Introduction
Creating a specific church culture is a difficult task, but intentionally maintaining it is even more difficult. There are so many intangible factors, but it can be done!
The great commission
Creating a culture of evangelism is part of the call of the local pastor and church leaders. Jesus gave all His followers a clear commission in Matthew 28:19-20 “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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He also gave the church leaders the task of equipping the saints to carry out this commission. Ephesians 4:11-16 “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
The leaders must model evangelism.
But how do the church leaders intentionally create and maintain a culture of evangelism in their church? Where should they begin? A friend once told me that “a fish stinks from the head.” The point of this statement is that if an organization is corrupt, the corruption probably trickles down from the leadership. Similarly, if an organization has a particular culture, it probably comes from the leadership. Thus, it is essential that church leaders model a biblical lifestyle of evangelism. Church leaders must be actively sharing the gospel with others, both at home and abroad. People should see their pastor sharing Jesus. They should hear him recount opportunities for witness. They should witness his confession to failure when he falls short. They should experience the mission field through him and be able to remember him elevating missions passionately. Modeling evangelism not only allows the leaders to participate in the Great Commission, but it gives them credibility when challenging their church to do so. Carefully used, humble and honest references to their struggle to share their faith personally with unbelievers will do much to encourage their congregation.
The leaders must be intentional in creating the culture.
But modeling is not enough! There must be more intentional effort on a corporate level. Depending on the church, its history and its giftedness – there are multiple ways that leaders can intentionally create a culture of evangelism.
Preach evangelism. Preaching must be performative, not just informative. Every quality sermon contains reference to the gospel. But preachers must not stop there. They must also challenge their people to make sharing the gospel a personal endeavor. The great commission is not just for pastors. It is for all believers.
Teach evangelism. Not everyone understands how to share the gospel. This too must be taught. Believers need to be educated in a systematic way on how to do this better. How do I develop relationships with unbelievers? How do I turn conversations toward spiritual concepts? What is the clearest way to share the core truths of the gospel? How should I respond when the message is received? What about when it is rejected? These things must be taught carefully and regularly. I believe healthy churches will prioritize the teaching of evangelism. (Giving the Exchange is an excellent resource for this training.)
Invest in evangelism. People really begin to believe church leaders who sacrifice other priorities to promote evangelism. Quality materials cost money. Evangelistic programs cost time. Many church leaders are not willing to sacrifice other more personally-gratifying endeavors to do the true work of the Master. Intentionally creating a culture of evangelism will cost the ministry, but it is our primary objective!
Celebrate evangelism. Room should be made in the church calendar for testimonies to be shared by those that witnessed to others and by those who were won to faith in Christ. Nothing inspires quite like a real story of spiritual victory and salvation!
Roy is a man in our church who needed a full approach to the gospel in his life. He needed a church culture of evangelism to grow his faith. Roy grew up Catholic. He respected God, thought highly of church, but had no personal relationship with God. Roy first encountered the true gospel through preaching. What he heard from the pulpit was vastly different than what he was used to hearing in church, and it intrigued him. He decided his son needed to hear more of this truth, so he enrolled his son in our Christian school. He and his wife also joined our Giving the Exchange Sunday School class, a semi-annual class on evangelism. It was during this class that Roy began to understand his need for a personal relationship with God through Jesus. After placing his faith in Christ alone, Roy started studying the Word more regularly in discipleship and talking to his work-friends about Jesus. His enthusiasm was contagious and piqued the interest of his friend, Miles. Miles is not a believer, but he started listening and learning from Roy. Roy is turning conversations back to Jesus and is very close to winning Miles to faith in Christ. Roy needed the preaching of the gospel and evangelism to awaken his need for Christ and his friend’s need as well. He needed the teaching of evangelism to gain confidence to share his faith with his friend. He needed the church to provide resources for evangelism and opportunities to invite his friend. And he needed to see other stories of evangelism celebrated to inspire him. Roy is scheduled to be baptized, a major public celebration of his faith and a great opportunity to bring the culture of evangelism “full-circle” to his friends.
Conclusion
Specific culture is difficult to create, and it is also tricky to intentionally maintain. Creating a culture of evangelism in a church takes preaching, teaching, investing, doing, and celebrating evangelism as a way of life for the church!
Brad Stille is the Lead Pastor at First Baptist Church of Wixom, Michigan and serves as an Exchange Trainer. Contact Brad about leading an Exchange Training Event or to discuss this article at [email protected].