When it comes to a churchwide evangelistic strategy, I have always been guided and motivated by two principles. Part of the local church’s energies and ministries should be focused on reaching the lost. The church that is not attempting to reach unbelievers has lost its focus because it is not doing what Jesus commanded it to do. Second, I believe that God blesses those churches that are consistently sharing the good news of salvation with lost people.

Because outreach is a difficult area of ministry, it needs special prayer and planning. In this article, I will outline several broad areas of outreach ministries. Congregations should pray and consider which one or two areas would best serve their communities and involve the gifts and passions of the church members.

Worship

In some ways this should be the most natural means of outreach, because lost people, when they come to a worship service, can hear the powerful and convicting Word of God. They should also see the love, joy, and peace of God’s people as they worship God together. They can be convicted and inspired by the greatness and beauty of God. For this to be most effective, the people in the church must be inviting nonbelievers to join them for the worship service.

However, the church should not rely on this method of outreach exclusively. In today’s society, people who do not attend a church usually see church as irrelevant to their lives. Thus, they have little personal motivation to visit.

Friendship

Friendship evangelism should be the core of outreach ministries. As Christians, we are lovingly to build meaningful relationships with non-Christians in order to serve them and help them on their spiritual journeys. Effective outreach in a community is dependent on believers inviting their friends to hear the gospel in some forum. However, it seems that most Christians have few, if any, meaningful relationships with nonbelievers, outside their extended families. In addition to praying about our relationships, we need to open our lives to the lost.

The church should provide leaders who can support its members who are seeking to share Christ with others. Most Christians struggle in evangelism because they are not confident in their abilities to lead someone to faith in Christ. If the church has winsome people able to come alongside in these evangelistic efforts, it would be a great encouragement to those who are seeking to reach their friends, relatives, neighbors, and associates. Covenant Fellowship (Wilkinsburg, Pa.) RPC and other churches have a regular Friend Day when members are encouraged to invite friends to join them for church. This allows people to hear the gospel as well as build relationships.

Contact

There are many creative ways to contact people we normally would not meet in our regular activities. This area would include such ministries as door-to-door visitation and booths at community fairs and other events. When I was involved in a church planting ministry in the Chicago area, we put a lot of effort in door-to-door visitation. We asked people if they would be willing to respond to a simple questionnaire we had developed. The questions were designed to determine the spiritual interest of people. If there seemed to be a genuine openness to spiritual matters, we would ask if we could return and share with them the central message of the Bible. If there was little spiritual interest, we would simply thank them for their time, leave some literature, and move on to the next door.

In the last few years, the North Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.) RPC has had booths at two community fairs. We use a spiritual interest questionnaire, distribute tracts, give away Bibles, and take prayer requests. To attract people to our booth, an artist offers to do portraits of children. Other ways of attracting people would be jugglers, games, and quizzes. We get the names and phone numbers of interested people in the hope of sharing Christ with them at a later date. We have been encouraged with some of the results we have seen.

Contacting new residents moving into the community can also be fruitful. Often, the names and addresses of the new people can be obtained through real estate companies or local utilities. As a welcome gift, the church can prepare a package of materials, including a local map, magazine of local interest, a Bible, church literature, cookies, etc.

Literature Distribution

Distributing literature is another means of making contact with nonbelievers. The First RPC of Beaver Falls, Pa., has prepared a series of brochures they give to people as they make contact through visitation. Some of the titles they have used are, Why True Christians Believe, Why True Christians Worship, How Can I Become a Christian? Why Should I Become a Christian? as well as pamphlets on the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons.

Forum

This area of evangelistic ministry can range from hosting an investigative Bible study in a home to teaching a class on the Bible, church history, or Christian doctrine at a local university or community college. Scott Wilkinson, when he was involved in planting the church in Kitchener, Ont., led a Bible study and discussion at a local bookstore. Contacts made from friendships in other areas of evangelistic efforts will often be willing to attend an investigative Bible study (especially if there is food offered!). An investigative Bible study in the North Hills RPC, hosted by John and Marge Russell and led by Pastor Martin Blocki, currently has people attending who were met through friendship and contact efforts.

Event

Using events as a means of outreach can take many forms, sizes, and purposes. It includes such relatively simple things as a game night or parties at the church or in homes. When I was in Chicago, there was a family in the church that loved to host parties. On a regular basis, we had game nights in their home. Friends were invited. We also invited people we were meeting through the door-to-door visitation. The non-Christians were able to interact with Christians and see our joy and the peaceful spirits that God gives His people.

There can be larger events such as hosting special speakers, sponsoring debates, cooperating in crusades, etc. The key is to think and pray about what will serve the community. Shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City, the North Hills RPC had an informational meeting for the community. Inviting a Muslim from the local mosque and Jonathan Watt, professor at Geneva College and the RP Seminary, we presented the basic beliefs of the Muslim and Christian faiths. In addition to exposing people to the gospel, these events raise awareness of the church in the community.

Media

Although less personal because it does not involve individual contact with unbelievers, the use of media can raise awareness of the church to outsiders. Such things as mass mailings, blogs on the web, letters to the editor in the local newspapers, and advertisements in various media can be used by God to reach people who would not normally come in contact with the church or Christian people. If there are ministries of community interest, the local papers will often be glad to do a feature article. Several newspapers have carried lengthy articles about the North Hills Church, describing our Pickleball outreach ministry and the classes that we have to teach English conversation skills to the international community in the Pittsburgh area.

Mercy

Many churches have used this area of ministry by serving at local rescue missions, community food banks, and crisis pregnancy centers. Often, they are allowed to give a devotional message or even distribute literature.

Because in every community there are needy people, churches can be involved in caring for people and sharing Christ. For many years, the Lafayette, Ind., RPC has had an effective ministry with the inmates at the county jail. They have seen professions of faith and people become members of the church through this ministry.

Sam Spear and other members of the North Hills RPC will often attend the local township meetings. Our goal is to get to know the legislators and see if there are any needs that we, as a church body, can meet.

Summary

Because outreach is a ministry area to which Christ clearly calls the church and is one that is easy to neglect, it needs special attention. The people in the church need to be praying for outreach opportunities in their personal lives, in their communities, and around the world. Evangelism and outreach should be an area of focus in all the times of corporate prayer.

In addition, time and energy need to be given to outreach. One of the great blessings I have had is to be part of an outreach committee. I believe every congregation should have a ministry team that considers how to promote evangelism through the local church. Part of their task would include what ministries of outreach the church sponsors and also how to encourage, equip, and embolden the members of the church in their personal witness. Many of the ideas I have mentioned here have come due to an outreach committee brainstorming on how to reach the lost in our community.

There are many ways that a church can reach out in the name of Christ. I have mentioned a few broad areas. Surely there are others. Churches need to understand their communities, assess the gifts and passions of their members, and seek meaningful ways of service.

In all outreach efforts, an important factor is perseverance. In all the areas I have mentioned, I have seen, or heard of, people coming to faith in Christ. But rarely has it come on the first attempt. As the church and individuals continued to reach out, God has been pleased to use those efforts to bring someone to faith in Christ. Remember that Jesus said, “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35)

“Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good” (Eccles. 11:6, NASB).

—Harry Metzger