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.  

Cultivating A Culture of Evangelism - Part 1

I’m going to share some ideas from my experience that will hopefully be helpful to some of you regarding the evangelistic efforts in our churches.  I am assuming that we are already convinced of the imperative nature of this subject so here we go.

1. The Pastor as Personal Soul-Winner - we must live, breathe, eat, and sleep the longing for the salvation of souls.  We must be the trailblazers leading the way in evangelistic efforts.  The people in our churches will never go farther than they see the pastor go.  If our churches will be evangelistic then they must see the passion for lost people to be saved consistently lived out in the life of their pastor.  Every pastor needs to have a plan to saturate his community with the gospel.  What’s your plan?  We need not be overly concerned with the numerical count but we must be fully consumed with our faithfulness to go.  Let us live in the fields as laborers in the harvest not tucked away inaccessible to hurting people being destroyed by sin.  People need Jesus and He has sent us.  Let’s go! 
2. The Pastor as Personal Disciple-Maker - The success or failure of a church depends upon discipleship.  Discipleship really is a simple process.  Start with whoever you have and teach them everything Jesus has taught you.  See also Matthew 28:18-20.  Be intentional in every relationship you can make with people.  Take people to lunch and teach them what you know about the Bible.  Meet them for ice cream or coffee.  Just look at the way Jesus invested into His disciples.  He walked with them daily, prayed with them, taught them the Scriptures and used every surrounding and situation as a teaching opportunity.  Many people want large pulpit ministries but the truth is real discipleship involves the simplicity of meeting with one person or a small group and pouring into them.  There is only one superstar in the Kingdom of God and his name is Jesus.  The rest of us are servants.  Always remember these words from Paul to Timothy, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)  This is how a strong church is built.

PULLING THE RIPCORD: 10 Checkpoints in Church Planting PART 2

1. Taking Care of Details - There are several things a new church needs to have in place theologically and legally.  Since what we believe drives what we do it is imperative for the new church to have a concisely articulated doctrinal statement.  This will help to clarify the identity of the church which is so necessary as people make eternally important decisions with their church commitments.  The doctrinal statement of a church should express its core theological commitments in such a way that parameters of membership in that church are defined.  It should not be so wordy that it requires a formal degree in theology to understand but neither should it be minimized to lose substance.  B.H. Carroll once said, “Less creed and more liberty, is a degeneration from the vertebrate to the jellyfish.”  We should be clear and courageous about who we are and what we believe.  As much as anything else the doctrinal expression of a church will determine its future.  A doctrinal statement declares “what we believe” and Church Bylaws express “how we operate”.  Church polity needs to be defined in the life of a church and although the New Testament is filled with directions for how a church is to operate it does not present it in a nice, tight little package.  How will the church be led?  Is it an Elder-led plurality, a Pastor-led autocracy, a Deacon-led deliberation, or a Congregation-led free-for-all?  My recommendation is an Elder-led (not ruled over) body with a Pastor who leads with accountability to the Elders who are all responsible in their communication to the congregation and are served faithfully by Deacons.  The point here is that a church needs thorough bylaws to provide guidance in areas such as church leadership, church membership, practice of church ordinances, and association with other ministries.  There are also legal considerations to be made and details to fulfill.  I am certainly no attorney and a new church will be wise to consult legal counsel and a professional accountant on the issue of incorporation and non-profit status.  Here is what I have experienced.  While it is ideal for a church to operate without debt there are times especially in the life of a new church where borrowing some money might be appropriate.  If this is so then any lending institution will most likely require the church to be incorporated before lending any money.  And although a church is a not-for-profit organization it still needs to receive an “Employed Identification Number” with the Internal Revenue Service and make sure to stay current regarding all of their requirements.  A wise church will establish in its earliest days a team of people who will be accountable for the fiduciary responsibilities and a wise pastor will avoid such demands and temptations.
2. Communicating Identity - the name of a new church will speak identity mainly to those with a church background but in an increasingly non-Christian culture the non-believer does not recognize much identity in the name of a church.  There are certainly many wonderfully creative marketing techniques employed by many churches today and some of that can be helpful even though most of it will lead down the road of depending upon your trendy methodology apart from the Spirit of God.  The truth is that you will most clearly communicate the identity of the church by your interactions in the community.  If the church becomes known for delivering helpful truth and loving people no matter their situation then people will think of the church that way.  Doctrinal matters are critical and a church needs to be clear about “who we are” without deception.  Methodology is part of the message.  The way we do things speaks volumes about the message we speak.  Vance Havner once said, “People too often think that the end justifies the means but they forget that a corrupt means will eventually lead to a corrupt end.”  We should be clear about who we are to people who are making the most essential decisions of eternal impact about their church relationship.  
3. Investing Relationally - The success or failure of a church depends upon discipleship.  Discipleship really is a simple process.  Start with whoever you have and teach them everything Jesus has taught you.  See also Matthew 28:18-20.  Be intentional in every relationship you can make with people.  Take people to lunch and teach them what you know about the Bible.  Meet them for ice cream or coffee.  Real discipleship requires purpose otherwise it just turns into hanging out.  Just look at the way Jesus invested into His disciples.  He walked with them daily, prayed with them, taught them the Scriptures and used every surrounding and situation as a teaching opportunity.  Many people want large pulpit ministries but the truth is real discipleship involves the simplicity of meeting with one person or a small group and pouring into them.  There is only one superstar in the Kingdom of God and his name is Jesus.  The rest of us are servants.  Always remember these words from Paul to Timothy, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)  This is how a strong church is built.
4. Equipping and Going - A wise pastor will not only equip others to do the work of evangelism but he will lead the way in demonstration.  A new church start is a perfect time to begin to build a “Culture of Evangelism” in the life of the church.  “Equipping the saints for the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12) does not mean to sit in the office and ascend to the pulpit to impart your great knowledge upon those who should be out doing the work of ministry.  One of the most effective ways to equip people is to lead by example!  “Do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5)  Here is a varied list that can help:  Maintain a prospect list by asking others for prospects.  Provide them with cards to gain contact information, build an email list of those with whom you can regularly communicate.  I would not recommend delegating the leadership of evangelism to anyone else.  The pastor needs to lead the people in soul-winning especially in a new church plant.  Provide resources that will help others in their evangelistic efforts.  Make available books on sharing your faith, apologetics, gospel tracts, and pamphlets for everyone that will use them.  Be intentional to prepare the church with evangelism training and vary the times it is available in order to increase accessibility.  Go on an evangelistic short term mission trip ASAP.  Make sure you will be working with good national leaders and doing evangelism with sustainable churches.  There are many cross-cultural church trips today that are not actually mission trips.  However a genuine trip in a part of the world that is especially responsive to the gospel will empower the people with an increased boldness back home.  Extract the opportunities of small group relationships.  Each small group (including Sunday School) should be working the friendships for the sake of evangelism.  Equip the people and go do the work.  No healthy church is built without a lot of hard work but it is the best work on earth.      
5. Establishing Stability - So many churches start with great intentions but the real challenge is finishing well.  While it is certainly possible to over strategize and unintentionally inform God of what we will do, it also should be said that we need to have a plan.  Start with the end in mind.  How will we become established as a church and communicate that stability to the community we are reaching.  Sure flexibility is a must but if you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.  In our culture, and most cultures, part of communicating this stability is expressed by the location of meeting.  When Grace Baptist started we met in an old gymnasium for close to 2 years and we persistently planned, prayed, and put back money for a permanent location.  We were all praying and looking and God led us to a 5 acre plot on the edge of town that we purchased for a small fraction of its appraised value today.  We had no idea what that spot would become but it will soon become one of the busiest thoroughfares in the North DFW metroplex!  The high cost of land makes it difficult for new churches to gain this sense of establishment in a community but we must try.  It will be best if a larger denominational body or network of churches would help with the foresight of buying land in future growth areas while it is still affordable but even if they don’t remember that God owns it all!  Many times we have not because we ask not or we ask the wrong person.  Some of the time we just need to be persistent in our asking.  God owns all the resources in the universe and He loves to give to His children.  Keep seeking, keep asking, keep knocking.  He will give in His time and in His way.  In the meantime, get a plan and work toward it always in a spirit of prayer and total dependence upon our sovereign Lord.  

PULLING THE RIPCORD:

10 Checkpoints of Parachute Church Planting

PART 1

A little background info for me might be helpful.  In 2002 God used me to plant Grace Baptist Fellowship in Celina, TX which I pastored for 8 years.  It is a wonderful congregation that continues to serve Jesus.  God then called me to serve as pastor of Harvey Baptist Church in Stephenville, TX for 4 years.  It is a precious group of people with a heart for the gospel and they celebrated their 100 year anniversary in 2014.  I have worked in East Africa since 2009 doing evangelism, church planting, and pastor training with national leaders of the Baptist Convention of Kenya and this has now become the ministry called Gateway East Africa.  I currently serve as the Director of Missions for the North Texas Baptist Association where I assist churches in Great Commission efforts and I am currently working with 11 churches in various stages of church planting.  I have made every mistake that can be made and I did not know what I was doing much of the time.  God has been gracious and has faithfully guided me through it all.  I hope these thoughts from my experiences may be a helpful contribution to those dedicated to planting churches.

1. Discerning the Call - When I began in 2002 I do not think I had ever heard the terms “parachute planting”, “launch service”, or even “church planting”.  All I knew was that God had called me to start a church because people needed Jesus.  I was in a small town that would soon become a north Dallas suburb and although the growth came slower than expected, I knew it would come.  As a pastor there will be times you will want to quit...and even die.  There are times that the only thing that will keep you faithful to the task at hand is that there was this moment in time whereby you know that you were called by God and His word kindles a fire in your soul that cannot be extinguished.  See also Jeremiah 20 “Then I said, ‘I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.’ But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” (vs. 9)  Planting churches is hard work and you better know God has called you to it.  The roadside ditches are filled with others who did not because they were not.
2. Obtaining Outside Support - I know the term “parachute” may indicate that this is some kind of maverick effort but no matter how independent you may be you still need some level(s) of outside help.  When Grace Baptist began we did not seek outside financial assistance but I had some money in savings. This soon ran out and we had intense struggles that I would not recommend for any pastor and family.  But even then I had outside relationships with a sister church and pastor as well as our local association of churches. I now strongly emphasize in my current roles the importance of a sponsor church and participation in a local association of churches for the sake of encouraging relationships, prayer support, networking for resources, and doctrinal accountability.  You need others and others need you.
3. Building A Core Group - Building leaders and getting the right people in the right positions is one of the hardest parts of pastoring a church.  Beware that there may be some “pioneers” who are veterans in church work who will show up to help.  They will be of great help to you and are usually wonderful people who love Jesus but often they have a hard time letting go of the control they originally had when the church begins to grow.  Love them and move forward but make sure you are also reaching new people with the gospel and training them in sound doctrine.  You will need core group people who will become leaders without a lot of “churchy” background baggage.  The best advice I know regarding who should be leaders in the church is 1 Timothy 5:22, “do not lay hands on anyone hastily.”  Watch them, time will tell you much.
4. Kneeling in Prayer - It is a natural pull to attempt to do the work of ministry in your own ability.  Repent and get on your knees.  This is backbreaking, soul-torturing, and impossible work.  You can’t do it.  Only God can do this and the only way He will pour His power into you is through prayer.  The first couple of months that Grace Baptist started our core group met every day after work for a time of prayer.  That church continues today.  When I went to Harvey Baptist we began special prayer meetings.  We prayed on Saturday mornings and we had all-night prayer meetings from 9pm until 6am.  That church has grown in every way and to this day is one of the healthiest congregations anywhere.  E.M. Bounds was right, “What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men who the Holy Ghost can use - men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.  The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men.”
5. Making a Gospel Presence in the Community - A new church starting in the community is a tremendous opportunity for the pastor to use every meeting and every relationship to introduce himself as the “pastor of the new church”.  Go door to door introducing yourself to your new neighbors and let them know you are here to get to know people and help them in any way possible.  Get an evangelism plan together for  yourself and the core group and start telling people about Jesus.  In less accessible areas have neighborhood cookouts or block parties so that you can work from the inside.  Don't let this just turn into a friendly BBQ only, share with those gathered the reason for this meeting.  Jesus died to save us and rose from the dead and this is why we celebrate.  If you would like to know more about Jesus we are here to help.  Ask people how you may be praying for them, write it down and follow up with them.  Special events, service projects, social media; use every tool available to share the gospel with the people in your community.  You may not see many of those people directly attend your worship services but God will bless your faithfulness in going and He will send people your way.  Be a personal soul-winner and disciple-maker.  Pastor, your people will never go farther than you are willing to go in these most important areas.

REPORT FROM THE KIBERA AND KANGEMI SLUMS 

IN NAIROBI, KENYA

Jambo!  Bwana asifiwe!  This trip was a joint effort of Gateway East Africa and Criswell College with a team of 10 people including Professors Bobby Worthington and Kevin Warstler, Richmond Goolsby, Brandon Autry, Mark Hampton, Darrell Vang, Christian Cook, James Wright, Stephen Raikes, and Valerie Sallee.  This missions effort was unique in that we had 7-8 people doing evangelism everyday while 2 others met with 33 pastors from across Kenya in Ruiru for pastoral training.  Our normal efforts have been to take evangelism teams on one trip and then return for pastoral training but this approach was greatly blessed by God and was dually effective.  

God was very gracious to protect us in our travels and to give us good health the entire trip.  There were a few minor stomach irritations as usual but God’s healing hand was upon us.  I had contracted some type of virus right before we departed which caused an intense eye infection and a few days of fever but even still God gave me the strength to continue and I did not miss one day of work.  All is well now, thanks be to Jesus!

We had a slow start due to the New Year’s holiday but were still able to lead some people to Christ that day and we rejoiced with the new church that is meeting in Kibera.  First Baptist Church Lindi is the new work that has begun meeting and started in a miraculous way.  After I visited there last August Samson Kisia communicated with a few believers who were living there about us coming back to start a Baptist church in January.  They prayed and decided that they better get to work since we were coming back so beginning the first of November they have a pastor and a strong core group of about 15, every one of whom went out witnessing with us the days we evangelized in Kibera.  It was amazing to cooperate with these new believers for the sake of the gospel!  They have already outgrown their small building and have secured a new space which will seat 200.  Brandon Autry preached there Sunday and there were around 50 in attendance!

Each day in the slum of Kibera we found tremendous response to the good news of Jesus and there were over 100 professions of faith each day.  I approached a tomato stand and asked if I could share Jesus with the people gathered.  They welcomed me and I shared and asked for their response.  A woman named Nancy said she had been saved but had backslidden but had now decided for the new year that she would quit running from God and start telling others about the gospel.  When they saw me walking up to the stand she told a man James (who had come to buy tomatoes) that God was sending me to share the truth with him.  After I shared Christ with him James said, “I thought I came to buy tomatoes but I really came to get saved!”  He received Christ along with another lady and we all rejoiced together in God’s amazing grace.

We had great faithfulness by those on our team and they worked hard every day in difficult circumstances leading many people to Jesus.  Bobby Worthington was so excited I thought he might explode as he was in his “element” preaching the gospel to the poor.  Kevin Warstler was especially appreciated by the students we were training in Busia Bible College and also displayed the practicality of the gospel as he also went out to do evangelism.  Darrell Vang had an amazing experience one day as a lady who was a groundskeeper at some type of church in Kangemi was mightily saved.  After sharing the gospel with her and she prayed to receive Christ she then told Darrell that she had been hiding something that had been destroying her life.  She went back to a dark corner and brought back a plastic bag that contained a heroin-type substance and she asked him to dispose of it because she was now set free through Jesus.  He brought it back to me for its disposal and we offered a “burnt sacrifice” but avoided the smoke!  Along with our Kenyan brothers we praised God for His liberating power!

Everyone on our team has miraculous testimonies of seeing God’s mighty hand at work and they will be encouraged by these for a lifetime.  Overall there were about 840 people make professions of faith in Christ with a new church in Kibera and another in Kangemi.  We trained 33 pastors and church leaders from across Kenya in the areas of Bible Exposition, Preaching, Survey of the Pentateuch, and Evangelism.  I was blessed to preach at Ridgeways BC in Nairobi which is pastored by my friend Elijah Wanje.  Each of the people on our trip were able to preach, share their testimony, and lead many people to Christ.   We thank God for His faithfulness and look forward to our soon return to East Africa.  I will be leading an evangelism trip to the Taveta people in south Kenya at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro October 12-24, 2015 and will be returning between now and then to train pastors in the western region of Kenya near Busia.  For more information go to www.gatewayeastafrica.net    Bwana asifiwe!  Praise the Lord!

Onward and Upward,

Richmond Goolsby

Jan. 12, 2015

Preacher, Don't Fear Faces

No prophet has ever spoken more boldly than Jeremiah, and suffered more for it.  He pronounced God's judgment to the nation of Israel in a time when their rebellion was vast.  He delivered thundering words of divine wrath to a people who had prostituted themselves to other gods.  But Jeremiah also declared to them the way to rescue.  He declared many times an authoritative, "Thus saith the LORD" not only in regard to judgment but also regarding God's mercy.  Repeatedly God said to the people that if they would repent and return to Him then He would heal and restore them.  Unfortunately Jeremiah 5:3 records their response, "they have refused to receive correction.  They have made their faces harder than rock."  The guidelines were simple.  Turn away from your sin and trust God. 

Many people today have faces harder than rock.  The seed of God's Word is broadcast across their lives and they will not receive it.  I have seen people get up and walk out while I am preaching.  I have heard numerous things about myself that were untrue.  I have seen people roll their eyes or keep their head down and refuse to look at me while God's Word is presented.  I have seen faces harder than rock.  But in all of this I have experienced nothing like what Jeremiah endured, who was fiercely persecuted for presenting an unpopular message.  I am reminded of what God told Jeremiah at the beginning of His ministry in Jeremiah 1:8, "do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you."  Any preacher worth his salt knows exactly what God meant in this promise to the prophet.  Let all of God's messengers remember that God's rich grace is always sufficient for us, even if some faces to whom we speak are harder than rock.  And to those who have rocky faces (which only reflect a rocky heart), please realize that God's grace and mercy and infinite love are available for you.  Turn away from your sin and trust Christ.  He will exchange your heart of stone with a heart of flesh, and your face will reflect it.

True Saving Grit

       The remake of the John Wayne classic “True Grit” was a masterful modern western starring Beau Bridges in the iconic role of Rooster Cogburn.  There has been much thought and discussion regarding which version was better, or maybe which one has the most grit.  As a connoisseur of the western genre I must say I found each version to have plenty of grit.  But when I consider the deepest meaning of what it is to have “true” grit I find Cogburn to be insufficient.  The ultimate sufficiency of a man with the truest grit comes to us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Luke.  Luke 9:51 says, “when the time had come for Jesus to be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.”  

The city of Jerusalem was a dangerous city for Jesus to enter.  His fiercest opponents were there and controlled much of the city.  The Scribes and Pharisees could lie about Him and manipulate people to oppose Him in that city which was under their leadership.  Jesus and His disciples knew the danger involved with walking right into the center of the trap His enemies had laid out for Him.  And Jesus knew everything that was awaiting Him.  He knew He would be betrayed, falsely arrested, and maligned.  He knew He would be mercilessly beaten and tortured.  He knew He would be scourged and crucified.  And yet knowing that all of this awaited Him in the city of Jerusalem we see that beforehand, “He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.”  Isaiah 50:7 prophesied in the 8th century BC that this day would come.  He delivered these words from the Messiah, “I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.”  Jesus knew all that He would face and yet He set His face like a flint toward it all.  His face was determined as He looked toward the city of Jerusalem.  His face was resolute like an impression chiseled in stone.  His mind was made up that He would fulfill the mission for which He came.  Any calculations or thoughts were already completed and could not change.  There was only one thing left for Him to do:  die to accomplish the mission.  That is true grit.

Why was Jesus so resolute?  Why was He so determined to achieve that which was so difficult?  Why did He have so much grit?  Luke tells us in verse 51, “the time had come for Him.”  This was the God-appointed moment for which Jesus was born.  He did not “come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45) according to the plan which was made “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).  As a matter of fact the plan was settled in His mind before He ever came to earth in that He was the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).  Jesus set His face toward death when He set His face toward Jerusalem.  And what Jesus did that day is not only grit but it is true saving grit.  For He “has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).