Taking Our Evangelism From ‘Me’ to ‘We’ __________ Craig Springer
Craig has been a leader and pastor in influential churches in Chicago and Denver, one of which was named Outreach Magazine’s 2014 Fastest Growing Church in America. Craig and his wife, Sarah, also spent a number of years church planting in Prague, Czech Republic. __________
When I was a pastor, there were a few questions I heard on repeat about our church—most had to do with strategy. Sometimes other pastors asked me these questions when they were trying to figure out what to do in their own churches. Often new church attendees trying to figure out how to navigate our community, posed these questions. Pastors tend to be the point person for a lot of different “strategies.”
One question I admittedly had difficulty answering was: What’s your evangelism strategy?
A “Me”-Based Strategy Some pastors have programs in place aimed at spreading the gospel or helping their congregations spread the gospel in their communities. Other pastors might not be able to verbalize a clear strategy. Evangelism efforts, and how to create a strategy around them, can often feel hard to pin down.
The number one evangelism strategy in the majority of western churches is the pastor—and it’s “me”-based. No doubt, pastors are called, equipped, and gifted.
The unwritten contract between pastor and congregation is often: If you invite your friends and get them through the front doors of the church on a Sunday morning, I will create an experience and deliver a message that brings them back over and over until they make a commitment to follow Christ.
And for the most part, this works. Every single weekend, churches all around the world are leading people to faith in Christ with hand-raising moments and response times. I support altar calls and pastors sharing the good news every week. This kind of evangelism is extremely important, and pastors should continue being a significant driver of the evangelism strategy at their church.
Don't go on mission alone. The Amplify Conference gathers church leaders focused on building thriving local churches that will show and share the message of Christ for decades ahead. This year's conference will cover forward-focused topics including:
The State of the Church Today Mobilizing Your Entire Church for Impact The Case for Apologetics Discipling Christian Business Leaders The Church of Tomorrow: Tomorrow's Digital Church
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