So… How Does Your Church Do Outreach & Evangelism?
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Wed, January 10, 2007
- Viewed 75
- (12) comments so far
--97% of all churches report doing something specifically for the purposes of evangelism over the last year, but the methods churches use for evangelism are quite varied. The most common is Vacation Bible School, utilized for evangelism by 68 percent of the churches in the last year.
At least half of the churches surveyed used literature such as tracts or magazines (59 percent), events such as block parties or a fall festival (56 percent), musical events or concerts (51 percent), mailings or fliers (50 percent), and nursing home or retirement center visits (49 percent) specifically for the purposes of evangelism.
Other relatively popular evangelistic efforts include “invite a friend to church” days (42 percent), revivals or crusades (40 percent), evangelism training classes or groups (38 percent), door-to-door visitation within the community (37 percent), community service such as cleanup days (31 percent), online efforts such as blogs or websites (27 percent), audio or visual products such as tapes or DVDs (26 percent), and booths at community events such as the county fair (20 percent).
What churches are doing to evangelize their communities differs quite a bit by denominational group. Southern Baptist churches are particularly big on using revivals or crusades, literature, evangelism training classes or groups, and door-to-door visitation, but are less likely than average to use any sort of online evangelism. Other Baptist groups (National, Progressive, General, etc.) are fairly close to average, but are a bit more likely than others to use literature and door-to-door visitation.
Methodist churches are more likely than average to use events but less likely to use literature, door-to-door visitation and revivals or crusades. Lutherans are particularly likely to rely on VBS, online methods and mailings or fliers, and less likely to use revivals or crusades, musical events or concerts, or audio/visual methods. Pentecostal churches are particularly likely to employ musical events or concerts, revivals or crusades, “invite a friend to church” days and audio/visual products but less likely than average to use VBS for evangelism. Presbyterians are especially unlikely to use literature, revivals or crusades, door-to-door visitation or audio/visual products.
In general, evangelical churches use a greater variety of evangelistic tools than do mainline Protestant churches. Evangelical churches are considerably more likely to attempt evangelism through literature, revivals or crusades, evangelism training classes or groups, door-to-door visitation and audio/visual products, while mainline churches have only a greater propensity for doing community service as a form of evangelism.
The survey also explored the kinds of community outreach offered by churches, and pastors were allowed to define their church’s involvement. For instance, a large, well-funded, daily day care center and having the youth group volunteer to baby-sit for single mothers within the congregation once a month could both qualify as “free or low-cost day care.”
Only three types of outreach are offered by a majority of U.S. Protestant churches in a typical year: food pantry, food collection or other food-oriented donations (73 percent), VBS (68 percent), and holiday food programs such as Christmas or Thanksgiving baskets for poor families (65 percent).
Other types of community outreach offered by much smaller proportions of churches in the last year include prison ministry (25 percent), homeless outreach (24 percent), Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts (20 percent), blood drives (17 percent), after-school programs for kids (14 percent), sports programs (11 percent), and outreach to specific ethnic groups (11 percent).
Fewer than one out of 10 Protestant churches offer any kind of free or low-cost day care services, abortion or pregnancy counseling, domestic violence programs, English language classes, job skills or job training, or adult literacy or reading classes.
Just like with evangelism efforts, there are denominational differences in offering community outreach programs. For instance, 46 percent of Methodist churches have some sort of homeless outreach, compared to 10 percent of Southern Baptists. However, with community outreach efforts there is also a larger pattern of commonality among evangelical churches and among mainline churches than exists with evangelism efforts.
While evangelical churches offer a greater variety of evangelism programs and efforts, mainline churches are offering a wider variety of community programs that aren’t necessarily involving evangelism. Mainline churches as a group are more likely than evangelical churches to have food donations, holiday food programs, VBS, homeless outreach, blood drives, Scouting, and domestic violence programs. Evangelical churches are more likely to offer abortion or pregnancy counseling and sports programs, although still relatively few do either of those.
The study also delved into pastors’ reasons for their churches not being more involved in community outreach (regardless of how involved they are). Problems common to at least half of all churches include lacking sufficient volunteers (58 percent), staff (56 percent), lay leaders (52 percent) and funds (50 percent).
Other significant obstacles explained by ministers are that there is just not enough time to do everything (41 percent), lack of sufficient facilities (31 percent), that the congregation is mostly older people (26 percent), and that the church is located in a small town or rural area (25 percent).
In addition, 39 percent - a figure consistent across all major denominational groups - essentially are not highly interested in offering more programs for the community, saying:
- they would rather focus on spiritual needs than on physical needs
- community programs are not a major priority for their church
- their community has no major needs
- other organizations do these things better than they do
- their congregation or community really isn’t interested in community outreach.
Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, found it ironic that so many churches and pastors put a low priority on doing more to reach out to their community.
“In an environment where communities and people have so many needs, and in which church growth is such a hot topic and a stated goal for so many pastors, it seems odd that so many churches really don’t wish to do more,” Sellers said. “This lack of priority takes many forms - the congregation isn’t interested, the community doesn’t want our help, we want to focus on our own people - yet if churches are not consistently reaching outside their own walls, how are they to grow?”
Sellers added that it was particularly surprising to see roughly four out of 10 mainline pastors who tend to place so much emphasis on the social gospel essentially saying that increasing community outreach isn’t a high priority for their church.
Sellers also noted that while churches frequently cite a lack of staff, facilities, people and/or money as reasons for not being more involved in the community, increasing those things doesn’t necessarily lead to greater involvement.
“In smaller churches, you often hear about limitations, and how things can be ‘once we grow,’” Sellers said. “But pastors in larger churches - which usually have more staff, more funds, larger facilities and obviously more potential volunteers and lay leaders - still commonly name the lack of these resources as obstacles to being more involved in the community.
“Plus, they are much more likely to add to the mix a lack of time to accomplish everything,” he said. “Having more resources at your disposal apparently doesn’t mean these obstacles are significantly reduced or removed.”
SOURCE: Biblical Recorder
TAGS: Outreach; Evangelism; Church Leadership
Nearly all churches were involved in some way in evangelism during the past year, though many churches place a low priority on increasing their community outreach, according to research released by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention...
Comments
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Leonard on Wed, January 10, 2007
This makes me sad in what we call outreach and in how impotent what we call outreach really is.
Camey on Wed, January 10, 2007
Brad over at Church Marketing Sucks says in a post, “It’s midnight. Who is coming to your church for light and bread.” OUCH!
But in reading this article and in light of what Leonard said… It makes me think… Who is shining light and giving out bread throughout life and living at midnight? It also reminds me of what “M” said Sunday in class, “Do you/we really know how many people are wide awake at midnight who need Christ’s love?”
Convicted.
Peter Hamm on Thu, January 11, 2007
“evangelistic tools”
No, Evangelism is a way of life, both for a church and for an individual. The great commission would be better translated “AS YOU GO, make disciples of all…”. Churches that get this grow, and yes, they very often have drums and lots of men and are multi-cultural (for their area). Because they are trying to be culturally relevant to them in everything they do, not just the “evangelism events.” Churches that don’t get this, imho, are growing old and getting ready to shutter their buildings.
Joe Myers on Thu, January 11, 2007
Peter, there are at least two churches that serve as counterexamples to what you said. They are not intentionally being culturally relevant and they are growing - not only in numbers but in maturity. People on a day to day basis with where God has placed them are the most culturally relevant person they can be to others. As you said “As you go…”
I’m afraid many have resigned to a false revival that only God can grant where believers are more concerned about repentance not relevance.
What does imho mean?
Peter Hamm on Thu, January 11, 2007
No, Joe. I think we might agree though, because I wasn’t saying that churches that “get this” are churches that use guitars and drums and have men (I was referencing another post on that by the way).
I was talking about churches that think about evangelism in terms of the one or two odd programs per year rather than thinking about evangelism as a regular lifestyle of the church. I doubt there are very many churches who are really growing in terms of “conversion growth” who are not making evangelism part of the DNA of the church culture and lifestyle.
Oh, and imho = in my humble opinion.
Joe Myers on Thu, January 11, 2007
Peter, I understand that that is what you were saying. I hope you know that I am not that superficial either. I love modern music forms done well to the praise of our Saviour. And I think we do agree on the fact that evangelism/outreach is a lifestyle issue. It seems like you are saying it is a coincidence that your church does guitars, drums, etc. and the church grows. And maybe it was a coincidence for your church. Then why are so many church growth evangelism/outreach ministries saying that it should be intentional to change these things?
Peter Hamm on Thu, January 11, 2007
Joe writes “Then why are so many church growth evangelism/outreach ministries saying that it should be intentional to change these things?”
Perhaps because doing so is being sensitive to preaching the gospel in the language, in this case the cultural language, of the people who are coming through your doors because God has drawn them.
How many churches are hanging on to organ hymns because they think it’s relevant to the people who God might be bringing in their doors? I don’t suspect too terribly many.
And no. It is NOT just a coincidence that our church has grown and God has used it to change lives and we are using contemporary forms of worship and teaching. And that is ALSO why so many people are saying it should be intentional to change these things. Because in many, if not most cases, it SHOULD be.
Joe Myers on Fri, January 12, 2007
I don’t think that a church has to get rid of organ hymns. If some have the reason that there is very little God-honoring content in today’s contemporary praise songs, then I don’t blame them. Most of the time this is not the reason. They just don’t like the instruments of rock, etc. and think that the world is coming to an end. I don’t agree with that reason either. We all need to temper with one another as we try to make changes like this.
I think one of the main issues is that is it really God that is drawing these people if we are doing this and that to draw them? Sometimes it sounds like God needs some help to draw these people in and keep them listening to the message. The motivations that we are creating I think can be contrary to what we are supposed to be drawing them to. I like what I just read from John Piper, to paraphrase “Most people want to be God-centered if God is man-centered”.
Leonard on Fri, January 12, 2007
We use drums, guitars, bass, electric guitars and a lead vocalist along with some background music. We fill with Piano and other percussion too. Why, that is the style people in our world listen to. I do not know very many people who listen to the Hymn and Organ station. I do know many people who listen to contemporary music. I do not use music to draw people not do I use preaching to draw people. I think god draws people. But when they are brought by God’s movement in their heart to a place where God is celebrated and worshipped and a place where God’s word is proclaimed, I then become a steward of the message. That is what it means to be a pastor: to be a steward of the message and the people God brings. As a steward I must speak that message in a context people resonate with and in a language people understand. Good Stewardship of the message and people requires I do everything I can biblically to make sure people who encounter Christ do not push away because of style, rather they are actually drawn because they understood and were convicted by God’s Holy Spirit.
Joe Myers on Fri, January 12, 2007
If God is drawing true seekers then I do not think they will allow style to get in the way. I’m not saying we can’t change. Eventually you have to hang your hat on the Holy Spirit because even if you appeal with a modern style, you can’t reach everyone (some might like style you do not do, like for example, rap). I believe that what really unifies a church is one truth, one Lord, and one Holy Spirit. I really think that too much of contemporary Christian music is man-centered. I’m down with it if it was not this way. And some hymnal music is not perfect either. I do like some artists who have resurrected some hymnal lyrics to contemprorary music. It is really God-centered and could appeal to many today.
God draws people but I pray we are really responsible with what we are feeding the sheep with. If we think God really is leading us in preaching then sometimes we will end up speaking messages that our minds think might turn others off. Are we going to fully do it God’s way? You can’t turn someone off who was never on. I really think that style or boring preaching are excuses to reject Christianity by some if not most of the lost. When I talk to people it is sin that does not want to be given up.
Leonard on Fri, January 12, 2007
Your first statement is naive. Style is important in that it impacts how people understand. If God works in my heart and draws me to a church that looks like it is full of music I would never choose, dress like I would never dress, rules that I do not understand and people who claim the joy of the lord has filled their hearts but look like they forgot to inform their face. I can and might possibly say, no thanks God. But if God draws me and I hear music that inspires my heart to the greatness of God, a message from an ancient book that impacts me today, people not so worried about appearance whose faces light up with the joy of being truly spiritually happy inside. I will lean into that faith and seek to know more.
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