Drawing People for Christ

I heard someone once say, "Inspiration without organization leads to frustration."

When it comes to living up to the redemptive potential that God has given to each of our churches and to every Christ-follower, I don't think it's a matter of being told that we need to evangelize. Every Christ-follower knows that they ought to be sharing their faith. Every church knows that they need to be growing.

And every time most mainline churches and pastors hear about evangelism and growing God's kingdom, they react negatively because growing God's Kingdom through evangelism is exactly what mainline churches and pastors are not doing.

And the more we hear about how we need to be growing God's kingdom and evangelizing, the more frustrating it gets.

Certainly, the denominational headquarters are giving us no help on how we ought to be about evangelism.

So here it goes. Here's my attempt at addressing how a Christ-follower and a church might be engaged in evangelism.

I believe there are five steps necessary for evangelism and church growth.

• Draw --> Welcome --> Connect --> Assimilate --> Disciple
  

I will speak about these five in the next coming days.

First thing is that if we are going evangelize and grow God's kingdom, we have to ask, "What is drawing people to hear my story?" "What are the things that would draw people to our church?"

If we are going to make a difference in the lives of those who don't know Jesus Christ, we have to first have something that draws them to seek Jesus. That's why Jesus calls us the salt and the light. We have to have something that draws people.

On a personal level, are you living in such a way that a person would be drawn to seeking Jesus Christ because of you? Is there something that is tangibly different about the way we approach life, trials, and joys that others cannot help but be drawn to why we live the way we do? Are we a salt and light to those who are around us?

That's the first place to begin. The first place to begin is with our own introspection. Are we any different than a non-Christ-follower? If we are no different - there's your problem.

As a church, we have to ask, what do we provide as a congregation that would draw people in? If there is nothing that would draw people in - there's your problem.

Most people think that programs and facilities draw people. Facilities and programs are merely tools. If you have programs and facilities that stink to royal heaven, well, that's problem. But excellent programs and facilities on its own will not draw people. The most effective tool and instrument for drawing people is your own people.

This goes back to what we were talking about earlier. We, as Christ-followers, have to demonstrate a life that is recognizably different than the world around us - our values, our dreams, our hopes, how we deal with success and failure, how we deal with life's ups and downs.

Salty people are the best "Draw"ers in the world.

So are you a "Draw"er?