Category: Evangelism and Mission

Most Christians and churches today have a variety of approaches to presenting Christ and the gospel in the public marketplace. Some go with "Turn or Burn" while others try "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." It is important to carefully consider what the gospel actually is and what our approach should be to people we are trying to reach.

In Luke 10, Jesus gives detailed instructions to his disciples as they were about to go out into the villages with the good news of the kingdom. In his teaching, Jesus has a clear strategy. First of all he tells them to seek to bring peace (shalom) to the people they are reaching out to. People are already under a curse because of sin and don't need to hear judgment. They need to know the "good" news that there is a God who loves them and has paid the price for their forgiveness (sure, if they reject, they remain under that judgment but that is not the core message of the gospel). Second, he encouraged them to eat together with people in the community, which implies the forming of relationships. Then they were to "heal the sick" which implies the meeting of felt needs. Finally, they were to announce the arrival of God's kingdom.

Notice the order. Jesus was teaching them that pre-evangelism is important. When we bring a blessing to our communities, build relationships with people and meet needs, we often see people's hearts open to the good news of Jesus. How common it is for Christians to start with the final step and ignore the first three! No wonder not many people respond.

I also think its admirable that a non-Christian community leader (the city mayor) said this about Paul, during a riot in Ephesus where many people had turned to Christ …

"Citizens of Ephesus," he said. "Everyone knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us from heaven. Since this is an undeniable fact, you should stay calm and not do anything rash. You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have not spoken against our goddess." [Acts 19:35-37. NLT]

Isn't it amazing that Paul did not speak against the idols and false gods but rather, obviously, spoke for and about Jesus. In contrast, Christians today often tend to be known for what they are against and can easily get into attacking everything and anything that they don't believe in rather than being know by what they are for … We have much to learn from Jesus and Paul if we are ever to become more effective in being the kind of influence God desires for us as his people. May their tribe increase!

A final comment from Paul …

"Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. [Col.4:5-6. NLT]

Here are a few statistics from our beautiful city of Melbourne given at the recent Transforming Melbourne research launch:

• Melbourne is growing by 44,000 people per year. It will become Australia's largest city in the next 20 years.
• Although church attendance is not keeping up with population growth, there are still more people attending church than the AFL (Australian Football League)! Over 1.2 million people attend church during a year (excluding another 1.3 million who attend events such as funerals and weddings) while about 1 million people attend AFL games. About 520,000 people attend church monthly while 360,000 attend the AFL frequently. Over 300,000 people attend church weekly.
• There are 1700 churches in Melbourne made up of 100s of ethnic churches, 22 large regional churches (of over 500 people), and 100s of emerging and house churches.
• The fastest growing municipalities in Melbourne are Casey, Whittlesea, Hume, Melton, and Wyndham. These have the fewest number of churches per population.
• Let's keep praying for our city and the many churches already it in. It takes all different sorts of churches to reach the many different types of people. We need all existing churches to reach out more and we also need many more churches to be planted.

P.S. There is currently 1 church for every 2070 people in wider Melbourne. However, in the faster growing regions mentioned above, the ratio is much wider. For instance, in the City of Whittlesea, there is only 1 church for every 3757 people, in Wyndham – 1 for every 3722, in Melton – 1 for every 3010, in Hume – 1 for every 2654, and in Casey – 1 for every 2338 people. Let's keep looking outside and remember that there are far more people not in church than those who are.

Transforming Melbourne is a ministry that exists to unity, servanthood, and prayer to see the church become a united missionary movement for our city. Recently, this ministry has been a catalyst for a major research project aimed at giving an accurate picture of the current condition of the church in Melbourne, a metropolis made up of 31 different cities or municipalities.

For the first time ever, the National Church Life Survey results from participating denominations have been combined with additional surveys carried out by Transforming Melbourne. The Christian Research Association research has been added, and all this put alongside the National Census figures to compare church data with the demographics of the city. 

The result is a snap shot of the size, vitality, diversity and trends in the life of the Body of Christ in our city, together with descriptive reports on many vital aspects and ministries of the Church.

The Report reveals the strengths of the Church and something of the great range of resources and the vital support provided for the people across Melbourne by local churches, Christian welfare agencies, Christian schools, health care and chaplaincies in many sectors of society.

There are many encouraging aspects of the report, but the statistics of the Church as whole and the current trends are quite a shock. The good news is they provide a basis for developing effective and strategic plans for collaborative mission and ministry to reverse these trends.

To learn more, consider attending the All MELBOURNE MATTERS report on Wednesday 1st April from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm at New Hope Baptist Church (Cnr Middleborough and Springfield Roads, Blackburn Nth). This is an especially relevant event for all church pastors and leaders from any ministries and movements across Melbourne. Hear the report. Listen to key speakers. Be part of practical Workshops. Ask questions. Raise issues. Share insights.

Click here to register online or here to order any of the research reports.

To follow on from yesterday's post on "Third Space Conversations" … here are a few reflection questions …

1. One approach to evangelism is for Christians to invite unchurched people into the ‘first space’. What kind of person is this applicable to? What kind of person may never come straight into a ‘first space’ gathering? What ways could we can make the ‘first space’ more welcoming to outsiders?

2. The majority of Christians spend a great deal of their time and energy in ‘second space’. How can the church better equip them to fulfil God’s purpose for them in this space?

3. Reflect on a ‘third space’ experience you have had. How did it happen and what was it like?

4. What are some practical ways we can become more comfortable in communicating in ‘third space’ environments? [Consider reading Erwin McManus' book "Soul Cravings" as a tool to learning to communicate the gospel in a third space context]

5. What are some keys to them receiving more ‘third space’ opportunities?

6. Church staff spend the vast majority of their time and energy in ‘first space’. What are some of the benefits of this? What are some of the dangers? Is it a reasonable expectation of church staff for them to spend some time in the ‘second space’? If so, how can they create more ‘second space’ moments in their world?

Third Space … think about it …. then go there … Jesus is already there 🙂

Slowly read the following record of the Apostle Paul visiting Athens …

"While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the market-place day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, 'What is this babbler trying to say?' Others remarked, 'He seems to be advocating foreign gods.' They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus where they said to him, 'May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.' All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas. [Acts 17:16-21. NIV]

Here we see Paul engaging in three different spheres or ‘spaces’ while in the city of Athens.

1. First Space

Paul began by speaking to those inside the synagogue. These were Jews and God-fearing Greeks who would have been believers in God and who would have known the Old Testament Scriptures well (note the sermon content in the Book of Acts to Jewish people). He already had common ground with them and was able to connect to them in language they understood from their religious environment and experience.

'First Space’ refers to inside the church community or to relationships with people who believe in God and know about Christian culture. This is easy for us as we have lots in common – beliefs, customs, and language.

2. Second Space

Paul also spent time in the market-place. This was outside of the synagogue where people went about their daily life and work. In this second space there is less common ground. There is a range of beliefs and insider language doesn’t connect. ‘Second Space’ refers to the marketplace – outside the church community, where people live, work, and do life. This is where most Christians spend the majority of their time. The challenge is to connect and bring the good news of Jesus to people into this space in a language they can understand.

3. Third Space

Because Paul was able to build rapport and generate interest in the second space, he was invited to a meeting in another place. This was a place where he had no previous influence and no common ground. He was in another world. He only entered there because 'they took him' there.

‘Third Space’ refers to places and people groups where Christ is unknown and where we can only enter through invitation. In this space, we need to be able to speak the good news of Jesus in language that they understand.

This thought was gleaned from Erwin McManus when he ministered at our church earlier this year. Erwin's book Soul Cravings was written to ‘third space’ people. It starts with people (not the Bible) and then points them towards God. It speaks of the cravings for intimacy, meaning, and destiny within the heart of every human being and how these cravings can only be truly satisfied through a relationship with God.

Tomorrow we'll talk more about the implications of these spaces for our lives ..

In 1855, a Sunday School teacher, a Mr. Kimball, led a Boston shoe clerk to give his life to Christ. The clerk, Dwight L. Moody, became an evangelit.

In England in 1879, Dwight L. Moody awakened evangelistic zeal in the heart of Fredrick B. Meyer, pastor of a small church. 

F.B. Meyer, preaching to an American college campus, brought to Christ a student named J. Wilbur Chapman. 

J. Wilbur Chapman, engaged in YMCA work, employed a former baseball player, Billy Sunday, to do evangelistic work. 

Billy Sunday held a revival in Charlotte, North Carolina. A group of local men were so enthusiastic afterward that they planned another evangelistic campaign, bringing Mordecai Hamm to town to preach. 

During Mordecai Hamm’s revival, a young man named Billy Graham heard the Gospel and yielded his life to Christ. 

Only Eternity will reveal the tremendous impact of that one Sunday School teacher, Mr. Kimball, who invested his life in the lives of others.

Makes you think, doesn’t it? Everything we do in the name of Jesus Christ has an effect which will be viewed through eternity. 

[Source]

4. Keep the Passion Alive

Priorities can be easily replaced by other seemingly urgent or pressing matters. As we become busy with so many things in church life we can begin to drift from our mission. That’s why the work of an evangelist also involves keeping the evangelistic passion of a church community alive and bright hot.

There are a number of ways to do this:

·         Have new Christians share their testimony with the church. There is nothing more impacting than congregations hearing stories of changed lives.

·         Preach and teach about evangelism every year. Good Bible teaching has a way of heating up important values.

·         Keep a record of important “vital signs” such as people coming to faith and water baptisms. When these numbers stop growing or begin to plateau it’s probably time to stir the fires of evangelism again.

·         Attend other highly evangelistic churches or conferences.

Continue reading “Evangelism for Non-Evangelists (Part 4)” →

3. Create Evangelistic Opportunities

The third thing that evangelists should do is to create evangelistic opportunities for people. The Great Commission involves both “Go” (Matt.28:18-20) and “Come and see” (John 4:29). In other words, believers are to go and share their faith out in the world and they are to invite their friends to come and see the activity of God within the church community.

The church is not to be a castle surrounded by a moat to keep all of the unbelievers out. Each local church should create as many entry points and bridges as possible so that people can be encouraged to experience the life of Christ within the church community.

Our church does this in a variety of ways:

• We ensure that each church meeting is sensitive to and relevant for those who are far from God. This does not mean that every meeting needs to have an evangelistic message or that we should stop doing things such as worship, prayer, or ministry. It simply means that we are always seeking to create an environment where new people feel welcomed and included. This includes things such as a special welcome for visitors during the meeting, an invitation to our visitor’s lounge, and occasional explanations of various components of the meeting so that a newcomer knows what is happening.
• We ensure that special yearly events are opportunities for people to invite friends to church – e.g. Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Christmas, etc.
• We offer the ALPHA Course throughout the year, which is an excellent program for people to consider the claims of Christ in a safe friendly environment where they can interact with others and ask questions.
• All of our ministries have outreach-focused events throughout the year – small groups, youth, young adults, etc.
• We hold special IF ('invite a friend') events throughout the year that are specially designed for people to bring their friends along to an appropriate evangelistic meeting. We make use of music and drama as well as testimonies of changed lives.
• A few years ago we started a community outreach ministry. Our aim was to allow our programs to emerge in response to the greatest needs in our community. As a result, we now have a large ‘Op Shop’ supplying low cost clothing. We also have financial counselling and food parcels, as well as a fully qualified counselling centre where sixty percent of the counselees are from the local community. When a church adds value to its local community in this way it sows many seeds of love and kindness that often result in people coming to faith.

A while back, I interviewed a family who had all become Christians during the year. One of them, a young single woman, was invited to attend our midweek ALPHA course where she became a Christian. After attending our church for a while she invited her mother along, who responded to a message and came forward and gave her life to Christ. As a result of this, another daughter began to attend and over time her and her husband have found faith in Christ. This is how the gospel travels – through relationships and over a period of time.

Another couple in our community were having marriage problems. The wife came for counseling and began to receive help. As a result her husband came for counseling and their marriage was restored. She then invited him to our church where he became a Christian. A few months later, he invited his brother to a guest service we held and he made a commitment to Christ too.

It is vital that there is consistency of quality and approach with your various outreach events and activities. This helps people to develop confidence and trust that if they invite a friend they will not be disappointed or surprised by something they did not expect. 

When a church becomes passionate about reaching people for Christ and then starts putting out all sorts of ‘nets’ into their community it’s amazing how God begins to work to draw people to himself. Evangelists must create as many evangelistic opportunities as possible.

Read Part 4.

2. Equip People to Share their Faith

The second thing we must do if we are to do the work of an evangelist is to train people to share their faith. One of the tasks of an evangelist it to “equip” the entire church to do the ministry of evangelism (Eph.4:11-12). God wants every Christian to be a soul winner. Jesus told his disciples, “I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). The Holy Spirit comes to give us power and boldness to witness for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). The apostle Peter told all believers to “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet.3:15). Solomon tells us, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he who wins souls is wise (Prov.11:30).

Most Christians know that they should share their faith but often they’re too afraid, they’ve tried and failed or they don’t think that they are capable. Our role as leaders is to not just tell them “what” they should be doing but to teach them “how” so that they gain confidence. People need help with application not just more information. They need to know how to share their faith.

Continue reading “Evangelism for Non-Evangelists (Part 2)” →

Many years ago, when I began a new role as senior minister of a large church, I knew that God was calling me to help the church become more outward focused. The evangelistic passion and effectiveness of the church needed to lift considerably.

My main spiritual gifts are leadership and teaching. Evangelism is not a strong part of the way God has made me. After all, God gave “some” to be evangelists, so not everyone has this spiritual gift (Eph.4:11). However, I sensed the Lord challenging me that although I was not an evangelist I needed to “do the work of an evangelist” just like Timothy was encouraged to (2 Tim.4:5).

Timothy was a young pastor/teacher who was stationed in Ephesus as Paul’s apostolic representative (1 Tim.1:3). This church had experienced significant levels of outreach in its early days (Acts 19-20) but false doctrine emerged within the church and it is highly possible that the evangelistic fervour of the church had waned. Paul did not tell Timothy to be or to become an evangelist (something he was not) but simply to do the work of one.

What is the work of an evangelist? As I contemplated this question a few key tasks emerged: ensuring that churches and believers embrace’s heaven’s priority and have a heart for lost people; training and equipping people to share their faith; ensuring that the churches and believers engages in variety of evangelistic activities; and helping the church and believers keep their evangelistic passion and fervour alive.

Over the next few days we'll discuss each one of these. Today, let's look at the first one – embracing heaven's priority.

1. Embrace Heaven’s Priority

We know that heaven is a place of continual joy and celebration. However, there is one thing that causes the joy level in heaven to increase exponentially. What is it? The joy level in heaven increases when one person bows their knee and confesses Jesus Christ as the forgiver of their sin and the leader of their life. Jesus tells us that there is “more joy” in heaven over one lost sinner who repents than over ninety-nine others who never strayed (Luke 15:7,10). Heaven’s priority is seeing lost people found.

This priority was demonstrated by Jesus himself who came into the world for one primary reasons – to save sinners (Mattt.9:13. Luke 5:27-32. 1 Tim.1:15). God’s heart is for the world (John 3:16) and he does not want one person to perish. He wants all people to be saved and come to know the truth (1 Tim.2:1-4. 2 Pet.3:9). If evangelism is heaven’s priority then it must be the passionate priority of the church here on earth. As Bill Hybels (pastor of Willow Creek) says, “Lost people matter to God, therefore they should matter to us.” Each local church exists not only to love God and other believers but also to reach out to those who are far from Christ. The church exists for mission.

Unfortunately, this work of evangelism has been pushed off on to believers by pastors, pushed off on to pastors by believers or pushed off to those believers with the gift of evangelism. As a result, in most churches evangelism just isn’t happening. The only way for the tide to turn is for churches to make a “priority shift” from an inward focus to an outward focus and for everyone to become actively involved. The church’s mission will only be accomplished as the entire church is motivated, equipped and deployed in the work of evangelism.

As a church leader, I had to embrace heaven’s priority in my own life first. Only after modelling this personally, could I then help our congregation change its values and begin becoming an evangelistic community. No church will be any more excited about evangelism and outreach than their leaders are. The Senior Minister must lead the way.

The good news is that mission is the activity of God himself. It is part of the very nature of God and has its origin in his heart. There is mission because God loves people. When we get involved in reaching out to people far from God we simply partner in what God is already at work doing in the earth. We embrace heaven’s priority.

For me this required placing a new priority on developing relationships with unchurched people, becoming more aware of their spiritual needs, and a greater boldness in proactively starting spiritual conversations. This was not easy at first, in fact, I felt quite awkward as I started to step out of my comfort zone and into new territory. However, as I faced my fears, confidence slowly began to grow, as well as the joy of touching someone else with God’s love.

 

Read Part 2.