Evangelism: getting the church ready

Evangelism is team work uniting the local church, the pastor, and the evangelist.

Ron Halvorsen is director of church growth for the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and an evangelist.

Jesus had but one mission on earth, and that mission was to seek and to save the lost. He found Zacchaeus on a sycamore tree, went home with him to lunch, and won him to salvation. He saved him in the face of criticism from the people and defended His action by saying, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you" (John 20:21). It was Christ's purpose to use His disciples to win the world to Himself.

Paul, the warrior of the cross about to suffer martyrdom, counseled young Timothy and all the other young Timothys to follow: "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; re prove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.... But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry" (2 Tim. 4:1, 5).

When Hannibal died, the Carthaginians placed an inscription on his tomb: "He was very much needed in battle." Today we must write those words on the tablets of our hearts. You and I as Christian ministers are very much needed in battle.

Evangelism a passion

Evangelism must be a passion before it can become a program. It was the passion of Moses: "Oh, this people have sinned.. .. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin ; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written" (Ex. 32:31, 32). It was the passion of Jesus: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ... how often would I have gathered thy children" (Matt. 23:37). It was the passion of Paul: "Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel" (1 Cor. 9:16). It was the passion of John Knox: "Give me Scotland lest I die." It was the passion of David Brainerd, who cried out for the North American Indians while coughing up blood in the snow.

Where such passion exists, evangelism is not merely an option for the minister or for the church. It is a necessity--a costly necessity.

There has always been a cost. Re member the story of the four friends of the paralytic--how they tried to reach Jesus by tearing up the roof to get to Him? Someone had to pay for the roof; it is a costly business.

When we talk about the primacy of evangelism as a passion and not a pro gram, we come naturally to Jesus' Magna Charta of evangelism: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18, 19). The declaration underscores three things concerning the primacy of evangelism: it is historical, biblical, and practical.

Historical

Jesus at the crib. New Testament evangelism began at the crib--not with a committee meeting or in a church. It began in a shepherds' field, not in a cathedral. It began with the cry of a cherub, not with the cry of a cleric. An gels proclaimed His birth--a crusade in the night--with music, singing, proclamation, and announcement. Good news in a dark night of Roman humanism, Jewish legalism, and zealots' fanaticism. God brought the evangelistic word from a crib.

Jesus as a child. The history of New Testament evangelism continues in the voice of the child, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49). Our Lord knew the direction He must go in the work that His Father had given Him to do.

A Michigan businessman loved to hunt. The only problem was that he always got lost. At his birthday party the staff decided to get him a pocket compass to take with him. But the next time he went hunting, he got lost again. When asked why he didn't use the compass, he said, "It couldn't be trusted. When I headed out for the north, the needle kept shaking and shifting and pointing to the southeast."

It's easy for ministers and churches to get lost in the perplexities of life, to confront situations again and again in which we don't know which way to go in evangelism. The Word can be a compass to keep us moving in the right direction.

We are counseled that "evangelistic work, opening the Scriptures to others, warning men and women of what is coming upon the world, is to occupy more and more of the time of God's servants."1

Jesus as a man. All His life Jesus knew why He came into this world. One thing occupied His mind--the saving of the world. Evangelism was in the miracles He performed, in the words He spoke, in the love He shared. He revealed keen interest in men and women, and desired their salvation. His every waking moment was filled with activity. The saving of souls was His primary task.

Jesus on the cross. Even on the cross He took an evangelistic interest in a thief and offered him salvation. He presented the good news of salvation as He hung there.

The early church. First there were 120 believers, then 3,000, then 5,000, then members were added to the church daily. The church multiplied until it became a myriad. Everywhere the evangelistic voice was heard. The growth of the early church resulted from the primacy of evangelism. Within 10 years of Christ's death the gospel reached Alexandria and Antioch, the greatest cities in Africa and Asia Minor. It may have even reached Rome.

Biblical

Verbs meaning "evangelize" are used 52 times in the New Testament, including 25 times by Luke and 21 times by Paul. "Evangelize" means to announce or pro claim or bring good news. The Septuagint sometimes uses these words to speak of a runner coming with news of victory. In the Psalms they are used twice to pro claim God's faithfulness and salvation.

In the context of Jesus' Magna Charta of evangelism (Luke 4:18, 19), to evangelize is to preach, proclaim, and set at liberty. Announcement and action can not be separated. Evangelism is not just theology; it is a deed. It is bringing good news. It is powerful preaching, stilling the storm, casting out demons, raising the dead, and exhibiting powerful signs and wonders. It is proclamation as well as demonstration.

Practical

Evangelism works. After 130 crusades and over 5,000 souls won--I can testify that it works! It changes lives. It radically transforms the lives of people gang members, drug addicts, prostitutes, drunkards, businesspeople, and professionals.

Evangelism is practical. Its message speaks of God's love, grace, and salvation. When the evangelist preaches Jesus Christ, His preexistence, the virgin birth, the perfect life, the perfect death, the perfect resurrection, and the perfect coming, he offers a message of hope.

Methodology

Although evangelists do much of the training of members for the work ahead and most of the preaching, teaching, and getting decisions pastors are the key to the coordination and implementation of an evangelistic program. They know the members and their talents. They perceive the needs and problems of the community. They organize the committees. Both before and after the crusade, they get evangelism going and keep it going.

In the 130 crusades I have held through the years, I have never known of a successful meeting without a team effort. When the pastor or pastors concerned do not get involved fully with the crusade, the inevitable result is fewer converts.

God always blesses in spite of us, but much more could be accomplished with the full cooperation of the pastors. "One man usually performs the labor which should be shared by two; for the work of the evangelist is necessarily combined with that of the pastor, bringing a double burden upon the worker in the field." 2

The following is an outline of how the pastor and the evangelist must plan the strategy for successful evangelism.

I. Meet with board members (one year in advance).

          A. Present and discuss plans, goals, and expectations of the members.

          B. Commit members on the plan.

          C. Decide on location, dates, and time for the crusade.

II. Formulate committees.

          A. Finance (one year prior to crusade).

               1. Formulate budget.

               2. Set up bank- account.

               3. Collect and deposit funds and offerings.

               4. Prepare weekly financial report.

               5. Control spending.

               6. Monitor accounts payable and accounts receivable.

               7. Submit final statement to conference.

          B. Public relations (six months prior to crusade).

               1. List zip code areas for mailing of brochures.

               2. Place announcements in bulletins of all churches involved.

               3. Arrange with post offices to schedule mailing.

               4. Provide advertising for the rally day: posters and flyers.

               5. Produce drug mobile pro gram promotion, including radio/television interviews.

          C. Platform (three to four months prior to crusade).

               1. Prepare platform decorations.

               2. Assign welcome, announcements, and prayer.

               3. Promote punctuality and smooth flow of the program.

               4. Choose platform participants.

          D. Public address.

               1. Set up system.

               2. Record sermons.

               3. Provide for control and care of sound equipment.

               4. Check on number and condition of microphones each night prior to meeting.

          E. Transportation.

               1. Organize the routes.

               2. Secure bus/van drivers.

               3. Prepare schedules and dis tribute them to various churches.

          F. Nursery.

              1. Organize nightly programs.

              2. Secure personnel.

              3. Purchase materials needed for programs.

              4. Train personnel in diction, behavior, and attitude.

         G. Greeters and hosts/hostesses.

              1. Prepare materials for hand outs.

              2. Prepare for distribution and collection of nightly coupon booklets.

              3. Greet people.

              4. Prepare Bible distribution.

         H. Prayer warrior team.

              1. Set prayer breakfast.

              2. Prepare monthly prayer letter.

              3. Select church coordinators.

              4. Organize prayer bands during crusade.

              5. Distribute prayer warrior manuals.

              6. Advertise prayer warrior program.

              7. Distribute praying-hand pins.

        I. Ushers.

              1. Usher people to seats.

              2. Help with crowd control.

              3. Collect offerings.

              4. Distribute special materials.

        J. Interest and visitation.

              1. Collect names of interests and missing members from church pastors.

              2. Organize typists for entering names into the computer.

              3. Distribute printouts of interests at each workers' meeting during crusade.

              4. Organize visiting teams.

              5. Register decisions into computer data base.

III. Countdown program.

          A. Rally.

             1. Unifies the church, spiritualizes the people, and motivates the membership to invite friends and to plan to attend the crusade.

              2. To include evangelistic singing, preaching, video interviews of the community, and video highlights of the previous crusade.

           B. Prayer breakfast.

               1. Organize on Sunday morning of the rally weekend.

               2. Invite members to become prayer warriors.

               3. Give participants a prayer syllabus, praying hands pin, and prayer request cards.

            C. Training.

               1. Making Friends Seminar: See Mark Finley's video on making bridges into the community.

              2. Practical Prayer Seminar: teaches members the fundamental principles of praying effectively for the salvation of souls.

                      a. Praying in the context of the will of God.

                      b. Types of prayer.

                      c. Holy Spirit's involvement in prayer.

                      d. Prayer of thanksgiving.

                      e. Prayer as a tool to decision getting.

                3. Telephone ministry.

                      a. Training members.

                      b. Organizing telephone use to distribute literature and generate inter est in prophecy.

                      c. Training to make the final call back and to dis tribute reserve tickets for opening night.

                4. Small groups serendipity training.

                      a. All participating churches should organize these friendship study groups.

                      b. All converts are encouraged to belong to one of these groups.

                      c. Group leaders are given a one-night-a-week, sixweek training program on small group ministry.

                 5. Witness.

                       a. Teaching members to share Jesus in a nonthreatening way with others.

                       b. Training on giving Bible studies.

                       c. Sharing simple testimonies.

Summary

Evangelism must be a priority in pastoral ministry because it is historical, biblical, and practical. "If every watch man on the walls of Zion had given the trumpet a certain sound, the world might ere this have heard the message of warning. But the work is years behind. While men have slept, Satan has stolen a march upon us." 3 The challenge for leadership today is to create caring teams of pastors and evangelists cooperating together in the proclamation of the gospel. It's high time to put evangelism back in its proper perspective.

1 Ellen G. White, Evangelism (Washington,
D.C.:Review and Herald Pub.Assn., 1946), p. 170.

2 Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church
(Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948),
vol. 4, p. 260.

3 Ibid.., vol. 9, p. 29.


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Ron Halvorsen is director of church growth for the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and an evangelist.

January 1993

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