We Are Not Doing What We Know to Do

[Note: A blog posting edited and forwarded–explanation of the two older comments.]

Although my previous blog was titled, “What we are doing isn’t working”, my reflections since writing that piece have led me to conclude that the problem is most likely not what we are doing, but what we are not doing.

To borrow a term common in the church planting movement (with reference to planting churches that will plant churches), we have lost our DNA.   In too many places, the evangelism DNA strand that motivates outreach has been subtly replaced with a self-centered strand.

 The early church had a strong effort in evangelism.  They went everywhere preaching the word.  They could not but speak what they had seen and heard.  They constantly shared the good news of Jesus.  The churches of Christ as recently as 50 years ago had a strong emphasis in evangelism.  Domestic evangelism and foreign missions were emphasized.  Almost every church had an evangelism program of some kind.  Home Bible studies were common–filmstrips and charts, and open Bible studies.  Evangelism training series were taught and Christians attended such series.  At one church where I ministered, almost 10% of the congregation attended a training series.  Later at another church, the number was only 5%, but in both locations, evangelism was boosted.  There was a time when Christians unashamedly invited their friends, neighbors and families to church, and people came.  Churches hosted multiple evangelistic activities and special series.  Gospel meetings declared that the gospel mattered for eternity.  Not only did local churches host events, the members came to the events.  In the early years of my ministry, I remember driving an hour or two to attend gospel meetings and to hear great gospel preaching.  We didn’t go by ourselves–we invited others to go, and we shared sweet fellowship.  Entire youth groups would go together to hear gospel preaching.

Some of the details of what a local church can do have changed, but there are many good ways to bring people to Jesus at the beginning of the 21st century.  Up until about 15 years ago, Jan and I set up all the home Bible studies we could handle simply by contacting and inviting Bible study with those who visited our services.  This included spouses and family members of members, visitors, newcomers to the community, and others who visited the church on special occasions.  Now we have fewer visitors.  Why?  Perhaps there is less interest, but I am confident that one reason we have fewer visitors is that we issue fewer invitations.

Gospel meetings can be effective–if we make a concerted effort to make certain non-Christians and unbelievers are present.  Perhaps our greatest problem is that we are no longer certain about who is saved and who is lost.  Those outside of Christ are lost.  People who are not faithfully living for Jesus are lost.  A majority of those we know are lost.  Since the Lord could come at any time, it is time for us to get serious.

Some churches spend one night per week (often Monday) engaged in activities focused on outreach and evangelism.  Some churches use this time for activities that are inwardly focused, but the churches that are growing use this night primarily to reach out.  Some churches use focused (not random) benevolent programs to reach unbelievers effectively.  The list could be continued beyond the length available here.

What do these efforts share in common?  An emphasis and desire to reach the lost.  Churches that know that the folks without Christ are lost, churches that focus on reaching those folks, are still succeeding in bringing the lost to Jesus.