Evangelism and Culture

Inside the Nov/Dec 2012 Issue

Evangelism and Culture

What ever happened to evangelism? According to LifeWay Research, 61 percent of evangelical Christians haven’t shared their faith in the last six months, even though they agree it’s their responsibility. Statistics don’t always tell the whole story, but we suspect that few church leaders would argue with that finding.

Francis Chan believes the culprit for our evangelistic anemia is our own awkwardness around people who don’t believe the same things we do. He has also said, “If you can count on one hand all the nonbelievers you know, well, you’re not even trying.” Out of this conviction, he started engaging the lost in his community with much more purpose and compassionate intensity, an initiative he relates in this Outreach. This special issue is filled with stories and practical features intended to inspire a resurgence of evangelistic passion, and to help you engage your culture with the life-changing message of the Gospel.

Don’t Miss

What Ever Happened to Evangelism?

How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?

Larry Osborne: Staying on Message

How-To: 2 principles, 7 detours and 1 irrefutable argument

Tim Keller: A Vision for the City

Meeting the challenge of evangelism in urban areas

Mark Batterson: The Interview

The senior pastor of National Community Church on influencing culture from Washington, D.C.

ALSO: Francis Chan on compassionate evangelism; John Polkinghorne on physics and faith; 6 Christian leaders on what it takes to tell the story and live out the truth; and more

Plus, in Each Issue of Outreach

PULSE: We take the pulse of outreach today as we report on what churches are doing to connect with their communities.

IDEAS: Church-tested ideas for seasonal and targeted ministries for any church, any size

VOICES: Trends and commentary on culture, faith and thought

COLUMNS: Perspective on outreach from Ed Stetzer, Dan Kimball, Bobby Gruenewald, Brad Powell and Mark DeYmaz.

James P. Long
James P. Longhttp://JamesPLong.com

James P. Long was formerly the editor of Outreach magazine and the author of a number of books, including Why Is God Silent When We Need Him the Most?

Ohio Church Makeover

This move would not only give them room to grow, but also would enable them to do a lot more to fulfill their mission of being a church focused on “building the kingdom, one life at a time.”

How Much Tech Do You Actually Need?

Because you cannot do this alone, you are going to have to trust the right individuals who know more about tech than you do. Your calling is to shepherd. Do that.

Gene Appel: Do Less Ministry; Reach More People

None of the programs at our church were bad in and of themselves. The volume of it just prevented us from being focused on building relationships with those who are far from God. So, we had to do less ministry to reach more people. It sounds funny, but people had to be trained in how to do life with nonbelievers or people spiritually disinterested.