The purpose of this series is to offer some basic “entry points” for beginning to explore your Minimum Factor graph.
This post is for those whose Minimum Factor is Need-oriented Evangelism.
Two initial points need to be made.
First, all the questions relate to the degree to which any evangelism efforts are directed at meeting the needs of the people the church is trying to reach. The higher a question’s result, the greater its contribution to the evangelism being need-oriented.
Secondly, the questions are included in the survey because it has been shown to high degree of accuracy in international statistical terms that they distinguish healthy growing churches from those in decline. In effect, churches attracting higher scores for these questions are more likely to be growing, and vice versa. Not liking the questions, or thinking other questions would be better, in no way detracts from the 11 appearing on the graph.
I like to look at these questions in terms of Bill Hybel’s mission: “from non-believers to full devoted followers of Christ”. Looking at the questions in a particular order can perhaps show where there might be holes in a church’s approach to evangelism.
1. Personal engagement with the surrounding community
Q33 – I pray that my friends, colleagues and relatives who do not yet know Jesus Christ, that they will come to faith
Q75 – I try to deepen my relationships with people who do not yet know Jesus Christ
These two questions acknowledge that evangelistically effective churches have members who are actively reaching into their surrounding communities both through prayer and building relationships. To pray is to invite the Spirit to “go before”. It is also most effective when it is directed at the specific needs of those being prayed for, pointing to the need for some form of relationship.
2. Church engagement with the surrounding community
Q36 – Our church tries to help those in need (food, clothing, education, counsel, etc)
Q86 – When new people come to church events, we approach them openly and lovingly
Q36 is an ‘outside’ question, Q86 an ‘inside’ question. The first asks the degree to which the church sees the needs of people in its surrounding community and proactively works to meet those needs. The second asks the simple question of how well the church responds to people who come from that surrounding community inside its ‘four walls’. I once went to a church with a catchy sign out front that said ‘End of your search for a friendly church’ and in the entire time I was there no one spoke to me. At my height and size I found it hard to believe I was invisible. How many churches are losing visitors because members are so focused on themselves that they fail to see people from ‘outside’ coming ‘inside’?
3. Relevance of evangelistic activities
Q21 – The evangelistic activities of our church are relevant for my friends and family who do not yet know Jesus Christ
Q69 – There is a lot of creativity in the evangelistic activities of our church
Not knowing the needs of the people you are trying to reach hampers relevance and creativity. Both these questions require proactivity; they are not ‘come to’ but ‘go to’ questions.
Experience suggests that church members are likely to answer these questions on behalf of those outside the church. “Is this relevant to me? If so, then it’s likely to be relevant for my friends and family. After all they’re like me.” A positive answer not only increases the likelihood of such activities having an impact but that church members will participate in them.
4. Leadership support for individuals to evangelize
Q82 – The leaders of our church support individual Christians in their evangelistic endeavours
Q70 – I know of a number of individuals in our church who have the gift of evangelism
These questions counterbalance #3 and reinforce #1. They recognise that in healthy churches evangelism is an interplay of corporate and individual activity. Evangelism is fundamentally relational and personal; running activities and events is important but should not be at the expense of individual engagement. Where the latter is expected, it must also be supported.
Specifically, the people must see their leaders actively providing them with relevant, helpful support as they reach out to others. And that the leadership is identifying and releasing those who are gifted evangelists because they will produce fruit disproportionate to the effort supporting them. This is true empowering leadership.
5. Support for new Christians
Q44 – New Christians find friends in our church quickly
Q87 – Our church provides practical help for new Christians to grow in their faith
Q19 – We encourage new Christians in our church to get involved in evangelism immediately
The progression hardly needs explanation. Whether new Christians or not, people who do not form relationships do not stay. New Christians must be part of an effective discipleship program that grounds them in the faith. Aside from those with the gift of evangelism, the most effective evangelists are new Christians. This is the multiplication principle at work.
Other questions directly impacting Need-oriented Evangelism
There are a number of questions directly associated with other Quality Characteristics that have a direct impact on Need-oriented Evangelism. Here are a few that have surfaced regularly in my work with churches.
6. “Our leaders”
Q22 – Our leaders are clearly concerned for people who do not know Jesus Christ
Q45 – Our leaders clearly believe that God wants our church to grow
Q23 – Our leaders actively support church development
Q74 – Our leaders are spiritual examples to me
Two from Empowering Leadership and one each from Effective Structures and Passionate Spirituality. It is not hard to gauge the impact on attempts to improve evangelistic fruitfulness when people answer these questions ‘are not’ or ‘do not’.
7. Sharing the journey
Q41 – I often tell other Christians when I have experienced something from God
Q59 – I share with various people in our church about my spiritual journey
One is from Passionate Spirituality and the other from Loving Relationships. As I have often said to church leaders, if your members are either not experiencing God at work in their lives or are unable to share with others in the church if they do, then the likelihood of them sharing their faith with those outside the church is not high.