Cultivating a Culture of Evangelism - Part 2

1. Be A Welcoming Church!  Every church thinks they are a loving church but the truth is that usually means they love people who are just like them and that they already know.  There are some churches that are extremely friendly and welcoming to unfamiliar faces and then there are others.  My family and I have visited many churches and been shocked at how many times we enter the worship service only to have 1 or 2 people say hello.  I am always looking for people to speak to and shake hands with but so many people in churches just look away and avoid personal contact.  Pastor, lead the way in shaking hands and welcoming people before the service.  I think that most people are just in need of some encouragement to realize they need to be more intentional about welcoming visitors.  They enjoy seeing their church family and tend to gravitate first to them at the beginning of the meeting and the welcome time.  It is nice that they love one another but we need to love others also.  It is so wonderful to be in a church that finds new faces first and greets them with a friendly handshake or hug and a genuine interest in who they are (without being nosy) and warmly thank them for their presence.  There is one of our sister churches that is so friendly and loving that visitors are ready to join the church just after experiencing the pre-service greeting and the welcome time!  Jesus was so magnetic and welcoming that people wanted to be around him.  We should be the same way.
2. Conduct Special Evangelistic Events - Have community cookouts at the church facilities and provide a good experience for all ages.  Good food, music, and events for children are a tremendous way to welcome people to get familiar with the work of the church.  The church should be the center of the community and no place else.  A church may also want to have a special banquet or cookout to honor the civil servants in the community and publicly recognize them for their hard work.  Another good way to reach out to neighbors is to have community cookouts at the homes of church members.  Recruit other church members to commit a certain person’s home and go door to door with flyers personally inviting people to attend the event.  Everybody bring a food dish and share the work.  This can be an effective way to reach out in gated communities and apartment complexes.  A word of warning is necessary with these events.  Be purposeful with the gospel.  We are not to be just doing social ministry we are to be preaching the gospel.  At the beginning of each of these events welcome people and give a brief explanation of why you are doing the event.  Maybe something like this:  “The reason we are gathering today is because we are followers of Jesus who have been transformed by the power of His victory over sin.  Jesus died in our place to rescue us from our own sin and promises forgiveness of sin and eternal life for all who turn away from sin and trust Him as their Savior.  Jesus is alive today because God rose Him from the dead three days after His crucifixion.  Today we worship the living Savior and we are so excited about Him that we want to provide this time of blessing in our community.  If you would like to know more about following Jesus there are plenty of people here who can help you and I will always make myself available if you would like to visit.”  Encourage and equip the church members to be ready and intentional during these events without being obnoxious.  Love people and share Jesus with them.