Being back at my home church this weekend made me realize how much we use selling and persuasion in this setting also. Sometimes I volunteer at my church as a greeter and help get new people plugged in and connected. Doing this, I realized that helping the newcomers feel safe and at home requires a certain approach because you do not want to come off as overbearing and pushy. This has taken practice for me to be a good listener and sense what the person is feeling, whether they feel more open or are more hesitant to get connected. I think that trying different words and phrases as well as changing your tone of voice can make a big difference in helping someone feel like they can trust you and want to learn more.
Not only do I see this in greeting and welcoming new people, but I often see how different words or even stories can encourage more people to give their lives to Jesus and get saved at church. Maybe a certain story stuck out to them and that “sold” them on Christianity. Maybe the way the pastor said something really impacted a certain person and that convinced them to become a Christian. I think that many pastors and evangelists try to use certain words and explain the Gospel in a certain way as to make it more attractive to certain people, which is good, but God ultimately is the one who moves on people’s hearts to choose Him.
As far as if this practice of selling should be used in church, I think it definitely should be. As long as it is not done in a wrong way they genuinely want as many people to get plugged in, connected, and saved as possible. I think that using whatever sales tools we can to help people understand the Gospel better is beneficial and definitely important for the church.
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