Some have tried to pit the person-of-peace model at odds with relational evangelism. However, this is a monstrous misunderstanding. There are two keys to understanding how these two models work together.
The first is distinguishing the difference between filtering and funneling. While filtering is focused primarily on entering and targeting a new city, town, people group, or social strata layer with the gospel, the primary emphasis of funneling is bringing the hearers to the gospel and a Christian community. In other words, filtering is bringing the messenger to the hearer, while funneling is bringing the hearer to God and the church. This difference may seem nuanced, but it is important. The church planter must know where to invest his time and what soils will be receptive to the gospel message. Therefore, the filtering process certainly involves broad seed-sowing of the gospel message and filtering-evangelism; this is the means by which we will encounter and discover those who are truly interested in exploring deeper the Christian message.
The second key in distinguishing the difference between the person-of-peace model and relational evangelism is to focus on the concept of prioritizing. Jesus prioritized the preaching of the gospel to some over others. However, some will still offer an objection that we must labor equally among all peoples. Take the missionaries working in hard soil for instance. There are many lands and places where missionaries have labored for years with very little fruit. Should they have left because no one in the community was receptive? Not if we are to take the word of God seriously. The Great Commission commands us to go and make disciples regardless of the condition of the soil. Revelation 7:9 gives us a heavenly picture of a people from every tribe, tongue and nation joined together before God, a reminder of our future victory which must come to pass by the nations hearing the gospel and responding. Jesus also indicates that the end of the “birth pangs” mentioned in Matthew 24 will take place once all ethnic peoples have heard the gospel (Matthew 24:14). We recognize that the task of disciple-making, church planting and building God’s kingdom will not be an easy one, but we persevere in obedience for the glory of God!
Although we recognize the work will be difficult at times we also must ask, should that same missionary continue to drink tea with the same person week after week for a year, after his friend has repeatedly rejected the gospel while there may be hundreds or thousands of others who would eagerly discuss the gospel? At times the missionary might be able to do both, but according to the urgent person-of-peace model seen throughout scripture the sent one must place priority on the person who is demonstrating spiritual interest. This is especially evident when planting in the massive urban landscapes that dot the earth today and are growing across the globe.
The mega-city I have labored in is typical across much of Asia. I lived in a city of many million people with less than 0.2% in a church on any given Sunday and with less than 2% having heard a clear presentation of the gospel. There are over a quarter of a million people who move to my city each year. The church is shrinking smaller simply by population growth. If the missionaries and local churches have no sense of urgency and priority in choosing which relational investments should take priority, then we are destined to fail in the task of making any significant change. There are numerous nearby towns, people groups, and strata layers of society which remain completely unreached. We must prioritize the preaching of the gospel by “shaking off” some who are resistant to the gospel in search of those who are receptive.
Funneling-relational evangelism is extremely valuable and biblical. However, priority in the filtering stage should be to identify those who may be persons-of-peace. The process of filtering can take moments to months or even years. When Jesus connected with the Samaritan woman (John 4) it took only one conversation to find a person-of-peace and successfully reach into her oikos. On the other hand, when Paul entered Corinth, he spent evidently a fair amount of time reasoning in the synagogue in search for those who were receptive to the message of the gospel (Acts 18:4). At times through broad seed sowing you will find an obvious person-of-peace like the woman at the well. In such cases there is no need to wait to move to the funneling process of preaching the gospel and sharing on a deeper level. However, there may be an extended filtering period of time in which you are regularly searching for persons-of-peace who are truly receptive to the gospel message.