There are between 350,000 and 400,000 churches in the United States. Imagine if every one of these communities of believers was equipping each congregation member to share their faith in natural ways?
Sadly, the vast majority of churches aren’t engaged meaningfully in outreach. A small percentage of churches are seeing people come to faith in Jesus on a regular basis. An even smaller number are discipling these new believers into Christian maturity.
I have the honor of talking with top evangelism leaders, denominational executives and pastors around the world, and I keep hearing similar themes. Almost every church leader desires to see healthy growth through people coming to faith in Jesus. Most of them live with ongoing disappointment in this area of their church ministry.
I’d like to clarify some of the primary roadblocks to consistent and effective outreach in the local church, and suggest a practical step for each to begin reversing this trend of loss in evangelistic fervor.
Catering to Past Generations Over the Next Generation
Too many local churches are fixated on who is already in the church family, and they spend most of their time, energy and money caring for people who already have “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 1:3). I get it. These people pay the bills. They have invested their lives in building the church. They have needs on many levels. We should be caring for them.
But their children and grandchildren need to become the church of today (not tomorrow). We need to reach the next generation of young people who are already in our church but might permanently leave for good if we don’t embrace their needs, answer their questions, and speak their language. In addition, younger people who are not in the church desperately need Jesus, and a whole new generation is coming up that is spiritually curious and hungry.
So evaluate everything you do as a church through the eyes of younger people. Ask yourself and your church board members, Do we love the next generation as much as we love our faithful, long-term members? Are we welcoming spiritually hungry young people?
And dare to ask the younger generations in your church, How are we doing embracing you and your friends? What can we do to be a church for people under 50, 40, 30 and 20? Then, hold to your theology and doctrine firmly and change whatever needs to be changed to be a church for the next generation.
Focusing on Programs Over Culture Change
When a church does seek to dip its toes into evangelistic activity, it is normally focused on some outreach program or event. They engage in a one-time effort to invite people to church, or plan a program to attract spiritual seekers. This is actually good and valuable, and churches should try lots of things. Outreach magazine is a fantastic source of ideas and tools for doing exactly this.
But programs, events and outreaches will often fall flat when there isn’t a deep love for lost people. I often say, “When the church culture is unhealthy, almost every outreach effort fails. But when a church culture is loving, grace-filled and embracing of lost people who are spiritually seeking, almost anything we try will bear fruit.”
So begin with the culture. Make sure you are becoming a body of Jesus followers who love the lost and will sacrifice your wants and comfort for the sake of reaching people who need to encounter the Savior. Culture change is way harder than putting on a one-day outreach event or planning a new program that might connect with spiritual seekers. Transforming the culture of a local church normally takes 16 to 18 months of relentless infusion of learning, inspiration, accountability and outreach planning among your key church leaders. To change the direction and heartbeat of a church from inwardly focused to fixated on the mission of Jesus demands relentless prayer, action and equipping.
Prioritizing Discipleship Over Evangelism
Many congregations invest a great deal of time, energy and finances into discipleship. We want to see believers grow in Jesus and become more like the Savior. We hunger to see spiritual maturity in the lives of our church members, so we add Bible studies, growth opportunities, Life Groups for fellowship, and a host of ways that Jesus followers can grow up in faith. This is needed, valuable and good. Keep doing this.