Here is a list of guidelines I have found helpful in leading churches to develop a culture of evangelism that is biblical, practical, and owned by the members. Pastors must take the lead and set the example in their teaching, modeling, story telling, expectations, and providing training and outreach opportunities.
Pray without ceasing.
Need I say more? When we engage in evangelism, we engage in front-line spiritual warfare. When we attempt to equip and mobilize a church for such Great Commission labors, we find ourselves under attack from the enemy. Pray!
Training is valued.
Own it. If church leaders do not see a value in evangelism training, then most church members will find little value in it as well.
Leaders set examples.
Do not attempt to do everything. However, church members imitate what they know and they know what is modeled before them. If leaders do not set an example in their public prayers, leading and attending training events, and publicly sharing their own evangelism stories, then members are likely to give evangelism a low priority.
Whys and hows of evangelism are biblically grounded.
Lead with the Word. The church needs to see in Scripture why they should give priority to evangelism. They need a robust biblical and theological foundation for both their beliefs and practice of evangelism.
Application of principles is taught.
Bend toward the practical. Principles of witnessing and preaching the gospel must be taught. Without understanding principles that are to be applied over time and across cultural settings, church members will be limited in their understanding of how to share the gospel wherever the Spirit leads.
Rather than cloning a model of evangelism, people should be taught how to apply principles of evangelism. This is basic contextualization. If church leaders only offer a method and do not teach members to think with an apostolic imagination, then members are more likely to find themselves frustrated and unclear regarding how to share their faith. Worldviews and cultures are legion throughout the world and morphing into new paradigms. The universal truth of the gospel is both translatable and adaptable to whatever the world brings.
Models are provided.
Show them how. Models put flesh on principles’ bones. They are valuable and help people move from the theory to the practical. But models are not to be viewed as a one-size-fits-all approach to evangelism.
While excellent models of evangelism exist, they are always birthed from a particular cultural context and during a particular time in history. They are shaped by developers’ gifts, passions, personalities, interests, and abilities. All contemporary models are limited, and church members will find some of them difficult to embrace and use.
Models are tools that should be provided to members. Like tools, they are to be used at appropriate times based on present realities. Different situations call for different tools. Leaders should fill members’ toolboxes with many models. Train members in Three Circles, then Romans’ Road, then Evangelism Explosion, then Small Group methods, then a Marked New Testament, then Block Parties and Home Gatherings, then Share Jesus without Fear, then the Wordless Book, then how to use a gospel tract (hardcopy and electronic), etc., etc. There are enough models of evangelism that over the course of two or three years a church could be exposed to a variety of tools.
Training goes on the calendar.
Plan it. That which is valuable is that which makes the calendar. Schedule formal training each quarter. This is a good time to re-teach evangelism principles while offering a new model.
Encouragement and opportunities are available.
Co-labor together. While members need to be trained in personal evangelism that will happen organically as the Spirit leads them throughout daily activities, organized times of church-wide outreach are necessary. Again, the opportunities are numerous for people to share their faith as they co-labor with fellow members. Large events such as weekly visitation, sports events, concerts, Trunk-or-Treat, VBS, Backyard Bible Clubs, food distribution, medical/dental clinics, ESL training, etc. There is a wealth of literature from the last thirty years in the U. S. on the topic of “servant evangelism” ideas.
Ordinary stories are shared and celebrated.
Give them the platform. It is one thing for church leaders to share their evangelism stories publicly; it is another matter when church members are given the mic to share their stories. The church begins to realize that their friend, or member of their small group, or the person who sits next to them on Sundays is actually sharing the gospel. Evangelism has moved beyond church leaders (“who are supposed to do that”) to church members (“who are ordinary believers, just like me”).
Stories should be shared of people coming to faith in Christ as well as stories of people rejecting Christ. If conversion stories are only shared, then it does not provide a picture of reality, people will feel discouraged when they do not have similar results, and an unbiblical teaching of “success” will be communicated. God is to be praised when His people faithfully share the gospel regardless of the results in the moment. Leaders, and all members, should be encouraged to share and celebrate all encounters.
Which of these will you implement this week to bring lasting change this year? What did I miss? What would you add to this list?