Evangelism and Church Growth

Newsletter

Published for the purpose of encouraging the church to reach out to the lost!

-- Clayton Pepper, Editor --

P.O. Box 1535, Goodlettsville, TN 37070

Vol. 1, No. 2--July, 1998

Where Does Church Growth Begin

By Clayton Pepper

I believe that church growth begins with a knowledge of the subject. Even though I grew up in the church, I did not learn until I was in my mid-20s that I should share the gospel with the lost. I had to learn church growth outside the mainstream of the church's teaching program.

Our emphasis has not been as much on evangelism as on moral principles and doctrinal issues. Most of our preachers say they never had any training on church growth and evangelism when they were in college. One preacher said that when he got out of college, he had a diploma in one hand and a Bible in the other, but did not know what to do. We have a choice to accept things as they are and assume that conditions cannot be improved, or to be determined to learn how to reach the lost now that they do not come to services to be taught. Church growth authorities suggest that preachers read one book per month on church growth. The writer had put together a list of twelve books as suggested reading. You may receive this list by calling the Ohio Valley College Bookstore at 1-800-879-7323 or by going to the resources page linked to the Center for Church Growth (www.ovc.edu/bible/chgrowthresources.htm).

We must have strong convictions thus believing the passages in the bible dealing with reaching the lost as strongly as we do "doctrinal" passages. Brother Willard Collins once said, "Could it be that we have emphasized certain passages in our teaching and come to believe them and there are other passages that have not been taught and therefore are not believed." I do not see the same loyalty to evangelism as I see to many other matters. Therefore, there is no real grief because we are baptizing very few. One church of 500 in attendance extended 154 invitations at the end of the service during the year in which no one responded to obey the gospel. More and more this has become normal rather than abnormal. After a video was shown at a middle Tennessee church concerning mission work and pictures of baptisms were shown, one of the elders remarked, "I am glad you showed that because there are people in this congregation who have never seen a baptism."

A 10-year study of preachers' work found the following:

1. A preacher whose major focus was on administrative activities and attending meetings saw his congregation reach a plateau of non-growth.

2. A preacher whose major focus was on counseling and visiting members saw his congregation decline.

3. A preacher whose major focus was on sermon preparation and study saw his congregation reach a plateau of non-growth.

4. A preacher whose major focus was on visiting prospective members and training members saw his congregation grow.

Training Members for Evangelism

The roots of Acts are in the Gospels. I believe the training of the twelve is an inspired way to equip people to take the gospel to the lost. Over 40 pages of my book, Church Growth Today, deal with spiritual growth that leads to numerical growth. We can learn from the following eight principles used by Jesus:

1. Select those to be trained to win souls

2. Emphasize the importance of association with workers in training

3. Develop the greater degree of commitment and consecration which is needed for members to become evangelistic

4. Impart to those in training the necessary instruction and assistance

5. Include demonstration teaching in the training process

6. Delegate responsibility

7. Supervise the work

8. Reproduce the work of evangelism in the lives of those taught and trained

Channeling Our Resources Toward Evangelism

In my last newsletter, I cited some of the resources of the state of Tennessee which is a "Bible belt" state. A state having the greatest decline of adherents (members, visitors, and children). It is obvious that we have an abundance of resources with limited focus on reaching the lost. Because of this need, you are invited to be a guest at a special dinner meeting on October 6^th at the hermitage House Smorgasboard, Lebanon Road, in Nashville, TN. You will hear Keith Stotts of Parkersburg, W. Va. and Jerry Dyer of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Look for more information on this important dinner meeting in your next Evangelism and Church Growth Newsletter.

It is not evangelism until the lost have been confronted with the gospel.

If this information creates within you a desire to do more to reach the lost, here are two items that will be of interest:

The video "Will You Not Tell It Today" by Clayton Pepper and Keith Stotts, Chancellor of Ohio Valley College. You may receive this 49-minute video for a $100 contribution to the Clayton Pepper Center for Church Growth, 4501 College Parkway, Parkersburg, West Virginia 26101.

My new 244-page book, Church Growth Today, is available from Quality publishing in Abilene, Texas (800-359-7708) and is priced at $14.95 plus shipping.