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Evangelism Strategies Podcast and Webinar Replay

In this complimentary Evangelismcoach webinar, I’ll share with you 3 major areas of evangelism training for your congregation to help you develop your evangelism strategy for 2012.

Among other things you’ll lean:

  • 3 areas of focus for congregational evangelism to start your planning
  • 6 different evangelism styles to match the right program for your congregation for personal evangelism
  • how one church implemented a personal evangelism strategy and baptized 3 new believers in 6 months.
  • Possible action steps in each of 3 areas to get started right away.
  • Find dedicated champions of evangelism to develop your team
  • how hospitality ministry can lead to new baptisms.

Video

Resources

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Webinar Slides Evangelism Strategies 2012 905.64 KB

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Slides as Powerpoint

Go to Slideshare to download them if you want them.

Evangelism Strategy for 2012

View more PowerPoint from Chris Walker

Offers:
http://store.evangelismcoach.org/shop/fear-free-evangelism-audio-cds-or-mp3/ – 5 cd set

The offer deal for the 4 month training program offer has expired

Tip Jar

If you wish, make a cash gift via a Kindle Book to Evangelismcoach.org to cover some of the technology costs. This is for those who want to share in the ministry this way.

Use this wish list from Amazon to put something on my Kindle. . .. .

Book Reference:

These are some of the books I referred to in the webinar.

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3 Focus Areas to Grow a Small Church

Growing the small churchIn a discussion group I am a part of, a small church pastor asked the group for advise on how to grow a small church.

Well meaning Christians threw out all sorts of cliches that lack substance, even if they are true:

  • Pray
  • Follow God
  • Get back to the Bible
  • Don’t follow man’s ways
  • Just glorify Jesus and people will come
  • Let your light shine so the whole world will want what you have.

Most of the answers centered on prayer for guidance and then obeying that guidance to grow the small church.

While these sayings are true, these answers to this small church pastor lack direction and clarity to help focus this pastor in the areas of evangelism to grow the small church.

Growing a church is prayer and work

I’m all for prayer. I teach how prayer

  • gets us connected to the heart of God for the lost,
  • helps us learn God’s voice, and
  • sensitizes us to prompting of the Holy Spirit.
  • positions us to listen to the direction of God into His plan.

I give space in my workshops for prayer.  We pray for God to give us

  • a heart of the those who don’t know him.
  • a passion to reach the community around the church
  • a willingness to serve in the kingdom
  • a confidence to share our faith while serving the community.

But growing the small church to make a difference is also work.

As Moses stood up on the mountain praying for the people of God, Joshua was on the ground doing the work.

We get to actively work in cooperation with God’s work of bringing people to faith.

3 areas of focus to grow the small church

Without denying or minimizing the value of prayer, let me share three directions for your small church to consider as you pray and plan.

1.  Equip your members in personal evangelism.

Evangelism training is more than just reading a book and doing nothing about it.  Start with a group of people in your small church and lead them into growth in their personal evangelism efforts.  This includes helping your members

  • grow comfortable inviting friends to your small church,
  • sharing their own testimony of coming to faith in Christ,
  • sharing the gospel of Christ in clear and simple terms, and
  • inviting people to surrender to the Lord.

2.  Improve your hospitality.

Since the small church is a partner in the work of evangelism, improve your hospitality system.  Help your members be proud to invite people to your small church and into your network of relationships and service, knowing that their guests will receive a good welcome and find a healthy place to grow spiritually.

3.  Engage your community.

Find out where your community hurts and lead your small church to something about it.  Get on a mission to be an agent of transformation in the community.  While serving, help your small church members to have those life changing conversations as the Lord opens those doors. Listen to this podcast episode here on how one small country church engages its community.

With God’s guidance in your focused prayer for these three areas, you can grow your small church by taking actions.  Use these areas to focus your prayers and your work.

Need Help?

In the comment field below, answer this question:

What area do you want help in to grow your church?

Write your answer below, and I’ll get an email and we’ll start a free email discussion.

 

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Developing an Evangelism Strategy

I’ve been noodling more about “developing an evangelism strategy in the local church.”  It seems to me there are three main spokes to this wheel.

I’d like to know what you would add.

The actual ministry expressions or measurable results of these things will vary, but these three seem to be the core of developing an evangelism strategy.

1.  Equipping people to share their faith 1-1 in the course of their life.

  • Intentional training and follow up practical experience.
  • Pastor growing in personal evangelism skills
  • Pastor leading staff and other leaders in their growth in personal evangelism.
  • Prayer for the community and the lost
  • Building authentic relationships with non-Christians.

2. The worship experience to support the work of evangelism

  • Hospitality ministries towards visitors
  • Assimilation to help people connect , convert, and deploy in community service
  • Preaching themes connected to life and community needs
  • Regular gospel sharing during sermons.
  • Comeback events.
  • Church website to support personal invitations

3. People engaging/serving the community

  • Finding the heart for the community
  • Launching ministries to engage the community.
  • Helping people see the faith sharing opportunities during their service.

Actual measurable outcomes will be different.

Ministry expressions will be different.

But these seem to be the general areas of focus.

What would you add?


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Podcast: Developing a Sowing Mentality – Gary Rohrmayer

Has your church plateaued in it’s evangelistic effectiveness?

Perhaps, your church has stalled out in its evangelistic passion.  People are not coming to faith and your members are not really engaging people into finding faith in Christ.    The life-saving station has become the club of comfort.

Yet, other churches continue to grow year after year.

How do they maintain their evangelistic passion and zeal to reach their community and be a transformative agent for the kingdom of God?

Their leaders have developed a sowing mentality.

They have learned to apply the law of sowing and reaping in their evangelistic efforts.

How do you develop a sowing mentality?

Webinar Video

Podcast:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS

 


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7 Ways to Encourage Congregational Evangelism

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Year of Evangelism

Seven ways of congregational evangelism.I was searching through my files the other day and found this handout.  I quote it as is with attribution.

1. Pray

Launching evangelism in your congregation is not about techniques or right practices.

Evangelism is about God working through you and your congregation to become vibrant witnesses to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Ask for guidance and courage to go where God is leading you.

2.  Study God’s Word

Gather together for Bible study.

Observe in the Scriptures how the Holy Spirit fills people with courage to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

What story about Jesus brings you joy? Who might you tell about Jesus?

3. Preach and Teach the Good News of Jesus

The promises of the Good News of Jesus are meant to be shared with others.

We are not to be complacent, apathetic or bored. The Good News of Jesus changes lives – yours and mine.

How have you experienced the Good News of Jesus in your life?

4. Create an Evangelism Team

Celebrate with those who might be interested in evangelism.

Seek ways to extend your evangelism team to embrace your whole congregation. Don’t let a committee be the only one to experience the joy of sharing the good news of Jesus. Live the joy found in Christ Jesus.

5.  Provide Training

Equip people to become more comfortable about sharing their faith in Christ Jesus.

Provide training and opportunities to practice faith-sharing.

Take time to identify witnessing opportunities. What training might be helpful?

6.  Plan an Event

Don’t make it too easy. Go out on a limb.

Plan an event no one will want to miss.

Have a Fall Fiesta for the neighbors. Offer a jazz worship on Saturday night.

If nothing else, add something extra to your Christmas Eve or Easter worship.

Hire musicians – lots of them. Join the angels to sing “Glory to God in the highest!”

Invite people to come! Spend some money on publicity.

What event(s) might you host for the neighbors or community?

7.  Welcome People

Remember your mission: Bear witness to the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Writer: Robin McCullough-Bade
Copyright © 2004 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
May be reproduced for local, non-sale use provided the above copyright notice is included.

Next Steps

If this is your year of evangelism, what might you plan on doing this year to grow your congregation’s evangelism?

Are there some outreaches to plan?

Seminars to attend or organize?


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The Year of Evangelism – An Evangelism Strategy

In prior years, I’ve suggested a few personal strategies for evangelism

Year Of EvangelismThis year, I want to map out something different and suggest some planning ideas for church level evangelism.

Some of my readers have been doing some planning for this coming year and are developing a some kind of focus

  • The Year for Evangelism
  • Evangelism Focus for 2010

Other churches may have another theme for the new year like: “The Year of Breakthrough” “The Year for Prosperity” or “The Year of Jubliee.”

If you are developing an evangelism theme or some kind this year, what is your strategy?

What is the measurable evangelism goal?

As you develop your plan for this year, ask yourself the question:

“What does done look like?”

So many churches want to have a focus on evangelism, but do not define the specific goal that says “we did it.”

  • Do you want 10 adult conversions?
  • Do you want to read 10 books?
  • Do you want to launch a food pantry and teach your volunteers how to share the gospel while sharing food?
  • Do you want to have 10 people trained in personal evangelism skills?
  • Do you want to . . . . . ?

In other words, what does done look like?

Should we focus on numbers?

I can quickly hear an objection: “We don’t need to focus on numbers, this is ministry.”

I agree with that 100%.   But defining numbers give us project definition.

This gives us goals for prayer, and unfolds plans for ministries.

Target numbers are not the end-all, but rather a direction in which to aim.

A church of under 50 members (a survey of my readership in December 2009 showed that nearly 25% of my readership is involved in churches under 75 members) may not have a realistic goal if they want to add 100 new members through profession of faith in the coming year.

Coaching Example

I recently coached a small church pastor as he was brainstorming  about “The Year for Evangelism” for their church.

We are clarifying my role as a evangelism consultant and help them develop their evangelism strategy for their 19 member country church.

I kept asking him, what does successful evangelism look like for your church at the end of 2010?

The ideas started spinning:

  • 10 for 2010 — 10 baptisms upon profession of faith
  • Launch a Greeter Ministry
  • Run a Personal Evangelism training course.
  • Preach an Evangelism Sermon Series.
  • Run 3 evangelistic small groups.
  • Have 4 community based servant evangelism projects.

The ideas started flowing once the pastor landed on the realistic goal of 10 new members through profession of faith.

These projects are all interconnected, but flow from the idea of how to reach 10 new believers.

In their context, 10 more adult believers would be a 50% growth, a near doubling of their church.  The number 10 seems realistic (5-7 households?)

Develop your church’s Plan for the Year of Evangelism

I don’t want to develop your plan for you.

You and your church need to prayerfully develop your own plan based on your own context and God’s calling for your church.

Part of coaching is helping your brainstorm process and ask the questions.

But I think some common prongs for developing an evangelism theme for the year would include

  • Evangelism sermon series
  • Evangelism skills training
  • Evangelistic programming, like an Alpha Course or street campaigns, or servant evangelism
  • Evangelism training groups (see an example: Evangelism Training in the Local Church)
  • Corporate evangelism outreaches
  • The supporting ministries of Hospitality and Visitor connections

What each of those looks like will be specific to your context and the leading of the Lord you discern in prayer.

Where do you start?

Let me suggest this.

If you haven’t already done so, carve out some time where your leadership will pray about the year of evangelism.

Ask God:

  • What does the year of evangelism look like for your church?
  • What is God calling your church to do to express the expansion of the kingdom of God in your particular locale?
  • What particular programmatic expressions is God calling your church to do?

What does the your Evangelism strategy look like for your congregation?  Share with us in the comments below.

If you would like some coaching help, I’d be happy to provide that service.  See our teleconferencing services section for more information.

Image Credit: sdacaricatures

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Operation Andrew / Bring a Friend Sunday

Evangelism Coaching GroupI had a follower on twitter who ordered a “Bring a Friend campaign in a box.”

It was a laughable experience.

It ultimately failed.

He felt like he wasted his money.

Originally designed in the 1980s, it has never updated (except moving the recordings to CD from the cassettes).

The campaign failed to rally the church. The materials involved were dated, cheesy and downright tacky (including the Bring a Friend Tie Pins!).

It was embarrassing and a waste of money.

The idea of Bring a Friend Sunday still works, but you can skip the 80s marketing material.

Operation Andrew:

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association provides a simpler plan and excellent brochures that you can use.

They call it Operation Andrew.  Youth Versions are available.

Operation Andrew is a classic bring a friend church growth strategy based on John 1:40-45

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).

And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee.

Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Operation Andrew works by tapping Social Networks

John had spoken to his friend Andrew.

Andrew spoke with his brother Simon.

Jesus found Phillip and Phillip connected with a friend, Nathanael.

In this example, there is not a whole lot of cold-turkey door-knocking evangelism happening.

Rather a spread of the good news through existing social networks: among friends and family.

This has been translated into a strategy some call the Billy Graham Association calls Operation Andrew.

Basic Strategy of Operation Andrew

This is a variant of some of the Bring a Friend campaigns.

The basic steps over 6 weeks are as follows:

  • Pass out Operation Andrew cards or brochures six weeks prior, and walk through the steps together as a congregation.
  • Pray and ask the congregation to write names on their Operation Andrew cards of friends, family, or neighbors who are lost.
  • In the following weeks, hold a congregational prayer time for the people listed on cards.
  • Ask God for opportunities to invite people to “Bring a Friend” Sunday.
  • Use a simple prayer: “Open my eyes, open their hearts, open my mouth.”
  • Use a variety of ways to remind people frequently to pray for those on their lists.
  • On “Bring a Friend” Sunday, share the opportunities in your church that are easy for new people to connect. These opportunities should be about building relationships, not promoting church membership.
  • Present the Gospel clearly on “Bring a Friend” Sunday, and give people a chance to respond.
  • Hold another event soon after “Bring a Friend” Sunday such as a Question and Answer dinner, a time to meet the pastor and staff, or a musical night.
  • Make sure that opportunities are available in the subsequent weeks for follow-up and discipleship.

5 Principles of Operation Andrew

From the BGEA website:

Look Around where you live, work, or go to school—this is your mission field. Make a list of names of individuals you know who need Jesus Christ, and commit to pray for the people on your list regularly.

Look Up because God changes people through prayer. Pray each day for those on your list, that God will give you opportunities to share His love with them.

Look Out for ways to cultivate friendships with each person on your list. Spend time with them. An invitation to dinner or a sporting event will build friendships, which can open the way to talk about Christ. Remember: don’t preach. Listen and be a good friend.

Look Forward and begin to talk with each person on your list about watching a television program or a Billy Graham TV Special, going to the Billy Graham Library, reading a book, going to church, or attending an event such as a Crusade or Festival with you. Choose a specific date, pray, and invite them.

Look After those who respond to Christ or even begin to show interest in the Gospel, for they need your encouragement. Continue to love and pray for those who do not respond.

Operation Andrew brochures and training materials are available online from the BGEA.

Image credit: sellingpix / 123RF Stock Photo


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God’s Plan for Sharing — A Church Vision for Outreach

The North American Mission Board is developing a new evangelism initiative to fulfill their 2020 vision of “Every Believer Sharing, Every Person Hearing.”

“God’s Plan for Sharing” is meant to encourage Christians to prayerfully and thoughtfully engage in the most effective approach for making Christ known.

GPS lays out four biblical mileposts to lead your church outward with the gospel in the discipline of evangelism.

1. PRAYING: Every church praying for every lost person.
(Evaluation – How can your church actively pray for lost people?)

2. ENGAGING: Every believer sharing as a trained witness.
(Evaluation – How many believers are trained to share their faith?)

3. SOWING: Every lost person receiving a complete witness.
(Evaluation – How is your church creating intentional opportunities to share the gospel?)

4. HARVESTING: Every church harvesting and celebrating every salvation experience.
(Evaluation – Are people finding Christ through the ministries of your church? Are you celebrating that growth?)

(HT: Ed Stetzer)

When you visit the main page, there are resrouce pages for each of the four initiatives listed above.  Here is a sample from the one on prayer:

Here are some ideas to get your church praying for people in your community.

NAMB Resources for Prayer

  1. Prepare God’s people (your congregation) to faithfully pray. Here are some helpful resources.
    • Experienceing God – Henry Blackaby
    • How to Develop a Powerful Prayer Life – Greg Frizzell
    • Returning to Holiness – Greg Frizzell
    • Prayer 101 – Elaine Helms
    • Pray in Faith – T.W. Hunt
    • Kingdom Focus Praying – John Franklin
    • Cooperate – Role of Prayer in Spiritual Awakening
    • And the Place Was Shaken – John Franklin
    • If My People…Pray (How to Develop a Local Church Prayer Ministry) – Elaine Helms
  2. Mobilize your church to prayer walk your community. Here are some helpful resources.
    • Taking Prayer to the Streets – NAMB
    • Prayer Walking Made Simple – Chris Schofield
  3. Continually discover your community and examine their needs. Here are some helpful resources.
    • Mapping Center and Center for Missional Research, both found at http://www.namb.net/cmr
    • Witness to the World (Growing Disciples Series) – Claude King
  4. Pray for the people in your community. Here are some helpful resources.
    • Personal Prayer:
      • Study Guide for Evangelism Prayer – Evelyn Christenson
      • Praying Your Friends to Christ – NAMB
      • How to Spend a Day in Prayer – Rick Shepherd
    • Partner prayer (triplets/small groups)
      • Pray for Your Family – NAMB
      • Prayer Triplets – NAMB
    • Prayer gatherings/sacred assembly
      • And the Place Was Shaken – John Franklin
      • Returning to Holiness – Greg Frizzell
  5. Praise God continually.
    • Corporate praise
    • Celebrate baptisms
    • Answered prayer testimonies (live or video)
    • Prayer walk testimonies (live or video)

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Small Church Transformation

CountryChurchSmallGrave

The first edition of Turnaround and Beyond: A Hopeful Future for the Small Membership Church was released in 1995 and was re-released and updated in December 2008.

In the study Ron sought to explore strategies that enabled struggling and often run down small churches to experience lasting turnaround.

“Turnaround” has gone by various terms in the past

  • church revitalization
  • church transformation
  • church renewal
  • church survival
  • church turnaround

In the 1980s, church growth studies assumed or believed that sustained growth would last about 25 to 30 years and then plateau and decline unless a new cycle of church growth began with intention to reach new people.

Due to rapid acceleration of society and the new challenges of financial survival, that cycle has shortened considerably.  Some think 10 years, others think 3-5 years.  In either case, there are plenty of smaller churches that need to experience a fresh cycle of growth.

This chart of a church life cycle may be familiar to you:

Cycle of Church Growth(Source: Life Cycle of a Congregation, Alban Institute)

Churches have a typical pattern of church growth and church decline that progresses one stage at a time.  The study goes on to show how movement between stages are marked by cycles of rising to the new challenges in front and dying to the old ways.  Even in the decline side of the picture, the new challenges rising up are perceived as insurmountable and the risk taking liberties once valued in the past are dying off as risk is managed and even over controlled.

detail-cycle

(Source: Life Cycle of a Congregation, Alban Institute)

The question that Ron Crandall seeks to answer in his book is how do churches that are on the decline side jump start a new cycle that help a small church arrest it’s decline and experience a new wave of transformation that “resets the clock” and starts a new wave of church growth.

Tomorrow’s post will be the first in a series exploring this.  To get the series automatically delivered to you

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Free Online Evangelism Training Webinar

Turnaround and BeyondI’ve asked Ron to join me in a Free Church Transformation Webinar on February 26 2009, 4pm.

Though he identified many characteristics of successful church transformation, the Church Transformation Webinar will focus on the priority of evangelism.

Order your copy of Turnaround and Beyond: A Hopeful Future for the Small Membership Church Direct from Amazon.

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Live the calling of Evangelist

During January, I received a series of questions via Ask Evangelism Coach. 

Because of travel engagements in 3 different countries during January, I’m just now responding (though I’ve been thinking about these for a while)

A series of posts this week will focus on sharing these.  It’s my hope that our readers will join in the conversation.

The question for today:

I know God called me as an evangelist.

I have no personal evangelism plan and feel a need for one .

I also like to know more how an evangelist lives his calling

telling_the_storyLet me begin by referring you to

Telling the Story: Evangelism for the Next Generation, by Luis Palau, Timothy Robnett.

They answer your question in depth.

As I read your question, I see that you have two in there.

One regarding a strategy, and the second about developing your calling.

Develop an Evangelism Strategy

I’ve written about this before in Do you have a Strategy for 2009?  There you will find additional links about developing a plan.

Other plans for your development might include a

  • Develop an Evangelism Prayer List,
  • Develop a reading plan of evangelism books.
  • Find and attend evangelism conferences.
  • Use Facebook groups for evangelists (search for them).
  • Learn how to use gospel scripts when God has opened the door.
  • Learn how to recognize the working of the Holy Spirit.
  • Shameless plug: grab my Evangelism newsletter to stay informed about free online evangelism training events and exclusive tips.

Living Your Calling as an Evangelist

In Chapter 3 of Telling the Story: Evangelism for the Next Generation, Luis Palau writes about how an evangelist can begin to live out his calling.

I’ll simply put forth the summary.

Order your copy of Telling the Story: Evangelism for the Next Generation to read the whole thing.

  • Dream great dreams (i.e, develop a giant faith, goals)
  • Plan great plans (i.e. what is your ministry’s vision, strategy)
  • Pray great prayers (i.e., the faith to ask)
  • Obey great commands (i.e., go and fulfill)

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