Fixing 2 Ways to Live
Since we are on the subject of evangelism... 2 Ways to Live has, clearly, been an enormously successful and influential tract. Still, there are some changes I would make to the training material. Since at least a couple of MM editors read my blog, who knows, someone might listen...
Eliminate the Bible Verses
I've trained a number of people in 2WTL, and sat in on quite a few courses myself. In my estimation, about 80% of the time and effort is spent in trying to learn the Bible verses. Some people simply can't remember them at all. This is just far too much effort, and it means the training course becomes more about bible memorisation than about evangelism. Eliminating the verses would give you more time on more important things.
There are also a couple of other problems. Single verses for the frames is effectively "proof-texting", which we generally decry ("...a verse without a context..."). But also, I don't think the verses add a lot to the presentation. The hearer is already taking in so many ideas that the verses reduce clarity rather than enhance it.
Reword Frame 5
It's complicated, people have trouble remembering it, I suspect it doesn't communicate as clearly as the other frames.
Spend more time on pre-evangelism
The hardest part with 2WTL is getting people to the point where they want to sit down and run through a gospel presentation with you. It is this "pre-evangelistic" area where I think the course should focus it's attention. There is a little bit in the course on pre-evangelism, but I didn't find it all that useful. The section on "God talk", for example, felt a bit naive. Lots of potential value to be added here.
Update: The manual I have is the 2003 edition. I'm told there are later versions, so it's very possible some of these issues have been addressed (perhaps the last one).
Further Update: I checked the MM website, but the downloadable preview was the 2003 edition, which I have. Not sure if there is a post-2003 edition or not.
Eliminate the Bible Verses
I've trained a number of people in 2WTL, and sat in on quite a few courses myself. In my estimation, about 80% of the time and effort is spent in trying to learn the Bible verses. Some people simply can't remember them at all. This is just far too much effort, and it means the training course becomes more about bible memorisation than about evangelism. Eliminating the verses would give you more time on more important things.
There are also a couple of other problems. Single verses for the frames is effectively "proof-texting", which we generally decry ("...a verse without a context..."). But also, I don't think the verses add a lot to the presentation. The hearer is already taking in so many ideas that the verses reduce clarity rather than enhance it.
Reword Frame 5
It's complicated, people have trouble remembering it, I suspect it doesn't communicate as clearly as the other frames.
Spend more time on pre-evangelism
The hardest part with 2WTL is getting people to the point where they want to sit down and run through a gospel presentation with you. It is this "pre-evangelistic" area where I think the course should focus it's attention. There is a little bit in the course on pre-evangelism, but I didn't find it all that useful. The section on "God talk", for example, felt a bit naive. Lots of potential value to be added here.
Update: The manual I have is the 2003 edition. I'm told there are later versions, so it's very possible some of these issues have been addressed (perhaps the last one).
Further Update: I checked the MM website, but the downloadable preview was the 2003 edition, which I have. Not sure if there is a post-2003 edition or not.
8 comments:
Since some MM guys read, I'll feel free to comment...
The video etc they have now is very good from my estimation.
Learning bible verses may not mean they get used all the time, but at least they are there as memory props if you have to go somewhere to justify an idea.
I found lots of the course materials (especially in the post 2004 version) very helpful in thinking through pre-evangelism.
Further, there is also Six Steps to Talking About Jesus which does a slightly different job to what Two Ways to Live does.
I think the Bible verses are one of the most important parts of the tract - and certainly Christians should make the effort to memorise such great Bible verses. Which verses in the tract do you think by being used are unfaithful to their context?
Pete, I have the 2003 trainers manual. I didn't realise they had a post-2004 version with video training. Scratch that comment.
Ruth, I don't think the verses *are* being used out of context, but there is a general principle of not proof-texting to be aware of. I think the verses in frames 3 and 5 are potentially confusing.
In my experience, over the course the vast majority of the effort goes into remembering the verses. And then they are gone pretty quickly if you don't take the time to maintain them.
I don't think they add that much to the presentation, and they may even detract from it as a piece of communication. I'd much rather see effort be put into the pre-evangelism area in the course.
Memorising scripture is good - but there are other tools out there to do that (Navigators etc). 2WTL should be about learning to evangelise, not about memorising scripture.
Interesting thoughts, Craig.
A commenter (on this blog, I think), once reminded me that it's better to be remembered for saying, "The Briefing is good," than, "The Briefing is good, but..."
That's advice I've taken to heart. And while it shouldn't preclude criticism, it does make me double check how I criticise and how critical I am.
So, keeping in mind that 2WTL is an outstanding gospel presentation that has served a generation of Christians (and their friends and acquaintances), I have two issues with it.
First, Jesus seems to come out of nowhere, deus ex machina style. I wrote about this in 2006, so I won't say anymore on that.
Second, I've never felt confident about box 5. I remember explaining 2WTL to a 50-something bloke in a harbourside house in Gladesville once. He was nodding and with me until box 5 (the resurrection), when it became clear, to both of us, that I didn't really understand the importance of the resurrection.
You could argue that this is a weakness in our theology generally (so I'm very excited to be studying Resurrection and Moral Order at college at the moment!).
Certainly I should have known what I was talking about, but as I look over the material in 2WTL, I'm not convinved the resurrection theology is very clear. (Forgive me, this is from memory).
Learning bible verses should be done outside of the face-to-face course. What should be taught is techniques on how to memorise bible verses.
Quoting scripture, while being truthful, just makes us comes across as close-minded.
The Bible alone is the ultimate authority, but unbelievers have rejected it as an authority.
By quoting scripture, we just appear to be close minded, arrogant or outdated.
Having said that though, the real need of unbelievers is to have a relationship with God - through God's Word and through the lives and works of believers.
So we need to introduce unbelievers to Christians (who words and actions show they live by God's word) and then introduce them to God's word.
This is relational evangelism.
And I don't think you can do it in 30mins.
I'm with Ruth on this one. The Bible verses are the most important part.
They can be said in a way that is not outdated. But in a way that proves that we are not talking on our own authority.
(BEtter late than never, right?? Ruth and I were remembering this post while corresponding on FB)
:)
It's good to be remembered... ;-)
If you want to do bible memorisation, run a bible memorisation course. That is fine.
But my experience is that the bible memorisation component takes up the vast majority of the effort in the training course. And I've seen many people trained (trained some myself) who never quite get the verses, and who have well and truly forgotten them a few weeks later.
What's your experience in this Justin? Have you trained your congregation (past or present) in 2WTL? If so, how many of them have actually used the presentation with an unbeliever?
Realistically, I know that 2WTL is never going to change, I was just throwing some ideas out there, being provocative.
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