Good evangelism is God's will for the church (II Cor.5:19,20). When the church loses its evangelistic edge, the sentence is spiritual death. No amount of study, love, sharing, or serving will save the church when we have no evangelism. This is the first priority for leaders.

Although we can use a wide variety of evangelistic methods, our job as leaders is to understand and teach those principles that are most suitable and effective in our home church. The following evangelistic concepts are all evident in scripture. Included under each biblical principle are suggestions for effective implementation.

To agitate for evangelism, lead in evangelism, and empower evangelism, nothing works better than an evangelism-centered Worker's Prayer Meeting. Study the prayer meeting handout carefully. All our following comments assume you have an effective prayer offensive in place already in you home church.

I. Warm Medium (Friendship) Evangelism

1. If your Home Church is regularly seeing new people (several per month) who are not "visitors", it suggests you probably have active bridges in your group. If this is the case, consider the following measures:












2. If you have believers in the Home Church who have relationships with non-Christians, then they are at least potential bridges. When working with potential bridges:












3. If you have neither active nor potential bridges in your Home Church, you are limited to cold medium evangelism.

II. Cold Medium Evangelism









Practical steps: When a church has lost it's warm bridges, it is in serious danger of losing all spiritual vitality. Leaders in the group need to face the danger, and embark on a campaign of leading change--from whatever has prevailed until now, to a situation with regular effective evangelism. Remember the steps detailed in the paper on leading change.



















HC meetings:

 


Sharing you faith class



III. Using the Decision Continuum









E. Beyond teaching the theory of proper outreach, practical teaching is also important.

















IV. The power of the gospel

A. The central message of Christianity (that salvation is a free gift and that one can have a personal relationship with Christ), has the ability to profoundly affect people on a spiritual level. The Holy Spirit works in cooperation with this message to convict the hearer of its truthfulness and of their need for Christ. This is why Paul said he was careful to stay focused on declaring this message ("I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." I Cor. 2:1-5). The effective evangelist trusts the power of this message and knows that it will impact the hearer, regardless of the hearer's initial, visible response.

B. Teaching Evangelistic content




V. Teaching Things to Avoid in Witnessing









VI. The Subjective Witness of the body

A. To maximize the corporate witness of the church, we need to teach clearly the reasons for resorting to a corporate witness.









B. Things to teach regarding inviting people:










VII. Concluding Considerations












VIII. Suggested Reading

A. The Master Plan of Evangelism, R. Coleman

B. The Universe Next Door, Sire

C. Say It With Love, Hendricks

D. Out of the Salt Shaker and Into the World, Pippert

E. Evidence That Demands a Verdict, McDowell

F. To Tell the Truth, Metzger

G. Winning Ways, Eims

H. Christianity: The Faith That Makes Sense, McCallum

I. The Death of Truth, McCallum

J. Share Jesus Without Fear, Fay