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Although evangelism is the responsibility of all believers, pastors and evangelists have the task of equipping, training, and mobilizing congregations to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12).
However, being familiar with the previous passage does not provide a practical and applicable plan for a local congregation. So what does a strategic plan of evangelism look like for a local church? Does your church evangelism program include everyone? Does it build a culture of soul-winning? The following is a strategic evangelism plan applicable to all local churches.
"The evangelistic plan of any church demands implementation and consistency."
Vocal: The church needs to express the expectation of evangelism verbally.
Any Sunday, pastors and teachers are privileged with speaking to tens, hundreds, or thousands of believers regarding the teachings of Jesus Christ. Communicate the expectations of biblical evangelism and celebrate from the pulpit stories of members who led someone to Christ. Even if no one accepted Christ, emphasize the obedience of the members who shared, noting that successful evangelism is not winning the lost but sharing the complete gospel message in the power of the Holy Spirit. The verbal expression of witnessing encounters demonstrates to others that evangelism is taking place and reminds the congregation of the expectation to engage the lost with the gospel.
Visual: The church needs to model evangelism openly.
Often, leaders promote evangelism in the community surrounding the church or practice personal evangelism in the marketplace. However, they often fail to practice what’s preached. Develop a particular time of evangelism in your life and get involved in the many evangelism opportunities the church offers. Leaders should not expect congregations to do what they have not already done. The visual demonstration of evangelism communicates to the congregation that the expectation to evangelize includes church leadership. Additionally, develop a time to share the gospel in every ministry and event the church provides for visitors. The congregation will soon see that the need for evangelism is not only talked about verbally but also demonstrated visually.
Viable: The church needs to practice evangelism with variety.
Many people complain that churches do not practice their type of evangelism. Identify what method of evangelism the congregation is open to practicing and encourage members to engage the lost with the gospel through that method. Develop and emphasize not a specific method, but the practice of any method (assuming it does not violate Scripture). Encourage some to evangelize at events held by the church, others at their jobs and in public, and others through existing relationships—but by all means, encourage and train them to evangelize somewhere with someone.
The evangelistic plan of any church demands implementation and consistency. Therefore, I suggest holding monthly or quarterly meetings to share witness encounters, provide suggestions on evangelizing, answer objections, and encourage one another. Though not an exhaustive plan, this will help pastors, evangelists, and leaders begin developing a culture of evangelism within the local church.
