“Three yards and a cloud of dust” is an old way
of describing a football team’s offense that concentrates on moving the ball
down the field a few yards at a time. While it is considered a rather
old-fashioned approach to football, I think it can describe the evangelism
strategy churches can utilize today. The three yards and a cloud of dust
offense desires to move the ball steadily down the field a little at a time
until a touchdown is scored. The alternative is a passing game that relies on
long range so-called “hail Mary” passes which attempt to score the touchdown by
throwing a long pass. The “hail Mary” seldom works, but when it does, it’s
spectacular.
In earlier times, the evangelism style of choice was similar to the
“hail Mary” offense. Until about 1970, many evangelical churches relied on
revivals, crusades, and other special worship services where a gifted speaker vigorously presented the Gospel. Many people
made the decision to follow Christ that way. In the day before cable TV, the
revival was the biggest show in town for the week and many non-Christians and
nominal Christians attended, and some of them made major commitments. The Holy
Spirit greatly used the revivals and crusades. However, as entertainment became
more accessible, it became more difficult to get people who weren’t already
Christians to attend revivals. Also, while revivals and crusades saw many
people respond with a decision at the meeting, most of those who made decisions
did not become disciples. The percentage of decisions that led to discipleship
largely depended on the quality of follow-up by church members. This meant
church members had to somehow make a connection with people they may not know
that would allow them to help the new believers become fully devoted followers
of Christ.
As revival evangelism faltered, a different kind of “hail Mary”
became prevalent. New tools like “The Four
Spiritual Laws”, “The Roman Road”, and “Evangelism Explosion” enabled
individuals and small groups of Christians to share the Gospel and pray with
folks to receive salvation. God used this approach for many years to bring
people to follow Him. Often churches would train members in the use of these
tools and provide opportunities for them to use them to reach their friends,
neighbors and people who visited their church. Here too, follow-up was the key
to turning decisions into disciples. Many times follow-up was difficult because
the person who presented the Gospel and the decision-maker were strangers and may
have had very little in common.
Both of these “hail Mary” methods
were very effective at times. The problem was that, like the long pass in
football, both these methods needed the situation to be just right. These methods
were effective where the people the church hoped to reach held the Bible as
sacred. It also helped if the prospect had respect for the Christian
worldview.
Most of the people the church today needs to reach are not familiar
with the Bible and are ignorant, or perhaps even suspicious, of the Christian
worldview. One night at a great worship service may cause
them to start thinking (if you can get them to one), but getting a commitment
is very difficult in that circumstance. It is the same with the old individual methods:
one conversation, no matter how well thought out, guided, and backed up by
scripture, seldom brings someone to Christ.
For these days we need to use a “three yards and a cloud of dust”
evangelism approach. We attempt to move our friends and neighbors toward Christ with our
conversations, the testimony of our lives, and lots and lots of prayer. We
must work together and pray that the persons we hope to reach will meet other
Christ-followers who will also move them toward Christ. Working together we can
help people toward the goal, which is salvation. As we move down the field,
there are opportunities for the prospect to see Christ working in our lives, to
learn the Christian worldview, and the importance of the Bible. Sometimes,
using the “three yards and a cloud of dust” approach, the team moves down the
field toward to the goal line fairly quickly. (The goal in evangelism is our
friend becoming a disciple.) And, sometimes it takes a lot of time.
Evangelism tracts and learned outlines will be
handy tools along the way, so can evangelistic worship services. However, instead
of either being the strategy for
evangelizing our community; they are part of the strategy. The strategy is actually
based on Joe and Mary Pewsitter becoming friends with people who don’t know
Christ, loving them and sharing life with them. It is seldom fast, but it has a
great chance of making new disciples rather than simply getting someone to make
an empty decision. Follow-up is natural, because of the relationship that has
been established. It is friend-helping-friend learn to follow the Lord. This strategy is not a program of the
church; it is a way of life. I think it was the way of life for the New
Testament Church. It doesn’t depend on a fiery evangelist or a perfected
presentation. It is all about us loving them until they become part of us.
