View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Liberty University Digital Commons LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ENVISIONING AND IMPLEMENTING A SERVANT/EVENT EVANGELISM STRATEGY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH A Thesis Project Submitted to Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF MINISTRY By Jon Lorick Lynchburg, Virginia August, 2011 Copyright 2011 by Jon Lorick All Rights Reserved ii LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY THESIS PROJECT APPROVAL SHEET _____________ GRADE Dr. Charlie Davidson MENTOR Dr. David Wheeler READER iii ABSTRACT ENVISIONING AND IMPLEMENTING A SERVANT/EVENT EVANGELISM STRATEGY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH Jon Lorick Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 2011 Mentor: Dr. Charlie Nathan Davidson In examining the most effective evangelism models used by churches today, churches have a unique opportunity to reach a large number of people while utilizing gifts of service. This Thesis examines the current status of evangelism in churches and gives churches an opportunity to envision and develop a strategy that is two fold. This project will help church’s to serve like Jesus, while at the same time share the gospel. This Thesis will do this by examining the need for a servant/event strategy while giving practical examples of how to implement such a strategy in their local context. Abstract length: 98 words iv DEDICATION This Thesis is dedicated to the five most important aspects of my life. First and foremost to the one who eternally changed my life, my Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly I dedicate this to the love of my life my wife Jenna Lorick. You are the greatest gift God has ever blessed me with. Thank you for encouraging me to chase this dream in my heart. I love you and will always be indebted to you for your loving me. Thirdly I dedicate this to my wonderful children. This pursuit has taken me away from many hours of life with you. I am so thankful and consider it the greatest joy of my life to be called your Dad. Fourthly I dedicate this to my parents. You have led me to become the man I am today and for that I am so blessed. Thank you for all the sacrifices you made to make this possible. Last but certainly not least, I dedicate this to all the wonderful churches that I have had the privilege of serving. You are the bride of Christ and I am so thankful to do life together with you. v vi CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………….. 1 Why the Topic is Needed………………………………………………………..... 1 Background Leading to Awareness of the Problem…………………………….....1 Rational for Choosing This Topic………………………………………………… 2 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………..... 2 Terminology Defined……………………………………………………………... 3 Statement of Limitations………………………………………………………….. 5 Theoretical Basis………………………………………………………………….. 5 Statement of Methodology………………………………………………………. 11 Review of Literature…………………………………………………………….. 13 CHAPTER TWO: THE CHURCH AND EVANGELISM MODELS………………….. 19 State of the Modern American Church………………………………………….. 19 What is Evangelism?.............................................................................................. 26 Excuses for Not Evangelizing…………………………………………………… 35 Evangelism Models in the Modern American Church…………………………...37 Critique of Evangelism Models in the Modern American Church……………… 49 vii CHAPTER THREE: THE FOUNDATION FOR SERVANT/ EVENT EVANGELISM…………………………………………………………………64 History of Servant/Event Evangelism as Found in Scripture…………………… 64 Examples of Modern Servant/Event Evangelism in the Local Church…………. 74 CHAPTER FOUR: THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SERVENT/EVENT EVANGELISM STRATEGY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH…………………………….. 84 Envisioning and Developing a Servant/Event Strategy for the Local Church…... 85 Implementing a Servant/Event Strategy for the Local Church………………….. 93 Examples of Servant/Events for the Local Church……………………………… 98 Potential Barriers to Implementing a Servant/Event Strategy……………......... 113 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………… 116 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………… 120 APPENDIX A………………………………………………………………………….. 129 APPENDIX B………………………………………………………………………….. 160 VITA…………………………………………………………………………………… 202 viii ix CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Why the Topic is Needed Statistics show that the church in America is experiencing a sharp decline in its numbers of baptisms and church attendance. As writer Bill Hull says, “while certain pockets of evangelicalism have grown, overall the church is in a decline.”1 Churches across the nation must come to the realization that evangelistic efforts must once again become a top priority. Therefore, building an effective evangelism strategy in the context of the local church is an absolute imperative. This thesis will put forth a model which will serve as a tool for churches to build an evangelism strategy that gives believers an opportunity to serve while also sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with unbelieving people in their communities. Background Leading to Awareness of the Problem The background that has led to the desire to create a servant/event evangelism strategy in the local church that is effective originates from the Great Commission. Jesus says in Mathew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”2 The failure of the 1 Bill Hull, The Disciple Making Church (Grand Rapids: Fleming H. Revell, 1990), 10. 2 Unless otherwise noted, all references from the Bible are from the New American Standard Bible Updated Edition. 1 2 church to meet this goal was also a motivating factor in the pursuit of this project. This topic will provide a tool for churches to create a strategy that serves two purposes. The first purpose is to give believers in the local church the opportunity to serve in a way that is tangible, practical, and life changing. The second reason for this kind of strategy is to reach the unchurched people of the community with the gospel. When other believers are engaged in serving, it will ultimately lead people into a relationship with Christ; and in turn, believers will become more intentional about evangelism resulting in a church that grows by conversions. Rational for Choosing This Topic Many churches have either reached plateau or are in decline because they have no strategy of how to reach people with the gospel. Many churches are come and see churches instead of go and tell churches. They believe that if the music is right or the programs are good, then unchurched people will pour in the doors and the church will grow. However, this thesis will argue that churches must go and tell. In order to accomplish this, churches need to develop a strategy that puts the church in the presence of the community making a connection with the unchurched through acts of service and events. Statement of the Problem Churches often decline, not because of a lack of enthusiasm, but because of a lack of strategy. The old maxim rings true: “if you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” Therefore some churches simply maintain existence instead of striving to thrive. They believe that if they will build a program or building then people will come. This project 3 will serve as an instrument to educate churches of the need for an evangelism strategy as well as assist the church in implementing a servant/event strategy. Terminology Defined Throughout this project there will be words used that warrant clarification in order fully to grasp the purpose of this thesis. Six words in particular that need to be defined are the following: “unchurched,” “evangelism,” “strategy,” “servant,” “event,” and “model.” Unchurched According to The American Heritage Dictionary, “unchurched” means, “not belonging to or participating in a church.”3 While this is an academic definition of the word “unchurched,” the usage will carry a deeper meaning throughout this project. The term “unchurched” in this project will be defined as those who are not connected with a church and who have not professed faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. Evangelism “Evangelism” is defined as “zealous preaching and dissemination of the gospel, as through missionary work.”4 This definition is a good concise meaning of the word. However, for the purpose of this project the term “evangelism” will be defined as the sharing of the gospel by proclamation, acts of service, or any means that gives people a chance to come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 3 Entry for “Unchurched,” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004), <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/unchurched> (accessed: November 10, 2009). 4 Entry for “Evangelism,” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004), <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/unchurched> (accessed: November 10, 2009). 4 Strategy In addition, according to The American Heritage Dictionary, “strategy” means “a plan of action resulting from strategy or intended to accomplish a specific goal.”5 This definition is a bit broad for the scope of this project and needs to be sufficiently restricted. Therefore, the meaning of “strategy” in this project will be defined as the systematic approach of a church that meets the specific needs of its cultural context. Servant A “Servant” can be defined as “One who expresses submission, recognizance, or debt to another.”6 However, due to the nature of this project, the word