The downward trend in baptisms across our denomination has been accredited to many things, but perhaps one major contributing factor is the lack of true, biblical discipleship in our churches!  Taking a new believer and leading them on a spiritual journey toward maturity is a lifelong endeavor.  Yet that is exactly what the New Testament church in Acts took on as their discipleship strategy.  The results?  Thousands coming to Christ... led by new believers who were being discipled by the apostles!

Our commisson to "make disciples" certainly begins with evangelism, but it certainly doesn't end there!  Your Evangelism and Discipleship Ministries team stands ready to assist, encourage, motivate and resource your church for reaching people with the gospel and developing them into spiritually mature believers.

Evangelism and Discipleship strategies have several things in common:

• They are both intentional.  They don't just happen... they are prayerfully prepared and implemented.
• They are both scripture based.  The Word of God is essential to all evangelism and disciple-making ministries.
• They are both supernatural.  The power of the Holy Spirit makes our evangelism and discipleship fruitful.

Let your Evangelism and Discipleship team share with your church or association the many new, as well as tried and true, resources that are available for using in our fulfilling our Great Comminssion.

There are certain signs that catch our attention…signs that identify certain things we are looking for and lure us into the parking lot of that particular establishment.  Cracker Barrel.  Wal-Mart.  Baskin-Robbins.  Lowe’s.  Starbucks.  But none seem to have as great an attraction for so many as the infamous “Hot Now” sign of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  Why?  Because in all of doughnut-dom, there is nothing…absolutely nothing…that tastes like a fresh, hot-of-the-glazer Krispy Kreme doughnut! 

If God were to place a sign over churches that were really getting it done evangelistically, would your church be one that would get such a sign?  Krispy Kreme has unconditional expectations of all their franchises in order to guarantee all their products have the same excellent quality.  There are four aspects of evangelistically “Hot Now” churches that help make your church more fruitful and effective.  They are:

Pastoral:  The pastor personally influences and leads the church to reach people for Christ.

Personal:  Every evangelistic endeavor is built on developing personal relationships.

Purposeful:  These churches are intentionally evangelistic in all their ministries.

Prayerful:  The lost and unchurched are prayed for by name…faithfully and fervently.

This spring each of our pastors will receive a special mailing from the North American Mission Board which will contain information about the National Evangelism Initiative called “GPS…God’s Plan for Sharing”.

It is not a strategy, it is not a program, and it is not the “next new big thing”.  It is, however, a good idea piece full of resources that can assist your church in developing evangelistic strategies to accomplish four key things by 2020:

• Your church members praying for lost people 
• Your church members sharing as trained witnesses
• Every lost person in your community receiving a gospel presentation 
• Your church celebrating every salvation response

Many churches are already using effective tools such as F.A.I.T.H., “Share Jesus Without Fear”, G.R.O.W. and others in your evangelism efforts.  This piece will simply supplement your efforts now by providing additional ideas and resources to reach your community.

Your Evangelism and Discipleship team stands ready to assist your church in using this resource to develop a powerful and effective evangelism strategy that will enable you to celebrate “every believer sharing, every person hearing” by the year 2020.  Please contact us by calling 217-391-3131 or emailing us at randymullinax@ibsa.org.  We are your partners in reaching Illinois for Christ!

The newly revised F.A.I.T.H. materials are more user freindly for churches of all sizes.  Contact Randy Mullinax at (217) 391-3131 or randymullinax@IBSA.org.

William Fay and Ralph Hodge present a natural, non-threatening approach that teaches us to communicate the gospel by initiating casual conversations about faith. These door openers lead people to learn for themselves what the Word of God has to say. (4 sessions) Contact Randy Mullinax randymullinax@IBSA.org or at (217) 391-3131.

This training teaches your church how to throw a big community party along with ways to build relationships and win the lost. Contact Randy Mullinax (217)391-3131 or e-mail randymullinax@IBSA.org.

The NET is a new tool designed to equip believers in evangelism by learning to share the Gospel through their story/testimony in a culturally relevant way. More information can be found at www.namb.net/evangelism/thenet/.

Imagine equipping believers in your church to be effective witnesses in one day or as little as one hour! This material, is one of the newest evangelism training resources developed by the North American Mission Board, and gives the believer the skills necessary to present the basics of the Gospel. Download for free at: www.namb.net.