FOCUS Factor

            I want to spend some time today talking to you about FOCUS.  FOCUS is the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.  This organization is a network of US missionaries working on college campuses across the country sharing the Gospel and teaching students to do the same. 

I could write for hours about how amazing FOCUS is and everything it has done for me, but what I really want to talk about today is their “win, build, send” model of evangelization. Let’s start with evangelization itself; I am not talking about harassing neighbors with 30 yr old pamphlets (although talking to strangers is an important aspect).  I am talking about letting the Gospel of the LORD shine through you and explaining it explicitly when necessary.  FOCUS follows Christ’s lead and evangelizes through friendship.  Jesus came to Earth and chose 12 friends to invest a large amount of time in, he calls us to do the same (not necessarily 12, just invest). 

First step, win.  This is when you meet someone at work or in class (or anywhere) and you find things in common with them.  You begin to become friends with them.  This is the get to know you period of a friendship.  During the “win” phase of your friendship you should be just getting to know the other person, hanging out with them, doing things they enjoy, building trust.

Second step, build.  To me this is the fun part.  The “build” part of a friendship is what lasts forever this is when you begin to navigate your conversations deeper.  You open discussion up to important issues and you share the Gospel with the other person.  You ask and answer questions that really matter.  This is the part of a friendship when you encourage one another to grow in faith and help one another to learn more about the faith.  You may read spiritual books together and discuss them.  You may research a topic in the faith that still presents questions.  You may just talk.  You definitely pray together.  During this part of deeper friendship you obviously continue the “win” behavior.  This is after all a real friendship.

Finally, send.  This is when whoever you have been building the relationship with starts to take initiative to form Christ centered friendships in their own life. 

When your friend begins to make their own friendships in order to share the Gospel, then you have arrived in the “send” phase.  Just because you are in the “send” phase doesn't mean you are done.  This is a lifelong friendship that is centered on Christ and you continue with the "win" and "build" behavior (a.k.a. be friends!).  These relationships are open, honest, and loving.  Ideally, all of our friendships would follow this model.

 When I started with FOCUS last year and this model was presented to me I felt uncomfortable making friends just to share the Gospel.  I felt like it was somehow fake or shallow.  With some friendly hints from my discipler, Mary, I realized that making friends in order to share Jesus is the most genuine reason we can have.  It almost makes it seem like any other reason for making friends isn't sufficient.  I can honestly say that the friendships I have in which Christ is the center are the relationships where I can most be myself.

FOCUS leaders at UMD
also some of my very best friends

 How do you evangalize? What do you think of this model for evangelization?  What kind of faith building activities do you do with your friends?  Have you ever heard of FOCUS?  Comments? Questions? Suggestions?  Guys, my comments box is really lonely! Drop me a line in the Comments below!