Did you know that for the first time, less than 50% of Americans are a member of a local church and the trends show a steady decline. The data also reveals that only 30% of Americans have ever had anyone personally share the Gospel with them. Roughly 90% of American believers have never shared the Gospel with anyone. It’s astonishing. We desperately need the Lord to revive our hearts for evangelism.
The research also demonstrates that when churches place an emphasis on evangelism with an intentional campaign, such as Who’s Your One, the number of Gospel presentations increase. Churches who are consistently praying for the lost also see more professions of faith and baptisms. The Holy Spirit can use an evangelism campaign to arouse our consciousness to the lostness around us, but what is needed is the establishment of a culture of evangelism in our churches. Evangelism must be more than a periodic highlight; it must permeate the DNA of our church and be embedded in our value system.
On October 19th, the North American Mission Board is hosting a webinar for MTSBC churches. The purpose of this training is to teach the principles of building a culture of evangelism and to share some tools to resource our churches. This coincides with a free evangelism kit that NAMB offers to every church. At Refresh, I will have 20 of these kits available for those who will sign up for the webinar. This training will focus on 4 elements of change: Examine, Embrace, Engage, and Encourage.
For a cultural shift to begin, one must honestly EXAMINE themselves and the state of their church. What is unhealthy? Our ministry flows from our soul. As we assess our walk with the Lord, we find the starting point of spiritual renewal. What is missing? What systems are in place to teach evangelism? How is evangelism modeled or practiced? How do we celebrate it? This examination is comprehensive. The next step is to EMBRACE the mission. How will you address the issues that are revealed and tackle the cultural barriers in your community? To change the culture of a church is a monumental task. It is Holy Spirit driven, but a thorough plan must be developed. It takes a commitment to intentional steps and new behaviors must be consistently exhibited. Then, the church must ENGAGE in the process by placing an emphasis on praying for lost souls and sharing the Gospel. The training offers conversation starters and instruction in specific evangelism methods. Finally, we ENCOURAGE the believers. We must build into the lifeblood of our churches moving celebrations of the power of God. The goal is for everyday conversations about Jesus to become a normal part of life. What we celebrate, we replicate.
The NAMB Evangelism Kit will help your church family learn to share their faith with confidence. Go to www.namb.net/evangelism for your free copy. You will find other helpful resources to learn how to share an effective testimony and to start spiritual conversations. A simple google search will reveal dozens of examples of people sharing the Three Circles Gospel Presentation. I also recommend the resources of Time to Revive Ministries. At www.timetorevive.com you will see simple ways to engage people with the Gospel. They are willing to partner with Montana churches to turn the tide. The lostness in Montana is great, but Jesus is mighty to save.
I hope you will join us for the webinar on October 19th at 4pm. A link will be added to www.mtsbc.org in the coming weeks. I am praying for our churches to rediscover a wholehearted devotion to Jesus, a longing for his presence, a passion to live their life of faith with love, and conviction to share their faith earnestly. Evangelism is one of the key components to the revitalization of our churches. Let’s continue to pray that revival will begin in each one of us.
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