Evangelism Tips
EVANGELISM ENCOURAGEMENT!!
GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS!
ANY CHURCH CAN DO EVANGELISM WHETHER URBAN,
SUB-URBAN OR RURAL!
By Rev. Brent La Prince Edwards
Copyright 2014 Brent La Prince Edwards All Rights Reserved
Serving as Director of Evangelism I have the opportunity to hear and listen to evangelistic concerns of several pastors, clergy and laity of our District. I've passionately listened to many who feel evangelism will not work for them because of varying demographics. However, be encouraged today! Evangelism can work in any setting as long as sound doctrine biblical principles are applied.
However, before we discuss these principles, there are 3 things that are foundational for evangelism to work in any setting. These are:
1. Never compare yourself or the congregation you serve to someone else. The needs are different. The people are different. The regions are different and God loves them all! The calling of God on each of our lives are unique. Celebrate this! Celebrate the uniqueness of the congregation you serve. It's only in doing so you can truly grow!
When we compare our congregations with others we risk placing undue pressure on ourselves and the people we serve. They will feel belittled and such will only breed into frustration and negativity. We can all certainly learn and glean from the evangelistic strategies of other congregations but they must be carefully applied when it comes to our own. Remember God will visit every congregation where Christ is honored regardless of demographics. Because of this every church can do evangelism and grow!
2. Remember, "Quality will breed quantity on its own." Therefore, while we want our congregations to grow numerically numbers are not the true sign of "true" church growth or quality in ministry. Aim for quality in ministry whereby we want our congregations to be spiritually healthy! It doesn't matter if our congregations are located in the inner city, suburbs or the remote places of America's eastern hills. In the words of a great AME bishop, "If you cook your meat right it will create its own gravy!"
Quality in ministry has a way of producing its own multiplication. Also, remember God rewards us on faithfulness and obedience not size. "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." - Luke 16:10 KJV Brighten up the corner where you are and watch it grow! When we are faithful to the assignments God has entrusted us He still has a way of taking two fish and five loaves of bread and feeding a multitude!
3. In order for evangelism, church growth and development to happen in our congregations IT MUST BE INTENTIONAL! There is a familiar saying that pronounces, "Failing to plan is planning to fail!' If we want to evangelize the lost, care for new and older sheep assigned to our care and see the ministry programs of our congregations effectively strengthened it will not happen by happenstance. It must be intentional. We must put a deliberate plan in place or it won't happen!
In the words of Dr. Billy Banks, President of the International Evangelistic Association and Operation Multiplication, there are three things a church must have or its evangelistic and church growth efforts will fail. These are: (1) Preaching - Proclamation, (2) Teaching - Information and (3) Training - Application. Just like a baby grand piano must have three legs to stand, if any of these elements are missing in our churches, church growth and development will fail.
When it comes to evangelism, many churches fail because of lack of evangelism training. Training is the seal and the graduation ceremony to teaching. Preaching inspires, encourages and motivates us to reach for higher ground. Teaching gives us information but training teaches us how to actually carry out and apply what we've learned. Training removes paralyzing fears. One can be taught how to swim on land but one will never really learn how to swim until he or she gets into the water and apply what was learned. When the training element is in place we can move our congregations from membership to discipleship and here's the greatest blessing: from discipleship to BECOMING DISCIPLE MAKERS! When our congregations become disciple making congregations it's only then we will begin to see real growth.
However, it must be intentional. Thus, we the Second Episcopal District Component on Evangelism are here to help!
6 Biblical Principles for Church Growth Regardless of Demographics
Scripture Background to Study: Acts Chapters 1-6.
".......And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Acts 2:47b KJV
My Personal Evangelism Testimony
While my experience by no means is the litmus test for all, I am a personal witness that evangelism can happen anywhere in any setting no matter how impossible it may seem. I want to share 6 biblical evangelism principles with you that will work for any congregation regardless of demographics. However, before doing so I want to share my personal testimony of my evangelism journey.
A Passion for Evangelism and Discipleship
Mentoring
As the story of most ministers, I from youth resisted the call to preach the Gospel. I grew up in the Seventh Episcopal District with a strong heritage and lineage in the AME Church on both local and connectional levels. My family is filled with both AME and Pentecostal preachers. We didn't need anymore preachers in our family! We had enough thus, I didn't want to preach!
I was blessed with two wonderful godly and loving Christian parents who were pioneers in the community. My parents were devout and outstanding educators in the community. However, little did we know that while God indeed had plans for my life, Satan too had put a bid in for my youthful soul. Unknowing to my parents or to any of us I was brought into the occult by an unsupecting teacher in the public school system. I experienced something what some called spirit possession. It was a very horrible ordeal. I was a youthful wreck.
The maneuvers of this teacher was a total shock to my entire family. Through this unsuspecting teacher and my youthful involvement with the occult, I found spirituality on the wrong side of the fence. However, because of the wonderful parents the Lord blessed me to have and their nurture, my life was placed back on schedule and I was able to resume life as a normal all American Black boy. Thank God!
The way I came to the Lord still blows my mind about God's grace and mercy. No one witnessed to me but I got saved through reading a Gospel tract. A heavenly voice spoke to me and told me to pray the prayer of salvation in the back of the little booklet. I prayed the prayer of salvation and was supernaturally delivered from the powers of darkness by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. When I repented of my sins and confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior chains of darkness broke off my life, Heaven came down and glory filled my soul! I will never forget this day as long as I live. I was eleven years old! My life was put back on schedule, my heart and mind restored and I grew up as a healthy and sound young man.
Nevertheless, I never ever forgot the bridge and the people who were there for me and discipled me in Christ through such a dark time in my life. It was through my parents and the tutelage of my Sunday School teachers, Mothers and Fathers of Zion of the AMEC, and others of the Seventh Episcopal District, family and friends who through Christian discipleship gave me ammunition to withstand and overcome all the demonic assaults of the enemy. The Lord took a nightmare and brought success to my life. To God be the glory! Thus, from this experience and others, I've learned the power of evangelism. I also learned the power and importance of not leaving new converts to themselves. After conversion there must be discipleship mentoring by the Church!
This is where many churches fail. Although the Lord saved me, if I didn't have the people in my life to nurture me to Christian discipleship, health and soundness I wouldn't be here today! To be successful in evangelism churches must not only win people to the Lord but have a strong follow-up discipleship mentoring program or people will continue to fall through the cracks. The reason why many people join our churches but leave is often because there's no real personal mentoring of new believers. Here's the punchline: I got saved through a little tiny Gospel tract and discipled by the church! And guess what? It worked!
I later finished high school and matriculated to college in 1983 in North Carolina and studied pre-med biology. I was studying to become a medical doctor although in my heart of hearts I knew God's hand was on my life. I was using my strides to get into medical school upon graduation to run from ministry. I simply refused to preach. So why not serve God through medicine? After all, you don't have to be a preacher to go to Heaven! Nevertheless, in 1989, I accepted the call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ after much wrestling with the Lord. I was licensed back in the Seventh Episcopal District in my home church and I shouted all over the place! In 1990, I transferred to the Second Episcopal District. Hence after receiving my ordination as an Itinerant Elder in 1995, my ministerial journey officially began.
And you know what? Through all my journeys I've always maintained a deep, deep love for evangelism and a great passion for the lost and especially for young people! I know firsthand that God loves and does speak to young people! Not only this, through my occult experience, I've developed a strong love for apologetics and sound doctrine teaching which have proved immensely helpful on the mission field.
Thus, today my heart still burns with passion for evangelism. By God's grace I know its power firsthand. I remember. ................the power of reading a simple tract. I remember......... the importance of being discipled and nurtured by mature Christians.
It's called the power of evangelism!
Miracles on the Evangelism Field
Years later, as an experienced evangelist for many years and today a pastor still with a strong evangelistic ministry, I've seen many miracles on the evangelism field. By God's grace I've had the opportunity to serve in evangelism and church growth on all three levels; urban, sub-urban and rural. Each region and area have their own peculiarities that are worthy of our respect.
I've shared the Gospel of Christ in various cities across the United States and also to people of other cultures and belief systems. Never a dull moment! I've preached on street corners where violence was high to persons involved in "thug" and street life to persons of celebrity status. The Lord has allowed me to preach and share the Gospel in prestigious places in high political realms, to assemblies of young adults in colleges and universities, to the elderly in multiple nursing homes and health care institutions, to rehabilitation centers, different levels of security in prisons to mass meetings with the homeless whereby through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit I've seen surrendered souls throw drugs down in the middle of a sermon at the altar crying out, "what must I do to be saved?!" To God be the glory!
By God's grace I've held the hands of several persons at death's door and led many to Christ just before they slipped into eternity. In my evangelistic travels I've seen atheist, agnostics, people who are totally angry with God and life and persons of other belief systems experience the love of Jesus Christ and experience great transformation. I've ministered successfully to Muslims and never got into an argument. God was glorified and many began to see Jesus from a new and greater perspective. I've looked persons demonically bound eyeball to eyeball risking my life, convert and come to the Lord. (Note: training is a must here!) I've ministered to persons in the occult practicing witchcraft and divination and have seen the very love of God in action. I've sat down with Jehovah's Witnesses and watch through information, apologetics and the love of God them rethink their theology.
As a pastor, I've seen whole congregations and churches considered dead and dry whereby the membership has dwindled to almost nothing, revived through congregational evangelism and impact whole cities. I remember serving as a pastor in a rural area that people had written off and considered as "mission impossible" considered one of the the poorest counties of that region with little to no resources. Yet through congregational evangelism mass revival hit that region to the point that the Mayor of that city and its city council begin to fund aspects of the ministry. There were so many people getting saved and transformed that it caught the eyes of the politics of that area.
The city was trying to rid the town of crime and criminals through establishing mentoring programs but when they saw the God-given success of our evangelistic outreach they called our church in for a meeting and said they would fund us because they believed we could do a better job than the city itself! We saw dope dealers, prostitutes, gang bangers and so many come to the Lord, go back to school and make something of their lives! We even had a lady experience a near death experience in our congregation and God raised her back from death's mouth in front of everybody! I didn't even have to preach! When people saw that they came to the altar running to be saved!
But here's the secret! Real evangelism cannot be a one person show. Jesus is the only Bright and Morning Star here and the Holy Spirit is God's Business Manager! If we seek to do evangelism with hidden agendas or egos we have already failed before we've begun. People who aren't saved have sharp discernment when it comes to authentic love and platform. We saw the massive evangelism in this rural town because it was a collaborative effort! There weren't no super stars or some person trying to get the glory. The only Person we wanted to receive the glory was God and that's exactly what happened! We made sure the entire congregation received evangelism training and this congregation went to work!!!!! Evangelism, church growth and development must be intentional. While on the conference floor lots of attention was brought to me but the truth of the matter is without the collaborative effort of that congregation the tremendous miracles we saw could've never happened in an area written off by many. They were trained to handle both conversions and accessions brought within. to God be the glory!
Today I'm now serving a new pastorate in a whole new environment but the same evangelistic principles are working, working, working! Already because of evangelistic principles God is doing the momentous! We have a new set of testimonies! The greatest lesson I've learned is to see evangelism happen one must first have a strong grip on evangelism principles. Secondly, it is important to know God is everywhere and will never shortchange His people because of geography or circumstances. And thirdly I've learned most importantly, "One size does not necessarily fit all" either. What may work in one place in evangelism may not necessarily work in another due to differences in culture, needs, resources and the mindsets of people we serve. However, Holy Spirit revival, church growth and development can happen in any place where the people are willing. Nevertheless, finally there is one thing I can say with all assurance.
GOD CAN GROW ANY CONGREGATION! We can say this because the Church belongs to Jesus Christ himself and the Holy Spirit has no boundaries. No matter the warfare, Christ has promised the Gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church!
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." -Matthew 16: 18 KJV
The 6 Principles
Taken from Acts 2: 41-47
The true blueprint for church growth and development can be found in the first six chapters of the Book of Acts. Without the comforts of modern technology they grew from 12 persons to 120 (in the Upper Room) to 3,000 on the Day of Pentecost and then to 5,000 in Chapter 5. Today, while many have lost faith in organized religion, because of the obedience of the small group of twelve humble disciples, Christianity is still the largest faith tradition in the world.
There are at least 6 principles we find operating in the First Century Church in Acts that caused them to experience rapid and tremendous growth. If these are present in our congregations today, considering the 3 principles of things to discard from ministry thinking I've shared at the beginning of this article, we too can experience tremendous church growth and development at various levels.
Acts 2: 41-47 KJV
(41)Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
(42) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
(43) And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles
(44)And all that believed were together and had all things common;
(45) And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
(46)And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
(47) Praising God, and having favor with all the people, And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
From this passage there are at least 6 elements we can find from the First Century Church that all churches throughout generations forthcoming can glean from in church growth and development.
The six elements discussed here are basic principles to evangelism, church growth and development. There are hundreds of evangelism methodologies that may or may not work with all congregations. However, regardless of demographics if every congregation can just hold on to these six simple things, holistic growth is bound to happen. And you know what? The most important ingredient to church growth and development is LOVE! Want to see people stay in our congregations? Love and a sense of belonging is the bond that keeps us together.
"By this shall all men (people) know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." - John 13:35 KJV
Be Encouraged! Congregational Evangelism is available to all!
GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS!
ANY CHURCH CAN DO EVANGELISM WHETHER URBAN,
SUB-URBAN OR RURAL!
By Rev. Brent La Prince Edwards
Copyright 2014 Brent La Prince Edwards All Rights Reserved
Serving as Director of Evangelism I have the opportunity to hear and listen to evangelistic concerns of several pastors, clergy and laity of our District. I've passionately listened to many who feel evangelism will not work for them because of varying demographics. However, be encouraged today! Evangelism can work in any setting as long as sound doctrine biblical principles are applied.
However, before we discuss these principles, there are 3 things that are foundational for evangelism to work in any setting. These are:
1. Never compare yourself or the congregation you serve to someone else. The needs are different. The people are different. The regions are different and God loves them all! The calling of God on each of our lives are unique. Celebrate this! Celebrate the uniqueness of the congregation you serve. It's only in doing so you can truly grow!
When we compare our congregations with others we risk placing undue pressure on ourselves and the people we serve. They will feel belittled and such will only breed into frustration and negativity. We can all certainly learn and glean from the evangelistic strategies of other congregations but they must be carefully applied when it comes to our own. Remember God will visit every congregation where Christ is honored regardless of demographics. Because of this every church can do evangelism and grow!
2. Remember, "Quality will breed quantity on its own." Therefore, while we want our congregations to grow numerically numbers are not the true sign of "true" church growth or quality in ministry. Aim for quality in ministry whereby we want our congregations to be spiritually healthy! It doesn't matter if our congregations are located in the inner city, suburbs or the remote places of America's eastern hills. In the words of a great AME bishop, "If you cook your meat right it will create its own gravy!"
Quality in ministry has a way of producing its own multiplication. Also, remember God rewards us on faithfulness and obedience not size. "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." - Luke 16:10 KJV Brighten up the corner where you are and watch it grow! When we are faithful to the assignments God has entrusted us He still has a way of taking two fish and five loaves of bread and feeding a multitude!
3. In order for evangelism, church growth and development to happen in our congregations IT MUST BE INTENTIONAL! There is a familiar saying that pronounces, "Failing to plan is planning to fail!' If we want to evangelize the lost, care for new and older sheep assigned to our care and see the ministry programs of our congregations effectively strengthened it will not happen by happenstance. It must be intentional. We must put a deliberate plan in place or it won't happen!
In the words of Dr. Billy Banks, President of the International Evangelistic Association and Operation Multiplication, there are three things a church must have or its evangelistic and church growth efforts will fail. These are: (1) Preaching - Proclamation, (2) Teaching - Information and (3) Training - Application. Just like a baby grand piano must have three legs to stand, if any of these elements are missing in our churches, church growth and development will fail.
When it comes to evangelism, many churches fail because of lack of evangelism training. Training is the seal and the graduation ceremony to teaching. Preaching inspires, encourages and motivates us to reach for higher ground. Teaching gives us information but training teaches us how to actually carry out and apply what we've learned. Training removes paralyzing fears. One can be taught how to swim on land but one will never really learn how to swim until he or she gets into the water and apply what was learned. When the training element is in place we can move our congregations from membership to discipleship and here's the greatest blessing: from discipleship to BECOMING DISCIPLE MAKERS! When our congregations become disciple making congregations it's only then we will begin to see real growth.
However, it must be intentional. Thus, we the Second Episcopal District Component on Evangelism are here to help!
6 Biblical Principles for Church Growth Regardless of Demographics
Scripture Background to Study: Acts Chapters 1-6.
".......And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Acts 2:47b KJV
My Personal Evangelism Testimony
While my experience by no means is the litmus test for all, I am a personal witness that evangelism can happen anywhere in any setting no matter how impossible it may seem. I want to share 6 biblical evangelism principles with you that will work for any congregation regardless of demographics. However, before doing so I want to share my personal testimony of my evangelism journey.
A Passion for Evangelism and Discipleship
Mentoring
As the story of most ministers, I from youth resisted the call to preach the Gospel. I grew up in the Seventh Episcopal District with a strong heritage and lineage in the AME Church on both local and connectional levels. My family is filled with both AME and Pentecostal preachers. We didn't need anymore preachers in our family! We had enough thus, I didn't want to preach!
I was blessed with two wonderful godly and loving Christian parents who were pioneers in the community. My parents were devout and outstanding educators in the community. However, little did we know that while God indeed had plans for my life, Satan too had put a bid in for my youthful soul. Unknowing to my parents or to any of us I was brought into the occult by an unsupecting teacher in the public school system. I experienced something what some called spirit possession. It was a very horrible ordeal. I was a youthful wreck.
The maneuvers of this teacher was a total shock to my entire family. Through this unsuspecting teacher and my youthful involvement with the occult, I found spirituality on the wrong side of the fence. However, because of the wonderful parents the Lord blessed me to have and their nurture, my life was placed back on schedule and I was able to resume life as a normal all American Black boy. Thank God!
The way I came to the Lord still blows my mind about God's grace and mercy. No one witnessed to me but I got saved through reading a Gospel tract. A heavenly voice spoke to me and told me to pray the prayer of salvation in the back of the little booklet. I prayed the prayer of salvation and was supernaturally delivered from the powers of darkness by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. When I repented of my sins and confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior chains of darkness broke off my life, Heaven came down and glory filled my soul! I will never forget this day as long as I live. I was eleven years old! My life was put back on schedule, my heart and mind restored and I grew up as a healthy and sound young man.
Nevertheless, I never ever forgot the bridge and the people who were there for me and discipled me in Christ through such a dark time in my life. It was through my parents and the tutelage of my Sunday School teachers, Mothers and Fathers of Zion of the AMEC, and others of the Seventh Episcopal District, family and friends who through Christian discipleship gave me ammunition to withstand and overcome all the demonic assaults of the enemy. The Lord took a nightmare and brought success to my life. To God be the glory! Thus, from this experience and others, I've learned the power of evangelism. I also learned the power and importance of not leaving new converts to themselves. After conversion there must be discipleship mentoring by the Church!
This is where many churches fail. Although the Lord saved me, if I didn't have the people in my life to nurture me to Christian discipleship, health and soundness I wouldn't be here today! To be successful in evangelism churches must not only win people to the Lord but have a strong follow-up discipleship mentoring program or people will continue to fall through the cracks. The reason why many people join our churches but leave is often because there's no real personal mentoring of new believers. Here's the punchline: I got saved through a little tiny Gospel tract and discipled by the church! And guess what? It worked!
I later finished high school and matriculated to college in 1983 in North Carolina and studied pre-med biology. I was studying to become a medical doctor although in my heart of hearts I knew God's hand was on my life. I was using my strides to get into medical school upon graduation to run from ministry. I simply refused to preach. So why not serve God through medicine? After all, you don't have to be a preacher to go to Heaven! Nevertheless, in 1989, I accepted the call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ after much wrestling with the Lord. I was licensed back in the Seventh Episcopal District in my home church and I shouted all over the place! In 1990, I transferred to the Second Episcopal District. Hence after receiving my ordination as an Itinerant Elder in 1995, my ministerial journey officially began.
And you know what? Through all my journeys I've always maintained a deep, deep love for evangelism and a great passion for the lost and especially for young people! I know firsthand that God loves and does speak to young people! Not only this, through my occult experience, I've developed a strong love for apologetics and sound doctrine teaching which have proved immensely helpful on the mission field.
Thus, today my heart still burns with passion for evangelism. By God's grace I know its power firsthand. I remember. ................the power of reading a simple tract. I remember......... the importance of being discipled and nurtured by mature Christians.
It's called the power of evangelism!
Miracles on the Evangelism Field
Years later, as an experienced evangelist for many years and today a pastor still with a strong evangelistic ministry, I've seen many miracles on the evangelism field. By God's grace I've had the opportunity to serve in evangelism and church growth on all three levels; urban, sub-urban and rural. Each region and area have their own peculiarities that are worthy of our respect.
I've shared the Gospel of Christ in various cities across the United States and also to people of other cultures and belief systems. Never a dull moment! I've preached on street corners where violence was high to persons involved in "thug" and street life to persons of celebrity status. The Lord has allowed me to preach and share the Gospel in prestigious places in high political realms, to assemblies of young adults in colleges and universities, to the elderly in multiple nursing homes and health care institutions, to rehabilitation centers, different levels of security in prisons to mass meetings with the homeless whereby through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit I've seen surrendered souls throw drugs down in the middle of a sermon at the altar crying out, "what must I do to be saved?!" To God be the glory!
By God's grace I've held the hands of several persons at death's door and led many to Christ just before they slipped into eternity. In my evangelistic travels I've seen atheist, agnostics, people who are totally angry with God and life and persons of other belief systems experience the love of Jesus Christ and experience great transformation. I've ministered successfully to Muslims and never got into an argument. God was glorified and many began to see Jesus from a new and greater perspective. I've looked persons demonically bound eyeball to eyeball risking my life, convert and come to the Lord. (Note: training is a must here!) I've ministered to persons in the occult practicing witchcraft and divination and have seen the very love of God in action. I've sat down with Jehovah's Witnesses and watch through information, apologetics and the love of God them rethink their theology.
As a pastor, I've seen whole congregations and churches considered dead and dry whereby the membership has dwindled to almost nothing, revived through congregational evangelism and impact whole cities. I remember serving as a pastor in a rural area that people had written off and considered as "mission impossible" considered one of the the poorest counties of that region with little to no resources. Yet through congregational evangelism mass revival hit that region to the point that the Mayor of that city and its city council begin to fund aspects of the ministry. There were so many people getting saved and transformed that it caught the eyes of the politics of that area.
The city was trying to rid the town of crime and criminals through establishing mentoring programs but when they saw the God-given success of our evangelistic outreach they called our church in for a meeting and said they would fund us because they believed we could do a better job than the city itself! We saw dope dealers, prostitutes, gang bangers and so many come to the Lord, go back to school and make something of their lives! We even had a lady experience a near death experience in our congregation and God raised her back from death's mouth in front of everybody! I didn't even have to preach! When people saw that they came to the altar running to be saved!
But here's the secret! Real evangelism cannot be a one person show. Jesus is the only Bright and Morning Star here and the Holy Spirit is God's Business Manager! If we seek to do evangelism with hidden agendas or egos we have already failed before we've begun. People who aren't saved have sharp discernment when it comes to authentic love and platform. We saw the massive evangelism in this rural town because it was a collaborative effort! There weren't no super stars or some person trying to get the glory. The only Person we wanted to receive the glory was God and that's exactly what happened! We made sure the entire congregation received evangelism training and this congregation went to work!!!!! Evangelism, church growth and development must be intentional. While on the conference floor lots of attention was brought to me but the truth of the matter is without the collaborative effort of that congregation the tremendous miracles we saw could've never happened in an area written off by many. They were trained to handle both conversions and accessions brought within. to God be the glory!
Today I'm now serving a new pastorate in a whole new environment but the same evangelistic principles are working, working, working! Already because of evangelistic principles God is doing the momentous! We have a new set of testimonies! The greatest lesson I've learned is to see evangelism happen one must first have a strong grip on evangelism principles. Secondly, it is important to know God is everywhere and will never shortchange His people because of geography or circumstances. And thirdly I've learned most importantly, "One size does not necessarily fit all" either. What may work in one place in evangelism may not necessarily work in another due to differences in culture, needs, resources and the mindsets of people we serve. However, Holy Spirit revival, church growth and development can happen in any place where the people are willing. Nevertheless, finally there is one thing I can say with all assurance.
GOD CAN GROW ANY CONGREGATION! We can say this because the Church belongs to Jesus Christ himself and the Holy Spirit has no boundaries. No matter the warfare, Christ has promised the Gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church!
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." -Matthew 16: 18 KJV
The 6 Principles
Taken from Acts 2: 41-47
The true blueprint for church growth and development can be found in the first six chapters of the Book of Acts. Without the comforts of modern technology they grew from 12 persons to 120 (in the Upper Room) to 3,000 on the Day of Pentecost and then to 5,000 in Chapter 5. Today, while many have lost faith in organized religion, because of the obedience of the small group of twelve humble disciples, Christianity is still the largest faith tradition in the world.
There are at least 6 principles we find operating in the First Century Church in Acts that caused them to experience rapid and tremendous growth. If these are present in our congregations today, considering the 3 principles of things to discard from ministry thinking I've shared at the beginning of this article, we too can experience tremendous church growth and development at various levels.
Acts 2: 41-47 KJV
(41)Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
(42) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
(43) And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles
(44)And all that believed were together and had all things common;
(45) And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
(46)And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
(47) Praising God, and having favor with all the people, And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
From this passage there are at least 6 elements we can find from the First Century Church that all churches throughout generations forthcoming can glean from in church growth and development.
- Discipleship and Sound Doctrine Teaching (Proclamation, Instruction & Training)
- Proclamation of Church had Power/Effectiveness in Demonstration (Note: Preachers we must make sure our presentation of the Word to people is one birthed in prayer, study and proper preparation knowing our audience so such will be effective and the people will want to come back and hear us)
- Fellowship (Joyful and daily interaction with each other)
- Community (Programs of the church where the needs of all parishioners were met)
- Evangelism: Outreach: Bringing souls within the ark of safety who are without. In-reach: Ongoing care for those who have been brought into the ark of safety.
- They Recycled the Process Continually
The six elements discussed here are basic principles to evangelism, church growth and development. There are hundreds of evangelism methodologies that may or may not work with all congregations. However, regardless of demographics if every congregation can just hold on to these six simple things, holistic growth is bound to happen. And you know what? The most important ingredient to church growth and development is LOVE! Want to see people stay in our congregations? Love and a sense of belonging is the bond that keeps us together.
"By this shall all men (people) know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." - John 13:35 KJV
Be Encouraged! Congregational Evangelism is available to all!