SUMMARY: Conspiracy of kindness

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Book Summary: Conspiracy of kindness (Evangelism)
by Book Summary by Dean G. Stathakis

Conspiracy of kindness By Steve Sjogren (Servant Publishers, Ann Arbor, MI, 1985, 236 Pages)

Executive Summary
Conspiracy of Kindness outlines the principle of servant evangelism, suggesting that simple acts of kindness can be the best way to get non-believers interested in a relationship with God. This insightful book suggests that servant evangelism works because:

1) It is an easy, non-intimidating method that all Christians can do.

2) It shows God’s love to non-believers instead of preaching it to them.

3) It enriches the spiritual health of the individual, the family and the community.

Conspiracy of Kindness offers many practical ways for the average Christian to evangelize non-believers, allowing the church to obey God’s ultimate command of sharing the Good News with the world.

What I Learned From this Book:
This book really got me excited about evangelism because it offers suggestions of simple acts of service that I can do to show God’s love to my family, and in my workplace and my community.

Introduction
God’s conspiracy of kindness is simple - our salvation through Jesus Christ is a gift given because of God’s unconditional love for us. However, God’s conspiracy is failing in today’s world not because the message lacks an audience. Christians are reluctant messengers. The purpose of Conspiracy of Kindness is to present a new vision for sharing the Good News and to motivate believers to become enthusiastic messengers

Chapter 1
Who Answers God’s Mail?
Servant evangelism is showing God’s love by offering simple, practical acts of humble service to another person with no strings attached. Author Steve Sjogren asserts that this kind of evangelism works because “... people don’t necessarily remember what they are told of God’s love, but they never forget what they have experienced of God’s love.” Performing simple acts of kindness is an incredibly powerful evangelical approach because:

1) It is a process not a project.
2) Anyone can do it.
3) It is “low risk, but high-grace.”
4) It begins with acceptance.
5) It overcomes the credibility gap with non-believers.
6) It opens a person’s heart to a message of love.

Through servant evangelism, Christians answer God’s mail.


Chapter 2
Unlearning the “E” Word
In their zealous enthusiasm Christians may behave in a confrontational, judgmental or unreasonable manner during an effort to outreach. Unfortunately, the net result of this behavior is that the message of the Good News comes off as negative, insensitive and unloving. On the other hand, believers may avoid any situation where they might have to spread the Gospel because of feelings of inadequacy or discouragement. “So many of us feel like failures when we try to share our faith—all but the few who can really do it well.” Sjogren argues that the average Christian must strike a balance between having an enthusiastic and deep sense of purpose about his mission while still maintaining a joyful outlook. The best way to achieve this balance is to trust God and His ability to work through us by the Holy Spirit and to not rely on ourselves or evangelical programs. Another difficult aspect of evangelism is to recognize that while the Good News of Jesus Christ is unchanging, the way this message is delivered must continually be updated. Using Jesus Christ as a role model, the author Sjogren indicates that Christians must see through the eyes of God, using Scripture, mercy, simplicity, and integrity.

Chapter 3
Low Risk, High Grace
The key to a successful evangelical experience is to strike a balance between the relative risk (relational, financial, emotional and spiritual) of a particular outreach mission and the amount of God’s grace required. Using this criteria, Sjogren defined four types of missions:

1) Low risk, low grace;
2) High risk, low grace;
3) High risk, high grace; and
4) Low risk, high grace.

The reason why servant evangelism is such a powerful method is because it belongs to the low risk, high grace category that any Christian can handle - the risks are manageable and the potential rewards are great. “Fear on both sides is diminished once we enter into an encounter with a simple deed of kindness.”

Chapter 4
Beyond Us and Them
Sjogren uses the parable of the good Samaritan (Lk. 10: 25-37) to illustrate the fears and misconceptions Christians (us) often have regarding non-Christians (them) and why these attitudes prevent us from sharing the Good News in our community. These preconceived notions set up barriers between believers and non-believers that result in Christians either practicing evangelical missions without actually doing them or developing a holier-than-thou attitude. To overcome these wrong attitudes and approaches Christians should:

1) Interact with non-believers
2) Step out in faith
3) Become a role model for Jesus Christ
4) Care about non-believers
5) Make time for evangelism
6) Go as a group to reduce self-doubt
7) Realize that failure is a given
8) Continually reach out.

Chapter 5
Five Discoveries that Empower Evangelism
In order to effectively share the gospel with non-believers, Christians must:

1) Include - not exclude - by accepting and loving people as they are
2) Touch their hearts with God’s love, not convince their minds with God’s word
3) Dispel the “negative Christian stereotype” by serving others like Jesus Christ did
4) Share God’s love by doing, not by preaching
5) Focus on your small part and let God handle the overall process

“When we rightly understand evangelism, we recognize that it is both a miracle and a mystery how any of us come to know Christ.”


Chapter 6
Ready, Fire, Aim!
All Christians should participate in evangelism regardless of their level of spiritual maturity. After all, we will never be completely ready to share the Good News with non-believers. “... We mustn’t stipulate that our training process be complete before we begin to obey the Lord. If we wait until we have a full understanding, we will never get out of the starting block.” Author Sjogren offers six tips to help in an outreach project:

1) Plan service projects as you go, but don’t over plan
2) Identify the pains and needs of your community
3) Start with inexpensive service projects
4) Keep your pastor informed, but don’t demand that he lead the projects
5) Prepare a simple response to why you’re serving
6) Commit to a minimum of six months of projects before evaluating

The chapter ends with responses to nine frequently asked questions about servant evangelism.

Chapter 7
Nuts and Bolts
This chapter provides many useful “nuts and bolts” tips for establishing an effective servant evangelism outreach program. “We don’t need to be neurotic perfectionists, but a reasonably good job is within reach of everyone.” To increase participation project leaders should:

1) Provide a wide range of service projects that would appeal to all levels of volunteer commitment;
2) Explain service projects clearly to avoid misunderstandings;
3) Have alternative events set-up as back-up projects in case the primary mission can not be fulfilled and
4) Make certain each service project is well-planned out and supplied.

To develop friendly relationships with the community you’re trying to serve, project leaders should:

1) Use common sense when asking for permission to perform an outreach service;
2) Don’t become a nuisance to the community by overstaying your visit or returning to the same spot repeatedly;
3) Always ensure that your service project is done in a safe manner and
4) Do a quality job by using quality equipment and supplies and training volunteers in their proper use.

To ensure a successful servant evangelism outreach program project leaders should:

1) Talk to volunteers after each project to determine what went right and wrong
2) Keep a log of lessons learned for future reference
3) Don’t be concerned about an immediate return on your efforts - the response will be delayed
4) Pray for God’s blessings throughout the entire outreach project for “we are absolutely dependent upon the Lord’s presence for fruitfulness.”

Chapter 8
Children are Naturals
The children of Christian families not only need to be instructed by their parents about God, but also need to participate with their parents in demonstrating God’s love. “The presence of the Lord is not an idea to be mastered in the context of a book, but a heart knowledge which becomes real as we minister to others.” Sjogren discusses two positive outcomes for involving children in evangelistic outreach missions. First, children are very good at evangelism because they have more free time to serve; they are more credible to strangers; and they are less intimidated about speaking the Gospel. Second, the children benefit because outreach projects teach them a sense community responsibility; they become aware of the power of the Holy Spirit; and they realize that God is real. To ensure a positive life-long experience with servant evangelism, Sjogren suggests that parents start with simple, safe projects, always supervise their children’s activities, talk about the projects at the conclusion, make outreach projects a regular family activity and always try to make the projects fun.

Chapter 9
Small Groups Turned Inside Out
Bible study groups should also set aside time to spread the Good News in lieu of just studying the Good News. Shared outreach projects are very helpful because most people are apprehensive about serving by themselves. In addition, the group benefits tremendously since these experiences will bring a group closer together and enrich the spiritual health of each member. “As we left that home it was difficult to figure out who had been more profoundly touched: the ‘ministers’ in the small group or the family who so joyfully received our food and gifts.” The church also benefits because group servant evangelism usually has an impact that is greater than the sum of the individual members, and it is a way of identifying potential church leaders. To ensure success, Sjogren advises that groups:

1) Discover what service projects work best for them
2) Take responsibility for the projects and don’t overly burden church staff
3) Go out once every 4-6 weeks
4) Ensure that everyone in the group ministers
5) Don’t tire people out with long projects
6) Value spontaneity and don’t worry about mistakes

Chapter 10
Displaying the Pearl
“God’s heart has always been inclusive. He has always provided a place for outsiders to hear about His mercy.” Using the stories of Jesus at the temple of the moneychangers (Jn. 2: 13-16) and the warning to the Church of Laodicea (Rev 3: 14-19), Sjogren illustrates that nothing angers God more than people who know the truth, but don’t share it.

Appendix 1
Servant Evangelism Projects that Work
The book’s appendix offers over 60 suggestions for servant evangelism projects that are broadly categorized into the following activities or locations:

1) public place
2) sporting events
3) automobiles
4) roadside/drive-by
5) downtown/business districts
6) parks
7) college campuses
8) house-to-house
9) miscellaneous


Appendix 2
Evangelism Assumptions
This helpful advice takes the form of 30 assumptions Christians should make in order to step out with confidence into servant evangelism. Number one on the list: “Deep down non-Christians really want to know and obey God”.

Appendix 3
Recommended Reading
This appendix provides a list of 24 books related to the subject of evangelism.

Interesting Anecdote
Page 128 - “Ready, Fire, Aim!” Humorously conveys the principle that we should just begin doing evangelistic outreach missions, whether we feel ready or not.