Reaching new people – regardless of wherever they are at in their faith – should always be the norm of our churches. In Matthew 28, Jesus tells us to “Go into all the world…” not to wait for people to come to us. Evangelism, therefore, should always be in our hearts. Here are three things that will help create a culture of evangelism in your church. 1. Reaching people is recognized a Kingdom culture Regardless of what congregation you’re a part of, and regardless of what country and culture you live in, reaching people should be a part of our culture. It’s our job as Christians to represent Jesus, and Jesus’ heart was always for people. Evangelism is a Kingdom-culture.
2. Everyone is welcome.
What’s the experience of a new person at your church? It’s so important that every person who walks inside your church knows that they are welcome. The Gospel is for every one -- and to make any implication that anyone could be shunned for the way they dress or the way they move is a disservice to the Gospel that we are called to serve. The reality is, a lot of people love God and want to be more engaged with God, but they are not sure about the Church. If we’re going to be the Church, we need to represent Jesus. We need to be motivated by love and allow people to get plugged into healthy community, not create religious barriers that hold them back. 3. The congregation is able to preach the Gospel. The reality is, not everyone is called to be an Evangelist in the mold of Billy Graham or Reinhard Bonnke – but we are all called to be witnesses. We can’t necessarily cross oceans to reach people, but we can cross the street and say hello to our neighbor. Equip yourself to reach people however you can. The Word is not just something to heard on Sundays but is all the more something that can be applied in everyday lives Monday to Saturday. People in an evangelistic church make the most of their sphere of influence, and understands that they are to be open to what the Holy Spirit wants to do in and through them.
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London, 1743.
"Messiah", a musical masterpiece by George Frideric Handel, was about to be performed in England for the very first time. The Biblical narrative put into music and harmony filled the air of the auditorium that day, slowly weighing over those who hear it: nobles, important members of Parliament, businessmen, even the King of England himself. As the first notes of the triumphant Hallelujah Chorus rang out, the king was so moved that he rose to his feet and stood as a gesture of honor. And as the people found the monarch standing up, everyone in the audience also followed suit and started standing up. Soon, the entire host was standing as the be series of Hallelujahs filled the auditorium. It would soon become a custom for future audiences all across the world to stand whenever the Chorus is performed. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Love is a universally-accepted thing. It is something every person—man or woman, Christian or Muslim, atheist, agnostic or otherwise—strives to obtain. Love is something we all know about and yearn for.
To love at all is a privilege, and we think it’s an amazing privilege that the presence of love for one another is what Christ intended to be the main distinctive of the Church. But nowadays, the terms “Christian” and “love” somehow to do not necessarily intertwine that much anymore. The world would even more likely relate Christians with rules, bigotry and even hypocrisy. In as much as we deny, we would find these tags more or less true, hurtful to our egos as it may be. If we’re claiming that Christ is real, if we’re claiming that He indwells in us – which is a radical claim – then we ought to look different. We ought to live lives so exceptional that one is left without a natural explanation. Now, all of us could go find ourselves a mirror, stare at ourselves at the face and ask: "Is this even possible?". Somehow, we know that left to our own capacity, the love we could extend would only be limited to our own selfish interest. |
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