I am the dean of a school that focuses on missions and evangelism, but evangelism does not always come easy to me. That is surprising to me now, as sharing my faith was quite easy when I was a young believer. In fact, evangelism was never difficult until I became a pastor - when the multiple tasks of ministry seemed to get in the way of evangelism. The more involved I was in leading my church, the less involved I seemed to become in evangelism.
I since have realized that I must intentionally plan evangelism into my life. I have also learned that I am not the only pastor who has to work to keep evangelism at the forefront of his ministry. For me, doing so includes setting personal goals about evangelism.
I am well aware that setting goals for evangelism makes some people nervous. Some will fear that I am suggesting manipulating others into a "decision" for Christ simply to increase numbers. Others may be concerned that I am reducing non-believers to a project to be completed. Some will think that my approach is too man-centered.
None of these concerns is legitimate, in my opinion. I know that God alone saves, and I agree that we must be careful not to manipulate others into a false sense of spiritual security. I also realize that setting goals can lead to impersonal evangelism and a man-centered focus, but I am not convinced that establishing goals automatically leads there.
What I am suggesting is that we must so love God, so believe the Gospel, and so grieve over a lost world that we do whatever it takes to be obedient to the Great Commission. Perhaps the goals I am recommending here will prove helpful to others, particularly as the North American Mission Board calls us to emphasize God's Plan for Sharing (GPS).
Source: ChurchLeaders.com
Established in Nashville, Tenn., in 1891, LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention is one of the world's largest providers of Christian products and services, including Bibles, church literature, books, music, audio and video recordings, church supplies and Internet services through LifeWay.com. The company also owns and operates 156 LifeWay Christian Stores throughout the United States, as well as two of the largest Christian conference centers in the country. Through its publishing division, B&H Publishing Group, LifeWay has produced one of the most accurate and readable Bible translations ever - the Holman Christian Standard Bible. LifeWay is a religious nonprofit organization that receives no funding from the denomination, and reinvests income above operating expenses in mission work and other ministries around the world. Visit: www.lifeway.com
Leave a comment