- Nurture a Prospect List - Lovingly cultivate a list of precious souls that need a personal connection and be intentional about building relationships with them. This list will come from a variety of sources. Enlist a coordinator to help with the management of the list but don’t delegate it out to the point that you lose personal and compassionate oversight of the people on the list. Pray for them regularly. Possibly the best way to build this list is through “pre-evangelism” ministries such as children’s ministries and benevolence efforts. Ask the church members for names of people they know who might a appreciate a personal visit. Provide cards specifically for this purpose for people throughout the church meeting place and regularly remind them of the presence and purpose of such cards. Develop an email list of people with whom you can communicate the gospel that do not have a church family and without bombarding them continually reach out to them in encouraging ways. Remember this is not just a list of names on a page but these are precious souls who need Jesus. Without Him they are hurting and have no hope nor reliable guidance through life. These are the people for whom we live and breathe. Let us find them, love them, and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them!
- Provide Evangelistic Resources - One of the biggest hesitations for most of our church members is that they do not feel capably equipped to answer people’s objections. First, I remind them that they are not commanded to answer all objections but to share the gospel, make disciples, and teach all the things Jesus has taught them. You are the greatest expert witness in the world regarding what Jesus has taught you! Moreover, it should be our goal to be the best we can be in all that we do, especially our witnessing! Provide the resources people need to make them stronger and more confident in their everyday witnessing. Introductory books on Apologetics like “More Than A Carpenter” by Josh McDowell and “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel and "The Reason for God" by Tim Keller are inexpensively available and can be a great tool to strengthen believers in their outreach efforts. Good gospel tracts may be hard to find but find some and use them. Have some business cards made that have the church’s information on one side and a gospel presentation on the other. P.S. - if you leave them at a restaurant make sure you are nice and leave a good tip! Nothing is more obnoxious than a hypocrite. Write some pamphlets that answer some of the main questions you deal with in ministry and make them available for the people. Place these resources in locations that are always before the people and keep them readily available. This is just another swing of the plow in cultivating a culture of evangelism.
- Prayer - “What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use — men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men — men of prayer.” - E.M. Bounds. We have novel and creative strategies that have been effective at drawing crowds but souls are won to Christ through prayerful evangelism. The disciples were in the upper room praying before thousands were saved at Pentecost. We are to pray for “laborers into the harvest.” Remember also to pray for the seed as much after it has been sown as you would pray for God to bless the work before you go. I have personally experienced God's transforming power upon a church through special prayer meetings. Set aside your Saturday mornings, sacrifice Friday night from 9 PM to 6 AM (yes, all night), say no to yourself by fasting all day Saturday (not necessarily the Saturday after all night prayer) and celebrate the Resurrection corporately with prayerful rejoicing. Effective evangelism depends upon prayerful saints of God. You don’t need a program or instructions on how to pray or need the collecting of requests. It’s simple, just pray.
- Get Uncomfortable, Go Visiting - Go where the people are. Get out of the church office and go find people who need Jesus. Build relationships in the community. Be intentional about sharing the gospel at the barber shop, fitness center, coffee shop, anywhere. If you struggle with a plan then try this one: Go door to door and introduce yourself to your neighbors. Just say, “My name is _______ and I am part of ______ church. I just wanted to get out and meet my neighbors and try to be a blessing to my community. Is there any way that I can pray for you?” Write down their prayer concern. Go back to the office and send them a hand-written card letting them know you are praying for them. Check back with them a week or so later and let them know you are praying and see how they are doing. You will find most people to be appreciative that you stopped by and few of the other kind. The people you meet may or may not visit your church but at least you are being faithful to go and you are making a gospel presence in the community. God will bless your going. You will have some moments that test your faith. Just Go!
