PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY OF COVENANT OF GRACE CHURCH
OUR CHURCH VISION
Covenant of Grace Church exists to glorify and enjoy God by:
1) Assisting people to believe in Jesus Christ and helping Christians to grow toward Christian maturity and effective Christian living.
2) Spiritually impacting the St. Charles/St. Louis metropolitan area in every sphere of life.
3) Planting healthy, growing, reproducing churches in this metropolitan area, our nation, and world.
OUR CHURCH'S PURPOSE
Our purpose statement is an extension of our church vision.
The purpose of our church is to glorify God in making disciples. To do this biblically, we, as a church, seek to live out the Great Commandment and to fulfill the Great Commission. Our ministry, therefore, exists for the purpose of
1) Loving God
2) Loving each other
3) Making disciples and teaching them to obey God.
These three expressions of our purpose are summarized in three priorities:
Priority 1 - A progressive commitment to Jesus Christ. This focuses on all areas of loving God.
Priority 2 - A progressive commitment to the Body of Christ. This focuses on our involvement in Christ's church and on all areas of loving our neighbor.
Priority 3 - A progressive commitment to the work of Christ in the world. This focuses on being a witness of Christ. This includes evangelism, acts of mercy, and any aspect of being salt and light in our community and world.
Our philosophy of ministry is an outworking of our vision and purpose statements.
PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY
Our philosophy of ministry reflects the unique priorities and styles of our church as well as our gifts and strengths.
Acts 2:42-47 sets forth a portrait of the early church and describes five elements that should be present in every church:
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
The five elements that should be present in every church are:
1. Learning/teaching - "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching."
2. Worship - "They devoted themselves. . . to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
3. Fellowship - "They devoted themselves. . . to the fellowship."
4. Acts of mercy - "Selling their possession and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."
5. Outreach - "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
While all of these elements are to be present in every church, because of the unique gifts, callings, and priorities of a church, certain of these elements will be emphasized and carried out especially well. God raises up churches that assume all the biblical purposes, but the distinctive gifts and perspective of a particular church cause it to excel in one or two areas.
It has been said, "The best churches always know what they do best."
With this in mind, we realize that our church has a focus toward teaching/learning and fellowship.
I. OUR CHURCH'S FOCUS IN MINISTRY.
A. TEACHING:
In the area of teaching we believe that it is vital for God's people to have a solid foundation in what the Bible teaches. A good understanding of the Bible is crucial for a healthy, effective Christian life.
The New Testament often speaks of the importance of instruction in the Word of God.
The great commission contains an emphasis on learning:
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Notice that Jesus instructs us to make disciples and to teach them to obey everything that he has commanded. Therefore, according to the great commission, an important aspect of ministry is teaching.
The book of Acts repeatedly mentions that the Apostles diligently taught the new believers sound doctrine (see: Acts 2:42; 4:1,2; 5:19-21; 11:26; 14:21; 15:35; 18:11; 19:9; 20:7; 28:31).
Paul's statement to the Ephesian elders summarizes the above Scriptures well:
"You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house." (Acts 20:20)
Throughout the epistles, this emphasis on teaching is evident (see: Romans 16:17; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:11-16; Phil. 4:9; Col. 2:7; 1 Tim. 1:1-3; 4:6,13-16; 2 Tim. 3:16; 4:1-5; Titus 1:9,13; 2:1,7,10; Hebrews 5:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:2; Jude 3).
Three of the above passages particularly demonstrate this point:
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (Eph. 4:11-16)
In 2 Timothy 4:1-5, Paul instructs Timothy on the importance of faithfulness in the area of teaching:
"In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."
Finally, the writer to the Hebrews speaks of the importance of growing in spiritual understanding and maturity:
"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, in not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5:11-14)
At Covenant of Grace Church we feel the weight of this biblical emphasis on teaching and, consequently, have a concern for the systematic teaching of the Word of God.
We seek to provide many opportunities for growth in understanding the truths of Scripture.
We do many sermon series where we preach through a book of the Bible or a section of a book explaining and applying it in practical ways to our lives. Sometimes the sermons will address a biblical topic in which we try to systematically teach what the Bible says about a certain subject.
In addition to our sermons, we also provide other opportunities for biblical education:
1) The Adult Bible Class.
This class meets Sunday mornings before the worship service and is a time for in-depth biblical study. In the past, we have done verse by verse expositions of various books of the Bible such as Romans, Galatians, 1 John, Revelation, Habakkuk. As we study a book, we examine what it teaches and how it relates to the teaching of the rest of Scripture and how its message applies to our lives now.
We have also studied various biblical subjects in this class such as the attributes of God, basic doctrines of salvation, Christ's work of atonement.
This class gives opportunity not only for in-depth systematic study of a book or topic, but is also a format for questions and discussion on biblical truths and their application.
2) Sunday evening classes in biblical studies.
Another opportunity for study is our Sunday evening classes in biblical studies. These are structured classes with reading/listening (cassettes) assignments, and a final test. Those who complete the assignments and the test are awarded a certificate by the church.
Some of the classes we have offered in the past are inspiration and interpretation of the Bible, Christian ethics, Church history, the ordo salutis (a study of the basic doctrines of salvation and how they relate to each other), and God's Covenants. We have also presented film series by Francis Schaeffer and R. C. Sproul.
We have structured these classes so that each one lasts only seven to twelve weeks (although we have done some longer classes).
3) Evangelism training.
We have used several approaches in evangelism. We have offered teaching/training in evangelism using the Evangelism Explosion training program. This program, developed by Dr. D. James Kennedy, teaches the principles of evangelism and puts them into practice on a weekly basis. This course includes lectures, discussions, and demonstrations, as well as actual evangelism experience from week to week.
We have also used a telephone outreach. This is a more low-key approach than Evangelism Explosion, but has been effective in reaching unchurched people in our area.
4) Seminars.
Occasionally we will offer a seminar on a particular topic of interest such as Christian parenting or principles for living in a non-Christian culture.
5) Home Bible Study Groups
These groups are informal discussion type Bible studies that meet in homes. These are great opportunities for Bible study in the context of interaction with other Christians. They are also excellent opportunities to build friendships and receive Christian support.
6) Men's and Women's Bible Study Groups.
These groups are similar to the Home Bible Study Groups except that the participants are only men or women in the respective groups. These groups meet once a month.
Again, we believe that it is critical that God's people have a firm foundation in the teachings of Scripture and, consequently, we place great emphasis on teaching and learning.
Dr. R. C. Sproul summarizes this position well:
"I happen to believe that the most urgent need right now among evangelical Christians, if they're ever going to make an impact in this world, is at the level of adult education. I think that in order for Christians to grow to maturity they have to think like Christians. In order to behave in the fullness of maturity in terms of effective principled disciples of Christ, they need to gain an in-depth understanding of the Word of God. The Bible, I think, echoes that sentiment again and again where we are called to be mature in our understanding" (Tabletalk, May, 1992, p. 54).
He also wrote in his article, Burning Hearts Are Not Nourished by Empty Heads: "We must have passion - indeed hearts on fire for the things of God. But that passion must resist with intensity the anti-intellectual spirit of the world. The entrance of that spirit into the house of God is like a Trojan horse, concealing within its belly the troops of the enemy who would beguile us with contentless religion, thoughtless action, and vacuous zeal - fire without light. Its only legacy will be a tomb for a forgotten deity with the epitaph, 'To the Unknown God'" (Christianity Today, September 3, 1982, p. 100).
In regards to Children's Christian education, we offer Sunday school classes which meet before the worship service on Sunday morning. In these classes we seek to assist parents in building a Christian perspective and understanding of the gospel into the lives of their children. We also have a youth group where we provide opportunities for Christian fun and fellowship as well as learning.
B. FELLOWSHIP:
In the last 50 years our society has become increasingly urban and fast-paced. As a result of this, to a great degree we have lost the sense of community and belonging enjoyed by past generations. Often individuals feel isolated and all alone.
Many Christians can identify with David in Psalm 142:4: "Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no-one cares for my life." Therefore, we believe it is very important for the church to address this need and cultivate a sense of community and belonging through the fellowship ministries of the church.
Acts 2:42 mentions that the early Christians devoted themselves to fellowship:
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."
It is interesting that they devoted themselves to fellowship in the same way as they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to worship. Fellowship was a high priority in their Christian lives.
Often when a church talks about fellowship, the idea relates only to social situations. While these are an important aspect of fellowship, the biblical concept of fellowship goes far beyond having a dinner or a coffee time together.
Koinonia is the Greek word for fellowship. It is translated in several ways in the New Testament such as "partnership" (Luke 5:10), "participation," "sharing," and "fellowship." The focus of Christian fellowship is not an activity, but a relationship with other believers. The early Christians were not devoting themselves simply to activities, but to a relationship with each other. As believers, they were committed to a community relationship in Christ with each other.
In describing this relationship with each other in Christ, the New Testament sets forth important principles concerning how we are to relate to each other as God's people.
First of all, we are to understand that we all belong to the Body of Christ. When a person believes in Jesus Christ, he is incorporated by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12,13 states: "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."
Romans 12:4,5 states the same idea: "Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."
Both 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 follow these statements with some very practical exhortations about how this belonging to one another is to be applied:
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." (Romans 12:10)
"Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." (Romans 12:13)
"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited." (Romans 12:15,16)
1 Corinthians 12:25,26 states that the parts of the Body of Christ "should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." See also: Romans 1:12; Phil. 2:1-5; Hebrews 10:24,25; Eph. 4:16.
These principles are to be expressed in believers' lives through mutual care and concern for one another, honoring one another and avoiding spiritual competition with each other, correcting and encouraging one another, praying for one another, and participating in activities that build and strengthen relationships.
In accordance with these biblical principles of fellowship, we seek to provide opportunities for the development of friendships and a sense of belonging and community.
Some of the opportunities for fellowship in Covenant of Grace Church include:
1) Mutual prayer support.
We emphasize the importance of prayer for each other. In all of our small group Bible studies we give opportunities to share needs and concerns so that the group can pray for them together and individual members can continue to pray for the needs later. We also have a church prayer chain which enables serious needs to be immediately passed through the church for prayer. We also publish serious prayer needs in the church bulletin each week so our church family can have a record of needs that call for continual prayer.
2) Church dinners.
We try to regularly have church dinners. We have made these interesting and fun events by having them revolve around themes such as Italian night, south of border (Mexican food), Chinese cuisine, etc.
3) Church parties and picnics.
Throughout the year we have several church parties and picnics. We have found that playing games and eating snacks together helps facilitate people getting know one another and developing friendships.
4) Church campout/retreat.
In the fall we have held a two day church retreat at a Christian camp. This is not only a time of recreation for families and friends in the church, but it is also a meaningful spiritual time. We usually plan a devotional theme for the retreat and hand out material and study guides on that theme. We meet together and in small groups for discussion and prayer concerning the theme of the retreat. This has often been a time of spiritual assessment and renewal in people's Christian lives.
5) Social outings.
Periodically we plan special outings for fellowship and friendship building. For example, we may have a bowling night or have a board game tournament (such as monopoly, risk, or, pictionary), ladies' or men's luncheons after church, etc.
Our goal in these activities is to provide opportunities for the building of relationships and to build a sense of community and belonging within the congregation. These activities are also excellent evangelistic opportunities in that we encourage people to invite friends, neighbors, and relatives.
II. WORSHIP.
Psalm 29:1,2 states:
Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
As God's people we are called to worship God and ascribe to him the glory due his name.
A. Definition of Worship:
Worship is our ascribing to God the praise, honor, glory, and submission to which he is entitled as Creator of all things and Author of our salvation in Christ.
B. Purpose and Focus of Worship:
The focus of worship is giving glory to God. Worship is not for man's entertainment, nor only for his edification. Therefore, worshippers should approach worship with their hearts and minds focused on God with the goal of bringing glory to him.
Elements that we seek to incorporate in worship can be summarized as the 4 R's and G's of worship:
1. The Reality of God
2. The Recognition of Guilt
3. The Realization of Grace
4. The Response of Gratitude
C. Content of Worship:
The Westminster Confession of Faith, Ch. XXI:1 states that "the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in Scripture." In other words, God has determined how he is to be worshipped and has set forth in Scripture all the elements that are to be included in worship. No other elements of worship from any other source are to be allowed.
WCF XXI:3 and 5 set forth the following specific elements of worship: prayer, reading of Scripture, preaching, hearing of the Word, singing of psalms, administration of and worthy receiving of the sacraments, and on special occasions religious oaths and vows, fastings and thanksgivings.
D. Manner of Worship:
Manner is the way in which the content is expressed - how the words are spoken, music is used and sung, prayers are prayed, etc. It includes style, tone, appearance, and mannerism. The Scriptures do not provide a complete code for the manner of worship. While the Scriptures give important instruction in this area, there is also much left to Christian freedom, common sense and prudence according to the general principles of the Word.
Concerning this, there are four main styles in which Christians express worship to God:
Style 1: Contemporary format with only the use of contemporary music and expressions of worship.
Style 2: Contemporary format with some use of traditional music and expression of worship.
Style 3: Traditional format with some use of contemporary music and expressions of worship.
Style 4: Traditional format with only the use of traditional music and expressions of worship. This is the most formal expression of worship.
All of these styles of worship can be biblical expressions of worship to God. The most contemporary and the most formal expressions of worship can be easily abused and must be approached with great care and awareness of potential abuses. Sensitivity to the cultural and personal backgrounds and personal preferences of the members of a church determines which style is adopted by a particular church. However, it is unlikely that every member will be completely happy and comfortable with every worship decision. In this regard, it is important for members to exercise love, tolerance, and respect toward one another as long as biblical doctrine is not compromised. The principles of Christian liberty and love set forth in 1 Cor. 8 and Romans 14 should be embraced and followed in this area.
At Covenant of Grace Church, our worship style follows a pattern that is a blend of type 2 and 3. We have a goal of using both contemporary and traditional music as well as some traditional forms such as prayers of confession, responsive Scripture readings, and corporate confession of historic creeds. In this, we seek to encourage the believer to worship God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. We believe worship is more than an intellectual exercise; it involves volitional, emotional and physical expression. This expression may take a variety of forms such as clapping hands, raising of hands, invitations for prayer. Care must be exercised so that no one feels forced to express themselves in ways they are not comfortable with or do not find meaningful. Therefore, it is important that principles of Christian liberty (1 Cor. 8; Rom. 14) be followed.
E. Worship "in Spirit and Truth:"
In John 4:24, Jesus said, "God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Jesus sets forth two aspects of worship: 1) Worship in the Holy Spirit; 2) Worship in truth.
1. Worship in the Holy Spirit.
Paul echoes this statement of Jesus concerning worshipping in the Spirit in Philippians 3:3: "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh. . . ."
It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit that makes true worship possible. The ministry of the Holy Spirit, not only teaches the truth concerning Jesus (John 16:13), but also glorifies him (John 16:14).
Worshipping in the Spirit (with the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit) means that as we gather as God's people to worship him we confess our sins individually and corporately to the Lord so as not to quench or grieve the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19; Eph. 4:30). Therefore, part of worship is an acknowledgment of sin and a reaffirmation of our trust in Christ for forgiveness (1 John 1:9; James 5:16; Ps. 66:18; 34:18). The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and works repentance in our hearts.
The Holy Spirit's ministry in worship also includes giving liberty to the service (2 Cor. 3:17), directing and enabling the prayers of the congregation (Eph. 6:18), making intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Rom. 8:26,27). The Holy Spirit empowers the preaching and teaching ministry in worship and enables the hearers to apply it to their lives.
Worship in the Holy Spirit will be expressed in joyful adoration and praise to God from the heart.
2. Worship in truth.
Many people worship a god of their own imaginations and not the God of the Bible. Worship in truth first of all means that we worship only the living God who has revealed himself in Scripture. This implies thoughtful participation in worship. We are to cultivate a biblical understanding of God's revelation of himself in Scripture and focus our worship accordingly. This means that we seek to have a balanced view of God's holiness and justice and his love and mercy.
This also means that we understand we can only approach God through the person and work of Christ. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) It is not worshipping in truth when people presume to pray, worship, or in any way come to God apart from faith and reliance on Jesus Christ.
Everything in the service flows out of an understanding that we come to God only through the atonement of Christ. The preaching of the gospel proclaims the work of Christ. The prayers of the congregation are offered through the merit of Christ and the Lord's supper celebrates and remembers it.
F. Worship should have a balance between celebration and reverent reflection.
Psalm 95:1,2 speaks of joyful celebration in the worship of the Lord:
"Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."
Psalm 95:6 also mentions the idea of reverent, quiet reflection in worship:
"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;"
Both of these elements are to be present in worship. The manner of worship should reflect the holiness and majesty of God as well as conveying joy, gladness, and enthusiasm concerning God's salvation and the fact that he is our God and we are his people.
In keeping with the above points concerning worship, it is our goal to build this understanding into our church and see it reflected in meaningful and Scriptural expressions of worshipping and glorifying God.
III. CHURCH OUTREACH.
A. First principle: Every Christian is to be a witness of Jesus Christ and be involved in making the gospel known in some capacity.
The first command of Jesus to his disciples was "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." (Mark 1:17)
Jesus last command to his followers in Acts 1:8 is similar:
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
The Great Commission also emphasizes the proclamation of the gospel and couples it with discipleship:Â
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt. 28:18-20)
In the book of Acts, the early Christians acted faithfully upon these commands of Jesus. Acts 8:4 summarizes their actions well:
Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. (Acts 8:4) The practice of the early Christians was to make the gospel known wherever they went! Paul speaks of the importance of this in Romans 10:14: "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" This same principle is also seen in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20:
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."
God has given every Christian a ministry of reconciliation in the fact that he is Christ ambassador. Every Christian is to be involved in making the gospel known. Dr. D. James Kennedy says that many Christians instead of being ambassadors for Christ are secret agents hoping that no one will blow their cover.
Some people argue that not everyone is to be involved in evangelism. Some of the arguments for this include:
1. Witnessing is the job of the minister.
While it is certainly part of the minister's job to witness since he is a Christian, his main job as a minister is to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:11,12). Also, as noted above, Acts 8:4 states that the early Christians preached the word wherever they went. If the objection is raised that only the apostles preached, it should be noted in Acts 8:1 that all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria:
"And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria" (Acts 8:1).
2. I don't have the gift of evangelism and, therefore, I should not be expected to witness or participate in evangelism. While people certainly have different temperaments and gifts that are to be applied to evangelism, the idea of not having a gift of evangelism is not a valid excuse because there is no such gift mentioned in the New Testament. There is the office of evangelist mentioned in Eph. 4:11, but no where does the New Testament speak of a gift of evangelism.
3. I witness by my life and not my lips.
Certainly a believer's life should reflect his relationship with the Lord. However, if verbal witness is not made, it is impossible for an unbeliever to know the source of his quality of life. If no verbal witness accompanies a life of high quality, then the person only bears witness to himself and not to Christ. People may look at his life and admire its high quality and simply think that this person is a man of good values and integrity. Consequently, the person only bears witness to himself if a verbal witness does not accompany a life lived to God's glory.
4. I don't have the time to witness.
This is a very common excuse. However, we all have the same 168 hours each week. Since Jesus first and last commands are to witness, if we take the Lordship of Christ seriously, we will make time to witness, pray for opportunities to witness, and take advantage of those opportunities God opens for us.
B. Second principle: It is the responsibility of the church to train and equip God's people for the work of evangelism. Ephesian 4:11,12 states this explicitly:
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. . . ." It is the job of the minister to prepare God's people for the work of service and ministry. This certainly includes training and equipping in witnessing.
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. . . ." It is the job of the minister to prepare God's people for the work of service and ministry. This certainly includes training and equipping in witnessing.
We offer several opportunities for training in evangelism. As mentioned above we have training classes in Evangelism Explosion. We also have training in telephone outreach and training in relational evangelism.
C. Outreach styles.
There are two main forms of church outreach styles: "front door" and "side door" outreach.
Front door outreach involves direct church outreach such as telemarketing, door-to-door evangelism, direct mail, newspaper and radio ads, and special events at the church.
Side door outreach involves home Bible studies in which lost neighbors, friends, or, relatives are invited, informational meetings on subjects of interest, special events sponsored by the church, but not held at the church itself, and any pre-evangelistic event.
Rarely does a church exclusively use one form of outreach or the other. However, it is important to recognize one's strengths and act accordingly. In our situation, our main form of outreach is "front door" evangelism although the "side door" approach is part of our fellowship emphasis. The front door activities of our church has used are Evangelism Explosion, Phones For You, and direct mail.
D. Church Planting.
Starting new churches is a tremendously effective method of reaching the lost. Even though we are a young church, it is a crucial part of our vision of outreach to be involved in church planting. As we grow, our vision is to help plant other churches in our community, nation, and world.
