In this issue of our podcast, The Front Burner, we talk with Jim Donohue, the evangelism pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA. We ask Jim what he means when he calls himself an “evangelist,” and how he spends his time at the church. We also asked what a church with a limited budget was thinking when they hired an inexperienced, young guy to be a full-time evangelist.
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How May We Help You?
February 21, 2012
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We have seen over the years, in our own experience and in others, that excitement for evangelism often comes in spikes of activity that quickly fizzle out. So The Philip Center offers a long-term relationship with your church so that you keep evangelism on the front burner. We want you to experience evangelism that is fruitful and sustainable. The Philip Center exists because we feel called to the work of evangelism and called to the fruitfulness and health of the local church. It’s our calling, our passion and our joy. We’ve been doing it for years and it’s what we like to do the most.
Q&A: Can You Help Our Church With Outreach?
February 1, 2012
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Q. Tim, if you could suggest just a few things our church could do to improve our outreach, what would they be?
A. Sure, there are a few things I’d suggest. The Philip Center does not like to hand out “evangelism in a box” solutions that fit all churches. Each church is different and will have its own set of barriers to evangelism. But having said that, there are factors common to healthy church outreach.
First, examine the preaching of the Word from the pulpit. Is it rich, Christ-centered preaching. This isn’t a sermon that tacks on a gospel invitation, but preaching that points to the human predicament of sin, our inability to overcome our sin, the cross, repentance, forgiveness. Showing the relationship of a biblical text to the gospel and to the disease of our hearts — and doing that year after year — makes our churches the salutary soul hospitals they are designed to be. One good resource for this is Brian Chappel’s Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon. A steady diet of gospel-rich preaching of the Word, when it connects to the heart of the non-Christian is one of the best things a church can do toward fruitful evangelism. The same preaching will likewise shape the contours of the Christian’s heart as well — helping him to better understand the transformation taking place in his life and enabling him to communicate that to others.
Second, pay attention to individuals. Keep an eye out for the people in your church and outside of your church (usually those in relationships with people in your church). Each one is loved by God and precious. I choose the word “individual” to reflect the language of Henry Trumbull’s book, Individual Work for Individuals (an out-of-print gem from 1901). It’s easy to overlook individuals in our great desire to reach many. Slow down and take the time to observe who is spiritually open. Given our culture’s distaste for church, the fact that a non-Christian is in a church is likely an indication of some degree of openness. But look beyond who is in the church building and see who is in relationships with your people. Inspire and equip the Christians to pay attention to their friends, family, co-workers, neighbors — one at a time. So many of our outreach initiatives are designed to reach people, but when those individuals express interest, we move on to the next initiative. Look, listen, listen more, love and respond to who they are and what they are thinking and feeling. Care for them as individuals patiently. The story of the lost sheep is a poignant reminder of Jesus’ love for individuals.
Third, evaluate your outreach leadership. There are two crucial issues here. One has to do with the pastor. Is he a champion for evangelism and is he doing it himself? These are crucial. If not, humbly begin to pray for him, that God would move his heart for the lost. While I’m not a big fan of the solo pastor model of church leadership, it is nevertheless crucial for the lead pastor or elder to actively model and champion evangelism. Mark Dever’s book, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism is a great resource for this. Second, a church that is eager to grow in outreach should seek to identify and train someone who is the Ephesians 4:11 equipping evangelist. This likely should not be the person who naturally and effortlessly leads many to Christ. Those in your church who do that are a wonderful gift, but they are rarely good equippers of the rest who are fearful and unequipped to share their faith. This leader is very important to the long-term outreach health of a church and his role in your church cannot be overlooked. I have heard church planting pastors say that they would make that the second or third hire the next time they plant.
Missions Strong, Outreach Weak
January 28, 2012
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Is your church strong in foreign missions but weak in local outreach? If so, you’re not alone. As they say, it’s easier to write a check than share your faith. If this is true at your church, here’s an idea that might help: a reverse missions conference.
A reverse missions conference puts the emphasis on “Jerusalem” rather than “the uttermost parts of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The desire is not to weaken foreign missions — not at all. After all, the Mission of God involves all venues of the Acts 1:8 mandate. As someone said, “Missions is simply evangelism gone cross-cultural.” But such a conference, if your church holds an annual missions week, can help restore interest in the local part of the Great Commission.
Some time ago, The Philip Center helped lead a church through this kind of conference, and it went very well. Here are some of the details.
Title: Go Local!
Schedule:
* Thursday: Planning meeting for leaders of outreach small groups
* Thursday evening: Focus Group (click here for more)
* Friday: Church and town leaders meeting. The church provided lunch at town hall and asked the town leaders how the church might meet needs in the town.
* Friday evening: Video of on-the-street interviews about God and religion, followed by a discussion on how to reach spiritually lost people.
* Saturday morning: Men’s, Women’s and Youth Breakfast: “Sharing Your Faith”
* Saturday evening: Dinner and main speaker
* Sunday morning: Services with main speaker
* Sunday after the service: “Where Do We Go from Here?”
An essential element: have someone in place to keep the momentum going from the conference. If the conference is inspiring, be sure that you have someone in the church who can champion outreach and keep it moving forward. And then be sure to provide evangelism training so that those who are inspired by the conference are equipped to share their faith.
Scroll Eating and Outreach
January 27, 2012
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Apocalyptic literature, and the book of Revelation in particular, is easy to avoid for those of us who preach regularly. Navigating apocalyptic literature is, in the words of David Helm, “a bit like being over water. Everything is moving.” We like the terra firma of Pauline letters with its logical sequences and familiar structure. Even historical literature is easier to preach than this strange, other-wordly genre. But as I’ve launched into Revelation with fear and wonder, I’ve discovered sparks of inspiration for my own outreach, as well as for my preaching.
In Revelation 10, a mighty angel speaks a revelation of God — most likely from the little scroll open in his hand. John would expect, at that point to write down what the angel has just said. But the flow of the plot is interrupted by a voice from heaven telling John NOT to write down what he just heard. So far, he had been told to do the opposite: “Write on a scroll what you see” (1:11). Here, however, he is commanded to seal up the words and instead to “eat the scroll.” When he does, just as with Ezekiel (3:1ff), it tastes sweet to him, but settles in his stomach as something sour.
This John, who walked for three years with Jesus himself, this faithful apostle, this one who with Peter said to the opposition rulers “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard…,” this John has been no pushover in the work of the kingdom. He is a strong apostle and a faithful witness of Jesus Christ. Surely he has earned the right to simply continue writing down what he sees and hears. What more could a man of his stature in the first generation of Christian leaders need?
Apparently, he needs courage. God stops John and tells him not to write down what he has heard, but rather to eat it. The message that he must deliver (whether you interpret that to be to believers or to unrepentant rebels of God), is a hard one. Like Ezekiel, he must internalize the Word of God so that it gives him courage. In God’s mind, John needs his backbone reinforced to deliver a hard message. It’s the final message of God’s end-game upon the world. For this he will need new courage — and that can only come from the internalized Word of God.
Only after John eats the scroll, the voice from heaven says “You must prophecy again….” Now John is ready to continue as a witness and a prophet.
There is a message for all of us who wish to be an effective witness for Christ. If John needs to eat the scroll, how much more do we need to devour the Word of God. No we are not great prophets. And without a doubt, our message often needs to come with years of patience, in the context of loving service, and in the gentleness of humble relationships. But for all of the ordinary, everyday-ness of our relationships and conversations, we are still ambassadors of Christ, speaking his words of truth and mercy to others. And so we need God’s word in us deeply. We need to speak and live the gospel of grace from the inside out.
Jesus taught that, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart…. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). For us to eat the scroll is to continue in a lifetime of reading, meditating on and applying the Word of God. It is the food of our heart. Our true hope for bearing fruit and for speaking the gospel effectively to others is that we are first filling our heart with the rich feast of God’s Word. Eat and share.
Prayer and Evangelism
January 19, 2012
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by Dennis Fuqua
Everyone in the Christian world affirms the value of prayer as it relates to evangelism. But often times when we pray we do not follow any biblical pattern. We pray more the way we have heard others pray or we pray about the way we think we should. There is nothing really wrong with that, but there may be a better route.
I have found only one place in the New Testament that give us an example of a believer praying for non-believers to become believers. In Romans 10:1, Paul says that his desire and prayer for his fellow Israelites is that they would be saved. This is a great example for us to follow. And we should follow it! But there are five other Biblical prayer instructions related to evangelism we should also be practicing. Our prayers will be more effective if we pray these themes as well.
- Matthew 9:35-38 After seeing the crowds as sheep without a shepherd, in Matthew 9, Jesus tells His followers to pray that the Lord of the harvest would raise up workers. Our evangelistic prayers should include that the Lord would raise up people who would be willing and able to “work” to present the Gospel. And notice that the next verses (Matthew 10:1ff) indicate that the ones praying this prayer are also to be the answer to this prayer.
Father, because we see the size and the seriousness of the harvest field, we ask you to raise up workers! Raise up people who will be willing to work as hard for the sake of Your profit as they would for their own profit. Also, Lord, make all of us who pray in this way willing and even desirous to be the answer to our prayers.
- Colossians 4:3 – Paul’s primary request of the Colossians was that they would join him in asking God to give him opportunities to present the Gospel. Are we doing the same? Are we praying that God would give us open doors and are we asking other to make this request on our behalf?
Father, today as I accomplish the things on my agenda, let me see the doors you are opening for me to walk through. Bring me to where hungry people are. Let my steps intersect those who are looking for you. Open doors. Let me see those doors. And let me walk through them in your timing and power.
- Colossians 4:4 – A second part of Paul’s request to the Colossians is that they would pray that Paul would present the Gospel clearly. What an interesting request from the man who wrote Romans! If Paul saw his need to always have a clear understanding of how to present the Gospel, how much more should we!
Father we know the Gospel. We have heard it and responded to it. But would you please let it be such a glorious message in us that we would see how to present it clearly in each situation we are in. Keep our thoughts about the Gospel reflect Your Gospel more than “our” gospel” Make it clear in my head and heart, so that it will be clear through my mouth.
- Ephesians 6:19-20 –The most interesting request to me is the one Paul asks of the Ephesian Church. He asks them to pray that he would present the Gospel boldly. Now, please note that this is note the “new convert” Saul. This is the mature Apostle Paul making this request! Again, if he saw this need in his life, how much more should we be willing to humble ourselves, recognize that we need boldness, and ask others to be praying for us?
Father, please make me bold to share the good news. Don’t let me shrink back. Without being obnoxious or misrepresenting You, let me be bold to share with others the best news of all time. And also let me follow the example of Paul to ask others to pray in this way for me too.
- Philemon 1:6 – Finally, in Paul’s letter to Philemon, he prays specifically that he would be active in sharing his faith. And then Paul gives a reason why he is praying in this manner. He say, “so that you will have a full understanding of everything good we have in Christ.” Paul knew that when we share our faith, we become more aware of the wonderful things we have in Jesus!
Father, we want to have a fuller understanding of everything good we have in Christ. So help us to be active in sharing this faith you have given us. Let us not only wait until someone may ask us about our faith, but also let us be active to see when we may have an opportunity to share.
Are we praying that the Lord would raise up people (especially us) who would be willing to work to present the Gospel? Do we have people we have asked to pray that God would give us open doors, clarity, and boldness as we share our faith?
Originally from Gig Harbor, Washington, Dennis Fuqua received his Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Divinity degrees from Multnomah University. He served as a pastor of Peninsula Christian Fellowship in Gig Harbor for twenty-four years. Dennis began working as the director of International Renewal Ministries in February 2000. His leadership activities include facilitating prayer summits, equipping others, and developing and maintaining relationship connections with the network of people in IRM. He is also the author of Living Prayer: The Lord’s Prayer Alive in You. Dennis and his wife, Marilyn, have four grown children and five grandchildren.
Engage! Conference in the Rear View Mirror
October 19, 2011
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Report from Dave Gadoury — Senior Pastor, Cranston Christian Fellowship:
Over seventy leaders representing nineteen churches from Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts met on October 15 for a five hour conference to foster a prayer-care-share lifestyle in their churches. As a result, seventeen pastors committed themselves to living and modeling that lifestyle and to a united initiative that will call their people to ministry to people in need outside of their churches.
The “LoveRI” partnership of churches is an LC2C-related movement launched in 2010 with thirty churches participating in service projects, united prayer gatherings, and training events like October’s ENGAGE! conference. Larry DeWitt, a Mission American Coalition resource speaker and the main presenter for the conference, provided methods and inspiration for helping ordinary Christians have an impact on their world by praying for lost people, caring for them in practical ways, and naturally sharing the good news with them.
At the conclusion, pastors wrote their names and church name on a map of the state, symbolizing their desire to make their churches a lighthouse to the region and its one million people.
“I feel excited about praying for my friends who don’t know Christ. Excellent information and ideas,“ one of the leaders commented afterwards.
Another said, “I am excited and thankful for the practical ‘how to’ tools to be transformed personally and as the body of Christ. I can’t wait to see what Almighty God is going to do in our area.”
At least eight of the churches represented are eager to begin implementing some of the ideas, and have agreed to distribute prayer bookmarks in November and to challenge their churches to have a
“go to the wall” Sunday before the holiday season. Going “to the wall”, they learned from DeWitt, inspires people to write the first names of people who need Jesus on a wall area near the front of a church’s worship place. This provides accountability, encouragement, a visual reminder, and a means of “keeping the vision alive” in each church.
The Engage! Conference
July 1, 2011
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LoveRI, The Ministry Training Network and The Philip Center are teaming up to present a don’t-miss conference October 15, 2011.
This evangelism equipping conference is for pastors, ministry leaders and all who want to be a part of helping your church engage with others through a lifestyle of “prayer, care and share.” Our communities are full of needs — material needs and spiritual needs — and God has sent his church to follow Christ into the world to address those needs. This conference will challenge us to see those needs and to be practical about reaching out with humble but bold solutions.
Consider this powerful reminder from Paul W. Powell: “The church that loses its sense of mission is in peril of its life. The church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning. Let a fire cease to burn and it becomes ashes. Let the church cease to be missionary and evangelistic and it ceases to be a church — and the coldness and dullness of death sets in.” The Engage! Conference is designed to challenge us all to stay active in obedience to Christ who has called us not only apart from the world in holiness, but also into the world for mission. The health of our churches and our people depends on it.
Our speaker, Larry DeWitt, founded and pastored Calvary Community Church in Thousand Oaks, CA. Since retiring, Larry has led Cornerstone Network, a ministry with a passion for connecting people with Jesus. Larry speaks with a deep heart for both the pastor and for those outside the church who need to know Jesus. And his life is a living model of what he believes.
The conference will be held at the newly renovated Sheraton Airport Hotel in Warwick, RI. Check-in begins at 9:00 and the conference will end by 2:30. The cost is $50 or $45 for groups of two or more, or early registrations — before Sept. 1. Lunch is included.
Rich Fulton at Iron Sharpens Iron
April 1, 2011
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Recently I had the opportunity to speak at Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s conference in Burlington, VT. The event sold out with over 500 guys, 100 of whom attended our workshop, titled “Living a Life that Shines a Light.” In the workshop we looked at key Scriptures about sharing our faith. I camped out in Colossians 4:2-6 where Paul speaks about open doors and our being prepared to share when God opens the door. We talked about treating those we relate to with compassion and grace. The aim was to have the guys concentrate on non-Christians in their everyday lives. One of the key things that came up in discussion was the follow-up. I went back to the great commission where Christ commands that we make disciples, not just “get them saved.” Another question that came up: “What happens when the people I work and live with see me mess up? Is my testimony ruined?” I shared about the importance of going back to apologize for mistakes and keeping the relationship open, and highlighting the gospel of grace and forgiveness. It often makes the other person curious about why we would apologize and care to do the hard work of restoration.
I will be giving the same talk at Portsmouth,NH on April 30 and in Portland, ME on June 4. Please pray for these events and the men who care to be growing in outreach.
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