Greg and Alexis offer clear advice for how to introduce the church to the unacquainted. They emphasize personal integrity and the human relationship, rather than focusing on the mere transmission of fact and opinion. -Editor.
1. Don’t start with particulars—especially heated topics.
When introducing the New Church you should stay away from details and complex teachings. There are some details that are fairly easy to grasp, but they are not important for the first conversation, no matter how important they seem. For example, you would not want to kick off a conversation by explaining the intricate process one goes through as they enter the World of Spirits. Swedenborg’s authorship is also something that need not come into the initial conversation. Instead, discuss the New Church’s doctrine. Give the doctrine authority by saying “my church has always believed… [insert foundational teaching].”
Sometimes when people inquire about a religion, they want to know the church’s stance on “heated topics”—e.g. abortion, gay marriage, women in the ministry. When they ask about these topics they may be looking for a reason to disagree. What do you do if confronted with these topics? It is best to ensure them that these are not the most important issues in the church and that there may not be one specific stance on them. A final don’t: Do not focus on differences between the New Church beliefs and those of other Christian Denominations. Differences will arise naturally in explanation but there is no need to emphasize them.
2. Do start with the general and most important ideas.
For introducing the New Church, it might be good to start with the importance of the Ten Commandments and the existence of one loving God. If the conversation goes further, try going into just one, or a few, slightly more specific principles. Five basic principles of the New Church to go into would be: the Lord (one loving God who wants to work with you), the Word (the source of truth, with deeper meaning that is relevant to our lives), the afterlife (where you go after death, to be with people of similar loves), regeneration (personal work with the Lord’s help to battle evils and grow spiritually), and marriage (marriage can be spiritual and happy marriages can last to eternity).
3. Listen A Lot.
When people are inquiring about another religion, they often want to talk about their own beliefs, as well as hearing yours. After giving an inquirer your two main points (i.e. one God who loves you and follow the Ten Commandments), give them a chance to respond. They may launch into a discussion of their personal beliefs, and that is fine. Don’t interrupt—just listen! If they want to hear more, they will stop talking or ask a question. If you think they would like to hear more of your beliefs, then delve into one of the five main principles mentioned earlier. Remember that if at any point they decide to talk, let them talk. What they may need and want is someone to simply listen to them. Interruption will be a turn-off in the conversation and could lead to defensiveness. If they don’t appear to be interested in the topic, don’t push it on them. Seeds can’t take root in hard or dry ground.
4. It’s About the Conversation.
We all know that it is impossible to convert someone to your beliefs or to fully introduce a stranger to a topic in the span of one conversation. Such a task should not be attempted, but you should try to make a good impression. An impression will last and it might be what causes the stranger to seek a second conversation or investigate the church for themselves. When telling strangers about the New Church, be kind. Be understanding of the beliefs they already have. Don’t shove New Church teachings in their face and make dramatic (albeit true) statements such as “the Divinely inspired Heavenly Doctrines written by Emanuel Swedenborg contain the internal sense of the Word!” The stranger will enjoy a pleasant conversation much more than being preached at. Appear as if you are enjoying the conversation, even if they are rambling on and you are really not enjoying it. When the stranger thinks back to the conversation, you want them to think of you and the nice conversation that the two of you had.
5. Don’t Lie.
Being honest in your conversation is essential. The New Church has teachings that seem radical to some people, but you should not lie about any teaching to appease your listener. Do not hide something if they ask for an answer to a particular question. If you do not know what your church teaches about a particular issue, then say “I don’t know.” Giving your own beliefs, or your interpretation of the teachings, is fine, but make sure you specify what is yours and what is the church’s. Lying about your life or your religion achieves nothing.