Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with people as one who desired their good. He showed sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He invited them, “Follow Me.” Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 143.
The Gospels do not describe Jesus pitching a tent outside Jerusalem, rocking up on His stallion, shouting that the people needed to follow Him or they would go to hell, or taking up an offering and then riding off into the sunset. They do not describe Him as renting a fancy hall in the middle of town, showing up in a natty suit and shined shoes, concerned only with how many people showed up. The Gospels describe how Jesus went out to meet the ordinary people, to talk to them, to find out what they needed, whether it be healing of a physical ailment, a theological discussion at midnight, or a call to follow Him as He passed under a tree.
Jesus was not afraid to get his hands dirty—literally—in the case of the man who was healed of blindness with spit and a bit of soil. He attended weddings and touched lepers. He had dinner in the homes of wealthy Pharisees, in friends’ homes with tax collectors and prostitutes, and with thousands of ordinary people, sitting on a dusty hillside. He did what He needed to do in order to find the immediate needs of those He met, knowing that, until these were solved, people might not have the capacity to attend to more spiritual matters.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has made this method, known from Ellen White’s words as “Christ’s Method”, the centerpiece of our outreach.
In 2018 and 2023, the Global Church Member Survey (GCMS) asked church members whether they agreed with the belief that “the most effective method for reaching people for Christ is to mingle with them, meet their needs, win their confidence, and then bid them to follow Christ.”
Agreement with belief: Christ’s Method for Reaching People
In 2018, nearly two thirds (62.7%) strongly agreed, 27.1% agreed, 6.1% were not sure, 2.2% disagreed, and 1.8% strongly disagreed. When the question was asked in 2023, results were very similar: 62.8% strongly agreed, 27.3% agreed, 5.2% were not sure, 2.7% disagreed, and 2.0% strongly disagreed. In total, 89.8% of members in 2018 agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, while in 2023, the total was 90.1%.
Although the question was not included in the 2018 survey, year 2023 participants were asked whether they agreed with the belief that “in order to reach people for Christ, we need to get to know them and their needs before we preach the gospel to them.”
Agreement with belief: In order to reach people for Christ, we need to get to know them and their needs before we preach the gospel to them.
About half strongly agreed (51.4%), 35.1% agreed, 6.2% were not sure, 4.7% disagreed, and 2.6% strongly disagreed. In total, 86.5% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement.
The GCMS sought to find out how many members and their churches were involved in meeting the needs of their local community. Members were asked what they thought about the efforts by their church to meet community needs.
Involvement in activities in your local church: Overall efforts by my church to meet the needs of my local community…
In 2018, 3.2% said that the question did not apply to their church; 1.7% said that the involvement of activities needed to decrease greatly; 3.4%, needed to decrease somewhat; 21.5%, was at the right level; 40.0%, needed to increase somewhat; and 30.2%, needed to increase greatly. In total, in 2018, 8.3% said that it did not apply or needed to decrease, 21.5% thought that it was at the right level; and 70.2% believed that more effort was needed.
The answers were similar in 2023. Those who believed that the question did not apply to their church totaled 3.3%; 1.7% thought that their church’s efforts needed to decrease greatly; 2.1%, that it needed to decrease somewhat; 19.4%, that it was at the right level; 44.7%, that it needed to increase somewhat; and 28.9%, that it needed to increase greatly. The overall totals in 2023 showed that 7.1% of members thought the question did not apply or that their church needed to decrease its efforts, down from 8.3% in 2018; 19.4% believed that the efforts were at the right level, down from 21.5%; and 73.6%, up from 70.2%, believed that their church needed to make more effort to reach the community.
Finally, the GCMS asked church members about their own efforts to meet the needs of their local community through their church.
Involvement in activities in your local church: My involvement in efforts to meet the needs of my local community through my church…
In 2018, 3.0% said that the question did not apply to their church; 1.6% said that their involvement needed to decrease greatly; 3.7%, that it needed to decrease somewhat; 19.2%, that it was at the right level; 41.9%, that it needed to increase somewhat; and 30.5%, that it needed to increase greatly. Therefore, only 8.3% of members believed that the question did not apply to them or that their efforts needed to decrease greatly or somewhat, 19.2% felt that their efforts were at the right level, whereas 72.4% felt that their efforts needed to increase greatly or somewhat.
In 2023, 3.2% said that the question did not apply; 1.4% said that their involvement needed to decrease greatly; 2.1%, that it needed to decrease somewhat; 18.6% felt that it was at the right level; 47.7%, that it needed to increase somewhat; and 26.9%, that it needed to increase greatly. In total, just 6.7% felt that the question did not apply to them or that their efforts needed to decrease, down from 8.3% in 2018; 18.6% felt that their efforts were at the right level, down slightly from 19.2% in 2018; and 74.6%, up from 72.4% in 2018, believed that their efforts needed to increase somewhat or greatly.
Although people may stumble across our churches as if by accident—we need to reach out to them by finding out what they need and trying to meet those needs in order to make any real impact on our community—as Jesus did.
You can access the full report here.
Created in collaboration with the Institute of Church Ministry.
Published by ASTR on 5/6/2025.