In my experience of converting from New Age to Christianity, the most effective leaders in witnessing have been those who not only recognize that the experiences in New Age are very real, but who are also gentle with the new believer's possible inability to immediately rid him or herself of New Age practices and beliefs (if ever even fully). I have also been helped in my conversion by some who are dogmatic and fear-based and, while they have a strong following, I question how effective they really are at sustainable encouragement. One in particular is very kind and also generous with the time she gives in ministering, but is all-or-nothing in her practice and teaching. I identity with the black-and-white approach in circumstances as that is my default and at times I think righteous thinking. But today I realize there are in fact shades of grey that might need to be applied as a sort of "Hail Mary pass".
There are also famous ministers who I would not like to ever quote or refer a new believer to, though their doctrine is solid and they are brave witnesses for Christ. That is because their message of the cross is for the ultra-convicted heart and the language used is almost violent. And while Christ died violently for us, he was still meek. It is not to say that these pastors are wrong in their approach, but I think that shepherds guiding New Age believers toward the kingdom of God need to be a bit less legalistic with their methods, especially since new believers are already unsteady and inexperienced in their new environment.
The newly converted need to be gently weaned. Paul wrote, “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready.” (1 Corinthians 3:2). I know starting ten years ago of trying to be the “right kind” of Christian (which I now interpret to have been the sin of pride) I acted impulsively, erratically, and carelessly. Not only did sudden and abrasive conviction hurt me, it hurt others and I ended up returning to my New Age ways within at times weeks.
The best person who ever led me was patient, and not afraid of the New Age movement to the point that even in her conversion will study it so that she can better understand who she is witnessing to. She also does not try to convert overnight like a black-and-white thinker does. These are the disciples who I best learn and take example from.
The problem with New Age (or prosperity preachers who use New Thought in their sermons), is that these tactics do work: they are very real and I know personally I have reaped fruit from both New Age and prosperity preacher's methods. Therefore the intelligent witnesses don’t use might to convert, they use compassion, being fully aware that these experiences in New Age are very real and can be fun and comforting. And for someone like myself who comes from a more occult background and is not afraid of demons, portals, or tools used to practice with, feeling accepted very much helped me. The born-again Christians who preach hell-fire and menacing entities possess an immaturity to me, irregardless of their popularity.
In order for shepherds to be effective in discipleship, we need to give a better solution to life’s problems than the forced means of New Age and New Thought. People are offered the consolation of feeling in control, but that feeling is a fantasy. The relief from believing that we can control our lives by willful techniques is just an illusion, and why in the end it never works long-term. That said it’s not easy to make a bloodied cross more attractive than the Law of Attraction. Ministries that focus on, or even simply reference time to time the laws of the Old Testament I feel do a great disservice to those who are earnestly questioning what God’s saving grace really is.
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