Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

Hi everybody,

Long time viewer, first time posting. Let me introduce my self (sorta). I'm a young(ish) preacher/evangelist from the Midwest. I grew up in Pentecost. Grateful that I cut my teeth on a church pew as they say. I attend a vibrant and strong Apostolic church. Some here would call it an ultracon church. We are part of the WPF, which I've heard stands for Will Preach for Free :heeheehee

In my local church, I've served in various ministries over the past 10-12 years. I've been a Sunday school teacher (6 years), youth pastor/leader (5 years), bus driver, outreach coordinator, service leader, usher and currently director of our ushering/hospitality department. I'm sold out on this Apostolic message. I love holiness, and I love evangelism even more. I have a deep desire to do something for God, and am blessed to feel a call of God on my life.

I wanted to give a little background, I guess just to validate myself. I appreciate the discussion that goes on, on AFF. I'm not coming to you all for life advice, that's what my Pastor is for. However, I'd like your views on the following.

Why does it seem like most Apostolic churches aren't growing?
Are church growth and outward holiness mutually exclusive?
Can churches innovate without "compromising" on ancient landmarks (dress standards, no TV, etc.)?
If you know of churches that are truly growing (new converts), what are they doing differently?

Thank you and God bless,

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

I would recommend this church as an example of Apostolic Church Growth

http://palmbay.experiencefpc.com/

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

I would also add that Jesus fed the masses
trained and sent out the 70
had constant fellowship with the 12
and had an inner circle of 3

there was a deepening of teaching, growth, and spirituality as the circle grew tighter and closer to Jesus at the center.

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

• Why does it seem like most Apostolic churches aren't growing?

Because they're not. Most Apostolic churches I've visited in my metro area in the past 5-10 years are at the same general number they were last year or a few years previous. There have been a couple churches which numerically have seemed to have really grown, but those are due to transplants from other local churches and shouldn't be considered as actual church growth.

• Are church growth and outward holiness mutually exclusive?

I don't believe so. There's a market for everyone.

• Can churches innovate without "compromising" on ancient landmarks (dress standards, no TV, etc.)?

I don't agree with using the term "ancient landmarks" to describe extra-Biblical standards. TV isn't ancient. Dress standards aren't ancient. The pioneers of the modern Oneness Pentecostal movement would likely be banned from some platforms, due to their beards or their wives' jewelry. Why the need to innovate something which is unchanging? Sounds so business-like. (Which, ironically is what many churches have become. A business. And many, family-owned.)

• If you know of churches that are truly growing (new converts), what are they doing differently?

A friend of mine was telling me of how the church he attended was growing and outgrowing their facilities. Within two years they had moved to new facilities, then built additional space on to the new facilities to accommodate the growth. I asked him what they were doing. Matt Maddix's soul winning block parties were just starting to explode everywhere. But he said that wasn't it. I asked if his church did what another local church several miles from him did -- they pulled out of the UPC and relaxed their dress standards. Nope. Still part of the UPC and still believe in standards. What, then? He told me it wasn't any program or events they were doing. The church body gathered in prayer more than they had previously, and the Pastor did a unique thing with his Sunday sermons. Every sermon was tailored to presenting the Gospel. At the end of each sermon, the Pastor would present the plan of salvation and invite people to be baptized in the water and spirit. That was it. Sunday's message is simply the Gospel presented in various ways. It wasn't deep theology -- that comes with their midweek bible studies and small group studies -- it was just the simple message of the Gospel.

The few churches I know which have had people being baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost have some things in common:

Prayer - They have weekly prayer and pray in either a prayer room or the sanctuary before church begins. They are not standing around some lobby café drinking coffee and eating donuts until they hear the music start and a minister greet the congregation. They also aren't walking around in the sanctuary, talking about football games or the latest round of golf. They come with a single mind to praise and worship God. Fellowship comes after the service is over.

Message - Each sermon presents the Gospel in a simple message. After each message, a call is given for people to respond to the Gospel. I was a part of a church for years here and it bothered me how rare people were baptized and received the HG there. The church was UPC, believed in standards and was a friendly church, yet it was dry as a bone. I went to a church which wasn't UPC and didn't have the strict standards, but which still believed and preached Oneness and Acts 2:38. I visited there several weeks in a row. Each week, the Pastor ended his sermon telling people they needed to repent, be baptized in Jesus Name and receive the Holy Ghost. Each week, there were a few people who were baptized and filled with the HG. In those few weeks of visiting this church, I saw more people baptized and filled with the HG than I did in several years with the other church. One week, the sermon hadn't been preached yet when the Pastor interrupted the worship music and said God wanted to set someone free, that they needed to be baptized and filled with the HG, come to the front right now. A man RAN down to the front, was taken to the back, baptized and received the HG before the song was finished.

Outreach/Visitation - Each church I know which has experienced growth has people dedicated to going out into the street to pray and speak with people they meet. Parks, the sidewalk in front of the church, neighborhoods. The church I just mentioned above --- they put a tent up in their parking lot, which is on a major side road, with signs offering prayer and a bible study. They even brought out a metal tank to baptize people who wanted to be baptized right then. They stayed out for 3 or 4 hours, gave several bible studies, prayed for people and, IIRC, one or two people were baptized.

IMO, it takes more work for a church to be dead and stagnant than it does for it to be lively and growing. Unfortunately, there are a lot of hard workers in churches today. :lol

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

this is it! this is that which my heart is stirred by

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

:thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

hmmmm

Youngish yet involved in all those ministries for that long? Preachers kid!

Glad you are here but I thought the WWPF was against this forum?

Just wondering.

Welcome

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

Have you ever studied other denominations to find out why and how they grow? Not purpose driven drivel but others?

Most grow internally. They raise their kids in it and their kids have more kids and they grow.

Most so called church growth programs either UPC or WPF are based upon proselyting.

Usually against each other unfortunately.

They don't want to take the time to grow a church but want to "help their neighbors saints" be saved.

It takes time to build a congregation. Marry a few and bury a few.

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

Post-modernism is really the result of secular, often higher, education and related industries.

The person fully immersed into a post-modern worldview isn't going to come out of that slant without persistent prayer and intercession, with fasting.

However, with that being said, the people who can most easily be reached with the gospel are typically the people no one in the church wants: the addicted, the criminal, the drunkard, the bully, the whore, the gambler, and etc.

These are broken people who usually know they are broken, and have no hope in life of seeing a brighter day. Bringing Jesus to these people, since nothing else in life has ever worked for them, makes all the difference.

The question then is, who are we targeting in our evangelistic strategies?

I know a lady who was instantaneously delivered from severe alcoholism the moment she received the Holy Spirit. I know former gangsters and fornicators and homosexuals and mentally ill and others at the end of their rope folks who were grabbed up by the Lord and brought into His Kingdom, and now, serve Him with their whole heart, joyfully, because they remember from whence they came.

He or she that is forgiven of much loves much.

The post-modernist has a really hard time believing that they have need of divine forgiveness from God. Consequentially, they don't overly love much of anything, except their own worldly lusts and pursuits.

Though the Lord died for all, He was specifically anointed by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel to a select group of people: the poor, the broken-hearted, the blind, the imprisoned, and etc.

Revival will always be found there, if going there to see it happen wasn't such a "hardship" for the saints.

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

Instead of worrying about the Apostolic churches that aren't growing, we need to focus and learn from those who are growing.

church growth and outward holiness are not mutually exclusive, the early church of Acts had exponential growth.

Of course the church can innovate, the church has been innovating for the last 2,000 years.

the "ancient" landmarks you mentioned are not ancient at all.

go and take a direct look at growing churches and learn. :D

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

Awesome post ND! You did a terrific job of summing up it all up!

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

So true. The people who are most willing to receive the gospel are the ones who need the most help as babes in Christ, and for others to be willing to take the gospel to where they are, does sum up too much work for most Christians to be willing to do.

If Jesus were to walk among us in flesh and blood today, I wonder what tables he would upset, and what terror and horror He would cause in the hearts of most Christians, upsetting traditions, and styles and comfortable places.

You have given me much to ponder.

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

I think in order to have revival and growth we need unity... If we have divided views and all go to the same church we cant grow.. A house divided cannot stand.. So many people not grabbing a hold of everthing as a whole. I feel a lot of people in the church today pick and choose 1 god but no holiness.... over here-----> Holiness but all that outreach is too much...

SO you have all these diff types of individuals.. but I feel like if we all had the same burden for souls and made time in our lives to make outreach and prayer and the word mandatory and not optional then we would have more revival... if we all had a made up mind and burden for this gospel just as those in the early church we would have more growth we need more unity... more discipline flesh is truly an issue ... when we all can get our flesh under submission we can walk into purpose... But we as a whole and people have to start there first. So many people are struggling with basic Christianity.. which includes coming to church to pray before a service or let alone making it to church on time or ... even coming to church.... prayer outside of church reading outside of church fasting outside and inside of church. Not coming to church to pray and get in the spirit but coming to church already in the spirit .. theres sooooo much that needs to be mentioned here... and I can go on and on but you see my point lol... love you all with the love of the Lord were gonna make it!

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

The early church was filled with conflict and disunity and God still moved mightily.

We can't all be right...Somebody is going to be wrong and if I decide to agree with someone who is wrong on the basis of "unity" then that means we are BOTH wrong. It's great to be in unity in Truth with fellow believers...It's even better to be in unity with the Word of God.

You want revival? Stop treating holiness like the only thing you have to do is dress and look a certain way and avoid certain places and technologies.

Start doing things that the world cant copy or replace.

Have a rebirth of the knowledge of the authority over sickness,disease and demons that is the birthright of every believer and not just those with a pulpit ministry.

Start believing and obeying and not just proclaiming and obey it ALL....Not just the man made doctrines that we exault over the word of God.

Stop giving the God who never sleeps or slumbers office hours.

Be ready to minister at any moment and any location to freely give what you have freely received....And by minister I do NOT mean inviting someone to church or saying ,"We will pray for you." Pray right then...Let them see that God doesn't have to wait for a specific time and a specific mood at a specific location and pray with Authority.

You have power over sickness and disease...Use it.

Stop taking the name of the Lord in vain...And I'm not talking about saying "Oh My God" I'm talking about taking His precious name upon yourself and making that power of no effect with your unbelief and your unwillingness to use it.

I don't want to hear about how,"We have the name" I'f you aren't using it.

Start seeing every illness as the enemy and understanding that you are there to set people free from that enemy.

If you will exercise that authority outside the church people will have no problem following you into the church.

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

:yourock

Re: Evangelism in a Post Modern world
 

Latin America as i know churches growing fast. There many apostolic churches there. I dont know, maybe helps the simplicity those persons have in their life. They also do evangelism very often and with only the simplicity of the Word it self .
But anyway the number of people is in the same percentages as apostolic times. Always is about 17% of the earth.
I listen very often from many prosphets that God want to save many people those days and we must be ready.