Donald McGavran, the founder of the modern church-growth movement, laid the groundwork for all church-growth thinking that was to follow. One of his key insights was that most of the barriers to the gospel are not theological; they are social.1 Or, to paraphrase Juan Carlos Ortiz, most people who are opposed to the gospel are not opposed to ice cream.2
The greatest unmet need in your community is love. People crave fellowship and love.3 They want to know and to be known, to love and to be loved. They want to socialize—to talk and listen and share and laugh. They want close, personal friends with whom they can be totally honest. They also want a network of casual friends who will support them, who will enjoy football games and meals with them. When we love people and spend time with them, they become much more open to hearing about the gospel. We can do this at fellowships or parties, but we need people with the gift of party to help us with the evangelistic and disciple-making process.
Jesus recognized that people are more like sheep than eagles (Matthew 9:36). The implication is that most people prefer to run with the crowd than to fly alone. This is why the testimonial is so popular and effective in advertising. We are willing to go along with others simply because others are going along. Sam Chan says:
Fitness requires a lifestyle change rather than an extra activity we tack onto our lives.
It’s the same with evangelism. It requires a lifestyle change. It’s not a one-off event where we try to tell our friends about Jesus. Instead, we need to become evangelistic. Evangelism is more than something we do; it’s something we become. And it’s the same with our local church. Our church can’t just shoehorn extra evangelistic events into its busy schedule. Our church needs to become evangelistic. It’s a lifestyle change. — Shan, Sam, and Ed Stetzer. 2020. How to Talk about Jesus (without Being That Guy): Personal Evangelism in a Skeptical World. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
I reduced it to a slogan: Invite every member and every friend to every fellowship every month. For more, check out the video below.
-Adapted from You Can Double Your Class in Two Years or Less
