Bringing the Church to the Unchurched: Bridging the Gap

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Bringing the Church to the Unchurched Bridging
the Gap

• Presented by Kimberly Adams, Ciara Cunningham,
  Esteban Trujillo

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Purpose

• Provide evangelistic tools to better equip the
  church body in reaching the unchurched!

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Our Great Commission

• Go therefore 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 that I have commanded you
  always to the end of the age (Matt. 2819-20
  NRSV).

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Methods

• Inspire and Encourage

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How do you inspire your congregation to reach out
to the world? How do you encourage your
congregation to connect with the unchurched?
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Empower the Church to Love the Unchurched

• Develop and share a passion for the lost.
• Ask thought-provoking questions
• Do I love as Christ loved?
• Do I treat others the way I would treat Christ?

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Analyze the Congregation

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of your
  congregation?
• What gifts do those in your congregation possess?
• Outreach Strategy Questions
• http//www.missionevangelism.org/outreach_question
  s.html

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Spiritual Gifts Survey

• God has provided each of us with a unique
  personality and unique gifts for a particular
  reason!
• The congregation should be aware of their gifts,
  so a spiritual gifts survey is important
• Every gift has an evangelistic purpose.

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Styles of Evangelism

• Our gifts incline us to certain styles of
  evangelism
• There are at least seven styles of evangelism
• What are some ways each of these areas can be
  utilized in the church?
• Invitation, Body, Story-telling, Persuasion,
  Bible Study, Compassion, Hospitality

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Linking Gifts with Styles

• Those with specific gifts prefer certain styles
  of evangelism
• Gifts of leadership and language prefer
  Invitation evangelism
• Gift of leadership prefer body life evangelism
• Gift of leadership prefer story telling
  evangelism
• Gift of mercy prefer persuasion evangelism
• Gift of mercy and teaching prefer bible study
  evangelism
• Gift of giving prefer compassion evangelism
• Gift of mercy prefer hospitality evangelism

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Utilize Your Churchs Current Ministries

• How can the ministries already set in place be
  used as a way to reach out to the lost and
  increase the level of outreach?
• Music ministry, Sunday school classes,
  greeters/ushers, youth ministry, children's
  ministry

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Lead Seminars on How to Connect with the
Unchurched

• A few ideas for seminar topics
• Fear of evangelism, resistance to evangelism,
  the heart and life of the unbeliever, common
  questions, postmodern beliefs, secular worldviews
• Nazarene website on evangelism has valuable
  resources for teaching evangelism.
• www.missionevangelism.org

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Missionevangelism.org

• Includes questions and answers pastor and laity
  have concerning evangelism
• Evangelistic Bible Study Material
• Topics include witnessing, telling your story,
  Enlarging the Family of Faith

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Enlarging the Family of FaithBible Study
Material

• Builds on gifts and talents of the congregation,
  rather than merely giving programming ideas
  helps believers know how to minister in the
  community and the workplace
• 4 training sessions
• 6 bulletin inserts
• 4 sermon outlines
• 6 lessons to use with children
• 13 Follow-Up sessions
• Participants and leaders guide

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Important Tips

• Emphasize evangelism consistently and constantly
  by preaching evangelistic services
• Live it out through your actions
• Take a Work and Witness Trip
• Offer accountability groups
• Schedule evangelism into your calendar
• Encourage Sunday school classes to hold an
  outreach event every other month

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We are connecting the church with the unchurched.
We are not just trying to reach them. We must
be diligent in discipling and encouraging new
members. Follow-up is essential to this
ministry!
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Opportunities to Engage in Conversation

• Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in
  heaven over one sinner who repents than over
  ninety-nine righteous persons who need no
  repentance (Luke 157).

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Be Available Publicly

• Attend public meetings
• Give lectures in schools or other places
• Open up the church to public events

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Equip the Body for Ministry

• It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to
  be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to
  be pastors and teachers, to prepare Gods people
  for works of service, so that the body of Christ
  may be built up (Eph. 411-12 NIV).

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Survey the Community

• What does your community need?
• What can your church do to help?

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Persuasive Evangelism

• Ways to conduct persuasive evangelism
• Hold Seminars
• Offer Spiritual Counseling
• Conduct Evangelistic Meetings

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Relational Evangelism

• Ways to promote relational evangelism
• Personal Contacts
• Start a Coffee Shop in your Church
• Provide outreach programs such as mentoring or a
  hospital volunteer

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Invitational Evangelism

• Offer events at the church to promote
  invitational evangelism
• Easter and Christmas Events
• Concerts
• Revival
• Dinners
• Picnic/Play day

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Compassionate Evangelism

• These are some ways to get involved in
  compassionate evangelism
• Survey of the community
• Daycare
• Food/clothing shelter
• Volunteer day

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Intellectual Evangelism

• Ways to include intellectual evangelism
• Class/Discussion time with visitors or new
  members
• Informational Guidelines

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Church-based Evangelism

• Ways to get involved in church-based evangelism
• Survey the needs of the congregation
• Spiritual Gifts of congregation

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Bible Study Evangelism

• Resources for Bible study evangelism
• Sunday School
• Small Groups (On/Off site)

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Prayer Evangelism

• Different types of prayer evangelism
• Prayer meetings
• Prayer Request Cards
• Prayer Requests in Bulletin
• Prayer Chain

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DramaA Resource for Evangelism Follow my
example, as I follow the example of Christ.1
Corinthians 111
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Objectives of Drama

• Reminds the pastor of the importance of
  evangelism
• Gives a biblical view of the Christian role in
  evangelism
• Helps create possible evangelistic scenarios with
  different responses
• Provides a visual aid

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Objectives Continued

• To help pastors engage in conversation about ways
  to improve evangelistic efforts in their local
  congregations
• Gives pastors creative ways to motivate their
  congregations to evangelize

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Why Drama is an effective Evangelistic Resource?

• Helps communicate gospel truths to both the
  believer and unbeliever
• Uses story-telling evangelism
• Breaks through cultural barriers
• Speaks to a modern, visually minded culture

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Drama/ Skits

• Great Commission Christian
• Getting It Done
• (Both dramas courtesy of www.dramashare.org)

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Exercises

• Split participants into groups and perform the
  skits for another group
• Discuss how you can use this tool and other
  creative ways to share the gospel with the
  communities surrounding your local congregation

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Evangelistic Drama Web Resources

• www.dramashare.org
• www.nailscar.com
• http//ied.gospelcom.net
• www.actupforjesus.com
• www.stuff4church.org

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Let Christ do His work through the Church

• Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more
  than all we ask or imagine, according to His
  power that is at work within us, to Him be glory
  in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all
  generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Eph.
  320-21 NIV).