Where does evangelism fit into your discipleship strategy?

[Roy Richardson]

I'm struggling with how to encourage/train/equip my congregation for evangelism. Without going into a lot of detail, I am following a pastor who was there from the Nixon 1st term through the end of W's 2nd term. They are largely older and complacent, and I'm not quite sure how to handle evangelism. In my belief, it is an integral part of discipleship - if we are disciples, we will do what Jesus did, and what he instructed his disciples to do - and I'm not sure if it should be a separate emphasis like a SS class, or integrated, or both.

If you are making an evangelism emphasis in your church, will you please share what you are doing? We have the special days - Friend day shot us up to 91 in attendance over an average of 67, but sustaining that and moving evangelism to a front-burner issue from a back-burner or completely off of the stove issue is what I am looking for.

In the past I have used the Contagious Christian materials from Willow Creek. I like those materials for their ease of use for the average lay person. Are there better materials out there? I am open to suggestions if you know of some.

Thanks for your help.

Roy

[Kyle Borger]

We are a small church that has gone from about 30 avg to 70 avg in 4 years. The plan has been based on relationship. It was determined that the church was small partially due to its members not knowing how to have relationship with each other let alone people they know.

Now that the church is learning how to be social we are working on one on one or one on two discipleship groups. As our members are discipled they are learning how to have conversations and talk about Jesus. They are purposefully looking for opportunities to share about Jesus.

Our goal is to find those that are reaching out to God and growing in His spirit and discipling them. In return they are finding their own people to disciple.

We are just beginning so I can't make grand claims of success, but based on the response in our church it certainly seems to be God's plan for our church.

[Roy Richardson]

We are a small church that has gone from about 30 avg to 70 avg in 4 years. The plan has been based on relationship. It was determined that the church was small partially due to its members not knowing how to have relationship with each other let alone people they know.

Now that the church is learning how to be social we are working on one on one or one on two discipleship groups. As our members are discipled they are learning how to have conversations and talk about Jesus. They are purposefully looking for opportunities to share about Jesus.

Our goal is to find those that are reaching out to God and growing in His spirit and discipling them. In return they are finding their own people to disciple.

We are just beginning so I can't make grand claims of success, but based on the response in our church it certainly seems to be God's plan for our church.

You sound similar to our situation. My first week here I was told by an elderly member of the congregation "that we don't know how to love each other." I've been focusing on the concepts of community and trying to move away from the "me and Jesus" mentality. I like your focus on learning to have relationships with each other.

BTW - your town in beautiful, and the drive from Cody to Yellowstone is fantastic. I need to do that again.

[Kyle Borger]

You sound similar to our situation. My first week here I was told by an elderly member of the congregation "that we don't know how to love each other." I've been focusing on the concepts of community and trying to move away from the "me and Jesus" mentality. I like your focus on learning to have relationships with each other.

BTW - your town in beautiful, and the drive from Cody to Yellowstone is fantastic. I need to do that again.

It is beautiful. In many ways I hope that God let's me stay here for a while.

[John Kennedy]

It is beautiful. In many ways I hope that God let's me stay here for a while.

I'll agree to its beauty. The first and only timeI was in Cody was a few years ago when I was coming east out of Yellowstone. As soon as I got cell service I started calling to try to get a room. No luck. Drove on into town (where else was I gonna' go?) and wound up at the Buffalo Bill Antlers Motel on the east side of town - I think the rating would be about 1/4 of a star - but it was clean the the cable worked. Enjoyed a delicious dinner at some Mexican place on the main drag. Nice town.

[Rich Schmidt]

If you are making an evangelism emphasis in your church, will you please share what you are doing?

All I really do is emphasize it in my preaching... not in those words, of course. But I talk about how Jesus has called us to be his witnesses (not prosecutors, defense, or judge), which means being willing to talk about what we ourselves have seen and heard and experienced of God's love. I talk about how we don't have to force these conversations, just be open. I talk about how God wants to love other people through us, so he's placed us in relationship with them, and at some point someone is going to have a need, and God is going to tap us on the shoulder to meet it -- to care, to listen, to share resources, to encourage, to pray, etc. As we do this, we'll end up talking about what God has done for us, about being a part of the church, etc.

It's been a long time, but in the past I've done classes like Contagious Christian or Just Walk Across the Room. I've done message series based on those themes, including having people stop and write down how their lives were changed by Christ, take a minute to tell the person next to them, etc.

Plus, I try to do my best to be out in the community, getting to know people outside the church bubble, so I have a chance to put these things into practice myself, lead by example.

[Gene Tatsch]

...The plan has been based on relationship.....

As we properly focus on our mission of making disciples of each other, we'll become His disciples, and innately express His love to each other (which will be magnets for outsiders) and we'll innately express His love to the outsiders in ways that He can draw them to Himself and "they" will become "us".

So the focus would be on being a growing disciple of His, with "evangelism" a natural, indirect outcome.

[Susan Unger]

You sound similar to our situation. My first week here I was told by an elderly member of the congregation "that we don't know how to love each other." I've been focusing on the concepts of community and trying to move away from the "me and Jesus" mentality. I like your focus on learning to have relationships with each other.

BTW - your town in beautiful, and the drive from Cody to Yellowstone is fantastic. I need to do that again.

That's been my observation, too. How can we love those outside the church when we don't know how to love each other, and don't love each. And why should those outside the church take us seriously when they see lack of love within the church? When we love God and each other passionately, it will naturally flow to those outside the church.

[Larry Parsons]

We are a small church that has gone from about 30 avg to 70 avg in 4 years. The plan has been based on relationship. It was determined that the church was small partially due to its members not knowing how to have relationship with each other let alone people they know.

Now that the church is learning how to be social we are working on one on one or one on two discipleship groups. As our members are discipled they are learning how to have conversations and talk about Jesus. They are purposefully looking for opportunities to share about Jesus.


Our goal is to find those that are reaching out to God and growing in His spirit and discipling them. In return they are finding their own people to disciple.

We are just beginning so I can't make grand claims of success, but based on the response in our church it certainly seems to be God's plan for our church.

Kyle, Is this something like friendship evangelism? If not what you are saying sound good.
Thanks
Larry

[David Graham]

That's been my observation, too. How can we love those outside the church when we don't know how to love each other, and don't love each. And why should those outside the church take us seriously when they see lack of love within the church? When we love God and each other passionately, it will naturally flow to those outside the church.

I totally agree; that's why in my annual report to the Parish, I emphasised these things as GOALS foir the church this year and beyond.

Through building relationships, and improved pastoral care strategies, (perhaps also a more vibrant music programme in our worship services) the average attendances at all of our four congregations has increased. Nonetheless, I still intend to run an "ALPHA course" towards the second half of this year for those we deem to be "ready" to participate in such a programme.

[Kyle Borger]

I haven't read that yet. Really what it boils down to is that we are finding one person who is seeking God and discipling them. The expectation is that they in turn find one person and disciple them. We have an understanding that we must have a good relationship with someone before we know if they are seeking God. This requires us to build relationships. Some of those relationships will be with people who are not Christian and we will hopefully help them find God. But our first step in building a relationship is simply hanging out with them. If we go on the attack mode then the effectiveness is lost. We must be interested in the friendship for friendship sake and not just so we can convert them.

[Randy Wise]

Where does evangelism fit into your discipleship strategy?

Well as one who doesn't have strategies the reason for me would be "Love" I fully expect Jesus will be stating to many "I don't know you" if the many continue on their current path. I would rather that didn't happen and that the many would choose Life. There is also alot of misinformation about Christians. Such as God only picks some to be saved or God is a punishing God. We know God is Love and God takes no pleasure in punishing anyone. That God didn't send the Lamb for punishment. God sent the Lamb that we may live. We also know we couldn't have been given a better Lord (other than the Father) then Jesus. A faithful High Priest. The one who layed down His life for the sheep. Jesus knew what would follow the rejection, that is their (Israel's ) enemies would overtake them. A caring Jesus who wept over Israel. A Jesus who responded to anyone (even Roman soldiers) who came to Him by faith.

A Jesus who states, "These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation"; "
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. "

Randy

[Roy Richardson]

Kyle, so your's is a 1 on 1 discipleship/evangelism/friendship strategy? Am I reading that right? It's an intriguing approach to use.

I'm looking at some formal friendship evangelism as opposed to this form:

http://www.sermonspice.com/product/2...top-evangelism

[Rich Schmidt]

We also know we couldn't have been given a better Lord (other than the Father) then Jesus.

I love your post, but I'm afraid I have to nit-pick a little. If what we believe about God being essentially triune is true, then I don't believe you need that parenthetical "other than the Father" part in there. God the Father is revealed fully and faithfully in his Son, Jesus Christ. Scripture is pretty clear on that in multiple places.

If we were to do a little thought experiment and pretend that God the Father (instead of the Son) had become flesh and dwelt among us, taking on the mission of the Son, I think we'd be hard pressed to notice any difference. I don't think the Father would have been a "better" Lord than the Son, because "God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him" (Col. 1:19).