- Bart Blair
- Nathan Bryant (Executive Director of Assist Church Expansion)
Key Points
The Need for Evangelism
- A 2021 LifeWay research study found 71% of people are open to hearing someone's life story when meeting them for the first time
- In the UK, 75% of non-Christians who had conversations with Christian friends about Jesus felt comfortable, and 33% wanted to know more
- Only 55% of non-Christians who knew a Christian said that person had ever talked about their faith
The Farming Model of Evangelism (Six Steps)
- Choosing the Field
- Identifying who God is calling you to reach
- Focus on relationships where ongoing connection is possible
- Consider both individual relationships and corporate community focus
- Preparing the Soil (90% of the work)
- Removing obstacles to faith through building relationships
- Addressing sociological barriers rather than just theological ones
- Creating connections between non-believers and multiple Christians
- Building spiritual momentum through relational momentum
- Listening more and talking less
- Planting the Seed
- Sharing the Word of God, specifically about Jesus and the gospel
- Creating the right environment for growth
- Cultivating
- Giving time for the message to grow and mature
- Not rushing to "close the deal" prematurely
- Creating the best circumstances for spiritual growth
- Harvesting
- Picking the fruit when it's ripe
- Recognizing when someone is ready to make a decision
- Creating a "Greenhouse" Environment
- Evangelistic Bible study approach (5-7 weeks)
- Elements needed: Word of God, prayer, connection to believers, gifted teachers
- Research shows significantly higher retention rates with this approach
- Churches need a clear process and strategy
- Leveraging different spiritual gifts within the church body
- Providing clear pathways for members to connect non-believers
- Working as a team to reach the community
- Book: "The Soul Winning Church" by J.A. Metters
- Previous Episode: #17 on the principles of evangelism
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