This article I want to pick up from our discussion about people who are in the conversion process who are gradually shifting from passive to active seekers.
Sometime ago I was mentoring a Muslim Background believer named Dadang and he and I were discussing his testimony. Essentially he obtained a Bible from an odd set of circumstances. First he hid the Bible under his mattress because he knew it could create a conflict with his Muslim family if they found out that he had a Bible. Then later he read parts of it and found it to be interesting. But he knew he needed someone to explain the Bible and its core message. He saw a church that he passed on his bus route, but he did not know a Christian. So one Sunday he got off the bus and stood on the opposite side the road in front of the church for about a half an hour and then got back on the bus and went home.
The next week he got off the bus, crossed the road, and stood on at the foot of the steps, only to later catch the bus and go home. The third week he repeated the process but this time he climbed the steps and stood by the door. A church member coming into the building invited him in. He entered and sat in the back of the church but talked to no one. On his next foray he repeated all the previous steps, but this time he asked if there was someone who could help him understand the Bible. He was introduced to a mature Muslim background believer who helped Dadang understand the gospel and then discipled him in his new faith.
Numerically track a seeker's interest in Jesus
Thinking about our passive to active conversion process, we could assign numeric points to Dadang’s steps in cognitive investment. For example:
Step 0. Receiving the Bible but not reading it: 1 point
Step 1. Reading the Bible but not obeying it 2 points
Step 2. Looking for help to understand the Bible 4 points
Step 3. Standing by the road on the opposite side 1 point
Step 4. Crossing the road and standing by steps 2 points
Step 5. Standing by the door but not going in 2 points
Step 6. Enter the church but sitting in the back 3 points
Step 7. Enter the church and asking for help 5 points
Step 8. Meet with a mentor and discuss content 8 points
Step 9. Deciding to become a believer 10 points
Step X. Discipleship, etc….. X points
Change your response based on seeker's stage of conversion
If we had the ability through some kind of camera that fed into a software program that observed and tallied Dadang’s behavior, then we could make a prediction of what he could use to make the next step. For example, when Dadang hit 7 points (steps 1-3), have a mentor call and ask if the mentor could help Dadang. Or when Dadang hit 12 points (1-3 plus step 9), then the mentor could guide Dadang through a Discovery Bible Study. I could go through many scenarios with a numeric points attached to it to measure Dadang’s conversion pathway, but I think you get the idea.
Let me say, this is not a formula. It is an attempt to look at stages, steps and activities that people normally follow in the conversion pathway. Think of this as a windsock at an airport. Based on the direction it points and “how full” the sock is, a pilot can estimate the wind conditions—a useful bit of knowledge in landing a plane. But modern pilots use the same “wind” and yet apply electronics to more precisely define direction, speed, and gust in order to more accurately perform steps to safely land a plane.
Tracking steps towards conversion in the book of Acts
Now is such an activity “man’s work” thus not depending on the Holy Spirit? Not at all. Observing Acts 17:1-4 that God fearing Gentiles demonstrated behavior different than Gentiles who went to the bath house. They (1) entered synagogues, (2) learned from the Bible (3) discussed spiritual things, (4) followed Pauls’ message.Observing Acts 17:1-4 that God fearing Gentiles demonstrated behavior different than Gentiles who went to the bath house. They (1) entered synagogues, (2) learned from the Bible (3) discussed spiritual things, (4) followed Pauls’ message.Observing Acts 17:1-4 that God fearing Gentiles demonstrated behavior different than Gentiles who went to the bath house. They (1) entered synagogues, (2) learned from the Bible (3) discussed spiritual things, (4) followed Pauls’ message.
Observing Acts 17:1-4 that God fearing Gentiles demonstrated behavior different than Gentiles who went to the bath house. They (1) entered synagogues, (2) learned from the Bible (3) discussed spiritual things, (4) followed Pauls’ message.
Observations are just that, observations; be they windsocks versus instrument panels, going into synagogues versus going into bath houses, looking for a mentor versus leaving the Bible under one’s bed. Applying “scoring” is only a process of more precisely defining stages, steps and activities.
In the next article we'll discuss how to avoid confusion over variables.
