Best Practices of Effective Evangelistic Churches

A Significant Discovery These five best practices transcend church size, ethnicity, location, worship style, age of church, age of pastor, etc. In other words, Pastor Darrell Nelson from Poplar, Wisconsin (a town of 560 people) practices the same things that Pastor John Teeter does in south Los Angeles.

Definition of Evangelism Cooperating with the Holy Spirit and others to bring one person one step closer to Jesus. What do you like about this definition?

Be encouraged! Nine out of ten people say they are spiritual, but not religious, and that they pray once a day. The whole idea of evangelism is not a scary as you may think it is. People may not want to be connected to a church, but they do have an interest in God.

Best Practices of Effective Evangelistic Churches

“Transformational not informational” Preaching

Romans 10: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written…” Isaiah 52:7 - “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns.”

Preaching Invest 20 to 25 hours in each sermon. Plan six months ahead. Give a challenge from Scripture. Prepare good exposition (deep into the text) Develop a sense of the Spirit-inspired preaching moment. Be willing to change style/language of preaching. Call people to action every week.

Preaching Communicate the Gospel with intelligence and clarity. Tell stories of what God is doing in people’s lives (journey stories). Offer next steps after every sermon.

Preaching Introduce people to the movement of God’s kingdom; how people can be a part of it! Be open and willing to call for a commitment; effectively not manipulating

Community & Credibility “Service is the new front door.” “If you are not into the community, the community will not be into you.”

Community & Credibility John 20:21 - “Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ ” Acts 2:47 - “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Community & Credibility Invite non-believers into service. It creates a natural bridge for an invitation to the church Always ask the question, “How can we bless our community?” Develop a clear understanding of where you live and who lives around you (cultural exegesis) Be intentional in finding ways to engage and invest in the community

Community & Credibility Facilitate connections into the community for all members of the church. Cultivate a deep sense of obligation and responsibility to the community. Allow people in community to touch us…be touched by the people we want to touch. Nurture a compassion and comfortability between the members of the church and those on the outside.

Community & Credibility Find gaps in the community where needs are not being met. Be able to step in and fulfill those needs as a church. Understand how to move from providing to partnership to presence. Encourage the value of wanting people in the community to think of the church first before other organizations.

Community & Credibility Offer “side door” ministries at the church for the community such as MOPS, AA, budget counseling, etc. Create a “buzz” in the community so people know who you are: i.e. “compassionate evangelicals” Gain a reputation for being generous; outsiders may have no affiliation with church but seek out the church because it is known for being generous.

“Mission trumps everything!” Mission

Matthew 22:39 - “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” Matthew 28:19 - “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Mission Emphasize cause before community; the cause unites people. Help people to articulate what they care about, not what they believe; have to get at what people care about. Teach the church about its unique place in the world and seek intentional partnerships to contribute to the cause.

Mission Assist people in understanding their purpose, how that fits into the overall mission of God and the church in the world. Use the mission as a grid to evaluate all ministries. Ask the questions - what are we doing? Why are we doing it? Who are we doing it for? Does it fit with the mission? “I can’t see home plate from there.” Place high value on those outside of the church. Remind the church it does not exist for itself. It is for mission, not for members.

Mission Be willing to deconstruct old paradigms – don’t live to serve the structure. Let mission drive the church; not systems and structures within the church. Allow mission to flow organically from observing where God is at work and how we can partner with him. Try new things and abandon what doesn’t work, especially if it doesn’t accomplish the mission.

Mission Be unwilling to be limited by limitations (i.e. parking, land, etc.). There are no excuses. Innovation always takes place under limitation and agitation, but it leads to celebration when God blesses. Teach a holistic view of the Gospel with an invitation to start a new life now, to live for God and participate in his work in the world.

Model Personal Evangelism “You can’t give away what you don’t have.”

2 Timothy 4:5 - “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of the evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” Matthew 11:19 - “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Model Personal Evangelism

Be intentionally involved in the lives of non- Christians. Have people outside the church as “friends” Foster a comfortability with those not in the core of the church. Speak openly from life experience about interactions with non-Christians and call the church to do the same. Model Personal Evangelism

Get into the community by serving on boards, coaching a sports team or being a part of community theater. Seek to be an influencer in the community. Model Personal Evangelism

“Create the culture.” “It takes teamwork to make the dream work.” Leadership

Matthew 20: “But Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ ”

Leadership Make a personal commitment to the priority of evangelism in the church. Create a culture of celebrating new life in Christ! Try new and creative ideas inside and outside of church. Learn how to initiate change through transition while also keeping the unity of the people. Remember the lesson of the rubber band.

Leadership Promote chemistry and interaction of the staff. This greatly effects the well being of the church. Do not be afraid to fail. The missional pastor would rather risk and fail than not to try at all! “Go down swing’n” Foster a high commitment of trust among team members.

Leadership Identify and develop other leaders. When are leaders at their best? When they are developing other leaders? Maintain a good balance of spirituality, chemistry and strategy. Be open to coaching and mentoring in any weak area of leadership.

As you think about First Covenant and these five best practices… Where do you see a strong link? What areas need more attention? What is your one step as a church?

As you think about your own life and these five best practices … Where do you see a strong link? What areas need more attention? What is your one step?

One take away Think about all that we have talked about and experienced this weekend. What is one take away? Think about it. Write it down.

Copyright ©2010 The Evangelical Covenant Church