The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. Ellen G White, Acts of the Apostles, 9.
We tend to think of evangelism and mission outreach as public evangelistic meetings, traditionally in a big tent or rented hall, or, increasingly, online, with a speaker preaching about revival and Daniel and Revelation, using prophetic charts and pictures of beasts. There are parts of the world where this approach is still effective, but particularly in westernized countries, people have become increasingly indifferent or even actively hostile to religion, especially Christianity.
The 2023 Global Church Member Survey asked members whether they had attended a public evangelistic meeting in their area in the 12 previous months. More than half (34.5%) had never attended or had attended only once or twice (18.5%); 16% had attended once a quarter, and 8.4%, once a month. Less than a quarter (22%) had attended more than once a month: 6.4% almost every week, 8.3% every week, and 7.8% more than once a week.
When asked about overall evangelistic outreach by their local church in the community, members indicated what they thought about their church’s level of involvement. Although 4.1% said that the question did not apply to their church, and the same percentage of members thought that their church’s outreach needed to decrease, 19.3% said that their church was at the right level, but 72.6% believed that their church needed to increase greatly (30.6%) or increase somewhat (42%) its engagement in the local community.
When asked about their own personal involvement in their church’s evangelistic outreach to the local community, percentages were similar: 3.4% said it did not apply to their church, 3.8% said that it needed to decrease, 18.7% said that it was at the right level, and 72% believed that they needed to increase somewhat (46.2%) or increase greatly (28%) their involvement.
If “big tent” evangelism does not work in your neighborhood, how else can you and your church reach out to your neighbors? There are several ways that churches of all sizes can be involved in and impact their neighborhood. Here are just a few practical ideas:
- Partner with a Local School
If your church does not have a church school, you can reach out to a local school and offer programs like tutoring services, before-school breakfasts, or after-school clubs. This gives children safe places to stay while their parents work and can create strong relationships in the community.
- Adopt Nursing Homes
Senior members of the community often feel lonely and disconnected. Regular visits by church members can offer companionship and spiritual support through conversation, games, Bible studies, and worship services, and can help the elderly feel valued and connected.
- Organize Community Projects
Churches can raise money for and organize community-oriented projects like neighborhood clean-up days, house-painting projects, or planting gardens in needy areas. These efforts can meet a need and foster a sense of community between the church and the neighborhood.
- Create Skills Workshops
The church can host workshops on practical skills such as healthy cooking, budgeting, or basic home repairs. This can create strong, meaningful connections between church members and local individuals and families.
Projects like these are reflections of Christ’s method of mission (see Ellen G. White, Ministry of Healing, 143; and check out https://am.adventistmission.org/using-christs-method). The means Christ used meet the needs of those we call our neighbors, build foundations for long-term relationships with the community, and create positive associations with the church and Christ’s message.
You can access the full report here.
Created in collaboration with the Institute of Church Ministry.
Published by ASTR on 09/10/2024.