Have you noticed that most people today just don’t get Christianity—and the more we talk, the less they seem to understand?

For centuries, sharing the gospel was like harvesting fields that were already plowed and watered. People had some church background, some shared vocabulary, and at least a basic idea of what Christians believed. But today, we’re often starting from scratch. Many of our neighbors, coworkers, and even family members have never attended church, don’t speak our “churchy” language, and see Christianity as just another religion—one of many options in a spiritual marketplace.

So how can we reach them with the gospel?

A Forgotten Classic with Fresh Insight

While cleaning out my office recently—books off shelves, dust vacuumed away (thanks to my wife, Kristin!)—I came across an old volume I hadn’t looked at in decades: How to Reach Secular People by George Hunter III.

Flipping through it, I realized how relevant it still is today. In his first chapter, Hunter talks about helping church people understand what secular people are really like—those who don’t know the Bible, don’t understand our Christian subculture, and often have no frame of reference for our message.

If we want to reach them, we need to start by seeing the world through their eyes. When we understand their worldview—the lenses through which they see and evaluate everything, including us and our beliefs—we can begin to pray for them and share the gospel in ways that actually connect.

Three Kinds of “Secular People”

Hunter identifies several types of people we might encounter:

Ignostics – They don’t know what Christians believe at all.

Notional Christians – They think they’re Christian simply because they live in a “Christian-ish” culture.

Nominal Christians – They may go to church occasionally but aren’t true followers of Jesus.

These people aren’t necessarily less spiritual or less religious—they’re just more distant from Christianity.

As Hunter puts it, “For centuries the church was harvesting grain in fields already plowed, seeded, and watered. But today we must first plow, seed, and water the fields before we can reasonably expect to gather harvests.”

That means we need to understand the people we’re trying to reach before we start talking.

Ten Traits of Secular People

These generalizations don’t describe everyone, but they can help us see why traditional evangelism methods often miss the mark:

1. They’re ignorant of basic Christianity. 
Many don’t know the difference between the Old and New Testaments or how Christianity differs from other religions.

2. They’re seeking life before death.
They’re not just afraid of dying—they’re afraid of living a meaningless life.

3. They’re conscious of doubt more than guilt.
They’re asking, “What’s true?” not “How can I be forgiven?”

4. They have a negative image of the church.
Many see Christians as unintelligent or irrelevant—until they meet thoughtful believers whose faith is real.

5. They have multiple alienations.
Broken families, loneliness, lack of belonging—the gospel speaks powerfully to these deep relational needs.

6. They’re untrusting.
Suspicious of institutions, authority, and often religion itself.

7. They struggle with low self-esteem.
In a world shaped by evolution and social media comparison, it’s hard to believe anyone—let alone God—could love them unconditionally.

8. They see history as out of control.
Politics, the environment, the economy—it all feels chaotic and hopeless.

9. They feel personally out of control.
Overwhelmed by emotions, addictions, and the pressures of life.

10. They can’t find “the door.”
They’re searching for something, but they don’t know what it is—or how to find it.

Seeing Through Their Eyes

If we truly want to reach secular people, we have to start by seeing them as they really are—not as opponents to win over, but as image-bearers of God who are confused, searching, and often hurting more deeply than they let on.

Jesus saw crowds like that and was moved with compassion, because they were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” That’s the posture we need to recover.

So here’s the challenge:
This week, ask God to put one person on your heart—someone who doesn’t “get” Christianity—and begin to pray specifically for them. Ask Him to help you see what shapes their world, and look for one natural opportunity to listen, care, or start a real conversation.

​The harvest may not be ready yet, but someone has to start plowing the field.