WILLOW Magazine, Issue 4, 2006 Connections: The Bridge to Grace By Jim Mellado If you’ve been keeping up with our WILLOW magazine, you’ve likely noticed that I don’t have a regular “President’s Column” and, frankly, don’t often contribute editorially. Truth is I don’t like writing something if I don’t have anything to say. But this time it’s different. This issue’s focus is primarily on evangelism. Evangelism is not among my spiritual gifts. I’m definitely among those who fall in the category of “doing the work of evangelism” vs. being spiritually “gifted” with evangelism. I can imagine the majority of you reading this would likely fall into this category. Being around Bill Hybels for almost 15 years you might think that I carry a cloud of guilt with me because he’s such a great evangelist and I’m not. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead of guilt I feel grace and freedom … really! I think it has to do with how he views evangelism at a fundamental level … filled with grace and freedom. Freedom to be Spirit-led to engage an amazing adventure of grace-filled, loving relationships with people that point them to Christ. But that’s not how most people feel about evangelism. A few years ago, my wife, Leanne, was in the middle of an evangelism course offered by a local seminary. Throughout that semester, the assignment was to have evangelistic conversations every week, journal about the experience, and include if the plan of salvation was presented in your conversation. Even though Leanne doesn’t have the gift of evangelism, she was very excited about what might happen along the way as she opened her eyes to the possibility of Spirit-led conversation. It wasn’t long before she found herself right in the middle of an amazing dialogue with a close friend. This friend opened up to her and shared some incredibly vulnerable things about her past. Her view of God was so damaged because of some hurtful experiences in the church growing up. That conversation redefined their friendship. A soul connection was made. For the first time in many years, this friend saw Jesus and the church in a different light — a very positive light! I still remember how Leanne was beaming when I first saw her after the conversation. She was radiant as she enthusiastically shared what happened. But that exhilaration was soon crushed when she got her grade back from the professor on that encounter — she flunked with an “F.” In complete bewilderment, she asked why she flunked and the professor calmly told her that it was because she failed to present the plan of salvation … and that was the assignment! This myopic view of what evangelism is is more prevalent in our Christian subculture than we’d like to admit. Evangelism is an assignment — a check list, an outline to get through, steps to make clear, conversions to “count.” I know most of this stuff is usually well-intended. I’ve personally memorized the outlines and steps myself and have actually used them in conversations that have led people to Christ. God can — and does — work through these tools, but, they should never violate a whisper … a leading of the Holy Spirit. Spirit-led evangelism is always the right tool. Saying just the right amount, at just the right time, and in the right way, recognizing that it’s more than just us who are involved in introducing even one person to Christ. What Leanne’s friend needed was a Christian loving her, listening to her, empathizing with her, and building a bridge to her heart — a bridge that would forever close the chasm between belief and unbelief. A bridge with God’s name on it. What you’ll read in this issue is a clarion call to move all believers from program-led evangelism to Spirit-led living that authentically and naturally makes the love of God accessible to those far from Him. And that’s a bridge worth crossing. Jim Mellado is the president of the Willow Creek Association Top