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Spring reflections about evangelism

The mild weather of early March lured me outside to rakes the remains of the leaves of last autumn that had wedged themselves in the corners of the yard and around my roses. Removing the debris from gardens, I experienced the satisfaction of seeing the growth of last year's bulb planting. In the front of the Parsonage, the 200 tulip bulbs had begun to show their spiked leaf ends above ground and the garlic stalks, in the herb garden were several inches high. I'm still waiting to see signs of asparagus!

It feels almost like a gift. The work last fall, of planting (and the back pain) is almost forgotten, and now, after months of dormancy come the results of last years labor.

Evangelism is like that at our church. The growth we see this year results from our efforts last year. Our advertising and strengthening our Sunday school program, and our reputation for meaningful Christ centered worship brings results this year. There is a period of dormancy as word and reputation get out and then the Holy Spirit gives it growth. And we see the results this year.

The work is to be ever planting new ideas in the forms of new programs, new outreach, new worship ventures, all new ways of praising and serving God. To reap a continual harvest is to plant continually.

Though the tulips will blossom late April and the garlic will be ready to harvest in July, you can bet that I'll be planting lettuce and spinach next week and warm weather crops in May. A continual harvest requires continual work.

So we continually plan new ideas and outreach and praise and worship presentations and new Christian education programs at Church. The joy in seeing the harvest today motivates us to continue.

The Power Of A Personal Invitation

This is the singular most effective outreach a church can use to grow. All the studies indicate that two thirds of people who eventually join a church were first invited by a church member. Let me give you an example. Yesterday, I met someone new in worship. She shared with me that her neighbors, a family at Salem Church, had invited her to worship with us. She told me her friends waited to meet her at the church and accompanied her to the coffee hour afterwards. She remarked how meaningful the experience was for her and that she had been away from any church for a long time. She also intends to come again.

What a marvelous thing to happen! We assume we're inviting someone to worship to share our fellowship and perhaps even our faith. Imagine, then, to discover that they find real meaning here, meaning that makes a difference in their lives. Imagine the joy they experience as God speaks to them in our music and sermon and fellowship. We who come each Sunday probably don't think in these terms. Maybe we should! Inviting people can make a wonderful difference in another's life.

If the demographics from the Princeton Research Center hold true for us (and there's no reason to presume they don't,) a majority of people with whom we are in relationship, don't attend any church. The people who need to discover what we have are out there. They're only waiting for an invitation – from you!

How do we greet newcomers?

One of the most effective acts of hospitality I experienced was in a new church outside of Chester, New Jersey. After we had parked our car we began to walk toward the church. A man, apparently a greeter and a regular, recognized us as newcomers. He approached with an outstretched hand, welcomed us to the Church of the Hills, and told us what door to go in and how to get to the sanctuary. The encounter was less than a minute. It reduced our anxiety about going to a new church and increased our comfort level. Even before we got into the building, we had gained some knowledge of what to expect.

Most members in traditional churches in older buildings don't welcome effectively. Ask them if they are friendly and most would say "yes". In fact, all my churches did. What they were really saying was that they were friendly to each other. Each, as I witnessed it, were reluctant to approach newcomers with a warm verbal greeting and an outstretched hand. The perfunctory handshake by the usher at the door doesn't count. It tends to be too formal and generic and certainly doesn't provide any relevant information to the newcomer.

The other issue in older churches is that many of our entranceways (vestibules) tend to be small with just a few feet from the front door of the church into the sanctuary. Studies indicate that people need at least 10 feet of space into a building before they orient themselves to their surroundings. This is why most stores keep displays immediately away from their entrances. The next time you're in a mall, check it out.

In our older churches, ten feet in the door often gets you into the sanctuary. Ten feet is not enough space to greet effectively when people are coming in behind you and the sanctuary is looming ahead of you. Churches with entrances that open into larger spaces don't have this problem.

What churches must do is train their greeters to share relevant information about the church and extend an invitation to attend the coffee hour, if there is one. And if the space between front door and sanctuary is too small, move the greeting out of doors. It takes more work but growing a congregation always does.