Home \ Contents \ Site Search \ Contact

Reaching the Unchurched Next Door

by Greg Williamson (c) 2008

COPYRIGHT RELATED INFO

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ALL SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS

ARE FROM THE  New American Standard Bible.

In his The Unchurched Next Door (2003), Thom S. Rainer shares the results of his national survey of unchurched people, categorizing them according to how receptive they are toward the Gospel. He ends by giving practical suggestions on how to reach unchurched people according to what category they fall into. The below information is drawn directly from his book.

 

FAITH STAGE	DESCRIPTION (pgs. 21, 23)	STRATEGIES FOR REACHING (pgs. 234-46)
U1	Highly receptive to the gospel, "the Philippian jailer" (11%)	Tell them about Jesus. Invite them to church.
U2	Receptive to the gospel and to the church (27%)	Many U2s struggle with a works understanding of salvation. Invite them to church. Get family members to show Christ to them. Invite them to a Bible study.
U3	No apparent receptivity, neutral, perhaps open to discussion (36%)	The U3s need clarity in understanding the gospel. Invite them to church ... again. The U3s are the first of the unchurched groups to see the church as relevant. The reality of hell is a concern for the U3s.
U4	Resistant to the gospel, but not an antagonistic attitude (21%)	Discuss eternal issues. U4s need clarification on Jesus. U4s struggle with the idea that Jesus is the only way of salvation. Invite them to church.
U5	Highly resistant to the gospel, antagonistic attitude (5%)	They are often dealing with other difficult issues. Most U5s will admit that they have not found happiness. U5s may become more receptive after they have spent significant time with a Christian. Apologetics can be effective in reaching U5s.