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reach the lost

Lessons From Those Who Reach the Lost

Orginally published on Monday, October 18, 2004 at 3:00 AM
by Todd Rhoades

As you may know, Dr. Thom Rainer has been doing a tremendous amount of research on breakout churches recently. In an article just published last week at ChurchCentral.com, Dr. Rainer found 15 lessons that his research has learned about those who are aggressively reaching the lost. Dr. Rainer summarized:  A broad picture of leadership emerged from the results of interviews with at least 101 church leaders. We saw who these leaders are and what makes them tick: a theology of lostness; passion and enthusiasm; accountability in personal evangelism; excellence in all things…

LESSON #1: Authenticity
More than nine out of 10 of the pastors interviewed told us that their own personal integrity was a major factor in reaching the unchurched.

"The unchurched look at leaders just like anybody else does," said Sam P., a Methodist pastor from Texas. "If they don't see authenticity in our own lives, how can they expect the church to be real?"

LESSON #2: The Imperative of Personal Evangelism
Almost nine out of 10 church leaders affirmed what 75 percent of the formerly unchurched told us. Without an intentional, organized effort to share the gospel with non-Christians, most lasting efforts to reach the unchurched are in vain. The comments of Earl B., a formerly unchurched man from Tampa, Florida, were instructive.

"I thank God that my church sent people out to share Jesus with me," he said. "I thank God they were trained how to share the gospel with me. I thank God they loved me enough to be obedient to the Lord."

LESSON #3: Relationships Again
Much of what the leaders said confirmed our earlier material from the unchurched. More than eight out of 10 of the pastors we interviewed indicated their keen awareness of the impact of reaching the unchurched through relationships. The struggle articulated by many of these leaders, however, was the "how" of encouraging such relationships.

LESSON #4: An Atmosphere of Love and Acceptance
The leaders to whom we spoke were highly motivated to lead their churches to become havens of love and acceptance for the unchurched.

"The stories of hurting people who come to our church are incredible," a Nevada pastor told us. "We have no advertising budget, but people just keep coming. We do not compromise our beliefs whatsoever. But we do tell people over and over again that Jesus accepted them where they were, that he forgives sinners."

LESSON #5: The Pastor Must Model Personal Evangelism
Some pastors learned the hard way, they told us. They tried the latest church-growth model, attended conferences and bought books on the church, but they still had anemic results in reaching the unchurched. More than seven out of 10 pastors we interviewed shared with us the critical importance of their modeling personal evangelism.

LESSON #6: Enthusiasm and Joy
"You'll never go into a church that's reaching people," an Evangelical Free Church pastor told us, "unless there's a lot of joy and enthusiasm present. It feeds on itself. A joyous church motivates people to invite the unchurched. And when the unchurched are reached, the joy grows. It's a great cycle!"

LESSON #7: Do Not Compromise on the Essentials
"It seems like there are two groups out there arguing how to reach lost people," an Indiana pastor told us. "On the one hand, you've got the seeker-movement people who devise a bunch of methods to reach the unchurched. Then you've got the strong doctrinal group that says preach the Word faithfully and God will reach these people," he said. But this pastor had come to his own conclusion.

"I'll tell you what I do. I won't compromise a lick of doctrine to reach the unchurched, but I'll also do everything we can with methods, programs and ideas to reach them. As I see the Bible, it doesn't teach either/or; it teaches both/and."

We'll share the other 8 lessons learned by Dr. Rainer in a future blog entry.

By the way, you can read the entire article on this subject now at ChurchCentral.com...

Want to find out more on this subject? Try our new Google Search Page. Recommended searches:
--Dr. Thom Rainer
--Breakout Churches
--Evangelism Tools

What do you think? Is your church aggressively reaching your community for Christ? If so, do these things ring true with your church's profile? What can you learn from Dr. Rainer's lessons? I'd love to hear your feedback... please click the comments link below to let me know your thoughts...


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 TRACKBACKS: (0) There are 10 Comments:

  • Posted by Bernie Dehler
    Monday, October 18, 2004 at 3:17 AM

    I like the common sense advice to do both: don’t compromise integrity to the Word, yet reach out in a friendly manner.  It certainly doesn’t have to be either-or.  AMEN!

    ,,,Bernie
    http://www.FreeGoodNews.com

  • Posted by
    Monday, October 18, 2004 at 12:08 PM

    The idea of us pastors doing personal evangelism is the one that probably hits us most commonly right between the eyes.  Ouch! 

    We can’t have a church of people who witness if the pastors don’t model this and have an appreciation for the cost and skill needed.  Only then will we then make an effort to train and motivate our peope to reach out.

  • Posted by
    Monday, October 18, 2004 at 1:03 PM

    “We can’t have a church of people who witness if the pastors don’t model this and have an appreciation for the cost and skill needed. Only then will we then make an effort to train and motivate our peope to reach out.”

    - I completely agree...but you must have a congregation mature enough spiritually to allow the fact that the pastor can’t sit around in a church office all day, and spend all his time meeting the needs of church folks, if he is going to model personal evangelism effectively.  The pastor must intentionally be out in the world - at the gym, coffehouse, library, restaurant - wherever people that are lost are.

  • Posted by
    Monday, October 18, 2004 at 3:56 PM

    As a young man I found I was called to work with the less forunate and to help them build a better day, for a better tomarrow.  When I informed my pastor of this fact he let me know that my life would nolonger be my own.  I could expect to called on the phone all hours of the day and night. Someone in my congration would be sick or dieing, wanting to get married and other reason.  I could not expect to have any time to plan for activities or occassion of my own.  This turned me againest my calling anf like JOB I turned and ran away.  Now I am too old 63 and have regretted this fact all my life.  I feel I should answered the calling.  I have made my family miserable and lived a very unhappy, unproductive life.  I spent 22 years in the Navy, Army and Air Force trying to make a living good enough for my family and have failed.

  • Posted by Chris Fowler
    Monday, October 18, 2004 at 4:03 PM

    Robert,

    Brohter I am so sorry to hear about your story. I have prayed for you. All the things that your pastor told you are true, the one thing he forgot to mention though is that it is so worth it.

    Our lives are not our own to begin with, they are Christ’s, vocational ministry or not. Also, you are never to old for God to use. Caleb was in his 70’s when they entered the promised land and he looked up and the most wicked hill in the land and said I want that as my inheiratance from GOd. His son in law/family took that hill for God. I don’t know what your initial calling was, maybe it is no longer an option, but every day you have breath is a day you can give to God.

    Lord Bless you in the WAY!!!

    Chris

  • Posted by Chris Fowler
    Monday, October 18, 2004 at 4:11 PM

    PS- Robert, Daniel was in his 80’s when he was tossed in the lion’s den. He went on to record much more of the revelation of God’s visions after that. John the Apostle was likely in his 70’s on Patmos when he wrote the Revelation. Of course not saying you will be writing any scripture, that was finished long ago. Just to say, God can use any life or length of time when it is given wholly over to HIM!!!

    LORD BLESS!

  • Posted by Victor A. King
    Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at 9:17 AM

    Thom Rhainer, like George Barna, is a great blessing to the Body of Christ especially in the area of research. I appreciate what Thom and his team came up with. I could use some of the stuff for personal improvement. I can also adapt the lessons to teach my church folks.

    Roberts, you’re never too old to be useful to God. There may be some things you can’t do now because of age or physical fitness. That should not hinder you from believing God for the supernatural. Get up and get going. May the Lord empower you.

  • Posted by
    Tuesday, October 19, 2004 at 2:15 PM

    It always comes down to leadership.  80% of the people I have baptized in ministry have been the direct result of my personal evangelism.  What is sad is that it does not seem to catch on as well as it should.  In fact, I have been told on more than one occasion, “That’s why we pay you!” Let me make one more point - programs don’t work , people do!

  • Posted by Franklin Reeves
    Tuesday, July 12, 2005 at 1:15 PM

    I highyl recommend the discipleship methods of evangelism.

    An expereinced person teaching through ojt.

    I shared the Gospel twice between 1996 (when i was saved) and mid- janurary this year. I took a course in seminary that used evangelism explosion program.

    I learned the framework they used, one peice at a time. I watched a tainer share the gospel while I prayeed. I then was allowed to do sections and when I got lost or confused I would turn it back to the trainer. Eventually I was able to share the entire presentation.

    I have since Janurary shared the gosepl to more than 38 people. Most of those have been outside of the OJT time. I have shared with friends and family and total strangers.

    About have of those that have made a profession of faith have been strangers that I only met for a few minutes before I shared the gospel with them.

    My two favorite are my best firend of 10 years, whi I have been praying for God to send someone to share the gospel with or if saved draw him closer to God. I realize now that God had been sedning someont for two years now, but the someone was not willing.

    The other one was my ex-wife. I was thinking that the only person left that would be extremely hard to share with would be her. Once I thought about it, the conviction came on me and would not relent. I prayed while I was going to get the kids from her, that God would prepare her and guide my words. She made a profession of faith in Christ that day.

    I thank God that the EE program uses OJT to help us overcome or fear, and practice the gospel while others are thier to help when we stuggle for the right words.

    You can find EE clinics in your area by going to evagelism explosion website.

    http://www.eeinternational.org/

    I also recommend wayofthemaster.com however they may not have an OJT opportunity in your area.

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    Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 6:51 AM

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