going to youth group because I said so' the first few times. After that, they'll be hooked."

I call it "because I said so" evangelism. One parent there called it the "one-bite rule," which is easier to say.

Last night, I went to a school play. There are no more enthusiastic actors than 6th graders. As I was leaving, I walked by this kid I'd never met before, and he looked me straight in the eye with the biggest grin and said, "Go to Maggiemoo's! You should go to Maggiemoo's!" (That's an ice cream place in Ladue.) Now the family I was with had actually just invited me there, so that was cool all by itself. So we get there, and as we're going out again to eat our ice cream, I spot the same kid in the crowd. And that grin of his gets even bigger and he says, "I told that guy to go to Maggiemoo's! You went to Maggiemoo's! High five!"

To grow a church, we need both kinds of evangelism. Parents and caring adults do need to push Christ and the church, even when it's just like medicine, because it's good for me. And I love it when students invite someone to anything with so much enthusiasm, and then celebrate so loudly when the invitee shows up.