The work of evangelism remains a challenge for the church. How do we reach out to the world around us? What sorts of programs do we use? Some suggest that we need to bring the church to the world. We need to tailor the church to seekers. But our strategy ought to be different! We need to bring the world to the church! In the parable of the great banquet, the master says to the servant: “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled!” (Luke 14:23).

We may be grateful for the projects that have been initiated in our churches. Over the years with increased opportunities in our church life, congregations have been developing and organizing structured evangelism programs. However, there’s still some disagreement concerning the way this is to be done. How do we become a missionary people? In this editorial I will offer a few suggestions with regard to the programs that churches should develop for outreach and evangelism which grew out of discussions with students in our course on evangelistics at the Theological College.

Planning⤒🔗

First, programs should exhibit adequate planning and preparation. Evangelism activities should not be done on a whim, but should be the result of a careful planning process. It is not a matter of loosely scattering some seeds, but of a prepared and structured approach to previously established target groups, incorporating at the same time a detailed follow-up plan. For example, church evangelism workers should divide the community into various neighbourhoods or sections, and then plan a projected set of activities for each defined neighbourhood.

Supervision←⤒🔗

Furthermore, channels for supervision and oversight should be set in place. Here I am not referring to the supervision of the consistory over the church’s organized evangelism programs, although that too is an important element in the process. I refer here to the team of workers who plan the activity from inception to follow-up. When members of the church retain control over the program, then you are not bringing the church to the world, but bringing people of the world to the church! There’s no doubt that in the process one will meet with negative words and even at times unacceptable behaviour. But with members of the church controlling the program, they will pastorally deal with these sorts of situations as they arise.

Assigning Tasks←⤒🔗

Third, we need to retain some forms of division of labour in our approaches. Donald McGavern, who spearheaded the church growth movement at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, distinguished between sodalities and modalities. The sodality represented a mission team designed to win and bring people into the church. The modality was the corporate or group structure of the church that received the new members and made them feel welcome in the flock. I question whether we need such an elaborate distinction, but the blueprint itself is worth considering: we need frontline people and then a group of backups – helpers and assistants, receivers and welcomers.

This is especially the case in today’s culture. Invariably in evangelism, people are going to come across serious social problems. In fact, some target groups, such as, for example, inner city neighbourhoods, will have a very high incidence of social, economic, and psychological problems: alcoholism, broken homes, marriage problems, youth rebellion, and so on. In a book published towards the end of his ministry, Rev. J. Arnold of Amersfoort, Holland raised the question: how do we deal with these sorts of situations in our evangelism efforts? ¹ These problem situations are more common than ever in today’s modern city. He suggested that we need support agencies to help deal with these situations. You cannot just tell people about the gospel and leave them with their broken homes, or broken marriages and families. You also do not help the situation by simply giving money to these people.

Behind our “frontline workers” we need congregations which have organized support groups who meet regularly and who are ready to provide diaconal and spiritual assistance to problem afflicted situations. The outreach church is a diaconal church!

Promote Involvement!←⤒🔗

As a fourth point, churches should vary their chosen target groups according to the gifts and opportunities existing in the congregation. Often churches are content to carry out a particular pamphlet blitz in the neighbourhood of the church building. That is then regarded as the extent of the evangelism effort for another season. But we need more than a pamphlet blitz, although they have their place. Specifically chosen target groups need follow-up, and invitations to programs held at the church should provide an additional pull for outsiders. Hosting discussion evenings on relevant social topics will also trigger greater community involvement. The real question here is: are we making use of the talent in the congregations, especially among those who have more time and opportunity to be involved in these activities?

Follow-Up←⤒🔗

Further, the church’s outreach agencies need to be channels of healing and support as well. An evangelism team will be sure to have a network of backup people to whom difficult situations can be referred: a lawyer, a doctor’s office, social workers, and so on. With the announcement of the Word of life comes the will and desire to bring healing in life. To be sure, all churches are limited by budget constraints, broader obligations, and limited resources. But a caring church in a given community looks not only to the immediate neighbours (although they are included) but to the community as a whole. It asks the question: with the opportunities given to us and the resources we share, how can we be a light in this community, and with the Word, provide help in the best possible way?

Target groups take on all forms and shapes today. Some are culturally conditioned, others socially conditioned. However, generally speaking, we have a more literate and articulate society than generations gone by. Both on our front lines and in our follow-up teams we need people who are “ready to give an answer to anyone who asks concerning the hope that is in you” and yet doing that “with reverence and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). Our follow-up outreach requires people who will be able to interact with questions, oppositions, rebuttals, challenges, and so on. Paul says: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). Should not a component of our pre- and post-confession training also include a unit on how to interact with your neighbour in the world on the issues of the gospel?

Already in the thirties, J. Gresham Machen, the central figure surrounding the formation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, used the techniques of apologetic, argument and interaction in his radio addresses designed to reach outsiders. ² Since his day we can point to a flood of literature dealing with defending the Christian faith against its “cultured despisers” or its implicitly prejudiced rejecters. ³ Leading figures in this area were C.S. Lewis and F. Schaeffer (among others), and while in some respects one may dispute their approach and methods, they developed and also assisted others in developing the gifts of convincing opponents and refuting errors according to the principles of the Word of God. ⁴

Being communicators of the word of life takes skill and training. Should not our societies, Bible study groups and youth clubs, long devoted to training our members in knowledge, maturity and understanding, also serve as forums to develop the skills of discussion, interaction, and debate in dealing with the “outsiders” God puts on our path?  (1Thessalonians 4:5).

God Gives the Growth←⤒🔗

Lastly, programs need to be evaluated in terms of their results. We know it is never a matter of numbers in evangelism. Opposition to the gospel also implies that numbers may decline. Sometimes people leave after being a part of the church for a brief period. They become critical and dissatisfied. We cannot hide the antithesis of the gospel. Indeed, the message is specifically for those who by God’s grace can become like children, Matthew 18:4. However, at times our own programs can put up hindrances for people to remain in the church.

We do not need to bring the church to the world but the world to the church. However, in doing so, the church is and can be an accommodating people. That is something different than being a compromising people. Paul became a Jew to the Jews and a gentile to the gentiles, “all things to all people,” in order, as he says “that I might win some” (1 Corinthians 9:16). While retaining our Reformed identity we can and ought to introduce such adaptations in evangelism settings that facilitate bringing people a message they can understand and to which they can relate.

Forbearance←⤒🔗

Evangelism is a challenging task, fraught with a good deal of danger, disappointments and trials. Finding one’s way is not always easy in uncharted waters. But we do make progress if in these areas we strive to be a hand and a foot to each other, and avoid entanglements which only foster an “ingrown” spirit. The church of Pentecost had the “goodwill of all the people” (Acts 2:47). Should not the Pentecost church of today strive for the same goal?