When You Take in New Members, How Many are Truly New?

Ray A. Seilhamer
Bishop, 1993-2001

November 1994

Here are some interesting statistics about the average evangelical church.

Seven out of ten new members come from other evangelical churches. A lot of church growth is just a matter of changing clothes. We live in an age of consumerism and convenience. Whoever preaches the best sermon or has the nicest nursery will draw the biggest crowd. Christians shuffle from church to church in their communities. When they get ticked off with one church, they go somewhere else. So church growth, in too many cases, is a matter of church hopping.
Two out of ten new members are children of evangelicals. We're grateful for that. But it means that in reality--
Only 1 out of every ten new members comes from outside the evangelical fold. We aren't penetrating the unchurched in our communities.

Jesus said, "I have come to seek and to save those who are lost." That should be our mission, too. But in too many cases, we have lost sight of that mission, no longer existing for the sake of the lost.

On paper, we say, "We are evangelical. We believe people are lost. We believe that people come to new live through Christ." And yet, so much of what we do is not related to evangelism.

Look at your own church. How many conversions have occurred during the last three years? The last five years? We need a renewed passion for evangelism. And we need to rethink what we do in the church as it relates to evangelism.

I encourage you to examine your present efforts in evangelism. So many of you are holding special services, scheduling the hottest speaker you can find, and hiring the best singing group. You put very little effort into it. At best, you might publish a brochure of advertise in the paper. It is a lazy-man's approach to evangelism today, and it won't cut it.

Here are some ways to improve

Target People

We need to target people for evangelism. Strategize how you can share the gospel with specific people. Get on your prayer list specific individuals who are lost, and begin praying them into the Kingdom of God.

Evangelism as a Lifestyle

Develop a consciousness for lifestyle--in yourself and in your congregation--for lifestyle evangelism. As one person puts it, lifestyle evangelism is "people telling other people where to find a lasting loaf of bread." In our own unique ways, we can all be friends with unbelievers and, in natural ways, share what Christ has come to mean to us.

Build Bridges

Find ways to build bridges to non-Christian people. There are many ways to do this. You might hold a golf tournament for men (or women--they like to golf, too). Make it a lot of fun. Maybe a local golf course will give you a good deal. Start making new friends as you walk the course, finding common interests and developing a relationship. Precede the tournament with a breakfast. Maybe a man who recently found the Lord, and maybe he can share for two or three minutes.

You might have a fashion show as a way to rub shoulders with people outside your church.

A father-son outing, or a mother-daughter banquet, are ways to get acquainted with people outside the church. Hold financial seminars. Sponsor a MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) program. Try ministries for single mothers, parenting classes, aerobics classes. Wherever people have needs, start building bridges in order to identify people who need Christ.

Seeker Services

Here's an idea. Every fourth month, gear your morning worship service to people who aren't Christians. Watch your vocabulary. Station members out front to greet people as they come to church. One of the greatest drawing cards for non-Christians is a friendly congregation.

Maybe you personally should go to another church for a Sunday, just to put yourself in their shoes. Feel what it's like to be a stranger. Feel what it's like to not know where the restrooms are. Feel what it's like to have to search for the nursery or the right classroom. Feel what it's like to not know the protocol, or to not understand what's taking place.

Learn About Boomers and Busters

Most of us, including myself, need help in communicating the gospel to a non-Christian culture. Its very valuable to understand people in that culture--how they think, what they like and dislike, what they enjoy doing, what they value, etc.

Seek to understand the baby boomers and baby busters. Some of you are tired of hearing about those age groups. Not everything being said about them is true, but there's enough truth that we need to pay attention, because it'll help us be sensitive to people and understand better how to reach them.

Speak their language. Use music that can communicate with seekers. Use drama that grabs their attention and makes a point about life. Preach in a way that speaks to the needs of people.

Spark Curiosity

Find ways to move people from apathy to curiosity. When someone stands up and gives a testimony about what God has done in his life, the unbeliever may ask, "I wonder if there's something to that? Is there something I'm missing?" Curiosity is sparked. And that person is well on the way--though it may be a long journey--to accepting Christ as Savior.