"This is our problem of methodology today. Well-intended ceremonies, programs, organizations, commissions, and crusades of human ingenuity are trying valiantly to do a job that can only be done by the people in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is not to deprecate these noble efforts, for without them, the church could not function as she does. Nevertheless, unless the personal mission of the Master is vitally incorporated into the policy and fabric of all these plans, the church cannot function as she should. ... When will we realize that evangelism is not done by something, but by someone? ... that is why we must say ... 'men are God's method'."
(Excerpt from "The Master Plan of Evangelism" by Robert E. Coleman)
I'm no longer surprised when I hear that local churches here are hosting a 'Holy Ghost Healing Crusade' or a 'Come-to-Jesus Expo: 2011'. Models of 'ministry' like this are easier to get behind when a spiritual maturity in the church body is lacking. That statement sounds harsh. "Shouldn't we be reaching out to the lost?" "Don't you believe that the hurt and suffering in the world can be healed?" Those are loaded questions, yet I respond with, "Absolutely!" Yet I've rarely seen a church that was growing (numerically and especially in spiritual maturity) host such an event in any place of the world. The answer, in my opinion, is not a difficult one to accept. The answer is, they are growing because the church (hint: the individual believers and families) are doing the same thing that the basic idea behind a crusade hopes to do: Reach people with the Gospel.
When churches focus much of their energies and resources into crusades, programs of outreach, and conferences to "win others", they begin pulling away from the other significant purpose of the church: Discipleship. In sound Biblical discipleship, you actually achieve the aim of the crusades. You are preparing and empowering your church members to do it.
I think back on the specifics that connected me to the 2 churches I have chosen to be a part of in the last 10 years. What connected me to my home church was not an outreach program or crusade. What connected me was a person. It was individual people. Someone at Rich Fork Baptist Church (actually a whole family) invited me to their home and into their lives. As I watched them act as ambassadors for their church, I was impressed and also curious. When my family moved to Kenya 3.5 years ago, what connected me to KVC was not the preaching, music, programs, or any other church-instigated activity. And those things are great, but it was the connection I made to one person who connected me to another person and welcomed me into the community.
I want to back-track a bit and say something; "I believe that there are beneficial aspects to hosting events and particularly, outreach designed events." However, in most cases that I have observed on 3 continents the lasting effects on church growth have been minimal if not even nil. "What connection is a person making to another like-minded or similar position-in-life person?" I am also not against programs that reach out and benefit the community. Those are ways that the church demonstrates the Word to the community. We are not exclusivists. We exist to be the light where it does not shine.
Yet, I return to the point of this, when individual believers and, particularly, families are discipled they will be your answer to this need. My pastor once told us, "It amazes me the number of people who will come and say, 'Pastor I think ____ would be a great thing for us to do and reach a lot of people... and I think you should go and start it. 'Why can't you be the one?," he would respond. One of the clearest examples of this was the disciple Andrew. Andrew isn't mentioned much in scripture, yet when he is, it's associated with bringing someone to Christ. Andrew is the one in John 1 who went and brought his brother saying, "We have found the Christ." Later he was the one who brought the young boy to Jesus who was carrying the fish and loaves.
Andrew didn't wait for Jesus to send him out. He was simply responding to the impact that "finding the Messiah" had on his life. Jesus did send him out, but Andrew was doing it long before Jesus commissioned him.
He has done that for us. He has already commissioned us to go. Are we equipped? Are we training up our churches to be Biblically grounded in going out? Are we training our families to be ambassadors of the church and name of Christ? Are we asking our church leaders for more, better, deeper teachings towards this task?
Or are we waiting for the next conference, crusade, or event to bring them in?
Don't be surprised if the same numbers and level of spiritual excellence exists in your midst a year from now when you choose this course. Take another look at Christ. Where was his "church home?" (obviously a trick question) Christ preached to the masses, but he reached out to the person. Oftentimes, just one person at a time.
And if you need one more reminder of this from scripture: "Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate. So let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach." - Hebrews 13:12-13
Build relationships. Be intentional. Be the church. It's about people and they need you more than they need your programs, events, and brick & mortar.
