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.

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 217-391-3127 or emailing us at barbarahalleman@ibsa.org.  We are your partners in reaching Illinois for Christ!

The newly revised F.A.I.T.H. materials are more user friendly for churches of all sizes.

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).

This training teaches your church how to throw a big community party along with ways to build relationships and win the lost.

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.