Tell
Involving an increasing number of members in intentional, culturally relevant evangelism.
Sharing the good news of Jesus through intentional, culturally relevant evangelism efforts is the responsibility of every believer. Many Christians rarely share their faith because they fear rejection or have a lack of confidence. Pastors and church leaders must take the initiative to provide training, opportunities and experiences to members for the kingdom-growing response of “telling.”This response is often learned best as we model it for others.There are also excellent resources and tools available for equipping and preparing believers to share their faith.
Mobilizing members to become evangelistically active is a major priority for those concerned with fulfilling the Great Commission. Making disciples demands winning souls for Christ.We need a Spirit-directed revival in the area of sharing our faith with those who are lost.This kingdom response is vital to our assignment of “being witnesses” of Jesus in every arena of life. Knowing how to “tell” the gospel message is essential in every mission field, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
The most powerful tool any believer possesses is a personal testimony of his or her salvation. Our story is a valuable resource in presenting the good news of Jesus to others. It is hard to argue with a satisfied customer.Telling others about Jesus in response to His Acts 1:8 Challenge involves not only sharing our story but also sharing His story in culturally relevant ways. Not everyone responds to the gospel in the same way.We need to become aware of the “worldview” of those with whom we share.
As the local church responds to the ministry needs throughout the four mission fields, opportunities will be created for members to share their faith. Responding compassionately to human needs build bridges of relationships and open doors for an evangelistic witness. It is important to remember that sharing the good news of Jesus is the most compassionate activity in which we can be involved.We must be intentional in our evangelistic efforts.
Pastors, staff members, and mission leaders should model telling others about Christ. Offering opportunities for training can promote confidence.Mentoring others in the process of sharing their faith is a very practical and effective model for this response. Following are some helpful ideas and resources to assist you in mobilizing your members to tell His story.
As you read and consider each selection, place in the block the symbol that corresponds with your current or potential use of the idea or resource.
> = Already use idea or resource
* = Implement this idea or resource immediately
? = Consider future use of this idea or resource
Ideas and Resources for Telling in All Fields
__ Excellent evangelistic training tools are available, such as the FAITH Sunday School Evangelism Strategy or The NET: Evangelism for the 21st Century. For information about FAITH, contact LifeWay Christian Resources at (615) 251-2477. To learn more about The NET, visit www.namb.net/evangelism/thenet.
__ Equip believers in your church to be effective witnesses in one day or as little as one hour.The One-Day/One-Hour Witnessing Workshop contains all the materials you need to help believers develop the skills necessary to share their faith with confidence. All the teaching materials are available FREE and can be downloaded from www.namb.net/onedaywitness.
__ Lead members to make a personal commitment to share the gospel. Plan a special soul-winning commitment event such as “On Mission to Share Jesus” Sunday to create an exciting atmosphere for personal involvement. For tips on conducting an “On Mission to Share Jesus” Sunday in your church, call (770) 410-6000, or visit www.namb.net/evangelism.
__ Help the women in your church know how to best share their faith with other women. HeartCall resources are excellent tools to facilitate this.To learn more about HeartCall, visit www.namb.net/evangelism, or call 1 866 407-6262.
__ Involve members in planning and participating in evangelistic block parties either at the church, off campus, or in a neighborhood park. Key ingredients to an effective block party usually include free food, games, prizes and activities for children, a festive atmosphere, and a friendly invitation for all to attend. Balloons, fire trucks, petting zoo, face painting, music, and clowns are excellent for attracting people. Teams may be enlisted to share gospel tracts. A manual titled SEE: The Evangelistic Block Party is available.To order, call the NAMB Customer Service Center at 1 866 407-6262, or visit www.namb.net/catalog.
__ Incorporate an evangelistic emphasis in your church’s recreation ministry through programs such as Upward Basketball®. This is an excellent resource for recruiting players from the community to be involved in sports. An awards banquet can be an effective tool for sharing the gospel at the end of the season with players and parents.To find out more information about Upward Basketball, call 1 800 585-4721, or visit www.upward.com.
__ Enlist athletes in your congregation to participate in “sports evangelism teams.”A number of sports can find a platform for ministry in local prisons and communities. Sports can open doors for sharing the gospel in many international venues as well. For more information about sports evangelism, call 1 800 999-3113 (ext. 1512), or visit www.teamisf.com.
__ Seek out opportunities in your community to provide outreach in special events such as road races, auto shows, arts and craft fairs, and so on.Work with the coordinator of such events to determine what kinds of things your church can do that will afford the opportunity to witness and tell people about your church.
__ Assess the need for a literacy missions ministry in your local community. Provide leadership training and offer literacy and language help, such as English as a Second Language, literacy, and sign-language classes. For help in ascertaining the literacy needs in your community, visit www.namb.net/ccm. For more information about Literacy Missions Ministry, call (770) 410-6360. The “Local Church Literacy Missions Needs Survey” is available by calling (770) 410-6000.
__ Find out if services for adult non-readers and non-English-speaking adults already exist in your community. If not, consider developing a reading and writing ministry for adults or a Conversational English Workshop. For more information, visit www.namb.net/literacy.
__ Enlist students to serve as campus missionaries as a way of reaching secondary school campuses in your community. Students can pray for fellow students and, in some cases, offer student-led Bible studies on campus before or after school. For more information about the Campus Missionary strategy, call (770) 410-6345, e-mail campusmissionary@studentz.com, or visit www.studentz.com/cm.
__ Develop drama ministry teams as an outreach tool for children, students, and adults to share the good news of Jesus. Many drama ministry resources exist. Contact LifeWay Christian Resources (www.lifeway.com) or your local LifeWay store.
__ Use the free Evangelism Planner to assist you in developing a comprehensive evangelism strategy to reach your world. Contact your state evangelism office or the Personal Evangelism Unit at NAMB at (770) 410-6000 to learn how to receive a free copy.
__ Maximize your evangelistic outreach through construction projects by implementing the Baptist Builders Evangelism Strategy.To learn more, visit namb.net/bbuilders, call 1 800 462-8657, e-mail volunteers@namb.net, or contact your state convention construction coordinator.
__ Encourage members to become refugee sponsors or friends through resettlement programs. Members are involved in meeting the physical and spiritual needs of those who have been displaced by war, famine, violence, or persecution. For more information, call (770) 410-6353, or visit www.namb.net/refugee.
__ Enlist members to serve with migrant ministries in your community. For information about involving your church in this type of ministry, contact your local association office or state convention ministry evangelism staff.
__ Locate international students or ethnic language groups in your area and consider providing Bible study classes or perhaps a mission church to reach these groups. Members may also be enlisted to host international students in their homes during the Christmas season. Contact your local association to determine what groups are in your area.
__ Introduce members to the concept of “culturally relevant” evangelism by guiding them to understand various worldviews.The Camel Training Manual offers hope for a new relationship between evangelical Christians and the world’s hundreds of millions of Muslims.To order, visit http://resources.imb.org.
__ Train church leaders and parents to share the gospel with children. Sharing God’s Special Plan with Children Resource Kit includes materials designed to teach adults to recognize when a child is ready to receive Christ and to guide them in sharing the gospel.To order, call 1 866 407-6262, or visit www.namb.net/catalog.
__ A language tutorial resource called “Effective Language Learning: A Story of Hope” is available on DVD (set of 3) from the IMB at http://resources.imb.org.
__ “Tell the Story: A Primer on Chronological Storying,” a resource for telling those who learn by hearing, is available with a study book and CD from the IMB at http://resources.imb.org.
__ A study course for developing church planting movements overseas called “Stimulating and Nurturing Church Planting Movements” is available from the IMB at http://resources.imb.org.
__ Register your church with the Evangelism Response Center (ERC) at NAMB to receive the names and addresses of people who have responded to evangelistic invitations in TV, radio, and print media in your area. Registering allows you to make follow-up contacts to provide affirmation, materials, and ministry outreach.To request a registration packet, contact the ERC at (770) 410-6383, e-mail erc@namb.net, or online at www.erconline.net.
__ Schedule an ERC Telephone Encourager training for your church.Your people will be equipped to receive calls at their own convenience on their own phones from people who are responding to evangelistic invitations in TV, radio, and print media in the United States and Canada.This provides an opportunity for Christians active in witnessing to reach out beyond their own communities. It also provides a way for the homebound, and others whose physical activity may be limited, to be active in church outreach.To request training, contact the ERC at (770) 410-6383, e-mail erc@namb.net, or online at www.erconline.net.
__ Tell everyone you know about sharing Christ through short term missions. Search for projects or post needs on thebridge.namb.net.
__ Tell others about Christ while ministering in a disaster. Visit namb.net for information or contact your state convention disaster relief director.
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