ChurCh EvangElism ACCelerAtor - WordPress.com

tim Gentry
3 Factors 11
1 Focus 23
6 Functions 27
Questions to Guide the Development of a Disciple-Making Process 43
Evaluate your Current Ministries: Disciple-Making Process Matrix 45
Develop a Disciple-Making Process Symbol 48
Vital Behaviors for Evangelism 51
Baptism Goal Service 54
Evangelistic Best Practices 59
MY316 Evangelism Resources 65
Contents
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is EvangElism a priority in your procEss? It always takes more effort to lead someone to Christ than most every other spiritual activity. As you take up the challenge of this manual to develop your church’s disciple-making process, make sure that you give priority in time and resources to evangelism.
The goal for this book is to accelerate your church’s evangelism efforts by helping you identify and develop a clear disciple-making process with evangelism as its core.
You will be urged to develop a symbol that embodies your process. This symbol will help you communicate your church’s disciple- making vision, add structure to your efforts and evaluate your successes and challenges.
Ultimately, this book seeks to help you connect the dots between your many valuable church efforts and your primary responsibility of making disciples in fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Ready to press the gas pedal?
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
–Colossians 1:28 (NIV84)
Colossians 1:28 is a wonderful goal for pastors and church leaders, but how are you doing? More specifically:
arE you making disciplEs? It is a given that your desire as pastor is to fulfill the Great Commission. That is the purpose of the Church, the core of your calling into ministry. However, when was the last time you asked yourself the question, “Am I making disciples? Am I leading my church to make disciples?”
How do you know? There are anecdotal stories that you can tell of a few individuals who have made significant steps in maturity with Christ. But across the life of your congregation, how do you really know if you are actually fulfilling the Great Commission?
HavE you dEfinEd wHat a disciplE looks likE? In order to be able to measure something you need to be able to define it. Once defined, a disciple can be measured, evaluated and corrected.
do you HavE a disciplE-making procEss in placE? The church body can likewise be measured, evaluated and corrected through a disciple-making process. A spiritual process can be developed that identifies the key benchmarks of a healthy, growing follower of Christ.
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3 factors PeoPle Invest Enlist Empower CAlendAr Prioritize Synchronize Schedule BudGet Dollars Stewardship
1 focus Commitment of PAstor
6 functions PrAYer eVAnGelism disCiPleshiP WorshiP ministrY felloWshiP
mY316 ChurCh eVAnGelism ACCelerAtor
To accelerate your church evangelism process, consider MY316. Just as MY316 evangelism resources use John 3:16 as a Biblical basis and a system (3 people to pray for, 1 thing you will do – share your story, 6 ways you will serve them), so MY316 Church Evangelism Accelerator employs 316 as a system:
3 3 fACtors // People Calendar Budget
3 3 fACtors // People Calendar Budget
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3 fACtors // pEoplE
inVest motivEs Have you ever sat down prayerfully and allowed the Holy Spirit to discern your motives for reaching people and adding members to your congregation? A common sign on church buses says, “Come grow with us.” What does that mean? Why would someone want to attend your church to help your church become bigger?
Try to keep this practical and do not over-spiritualize this point. Yes, you are to gather people together to glorify God. Yet on another level you are to be “admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that [you] may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Colossians 1:28 NIV84). It is easier and wiser to invest in the lives of people than to invest into the life of an organization.
mEtHods There was a time when your community was homogeneous and resources were limited. It was good stewardship to use one proven method to reach everyone. Today, your community is diverse and though you may not have all the resources you want, you have more resources and access to more resources than in the past.
Today, it makes sense to use different methods for different folks. The message stays the same, but the methods are personalized for the prospects.
structurE One thing you and your congregation do not have as much is time. Yes, there are still twenty-four hours in a day and seven days in a week. But the time demands on families are greater today. Along the same line as methods, do you have one time that fits all?
In the exercises that follow, you will be given the opportunity to lead your congregation to prioritize the church’s activities. Pay attention to activities that are a duplication of the disciple-making process you develop. You will need to answer the questions, “Is it wise to expect people to participate in two or three worship services that are very similar?” “If people are expected to attend multiple meetings at the church building, when will they have time to minister out in the community?”
The goal here is to streamline the physical structure (schedule) of your congregation to encourage people to move through the disciple- making process with steps that are what Andy Stanley calls easy, strategic and obvious.
rEsourcE: • Seven Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy
Stanley. practicallyspeaking.org
• Elmer Towns – 435-592-3338, elmertowns.com/spiritual_gifts_test • Gary Smalley – 800-848-6329,
smalley.cc/images/Personality-Test1.pdf • Ministry Insights – 480-951-9888,
ministryinsights.com/purchase-lfys-profiles.php
individual assEssmEnt Assessment is where the church affirms what individuals have found about themselves in the spiritual gift discovery step. This is a key step to bring objectivity to what can be a subjective exercise. Prayer and discernment by spiritually mature Christians can play an important role for an individual in discovering God’s will for service.
pErsonal invitation The influence of the pastor from the pulpit is significant. But when it comes to enlisting people, there is no substitute for a one-on-one personal invitation. When prayer to “ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:38 NIV84) has been claimed and church members know their spiritual gifts and talents, then they are ready to volunteer for significant ministry responsibilities.
Andy Anderson, who was a Sunday school expert and who developed the Growth Spiral, noted that churches often “enlist [their] problems.” Have you ever approached someone with the fearful plea of “You are my last hope. Anyone can do this job. Would you please help me out?” Don’t you believe God can honor words of faith, such as: “I have given this much prayer. After considering your spiritual gifts and talents, I believe you are the person for this significant ministry. Would you please give this matter some prayer and let me know next week what you believe the Lord would have you do? Also, the church will provide you with the training needed for this ministry.”
enlist prayEr
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
–Matthew 9:37–38 (NIV84)
As the spiritual leader in God’s local church, you have to decide if you really believe that God is in charge and if He is faithful to fulfill His promises. Specific, personal prayer for workers is key to the local church fulfilling the Great Commission.
Remember, God has no commitment to provide workers for your kingdom, but for His own kingdom and for His own reputation, He is totally committed.
spiritual gift discovEry There are several surveys available that cover spiritual gifts, talents and temperaments. When used in a process of assessment through the local church, these surveys can be effective in highlighting areas of interest and fruitfulness in ministry. These surveys are not the final word themselves, but help give direction to God’s design for each individual believer.
Below are several helpful surveys: • LifeWay – 800-458-2772, lifeway.com/lwc/files/
lwcF_MYCS_030526_Spiritual_Gifts_Survey.pdf • Church Growth Institute – 800-553-4769,
3 fACtors // 1716 / / 3 fACtors
emPoWer With VArious eVAnGelism stYles
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
–1 Corinthians 12:11 (NIV84)
From my experience, only a small portion of church members will become involved in a confrontational, cold-turkey evangelism approach. With your blessing, many more of your members can become active soul-winners by recognizing, mobilizing and training for various evangelism styles, such as outlined below.
pEtEr’s confrontational approacH This is the most common style used in churches today. In this method, individuals directly confront other individuals with the gospel truths. A well known example of Peter’s approach can be seen in Matthew 16:16 where he declared that Jesus was the Messiah.
paul’s intEllEctual approacH This is also a common style, but normally regulated to scholarly debates. In this approach, individuals appeal to another person’s intellect, stimulating his or her interest in spiritual truths. A clear example of this approach is seen in Paul’s discussion with the Athenians in Acts 17.
Blind man’s tEstimonial approacH The testimonial approach, which employs the sharing of one’s personal experiences, is a regular element in the confrontational approach, but still deserves to be identified separately. We can pick out many examples
spEcializEd training Specific, personal, exceptional training is the missing ingredient to growing mature followers of Christ. The desire to accomplish a task is essential, but applying yourself to training is the step that will ensure the end result is fruitful.
mEaningful ministry Nursery worker. Sunday school teacher. Usher. If these are the first ministry positions you think of for your church, then you are not challenging your people to serve Christ, reach the world and make disciples. These positions are important, but can’t you believe the creative God of this universe also has many other ministries ready to be discovered to honor Him and touch your community?
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3 fACtors // calEndar
prioritizE If you have unlimited building space, workers and time then you can continue with business as usual. But if you are short in any of these areas there is a need to prioritize. Prioritizing means freeing your building space, workers and time for the key steps in your church’s disciple-making process.
syncHronizE Do you find that multiple ministries want to use the same rooms at the same time? Synchronizing considers the needs, space and times so that you can optimize your resources. This allows you to track what rooms are being used by specific ministries at what times.
scHEdulE Once you have prioritized and synchronized, then you are ready to schedule out current ministries and be ready for future activities. This allows you to plan the best use of your facilities and have a heads-up on future needs.
in the Bible of this approach, but one of the most famous is in John 9. The blind man refused to engage in the intellectual approach and simply stated, “I was blind and now I can see!”
mattHEw’s intErpErsonal approacH We remember each of the Bible stories about Matthew, the tax collector, and yet it is easy to forget them when we try to train others in evangelism. In Luke 5, we see where Matthew held a banquet and invited all of his friends (or at least the people that wanted to come) to hear the One that he had decided to follow.
samaritan woman’s invitational approacH In John 4, you are familiar with the unlikely Samaritan woman that invites her village out to hear the One who told her everything she ever did.
This approach is used more than we think. The key is to highlight it and integrate it into the special events and ministries held throughout the year.
dorca’s sErvicE approacH In Acts 9:36, Dorca is identified as “always doing good and helping the poor.” Although service is a common gift among church members, it is not always connected clearly to sharing the gospel. By teaching that service is a key ingredient in sharing the gospel, you can empower servers and better plan to use it in outreach activities.
rEsourcEs: • Becoming a Contagious Christian, Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg • Building a Contagious Church, Mark Mittelberg • The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert E. Coleman
“Ask the lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” –matthew 9:37–38
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rEsourcEs: • Great Commission Budgeting, Stewardship Development
Association – Bob Shelton, bshelton@ bgco.org, 405-942-3000, 4561 • Practical Ideas (For a two year stewardship
promotion) – SDA – Bob Shelton • Building a Church Budget Bridge for the
Kingdom, SDA – Bob Shelton • bgco.org/archives/category/stewardship-resources
3 fACtors // BudgEt
dollars “Your checkbook is a key indicator of your spiritual maturity and what you value.” How many times have you made a statement like this in a stewardship sermon or Bible study? Likewise, if an objective, outside observer looked at your church’s budget, what would he or she identify as the church’s priority? Would it be making disciples? Would it be evangelism?
Following the exercises described later in this manual, you will be able to lead your church in identifying and/or building a disciple-making process. The knowledge and enthusiasm for this process will provide the atmosphere for shifting dollars to high priority ministries.
stEwardsHip Not only do you need to reprioritize money within the church’s budget, you need to increase the budget to support the outreach and discipleship ministries that the Lord will put on your heart.
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1 foCus // commitmEnt of pastor
do you BEliEvE god wants your cHurcH to makE disciplEs? This is a difficult question to ask and to answer. How can any pastor not believe that God wants his church to make disciples? Mentally, you affirm this. But emotionally and physically, do you make choices every day and follow through on them to faithfully train your church members to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and to equip them to do the work of the ministry?
arE you willing to work to facilitatE tHat procEss? This is the natural follow-up question to the one listed above. Do you catch yourself coasting? Are you settling for second best in the effort that you are giving God in your church and ministry setting?
rEsourcEs: • Breaking the 125 Barrier, Nelson Searcy; Breaking
the 250 Barrier, Nelson Searcy; and Breaking the 500 Barrier, Nelson Searcy. churchleaderinsights.com
• Renovation of the Heart, Dallas Willard
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” –Colossians 1:28
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6 funCtions // 2928 / / 6 funCtions
Evangelism does not happen in a vacuum. Thus, the significance of identifying or developing the disciple-making process is included in this church evangelism accelerator. Just as significant, it is important that evangelism has an identifiable step in the disciple-making process. The celebration of conversion is baptism, but there are steps leading up to the baptism and following after.
disciplEsHip
“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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
–Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV84)
Fulfilling the Great Commission is the purpose of every believer and the local church. It is important to ensure that discipleship does not become a tired cliché or an obvious assumption in the church. Having a clear disciple-making process ensures that the activities and resources of the church are following and supporting the purpose of Jesus Christ’s bride.
worsHip
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
–John 4:24 (NIV84)
Worship is the most identifiable function of the church. Again, it is easy to say that many of the things the church does has to do with worship. But
6 funCtions //
I identify six functions of the church. These can be seen as stages in the disciple-making process.
prayEr
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
–Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV84)
Prayer is the lifeline of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Like evangelism, it is easy to say that prayer is a given in everything that a Christian and a church does. However, it deserves to be put front and center in the functions of a church and the personal life of a disciple of Christ.
EvangElism
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
–Matthew 4:19 (NIV84)
“…let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” –hebrews 9:24–25
30 / / 6 funCtions
of the members while still acknowledging this is only one of the aspects of church life.
rEsourcEs: • 360-Degree Preaching, Michael J. Quicke • Future Worship, Lamar Boschman
specifically laying out activities that focus on this function provides for effective and excellent worship of our God.
ministry
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
–Mark 10:45 (NIV84)
Ministry is service. That is a simple concept, but enlisting, training and mobilizing believers is a challenge. Giving thought to each of these functions and picturing them in a process helps prioritize the resources (workers, time, money, space and calendar) of the church. This can make sure that the functions happen in a natural sequence and that the church doesn’t become weighted too much in one particular function.
fEllowsHip
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
–Hebrews 9:24-25 (NIV84)
Fellowship is more than a potluck. Fellowship involves being in community with one another where you genuinely take an interest in the lives of others. Fellowship involves handling conflict in the biblical manner of Matthew 18. Recognizing fellowship as a specific function of the church allows leadership to develop meaningful activities that invest in the lives
the disCiPle- mAkinG ProCess
the disCiPle-mAkinG ProCess // 3534 / / the disCiPle-mAkinG ProCess
development processes listed below and see if any resonate with your heart and ministry situation.
lifEway LifeWay.com
LifeWay’s LifeSpan Spiritual Development primarily relates to curriculum that addresses the stages of spiritual development. It could be described as a spiritual taxonomy. Though more classroom based, this system can easily be used to develop church ministries. It accounts for all of the stages of development except pre-conversion. This system is broken down in more detail that can be found on LifeWay’s website.
the disCiPle- mAkinG ProCess
Through the next pages of this accelerator, consider these six steps to developing a disciple-making process for your church.
1. Prayerfully ask the Lord’s leadership in this process. 2. Enlist several church leaders to walk
through this process with you. 3. Consider the disciple-making processes listed in this
guide (as well as others) and identify the key steps you want to highlight. If you have trouble on this step, I would recommend using the six functions mentioned.
4. Answer honestly the questions listed later in this guide about your current process (or lack of one) and the process you would like to see instead.
5. Complete the Disciple-Making Matrix with your church leadership.
6. Develop a symbol that represents your disciple- making process. This is key for prioritizing, communicating and evaluating your process.
Think of the life of a person from birth to the grave. There are physical, emotional and mental stages of development. The same is true in the spiritual life. The writer of Hebrews (5:11–14) challenged the believers that instead of growing into teachers they were still spiritual infants. Below are several spiritual maturity development charts to consider in developing your church’s disciple-making process. Note the spiritual
rick warrEn: tHE BasEBall diamond purposedrivenlife.com
Rick Warren’s baseball diamond is one of the most famous disciple-making process symbols today. Though many know Saddleback Church for its contemporary worship, its heart is a system of encouraging members and prospects to identify where they are in their spiritual journey and the next steps needed. The baseball bases are well known, but the marks of a disciple are found as one drills down at each base.
Jim putman: rEal lifE ministriEs Derivation from: Copyright © 2010 Jim Putman. All rights reserved. reallifeministries.com. Real-Life Discipleship Training Manual / ISBN 978-1-61521-559-1
Real-Life Discipleship process begins with pre-conversion and continues through spiritual maturity. It uses family relational figures (infant, children, young adult and parent) but only for description. It uses four tracks of descriptions (from the inner circle to the outer) that are helpful in understanding the suggested steps.
Pa ren
(F
amily )
S mall G
D isc
ip le
sh ip
D isc
ew
P
god’s role witness’s role man’s response
Conviction
-10 ______________________________* Listen -9 ______________________________*
Dialogue -8 Awareness of a supreme being but no knowledge of the gospel
Witness -7 Initial awareness of the gospel
Speak -6 Awareness of the fundamentals of the gospel
Evangelize -5 Grasp of the implications of the gospel
Proclaim -4 Positive attitude toward the gospel
Teach -3 Personal problem recognition
-2 Decision to act Persuade -1 Repentance and faith in Christ
Regeneration Celebration New Creation in Christ
Sanctification
+1 Post-decision evaluation Follow-up +2 Incorporation into the body Cultivation +3 Conceptual and behavioral growth Nurture +4 Communion with God
+5 Reproduction of ministry: internally, within the body using spiritual gifts; externally, to the world as witness and servant
Eternity
EngEl’s scalE of lostnEss Adapted from James F. Engel and Wilbert Norton, What’s Gone Wrong With the Harvest? (Grand Rapids: The Zondervan Corporation, 1975), p. 45
By its title, you can see that Engle’s Scale is not a system. However, it gives another way of seeing the progression that most people make in coming to know Jesus Christ and then growing in maturity with Him. As you think of these steps, can you classify any of them into larger steps that can form the basis for your church’s disciple-making process?
mastErlifE MasterBuilder
The Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun. MasterLife has been around for a long time and the principles it communicates and teaches have been around even longer. MasterBuilder, like Real Life Discipleship above, gives you several layers of description for the development of a disciple.
GODDISCIPLER(S) ROLES
R ES
PO N
SI BI
LI TY
FR IE
N D
SH IP
LO R
D SH
MASTERBUILDER VISION
1
1 1 Cor 1:18 1 Cor 3:1-3 1 Cor 3:5–6 1 Cor 4:1 1 Cor 3:7–9 1 Cor 2:1–5 1 Cor 3:10–16 1 Cor 4:6–17
Unbeliever
5c’s of missional groups bgco.org/5cs
Bob Mayfield, BGCO Sunday School and Adult Specialist, has developed the 5C’s of Missional Groups. Though small group focused, Bob’s C’s identify steps for a follower of Christ to take that lead to transformational change. Note the individual symbols that support each of the components. These symbols help communicate each component and can be used as map keys in the bulletin, website and newsletter to highlight the purpose of ministries and activities.
Note the stages of spiritual development that are identified in these disciple-making processes. Some of the stages even identify characteristics or behaviors for that particular step.
CONSECRATE CHANGE
Questions to Guide the deVeloPment of A disCiPle-mAkinG ProCess
Though each church’s mission is the same (Great Commission), each church has a different culture. Consider the following questions when crafting your unique strategy:
• How would you explain the big picture of disciple- making through your church as it is now?
• How do you and your church leaders define a “disciple”? “Disciple-making or discipleship”?
• If a new guest walked into your door, what is that person’s first step to start the process of disciple-making? What is the purpose of this step? What is the desired outcome for that step?
• What steps should be taken before that person walks into your door? • How easy is it for that person to understand that
first step? How will he or she know about it? • What is the next step for that new guest? What is the
purpose of this step? What is the desired outcome? How does he or she know what this step is?
• Additional questions for each step: How would you title each step? How do you symbolize each step? What does the title/ symbol say about what is expected? What person or group leads each step? What is God’s role in each step?
Each of the previous symbols and systems are presented so that you can see how the disciple-making process can be seen from different perspectives. Hopefully, one of these will be used by the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and discernment as you lead your congregation in development of your own clear disciple-making process.
eVAluAte Your Current ministries: disCiPle- mAkinG ProCess mAtrix
The Disciple-Making Process Matrix (see a sample matrix and a blank matrix on the next pages) is another tool to test the balance of your church’s ministry. In this exercise you gather your church’s leadership to prayerfully consider evaluating how well you are making disciples.
This matrix can be printed out for individuals, but it works best if completed on a whiteboard or chalkboard so that everyone can view it together.
Across the top list the four, five or six basic catagories of your disciple- making process. There are six functions already suggested on this matrix. Then place your church activities down the left-hand side. This can be filled out in advance, but it is good to involve your leaders by asking them to suggest activities to be placed in this column.
Place a number from 1–5 with 5 being the highest under each church function that is accomplished by the activity. Note the totals of each column. Do you see any patterns? Where is the focus of your church’s activities? Is there balance in your disciple-making process?
An additional step you can take is to identify if the focus of each ministry activity is inward or outward. To do this, write “inward” or “outward” in the appropriate column on the right-hand side.
There should be lively discussion during this exercise. Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, eyes will open to the aspirational values of the church verses the actual values.
• In your structure, how many steps do you envision are necessary for the new person to complete the process? How do you know when it is time for a new step? How do you know when the process is complete?
• Can any of these steps be combined into groups for a common symbol?
• As you lay out each step, what do you see missing?
You can use a table similar to this one to guide the development of your disciple-making process:
step title/ symbol purpose
rEsourcEs: • Advanced Strategic Planning, Aubrey Malphurs • Total Church Life, Darrell Robinson • The Purpose Driven Church, Rick Warren
Disciple-Making Process Matrix
Adapted by Tom Belew from Aubrey Malphurs, Advanced Strategic Planning
Disciple-Making Process Matrix (sample)
primary focus
Audio Visual 5 Inward AWANA 4 5 Outward Baptism 5 Outward Benevolent Fund 4 Inward Budget/Finance 3 2 Inward Building & Grounds 3 2 Inward Children’s Church 5 Inward Celebrate Recovery 3 4 Outward Deacons 2 5 2 Inward Family Ministry 4 4 Inward Language Ministry 5 4 3 Outward Kitchen/Hostess 4 2 Inward Library/Historical 4 Inward Men’s Ministry 3 4 3 Inward Missions 3 4 Outward Nominating 3 Inward Nursery 4 Inward Personnel Committee 2 4 2 Inward Praise Team 3 5 Inward Prayer Ministry 5 3 4 Inward Senior Adults 3 5 Inward Sunday School 4 5 Inward Trustees 4 Inward Ushers 4 3 Inward Visitation/Outreach 2 5 Outward Women’s Ministry 5 3 Inward Worship Service 3 5 Inward Youth 3 5 Inward
totals 17 31 32 33 61 21 22 in 6 out
Adapted by Tom Belew from Aubrey Malphurs, Advanced Strategic Planning
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c o n n e c t
c o n t r i b u t e
deVeloP A disCiPle- mAkinG ProCess sYmBol
Once you have identified the basic steps in your disciple-making process you will want to create a symbol that represents it. A symbol helps communicate the process to your congregation, plan activities so that you have movement and evaluate the fruitfulness of ministries.
Below are four samples to help prime the pump of your creative juices. You could use one of these, but how about trying to develop your own?
Questions to answer in developing your symbol: • How many steps do you need to identify in the symbol?
Remember that some steps may be grouped together. • Are you already using a symbol that would work? • Are there any natural symbols that your church
and community already identify with? • Is the symbol being considered as simple as possible? • Will this symbol print clearly in black and white as well as color?
Remember, this is not the logo of the church. If it develops into your logo, that is a bonus. But do not force it.
VitAl BehAViors for eVAnGelism
Now that you feel that you have additional work to do, let’s talk about reducing the load.
If you are like most pastors you do not have enough time to do all the ministry activities for which you feel responsible.
My wife uses a phrase called “selective neglect.” Some call it the 80/20 rule or Pareto’s principle. Basically, the application of Pareto’s principle says that you receive 80 percent of your result from 20 percent of your activity. Along the same line of thought, in the book, Influencer: The Power to Change Anything, the authors identify behaviors and not goals as the focus of change. Vital behaviors are identified as the relatively few actions you can take to achieve the result you desire.
I have identified my own vital behaviors for soul-winning. There could be ten things on this list, but I have written down the three simple behaviors that I do to ensure that I will share Jesus Christ with other people.
My evangelistic vital behaviors: • Read God’s word daily • Pray specifically for lost people • Write out my personal testimony
After some prayerful thought, below is a list of what I believe could be the evangelistic vital behaviors for most pastors:
• Read God’s word daily • Pray specifically for lost people
Full-time Followers of Christ
Membership Giving
Tithing Lay Leadership
Again, take some time to pray and identify the three or four behaviors/ actions that you can do corporately that would ensure your people’s hearts would be warmed to sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with the people in your ministry field.
Congregation’s evangelistic vital behaviors:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
(Vital Behaviors), Kerry Patterson et al. • Transformational Church, LifeWay
• Preach evangelistic messages regularly. Messages that are gospel centered and that call for a response
• Take people with you witnessing
Take some time to pray and identify the three or four behaviors/actions that you can do that would ensure your heart would be warmed to sharing the hope of Jesus Christ with the people in your ministry field.
Your evangelistic vital behaviors:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Continuing that thought, below is a sample list of evangelistic vital behaviors for a church:
• Pastor emphasizes evangelism • Exciting, dynamic worship services • Regular evangelistic appeal in services • Regular, organized visitation
mY316 ChurCh eVAnGelism PlAnninG CAlendAr
Below is a sample, three-year evangelism calendar. Prayerfully look over this and then use the additional clean copy to dream and prepare your church’s evangelism activities for the next three years.
Be careful to follow the logical sequence of enlistment, training, activity and follow-up for each emphasis you plan. Also, keep in mind the importance of focusing on different age groups and priorities over the three-year period. This is the benefit of looking at three years worth of activity. You can see the big picture and adjust accordingly.
You might want to hand draw this on poster board or butcher paper and hang it up on a wall for all to see. Visibility is a good way to communicate it to others and to have built in accountability. You could say, “In sight, in mind.”
BAPtism GoAl serViCe
Setting goals is still an effective tool for disciple-making, especially if you can involve the church members who are key to carrying out the actions that will reach these goals.
Planning a Baptism Goal Service is one way to involve the whole congregation in setting a church baptism goal. Below are steps to developing such a service.
1. Pray for spiritual renewal and burden for the lost. 2. Set time and date for Sunday evening service. 3. Ask class/group/ministry leaders to lead his or her people
to set a baptism goal along with activities to support it. 4. Prepare testimonies, music, videos and
message that focus on evangelism. 5. Call leaders two weeks and again one
week out to ensure goals are set. 6. Set up board to record baptism goals. 7. Ask leaders to come to the front and present his or
her baptism goals and supportive activities. 8. Record the baptism goals on the board. 9. Celebrate the total. 10. End with commitment time.
rEsourcEs: • BaptismCelebration.org – Information on how you can
make baptism services an evangelistic event • MY316 Baptism Certificates and Self-mailing
postcard invitations. bgco.org/MY316
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eVAnGelistiC Best PrACtiCes
If you occasionally find yourself empty of ideas, consider the following list. • No matter how much you believe your
church prays, intensify your efforts. • Door-to-door distribution of gift (Bible, gospel DVD, food/
baked items, free meal at mid-week church dinner) along with an invitation to a specific church activity/service.
• Video members’ testimonies and post them on MY316.com. • Weekly testimony, announcement or video in the worship
service of how someone is doing evangelism. • Have baptism candidates share their testimony during baptism
and highlight individuals that played a part in their salvation. • Use MY316 prayer cards to enlist your congregation
to pray for three lost friends or family members. • Connect prayer for the lost with answers to prayer. • At least two times a year present the gospel to children and youth. • Provide quarterly evangelism training that
touches on various evangelism styles. • Start an evangelistic club on your junior or senior high campuses. • Take someone with you to be encouraged and equipped at the State
Evangelism Conference and the Youth Evangelism Conference. • Present the plan of salvation during Vacation Bible School
and follow through with each child that makes a decision. • Take someone with you on a soul-winning visit. • Develop your skill at giving an evangelistic invitation. • Pray for the lost in your community by name.
rEsourcEs: • GPS PLAN-IT – Online evangelism planner developed by
the North American Mission Board. gpsplan-it.com
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• Use computer software as simple as Microsoft Excel or Access or purchase a church management program to track members and prospects.
• Contact BGCO to operate under its license with the Mapping Center for Evangelism to map your members, prospects and homes you have touched with ministry.
• Ask your people to fill out information cards on friends, family and neighbors where they are not sure of their salvation.
• Lead a new members’ class that covers salvation, church membership and the church’s disciple-making process.
rEsourcE: • The Effective Invitation, R. Alan Streett
• Print a “Why Be Baptized” brochure with testimonies and scriptural basis.
• Use pre-printed MY316 invitations for the baptism candidates to use in inviting lost friends and relatives to a service and to witness their baptism.
• Have a photographer there to capture the moment and include a picture of their baptism along with their certificate of baptism.
• Deliver MY316 baptism certificate to the home after the baptism as one more personal touch in the follow-up process.
• Have people share their baptism story on Sunday morning during the worship service.
• Enlist a prayer coordinator. • Ensure that your Wednesday night prayer meeting is at least 50%
outward focused on praying for the lost and your community. • Take your people out prayerwalking to local schools, new
neighborhoods, high crime areas and other key community areas. • Find newcomers in your community through the Chamber of
Commerce or purchase a list from LifeWay. Prepare a small bag with a homemade snack or chips and salsa along with information from your church to deliver to their home.
• Preach on soul-winning every month. • Develop charts of your church’s attendance and baptisms
over a ten to twenty year period. Use the increases to reinforce evangelism and the decreases to challenge for more evangelism.
• Call the evangelism office at your state Baptist convention for up-to-date demographics of your community.
• Conduct a community survey to discover if you really know your neighbors and their needs.
GettinG it done timeline
Implementation is the weak link in any vision, plan or good intention. This Getting It Done Timeline is provided as a tool for you to build accountability into the disciple-making plans on your heart right now.
It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. –Ecclesiastes 5:5 (NIV84)
Within the next 24 hours I will:
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Within the next year I will:
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by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
mY316 eVAnGelism resourCes
my316 in onE sEntEncE “MY316 helps you use what you already know, your story and John 3:16, to share Jesus Christ with your friends and family.”
purposE of my316 To engage every Oklahoma Baptist in praying for the lost, serving them and sharing with them the gospel of Jesus Christ.
wHat is my316? MY316 is an effort to involve each church member in gospel work which is both intentional and missional. The strategy involves three activities that each person is asked to do: pray for the lost, share with the lost, and serve the lost with Christ’s love.
The gospel presentation is based on personal testimony and John 3:16, a Scripture which is known by virtually everyone in Oklahoma. Three of five Oklahomans can quote the verse and 95% are familiar with it. It is the first verse children learn, sitting on their father’s lap or at their momma’s knee. A survey of 2,400 young people conducted at Falls Creek youth camp asked the question, “If you were going to share Christ with a friend, how would you do it?” The number one answer was that they would share their testimony and the number two answer was John 3:16. MY316 combines both testimony and John 3:16 in manner which is simple, transferable, while effectively sharing Jesus with others.
One of the greatest hurdles to witnessing is overcoming fear. Many lack confidence in their ability to share. Even the Apostle Paul asked believers to pray that he would be bold in sharing Christ (Eph. 6:19–20).
MY316 is designed to help embolden believers by giving them a way to share Christ and serve others through Christ’s love.
It addition to developing and teaching a gospel presentation using John 3:16 and testimony, we will ask each person to write the names of 3 people on a card whom they believe are lost, and pray daily for their salvation. Second, we ask that they will show Christ’s love to them by serving them. Third, we ask that they share the gospel with them.
my316 talking points 1. Simple, Simple, Simple – Gospel presentation uses what most
people already know, their story and John 3:16. They are asked to pray for and serve people that they already know.
2. Fully resourced with materials funded by State Missions Offering and Cooperative Program – Sunday school curriculum, sermon outlines, gospel tracts (including an iPhone app), new believer’s book, MY316.com interactive website.
3. Customizable – designed for use in Sunday school and worship so as to reach all church attendees, but can be used any way the church chooses, with any age person.
my316 rEsourcEs Resources available now include the interactive website MY316.com, which is a social networking evangelism site, similar to Facebook, employing the use of video testimonies. MY316 gospel tracts have been developed in English and Spanish, as have prayer cards. An iPhone MY316 application is available, which is a gospel presentation downloaded to your phone. A new believer’s book has been produced, which teaches MY316 to each new believer in the first lesson, followed by other basic Bible teachings. A Spanish version of the new believer’s book is also available.
an EncouragEmEnt to pastors and lEadErs MY316 provides you with a way to ensure that every person in the church knows how to talk to others about Jesus. Using Sunday school and worship to accomplish this makes this goal attainable. Moreover, church members will be led to pray for the lost and show them Jesus’ love through service. You will help every person who attends your church to take personally the command of Christ to share the gospel with every person (Mark 16:15).
using my316 in your cHurcH Materials are available to have a church-wide MY316 emphasis of prayer, share and serve. Choose any five-week period for focusing your Sunday school and worship time on evangelism. Materials include five age-graded lessons, children through adults, sermon outlines and a new believer’s book. The suggested focus week-by-week is:
• Introduction to MY316 resources • Sharing Jesus using MY316 • Praying for the lost • Serving the lost • Bringing it all together
tEacHing tHE my316 gospEl prEsEntation A great theologian was once asked the question, “What is the greatest thought you have ever had?” His answer came from a song he learned as a little child: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
Truly this is a great truth! God loves me. And God loves you. This is a truth that followers of Jesus Christ in all ages have come to know. It is found in many places in the Bible, but the best known verse is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
This means that God loves all the people of the world. It is also means that we best know God’s love for us because He gave His Son Jesus to live on this earth in perfect obedience to God the Father. Then Jesus died on the Cross for our sin. He was buried and on the third day He rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven and one day, very soon, Jesus will return this earth. This will mark the end of history as we know it and the beginning of life lived in heaven itself.
God wants you to know for certain that you have eternal life. The Bible assures us that we can know God and have eternal life. John 3:16 tells us that:
1. God loves each of us. He loves every person in the world. 2. God gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to live for us and
die for our sins on the Cross (see also Romans 5:8). 3. We must believe in Jesus in order to have eternal life.
The word “believe” means that we must commit our life to Him and follow Him as our Lord and our God.
4. Believing in Jesus means we will not “perish,” meaning we won’t spend all of our life and all eternity separated from the presence of God in hell.
5. When we turn our life over to Jesus by believing in Him, He gives us “everlasting life.” Everlasting life begins the moment you believe in Jesus and begin to follow Him, and it continues into heaven itself.
my story witH JEsus It will be very helpful to you to write a brief description of what Jesus means to you. This is your story of following Jesus and it’s one that you need to share with others. A simple outline for writing your story is:
1. My life before I believed in Jesus (How did you feel? Afraid? Hopeless? Lack of peace? Lack of purpose? etc.)
2. How I became a follower of Jesus (Did someone tell you about Jesus? Was there a particular Scripture verse that helped you come to follow Jesus?)
3. My life now that I believe in Jesus and follow Him (I have purpose, peace, assurance of knowing God, freedom from fear, etc.?)
god’s story using JoHn 3:16 Now that you have briefly written your story, let’s follow that with God story from John 3:16. In your own words, write a few sentences describing what John 3:16 says and means. You can use the explanation provided above to help you.
my316, it’s your story and god’s story When you combine Your Story of knowing Jesus with God’s Story in John 3:16, you have a message that you can share with others who need to know Jesus. Below is an example of how this might look.
ExamplE prEsEntation of a my316 story There was a time when I had no peace in my life. In fact, if I thought about life very much I would feel afraid. I feared what death would mean. The only thing I knew is that death would forever separate me from my family, from all those I love. And honestly, I didn’t see a whole lot of hope in this life.
Then I was introduced to a person who changed my life. I’d heard of Jesus before, but I didn’t know him. And I didn’t realize how much he loved me and that all he did he did for me. I came to believe in Jesus and I gave my life to Him.
Jesus took away my fear that death would separate me from God and everybody I love. He actually gave real purpose to my life.
Jesus said something that has come to mean a lot to me. He said, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jesus is talking about himself. Jesus is God’s Son who was sent to me and you because God loves all people in the world. The Bible says that if we will believe in Jesus we will have eternal life. To believe in Jesus means to believe He loves you. To believe in Jesus means you believe He died on the Cross for your sin of not obeying God. To believe in Jesus also means you believe that He was raised from the dead to live forever as our Savior and Lord. To believe in Jesus means to turn away from our sin of living life without Jesus, and trust Jesus to save us from our sin.
What do you think when you hear John 3:16? Would you like to believe in Jesus and turned your life over to Him? If you would like to know Jesus right now, you can pray and ask him to come into your life, cleanse you of your sin, and save your soul. Pray this prayer with me:
“Dear heavenly Father, thank you for loving me. Please forgive me for living my life without believing in Jesus and obeying you. Jesus, I believe in you. I believe you died on the Cross for my sin. I believe you were raised from the dead. Come into my life, forgive me of my sin, and save my soul. Thank you for saving me. Amen.”
committing your my316 story to mEmory In order to make your MY316 Story something that you can easily share, you must commit it to memory. By memory, this does not mean that it becomes firmly planted in your mind, but also that it takes deep root in your heart.
Read your MY316 Story ten times, out loud, or until you have committed it to memory. This step is vital to your ability to tell others what Jesus means to you, in a natural way, while also helping them to understand that God loves them too.
pEoplE i know witH wHom i want to sHarE my316 You are ready to tell others your story and God’s story, using John 3:16. Write the names of everyone you know who isn’t following Jesus. These can be family, friends, and acquaintances. In some cases, you simply may not know whether they know Jesus or not. Pray for them that they will come to know Jesus.
Which three will you share Your Story and God’s Story (John 3:16) with this week?
suggEstEd mission sErvicE proJEcts Before a person commits to Jesus he often experiences a conversion regarding his relationship with Jesus’ followers. When the lost see godly love from a follower of Jesus, they are often more receptive to the gospel. Service projects are a wonderful way to show our love for another person. Perhaps the following list of service projects will stir an idea in your heart as to how you can serve a lost person that you know.
Ministry Ideas for Churches and Individuals: • Replace burned out light bulbs • Take your pets to nursing homes • Make sandwiches for people • Offer babysitting services • Prepare welcome baskets for new neighbors • Rake or blow leaves for someone in your neighborhood • Mow lawns for the elderly or single mother • Take someone to church who cannot or can no longer drive • Cook for those in need • Adopt a senior adult • After school tutoring for at-risk kids • Help someone move
• Make homemade cookies and take to your neighbors along with a Christmas card explaining the reason for Christmas
• Beautify someone’s flower bed – or maybe do a front yard makeover • Read to someone no longer able to read • Take people to the doctor and/or hospital • Serve at a children’s hospital—serving the parents • Find ways to serve teachers in your local school district • Find ways to serve a school in your area with no strings attached • Serve public servants like fire fighters and police officers • Have your church do a car clinic for single moms • Spend time with unchurched families in your sphere of influence • Serve a military family while their soldier is away • Serve an international student or family – invite them to dinner • Welcome internationals into your home during the holidays • Help an elderly or handicapped person grocery shop • Clean out unwanted or unused items from your home and hold a
garage sale. Call a few of your neighbors and see if they would like to go in together for one large sale or organize a neighborhood event. Use the money to help a needy family or worthy project
• Clean or repair a neighborhood park as a gift to the community • Serve alongside an existing ministry to help them accomplish
their purpose: feed and clothe the poor, help with Crisis Pregnancy Centers, partner with those working to end human trafficking, provide fresh water, fix up homes etc.
• Mentor an unchurched young adult or young adult couple in your neighborhood. Help them learn how to fix things around the house, make meals, raise kids… live life with them
• Help with sports or music based programs for kids in your community
• Take 9-volt batteries to people in your neighborhood once a year for their smoke detector
• Have a “snow shovel” crew ready to help out on those occasional blizzards clearing paths from front doors to mailboxes or cleaning driveways for those who can’t do it
eVAnGelism resourCes
my316 MY316 helps you use what you already know, your story and John 3:16, to share Jesus Christ with your friends and family. MY316 is an effort to involve each church member in gospel work which is both intentional and missional. The strategy involves three activities that each person is asked to do: pray for the lost, share with the lost, and serve the lost with Christ’s love. MY316 materials include a gospel tract for adults and children, prayer card, training brochure, age-graded Sunday school lessons, and a new believer’s book. The material is in English and Spanish. To order materials visit bgco.org/MY316 or call 405-942-3000, ext. 4313.
unlaBElEd This book is designed to be short enough to read in one sitting, and in-depth enough to give a realistic picture of young adult culture and worldview. It’s a great starting point for learning about the unique challenges the emerging generation provides and ways to effectively use that information. To order this book call the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma at 405-942-3000, ext. 4325.
rElay This is a relational evangelism course composed of six sessions designed for use in a small group setting. This course does not teach a particular gospel presentation like The CROSS, The Net, FAITH, Roman road, and others. This course is about helping you better share the gospel you already know in a more effective way through your relationships. For more
information about this witnessing tool, call 770-410-6000 or visit namb.net. To order materials, call Customer Service center at 866-407-NAMB (6262) or visit namb.net/catalog.
faitH This is an evangelism strategy that is designed to work with your Sunday School. FAITH will teach your members through a sixteen-week training program how to make outreach visits, ministry visits, and teach them how to share the gospel using a simple acrostic. Training materials come with everything you need to train your members in evangelism including the student and leaders manuals, video, and PowerPoint. For more details and upcoming clinic information call 877-324-8498 or visit lifeway.com/faith.
EvangElism Explosion intErnational This is a comprehensive personal evangelism strategy that will equip your people in 13 weeks to share their faith and handle any objections to the gospel. Developed by Dr. D. James Kennedy in Coral Ridge, Florida, it is a proven tool for witness training. Evangelism Explosion is currently ministering in every nation and territory of the world and is available in multiple languages. For upcoming clinic information call 888-567-3543 or visit eeinternational.org/.
pEoplE sHaring JEsus This twelve-session evangelism study offers five different ways to share the gospel. It was developed by Darrell Robinson, former Vice President of the Home Mission Board, and published by Thomas Nelson. The video vignettes are humorous and a great teaching aid. For more information contact Darrell Robinson at 281-651-4524 or visit totalchurchlife.net/.
sHarE JEsus witHout fEar The reason most people do not share their faith is fear according to Bill Fay, author of Share Jesus Without Fear. This approach was developed out of Fay’s personal experience. He has personally shared his faith over 10,000 times. This approach is very conversational and requires little memorization since it uses a marked New Testament. Bill Fay teaches the three-session course on video, which is included in the kit. For more information contact LifeWay Christian Resources at 800-448-8032 or visit lifeway.com.
god’s spEcial plan for cHildrEn This kit is designed to train children’s workers and parents how to share Christ with children. Developed by the North American Mission Board the kit includes a video, training manual, a tract, and card set. For more information about this witnessing tool, call 770-410-6000 or visit namb.net. To order materials, call Customer Service center at 866-407-NAMB (6262) or visit namb.net/catalog.
BEcoming a contagious cHristian This 8-session study was developed by Mark Mittelberg, Lee Strobel, and Bill Hybels. It teaches six different styles of evangelism and will help you maximize your witness according to your personality. Training kit includes humorous and practical video vignettes, leader guide, and student books. For more information go to the Willow Creek Association web site: willowcreek.com/resources/ or call 800-570-9812.
got lifE? This 8-session study was developed by Ken Hemphill and Frank Harber. This study combines a conversational Gospel presentation with a powerful apologetic. The presentation and apologetic are built around two
simple acrostics that anyone can learn. Training kit includes: tracts, CD with multimedia presentation and helps, and training manuals. For more information go to the Got Life? web site at gotlife.org/main.php3 or call 866-GOT-LIFE (468-5433).
tHE nEt The North American Mission Board developed this 8-session study. This is a testimony based personal evangelism strategy. Your church members will learn how to insert the gospel into their testimony and share the good news in a natural way. The NET relies upon the use of mentor training. The Kit comes with everything you need to launch this strategy in your church. For more information about this witnessing tool, call 770-410-6000 or visit namb.net. To order materials, call Customer Service center at 866-407-NAMB (6262) or visit namb.net/catalog.
outrEacH • G.R.O.W. - Outreach Teams That Win by LifeWay,
800-448-8032. Maximize your outreach by using teams and helping members make a once a month commitment to reach out to your community by sending cards, making phone calls, praying, and going out into the neighborhood.
prayEr • Praying Your Friends to Christ by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262).
Use this pamphlet to guide your members through the Scriptures to pray for lost people and how to pray for them.
• Taking Prayer to the Streets by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This kit includes a leader guide, prayer journey pocket guide, listening sheets, overhead cells, and CD (power point, clip art, post card sample, and follow up post card sample).
• Lighthouse of Prayer by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This kit provides everything you need to recruit, challenge, and equip believers to make their homes Lighthouses of prayer. The kit includes a video, brochures, tracts, and simple explanation sheets.
follow-up • The Pursuit by Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma,
405-942-3000, ext. 4313. This CD contains 30 daily devotionals, four mentor guides, one copy of the Bible, one video about baptism and one page of links.
• Operation Multiplication by International Evangelism Association, Billy Hanks, 800-880-1350. This one-on-one mentoring process will help you develop committed disciples for Jesus that will reproduce themselves.“Call to Joy” 7 Session, Entry Level, New Member Assimilation Process. “Call to Growth” 11 Session, Intermediate Level, New Member Assimilation Process.
• Let the Celebration Begin by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This pamphlet is follow-up piece designed to help a new believer on the first day of their new life in Christ.
• Let the Celebration Continue by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This follow-up booklet is designed for a new believer to use during the first week of their new life in Christ.
• Life Change Booklet by Student Discipleship Ministries, Billy Beacham, 800-880-8736, gosdm.org. This is a decision counseling and follow up book designed for youth. It includes a month’s worth of daily quiet time lessons for students.
dEcision counsEling • Personal Commitment Guide revised by NAMB,
866-407-namB (6262). This simple fold out brochure is great for decision counseling. It includes a conversational guide on the 6 of the most common decisions made in Baptist churches with a tear off decision card. To train counselors with this guide use the Decision Time: Commitment Counseling Training Guide.
• Decision Time: Commitment Counseling Training Guide revised by LifeWay, 800-448-8032. This book is designed to help prepare your church for decision counseling. It will help train counselors how to use the Personal Commitment Guide, set up rooms, and spiritually prepare counselors.
• Life Change Booklet by Student Discipleship Ministries, Billy Beacham, 800-880-8736, gosdm.org. This is a decision counseling and follow up book designed for youth. It includes a month’s worth of daily quiet time lessons for students.
• The World’s Greatest Adventure by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This booklet is to be used with children that are ready to make a profession of faith in Christ.
rEvival prEparation • Prayer for Revival and Spiritual Awakening by Henry Blackaby
& NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This seven-session kit reviews great revivals of the past and prepares a church to pray for revival and spiritual awakening. Kit includes overhead cells, video, instructor manual, and student workbook.
• Fresh Encounter by Henry Blackaby & LifeWay, 800-448-8032. This kit provides everything needed to prepare to leaders for church renewal including: video cassette teaching by
Henry Blackaby and Avery Willis, audio cassettes, leaders manual, and two member’s books. This emphasis will help your church evaluate itself in light of God’s plumb line.
• The Role of Prayer in Spiritual Awakening by Campus Crusade for Christ, 800-827-2788, ccci.org. This 26 minute video featuring Dr. J. Edwin Orr, renowned authority on revivals, will help you discover how change your life today and bring revival to the world around you through the power of prayer.
spEcial EvangElistic EvEnts • SEE: Workbook (Special Evangelistic Events) Manual by NAMB,
866-407-namB (6262). This 30-page manual will introduce your church to 10 different kinds of special events that can be made evangelistic. It provides some great ideas and simple planning sheets to guide your church in the process of developing some great events.
• SEE: Evangelistic Block Party Manual by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This 41-page manual will help your church step by step get organized to conduct an evangelistic block party. The manual includes job descriptions, clip art, planning sheet, ideas for variations of the block party concept.
• SEE: Love is the Theme: Evangelistic Events for Valentine’s Day Manual by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This 35-page manual includes event ideas related to Valentine’s Day, sermon outlines, sermon illustrations, and a list of helpful resources.
• SEE: Halloween for Christ Manual by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This 29-page manual includes 5 variations of events that are good for churches to do around Halloween. It also has some preaching themes, helpful resources, and additional ideas.
• SEE: Evangelistic Events at Thanksgiving and Christmas Manual by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This 30-page manual provides 6 different event plans for Christmas and Thanksgiving along with sermon themes and a list of additional resources.
tracts • Split Time Tract by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This
tract attracts a lot of attention and is easy to use. The opening statement can be used as a riddle: “What single event in human history has the power to split time?”
• God’s Special Plan Tract by NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This tract is designed for use with children. It is interactive and provides a simple and clear presentation of the gospel.
• IQ / Smart Cards by Living Waters Publications, 800-437-1893, livingwaters.com. These cards are great for starting a witnessing conversation quickly and humorously. They work well at block parties, youth events, and at the fair.
• Reasons for Believing by Frank Harber Evangelistic Association, 817-903-9074, frankharber.org. This tract presents evidence that Jesus was a real historical, that Jesus died on a cross, that Jesus rose from the dead, and that he is the only way to God.
• Steps to Peace with God by Billy Graham, 866-526-7173, billygrahambookstore.org. This tract is available in a variety of tranquil covers and it graphically presents the gospel using the bridge illustration. Because Billy Graham signed this tract it has a lot of credibility.
• Got Life? by Heart Spring Media, 866-got-lifE (468-5433). This tract uses the acrostic LIFE to present the Gospel and the acrostic RAMP as an apologetic. It visually attractive and well illustrated.
• bgco.org/MY316 • 405-942-3000, ext. 4313
prospEct dEvElopmEnt • Broadman Prospect Services 800-464-2799,
prospectservice.lifewaystores.com. This is a division of LifeWay Christian Resources and they can provide your church prospect information like “New Move In” labels and a variety of information that can help you find people in your community.
• Mapping Center for Evangelism 888-627-7997, mappingcenter.org. The Mapping Center can provide your church on a CD-Rom the names, addresses, telephone numbers of people in your area, and the corresponding maps that will help you locate them. The mapping center can help your church with a variety of services related to direct mail and canvassing neighborhoods. This is an invaluable tool for any church that is serious about getting into the community.
ministry EvangElism • Servanthood Evangelism by the NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262).
This manual is a must for any church. For just $4.00 you can get over a 100 simple ideas to reach your community.
• His Heart Our Hands by the NAMB, 866-407-namB (6262). This comprehensive kit includes a ministry evangelism guide, inspirational video, CD with sermons by Charles Roesel and PowerPoint presentations, and a Servanthood Evangelism manual. This tool will help your church effectively minister to the needs of those around you.
• 101 Ways to Reach Your Community by Steve Sjogren, 888-kindnEss, servantevangelism.com. This simple little book will give the best ideas from the man who wrote the book, “Conspiracy of Kindness.” The book is full of ideas that your church needs.
This publication is made possible by your gifts through the Cooperative Program.
Tim Gentry is the Evangelism Group Leader for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. In this role, he oversees state evangelism including ethnic, student and emerging generations evangelism. Tim joined the BGCO from the California Southern Baptist Convention where he served for 15 years as an evangelism specialist/church consultant.
Tim was born and raised in Oklahoma and surrendered to the ministry at Falls Creek. A graduate of East Central University in Ada and
Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, Gentry also holds a doctor of ministry degree from Golden Gate Seminary in Mill Valley, Calif.
After graduating from Southwestern, he was commissioned by the Home Mission Board as a church planter missionary. Gentry started West Roseville Baptist Church in Roseville, Calif. where he was pastor for 12 years before moving to the California Convention.
Gentry’s wife, Mary, is an elementary school teacher. They have two grown children.
Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma bcgo.org • 3800 North May Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73112
MY316 Church
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6 Functions //
The Disciple-

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