It is estimated that only 3% of US churches are growing through evangelism. The majority of churches that are growing are doing so through the migration of Believers from one congregation to another.
One of the most glaring reasons for the lack of evangelistic growth is that there are precious few evangelists that are properly recognized and functioning in the leadership of most churches.
The evangelist is gifted by God to do several things:
- To preach the Gospel to Unbelievers,
- To equip Believers to do the same, and at the same time,
- To lead the community of faith to which they are connected beyond the Church walls into the harvest field.
The Church will fall short of its call to be missional if it fails to recognize and utilize the very catalyst God gave to make it missional: the evangelist. In other words, no evangelists, little evangelism.
Church planting literature has asserted that 10% of Christians have ”the gift of evangelism.” While no Biblical references point to a ”gift of evangelism” it does reference the evangelist (Eph 4:11). Research has shown that to be about 1% of the Church’s population. When those with this gift are trained and properly connected to the local church, an amazing impact takes place. The people of God are equipped and empowered to share their faith and advance the Kingdom.
Like Gideon, who found 300 out of his 30,000 (1%) that were called to lead the charge, let us do all in our power to see the return of the gift of the evangelist to the life of the local church.
April 21, 2011 at 11:47 am
Great blog!
You motivate us to get out of our comfort zone and introduce lost people to their savior.
Thank you!
April 21, 2011 at 2:54 pm
This is what I’m talking about! Challenging stuff. It is easy to plant a church and rest on the laurels of Believers only momentum coming along. Yes, the first wave of people coming along to a plant will likely be Believers, but leaders need to rally themselves (and the troops) to aim outwardly ASAP. Good word.
April 22, 2011 at 10:19 am
scary to think what my church (victory-manila) would be today if not for the input, equipping, leadership and help from rice and many other evangelists.
May 17, 2011 at 12:07 pm
Thanks Rice for this insightful information and I found that evangelists are very important in planting the Gospel among the lost. What I found in our ministry of serving the poor, is that many who are open to hear more about God, are NOT willing to go to a church facility to hear that. Research has shown that a church that uses an attractional method (come to us so we can teach you) will only find 20%-30% of their community to be willing to enter their churches.
The Great Commission tells us to “go” and make disciples and teach them to obey what Christ commanded us. I found that evangelists are great at opening up new communities through household evangelism, but don’t make the best longterm teachers/mentors for these new disciples, because their focus is always going to be with the lost.
Most evangelists today miss the mark of the great commission where they see their goal is to just have people pray the “sinners prayer” with them, and then they are off to the next person to “convert” and not disciple. It is important to help them see the importance of disciple-making and pair them up with folks that are gifted and willing to provide longterm mentoring to the leaders that are emerging from these new disciples and for them to repeat the process, just like Christ did.
My goal is to see a movement of disciples making disciples and new churches is a result of the Great Commission. Churches can do both by growing their congregations, by attracting the 20%, and at the same time equipping and sending their evangelists paired with apostles or teachers to make disciples of the 80% that will never come to their services. We call this a both-and approach at CityTeam and over 10,000 churches were planted in about 5 years in the Horn of Africa using this approach and I believe the same can and will happen here in North America.
July 7, 2011 at 1:03 am
Sorry i.m just responding to your encouraging story of Church planting in Africa. I would love to heat more about how the 10,000 Churches were planted- that is amazing!
June 22, 2011 at 9:59 pm
thank you so much for that powerful statement…it encourages me to continue what God called me: preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ…I’m from the Cordilleran Region of the Philippines…
July 6, 2011 at 10:53 am
Hi P.Rice,
Really enjoying these blogs. Im so encouraged to know the greatest need now of the many Evangelists around is to continue to be an e.g and to equip and empower the next generation of young evangelists to ensure the health of the church in the future. Thank you for all that you do!
Jarrett Suniula
July 7, 2011 at 12:59 am
Jarrett
1 Timothy 4:14-15 says, “do not neglect your gift…” The gift of the Evangelist has been one of the most neglected (and even rejected) gifts. Knowing you’re an Evangelist is critical inorder to avoid neglecting your gift. Then it says, “to be diligent in these matters, give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.” When you are absorbed in doing what God gifted you to do- bearing fruit will be unavoidable.
July 7, 2011 at 12:59 am
Jarrett
1 Timothy 4:14-15 says, “do not neglect your gift…” The gift of the Evangelist has been one of the most neglected (and even rejected) gifts. Knowing you’re an Evangelist is critical inorder to avoid neglecting your gift. Then it says, “to be diligent in these matters, give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.” When you are absorbed in doing what God gifted you to do- bearing fruit will be unavoidable.