Counting Conversions...

Talking at them

My D group leader Jackson gave me a good quote last night from Brian McLaren. McLaren said "Stop counting conversions and start counting conversations."

We're taught in youth group that we should make certain friends just because their "unsaved." Of course they shouldn't be our best friends because we can't risk being influenced too much (sense my sarcasm). A common method; your youth pastor will say "list three unsaved friends on this piece of paper and think of how you can witness to them in the next month or so." After that you write them down you then spend the next couple of days nervouse about the next time you see them because you have to witness to them. This method was actually used in my youth group when I was young and also in the club that I was the facilitator of in High school.

Something I've been thinking about alot lately is the concept of authenticity, authenticity of love, faith, motive, friendship. In the method I described above do you think that's authentic in any way? Can I really say that I am loving that "unsaved" person. Mike Devries, a friend of mine who has influenced my thought alot, has talked before about "loving with an agenda." If I love with an "agenda" am I really loving at all. In this case I might say I love them (the "unsaved friends on the list) but my motive is to get them saved. Is that love? is that friendship? If I knew ahead of time that they'd never agree with me would I love them just the same? would I even talk to them?