• Articles
  • Taking the Next Logical Step Learn our view on evangelism
  • It's Not About Us Knowing our focus is important
  • Ordinary Attempts Showing a bit of God's love can be do-able
  • How's Your WQ? Take a quiz to discover if false beliefs are hindering your faith sharing

  • Do You Speak “Gospel Geek”? Take the challenge to learn to share your beliefs in a way that is easily understood

  • More Than a Shot Learn how giving flu vaccine is ministry

Taking the Next Logical Step

I made a comment about her Alice in Wonderland purse as she walked by.  She stopped and looked at information on the coffee table.  Seeing a handout on “The Passion of the Christ,” Ann* said she’d seen the movie last night and it changed her life.  We talked about the movie.  She mentioned that she was studying acting.  I listened and asked questions.  She spoke about the challenges of being an actress and having faith, her college experiences, her non‑Christian boyfriend, her parents’ divorce, her church experiences and that she’d last been to church more than a year ago due to her work schedule. 

Twenty minutes into the conversation I asked, “So how exactly do you think the movie will change your life?”  She wasn’t sure.  Would she would be interested in going to a church that meets on Saturday night and has drama?  “Yes.”  I gave her directions and offered to pray for the needs she had mentioned.  She quickly agreed.  Afterwards, Ann looked at her watch and realized she needed to leave.  Our positive interactions were the beginnings of a relationship.  I look forward to seeing her again. 

Would Ann have said she was a Christian?  Yes.  Was she at a place in her life where she needed encouragement to put her faith into practice?  Yes!  It was a next logical step in her relationship with God.

At the Burlington Center Mall Ministry, whether we’re talking with a visitor, a program attendee, a mall employee, a volunteer or a staff member, we see every conversation as an opportunity to help someone take that next logical step in their relationship with God.  But how can we help people to recognize—and take—that next step?

Significant revisions have been made in our evangelism training to help answer that question.  Using active listening and creative questioning skills, we listen to the words and the heart of the person and allow the Holy Spirit to equip us with thought-provoking, growth-encouraging questions.  Our desire is to deepen understanding—of God’s love and holiness, of our lost-ness and our need for Him.  From a point of insight, an increment of life change is possible. 

We do not distinguish between churched or unchurched, Christians and non-Christians.  All people need to move along in their spiritual understanding and growth.  We’ve discovered that people respond more positively to our personal experience of God and His transforming power than to our theology or religious opinions.  As we are being changed by God and share our stories of His work, we can encourage those we meet. 

If you are looking for ways you can be a positive influence for Christ, you might consider participating in BCMM’s five-hour faith-sharing training and practicing these skills as a volunteer.  The next logical step would be to contact the Mall Ministry at 609.239.9300.  

 * not real name 

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It's Not About Us

After 9/11, the Burlington Center Mall Ministry staff wanted a slogan with a more explicit witness than "offering God's hope and help." But what? None of our ideas clicked. Assistant Director Wendy Moluf was talking to a couple who had never visited the mall and were thrilled to see an outreach ministry here. While chatting, a look of wonderment came over the young woman's face as she said: "Jesus is at the Center." What a simple statement, yet true on many levels.

Jesus is at the Center...of the idea of going outside the church walls. Seeking to obey his command to go and make disciples and wanting to follow his example of reaching out to every-day needs in the marketplace, mission-minded disciples came to the Burlington Center Mall.

Jesus is at the Center...bringing together those of different ages, ethnic, racial, economic, educational and denominational backgrounds. Love for Jesus unites us. His love for others is our message.

Jesus is at the Center...guiding the thoughts, words and actions of staff and volunteers who call Him "Lord." He directs our lives, our priorities, our ministry.

Jesus is at the Center...of our presence out front. A "When I host I feel His presence," says Mike. "When I speak to people that stop in, I feel that His words, not mine, come through me in my conversations." Another host agrees. "A couple was at the mall while waiting to go to her father's funeral," says Dana. "I prayed with them, offering God's hope for their loved one and comfort for their family. Without Jesus being at the center of that encounter, I would never have had adequate words to share any reason to feel anything but a deep sorrow. And because Jesus was at the center, I was able to let them go without reservation, confident that God had given me the right words."

Jesus is at the Center...of our programming, whether in the form of aerobics or computer training or grief support or whatever else He brings to us. Each person's essential heart need is for a relationship with a loving God who cares about her whole being for eternity. Ministry is not about us. Everything we say, do and are must let people see Jesus. "We are really intending to be His presence. This is the thing most people lack in their Christian faith," says Danny. "People know an awful lot in their head, but they need Jesus with skin on to carry it all the way to the heart."

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Ordinary Attempts

Handing out tracts on a street corner, Billy Graham, arm twisting, extensive Scriptural knowledge, doorknockers, the mission field... These are some of the associations Christians surveyed had with evangelism. With such intimidating images, it is no wonder that many of us would rather feel guilt than the discomfort of evangelizing!

But it does not have to be that way. Church planter Jim Henderson claims, "If ordinary things can't be done by ordinary people, ordinarily they won't get done. So he has come up with a concept of evangelism which involves simple, do-able ways to connect with the persons in our world and show a bit of God's love. "Ordinary Attempts" (or OAs) are a shift in how we view and relate to those not yet following Jesus. When we think about blessing people through small, intentional acts of kindness with no strings attached, it takes the focus off self and performance.

What might an OA look like? Asking someone how s/he is doing and really listening. Seeing someone short of change in line and providing the difference. Praying for a co-worker's needs. Being open to whatever interactions God leads you to.… Some times He may have you share a word of faith. Other times He may not. Each time, though, something real and God-honoring is done on purpose. This is much of what we do at the mall ministry.

OAs are different than neighborliness. They are intentional, non-confrontational nudges toward Jesus guided by the following Love, Look and Listen principles.

In the same way that the best thing a parent can do for her child is to love her spouse, the best thing a Christian can do in faith sharing is have an ever-increasing personal LOVE relationship with God. As we spend time in prayer, worship and Scripture study and learn how much we are loved by our heavenly Father, this passion will naturally spill over into how we think, talk and act every day. If newlyweds can glow, why not those who are the bride of Christ?

Then, God can help us LOOK and see appropriate little ways that fit our style to reach out to the people in our world. Through the Holy Spirit, He can give us eyes to see not just our family, friends and co-workers but also the invisible people--the gas s tation attendant, store clerk, waitress, barber and others - and see their pain, exhaustion, needs. We can channel our natural human curiosity positively by playing detective -- looking for ways that God is already at work in a life and joining Him in the process.

Once we see the person, we need to LISTEN first to what God wants us to do since He knows the person's need and what we can handle. Then we need to listen to the person for sake of listening. We do not have to be pushy; God will lead people to Himself. What ordinary attempts will you allow God to do through you today? As Henderson says, The small things are the big things.

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How's Your WQ?

When inviting folks to try hosting at the Burlington Center Mall Ministry, I have discovered misconceptions about the qualifications necessary for sharing faith. Why not take a few moments to test your Witnessing Quotient.

True or False:

1. A dramatic "before Jesus" and "after Jesus" story is essential.
   False.
   
   God can use any instance of His working--no matter how small--to draw others to Himself. What's important is not the degree of drama but God's presence. We don't want to relegate His action in our lives to one set of circumstances in the past. A real, day-by-day living out of faith in Jesus Christ is the most powerful testimony.
   
   
2. To be an effective witness, we should lead virtually sin-free lives.
   False.
   
   As our walk with God deepens, He helps us live in a more godly fashion. But in t his life we will never be sin-free, so it's wrong to pretend we are (see 1 John 1:8). Rather than play Super Christian, it's important to be real and to focus on what is happening now--the good and the bad and how God is at work. As we are open about the trials and temptations we face, we actually can make others more aware of the seriousness of sin and the amazing gift of God's grace. Then, our talk about sin and the need for God moves from abstract concepts to personal reality. When, over time, change occurs in our lives, others can be eyewitnesses who see for themselves God's transforming power rather than just hear about it.
   
   
3. We should wait to witness until everything in our lives is going well.
   False.
   
   Not many of us can identify with picture-perfect lives. And if we could, why would we want to change? Actually, the struggles in our lives can provide some of the best witnessing opportunities. In crises, others watch where we turn for comfort and strength. Is it Jesus or food or anger or exercise or shopping or alcohol or work or fantasy or...? A key difference between Christians and non-Christians is our response to adversity. The apostle James says, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors." (James 1:3, The Message) When life is rough, it takes faith to believe that the God who began a good work in us will continue it. It takes even more faith to be transparent and share our struggles. What will others think of us? Given the interest in reality TV, why not try reality witnessing? This Lenten season and beyond, let us open ourselves both to Jesus, who was acquainted with grief and sorrow, and to others, allowing them to see our brokenness and our Savior's healing touches in our lives.

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Do You Speak “Gospel Geek”?

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What??? If you are not a geek, gourmet or linguist, the words above may not mean much. What’s a “raspberry reduction”? And even if I knew that MTA is not a subway but a Message Transfer Agent, would my email still be down?

Nearly every subject has its specialized vocabulary and acronyms, but this need not make us inflict such jargon on everyone. When my husband begins babbling heavy-duty computerese, I can feel confused and even dumb. When he does it with another techie in my presence, I feel excluded, even marginalized. He might as well be speaking Greek as geek! I don’t understand and begin to tune out the conversation.

Christianity has its share of words that are not commonly used or understood in our culture, such as “trinity,” “atonement,” “Savior,” and “justification” to name a few. At the Mall Ministry, we want to be careful how we communicate the joy of a living relationship with God so that those who have rarely been to church or barely opened a Bible will not feel excluded or dumb.

To communicate truth, Jesus told stories in settings familiar to his listeners. In 1 Corinthians 9:22, the Apostle Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” If Jesus and Paul took such care in being sensitive to those they were interacting with—communicating via the interests and vocabulary of their listeners so that understanding was possible—surely we should!

How would you describe what you believe without speaking “gospel geek”? Why not take a few minutes right now to try writing down your beliefs.

Now…look over what you have written with the eyes of one who knows nothing at all about Christianity. Underline each word or phrase that might not be understood. Then, go back and see if you can find another way of communicating that idea. To make this exercise even more practical, you might want to think of a specific person you know who is not a Christian and try to frame your beliefs with their interests in mind.

This is not an easy exercise. We know! In our steps toward incorporation, the Burlington Center Mall Ministry chose to develop its own Faith Statement. We discovered how much of a challenge it is to describe theology without specialized terminology. If you want to see how it turned out—so far—go to our website at http://www.mallministry.org/about_webelieve.html.

While Scripture teaches that no one can truly grasp the gospel without the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, we can choose to speak of God in words that build barriers or words that sow seeds of understanding. Let us ask the Spirit to give us words of clarity, love and wisdom.

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More Than a Shot

We continually pray for God to bring people to the mall and to the Burlington Center Mall Ministry.  Sometimes God answers in unexpected ways.

In 2003, a local nursing association gave flu shots at the Ministry.  We had music and refreshments for the sixty-four people immunized.  In 2004, the nursing association “happened” to be one of the few nearby providers who had flu vaccine.  Sent by the County Health Department and doctors’ offices, people who never visited the mall or the Mall Ministry found us.  Panicked people from as far away as Cape May contacted us.

Wanting to respect individuals’ schedules and keep order, we gave appointments for the number of shots we were sure we had—200.  Since it was unclear how many additional shots would be available, we had to tell everyone else to come and wait in line (as most clinics do for all their shots).  Some sounded desperate; they were frustrated by long waits at other sites where vaccine ran out before their turn or fearful of being vulnerable to a pandemic in a post-9/11 world.  What a challenge to repeatedly respond with compassion to each person’s special need—while another line rang in the background and others were waiting in person!  A short supply seemed to increase demand:  even some who never before had gotten a flu shot suddenly felt they needed one.

The day of the clinic, there were cars in the parking lot by 3 am.  By 8 am, people were four deep more than half the length the mall…standing, leaning on walkers, sitting in lawn chairs and wheelchairs.  Four security guards were present throughout the day.  Shots were scheduled for 10 am-1 pm.  When a man walking backward counting people fell into the fountain at 8:45 am, we had no blankets for this dripping, shivering person so he got a flu shot then.  What a start!  Since the nurses, people doing registration and especially the crowd were ready, the clinic began and continued nonstop until 4 pm. 

We handed out numbered forms to those waiting in line so people could shop, eat, rest or even go home and come back about the time their number would be called.  Yet no one wanted to get out of line.  We had volunteers available to take blood pressure and to pray with people, but everyone was focused on one thing only—getting a shot.

While we faced a few problems—a second person fell into the fountain, the cell phone of a security guard was ruined and he wore wet clothes all day from the rescue and two others fell—overall, it was a very positive day.  We gave out Chick-fil-A coupons and had Christian literature available for people to help themselves.  We tried to especially care for those who did not meet shot criteria.  One woman said she had such fun with the people she stood with in line for four hours that they are going to get together again.  The event also brought traffic and business to the mall.  And everyone who met the requirements got a shot—all 851 people!

The benefits have gone beyond that day.  People have come back for prayer, to say thank you, to visit and to sign up for programs.  A kiosk vendor who made a sale a few days later because of the flu clinic came to tell us.  He noticed a copy of The Purpose Driven Life; we offered it to him.  Not only did he take it to read, he also told us some of his Sikh background. 

I am so thankful for each Ministry host and clinic-day helper.  They showed kindness, gentleness, love, and patience and maintained an inner peace and self control amid a storm of requests, concerns and demands.  Truly, they were living demonstrations of the fruit of the Spirit.  I am also thankful for the Moorestown Visiting Nurse Association and the opportunity to work together to care for people.

Personally, when I read Scripture telling of people crowding Jesus because they wanted healing, it is much more vivid now.  Oh, that those who came to our clinic would know that security does not come from a shot but from a Savior!

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