Ryan Bell discusses our use of language about the lost - and suggests we might communicate better if we made our plans in the presence of “the lost”. What do you think?

I appreciate and agree with Ryan’s comments on possible negative reactions to terms like “nonAdventist.” We are often utterly insensitive to those who are hearing us, not taking into account how our words may be interpreted. Does anyone have ideas on what sorts of more inclusive language we might use in settings where we need to say something equivalent to “nonAdventist?”

Can you tell me where I can read what Ryan Bell discussed about calling people lost?

My friend Jim Henderson wrote a book, “a.k.a. Lost: Discovering Ways to Connect with the People Jesus Misses Most” in which he suggests that we should stop calling people “lost” and call them missing. While I love Jim, I’ve told him that in my opinion calling someone missing doesn’t solve the solution. We are still putting ourselves in a position where we are assuming things about other people. Last time I checked, we don’t have the ability to determine (in and of ourselves) whether or not someone is going to heaven or not. Nor do we have the ability to save them even if they were lost or missing.

My solution to this dilemma is to get to the place where we are calling people that are outside of church friend.