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. 3

Five Principles of New Testament Evangelism

By Clayton Pepper

I believe that the Jerusalem church is the best example of evangelism in the New Testament. It was:

1. The first New Testament congregation.

2. Led by the men Jesus had trained. They surely knew what the business of the church was.

3. Made up of devout Christians. The best of Judaism had come to Jerusalem to worship. The church was made up of converts who had been devoted to Judaism.

We see the church beginning with some 3000 members, baptizing people every day and then multitudes becoming members.

I would like to call your attention to five principles of growth from this church.

1. Their goal was to take the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:16).

2. They taught every day (Acts 5:42; 20:31).

3. They went to every house (Acts 5:42; 20:20).

4. They had the "every member" concept of teaching (Acts 8:4; 2 Tim. 2:24; Heb. 5:12).

5. They used every means (1 Cor. 9:22).

Has New Testament evangelism failed today or has it not been tried in most places? What has been the result where it has been tried? Perhaps, what we have called campaigns for Christ come nearer to employing the New Testament principles of church growth than anything I know today.

1. If I go back in my memory to 1959 when I started and directed the personal evangelism program at Madison, I remember 8 men won 33 to Christ in 8 months. The next year about 20 men were responsible for 88 baptisms and restorations (most of these were baptisms). In the third year, 25 people were responsible for 102 baptisms and restorations.

I observed one congregation of 500 in attendance who were not doing personal evangelism work as we did, and they baptized only 32 in one year. Another congregations of 400 baptized 15 in one year.

2. About two years ago, I taught and baptized a man who had been attending services with his wife for 18 years. According to his wife, no one had ever conducted home Bible studies with him.

3. In August, I taught my 69-year-old brother-in-law who had cancer. I took him within one hour to the Hartsville Pike church building in Gallatin where he was baptized. He had not attended church since he was a young man living at home.

4. I worked in campaign in Providence, Ky. In 1996. A congregation of 80 sponsored the campaign using the "We Care" approach. In about 10 days, 45 people were baptized. Several experienced teachers came from other places to help. An evangelistic meeting was held during the campaign.

5. A truly evangelistic preacher once began preaching for a church that had existed for many years. He persuaded the elders to have a door-knocking campaign. I worked in that campaign. One elder told me that he had not previously know what a campaign was. They baptized 17 in one week and 49 during the year.

Are we following New Testament evangelistic methods or is ours largely a system from the Protestant era?

The 20^th Century Church

1. Largely follows the "we will teach those who come" concept of teaching.

2. Teaches 4 hours in 7 days (with a few exceptions).

3. Teaches publicly for the most part.

4. Has too many preachers made pastors instead of evangelists.

5. Uses limited means and resources for evangelism.

Suggested reading:

John Ellas. Measuring Church Growth. Houston: Center for Church Growth, 1997.

Be sure to join us on October 6 at the Hermitage House Smorgasboard, 3131 Lebanon Road, Nashville, Tenn. Where E. Keith Stotts and Jerry Dyer will be speaking on "Channeling our Resources Toward Evangelism." RSVP to 615-859-4660 or 615-834-3593.

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.