“Whole-Body” Evangelism

Dr. John Chandler

The Ray and Ann Spence Network for Congregational LeadershipCopyright John P. Chandler, 2000

“The Body”

“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.”

– Romans 12:4-5

“The Gifts”

“God gave gifts … to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

– Ephesians 4:11-12

“The Body” “Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of

many. If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be?”

– 1 Corinthians 12:14-19

Spiritual Gifts “Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow” -- Peter Wagner

SG: Patterns of God’s activity in a believers life; HS enablements

New Testament lists in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4

“Public” and “Support” gifts

Used alongside Christian “roles”

Some of the gifts ...

Administration Discernment Evangelism Exhortation Faith Generosity Helps Hospitality Intercession

Knowledge Leadership Mercy Prophecy Service Shepherding Teaching Tongues Wisdom

How might body gifts work together to evangelize?

Mercy building church’s credibility in mind of lost person

Intercession praying for an unchurched person at proper times

Administration having hosting team ready for the right response

Teaching making person aware of need for Gospel

Presence

Proclamation

Persuasion

The “3-P” Evangelism House

3-P Evangelism

1-P “Presence” People helped

2-P “Proclamation” Gospel presented

3-P “Persuasion” Disciples Made

The Presence “Door”

The only way to get into the door of availability to a lost person’s life Beauty/Goodness before Truth

Non-optional in the total Gospel process of evangelism

People helped or served

Problem: some people stop here

The Proclamation “Window”

Where the “light” comes on/in

People hear/understand Gospel “-2” on Engel Scale

Essential to biblical evangelism

People converted

Problem: don’t stop here! • Crusade evangelism syndrome

Persuasion “Roof”

Completes the project for living

Getting to “+2” on Engel Scale

People discipled

Ongoing function of church life

The Believer-Church “Tag-Team”

Believer: Presence

Church: Proclamation

Both: Persuasion

Evangelism Equation

P1 (Presence) + P2 (Proclamation) + P3 (Persuasion) = ________________ Biblical Evangelism

Whole-Body Strategy

Individual believers working in partnership with the whole body of Christ in a tag-team strategy to invite lost people to receive the good news of Jesus Christ

One Biblical Strategy: “Matthew” Parties

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

(Matthew 9:9-13)

Getting them to a Matthew Party

Discernment, Faith, Mercy build relationships with lost people

Intercession pray before/during/after

Service, Helps, Generosity, Administration pre-create an inviting home setting

Once they’re at the party

Wisdom Hospitality Service Generosity Mercy Evangelism

Through the church door ...

Leadership, Administration Prepare the congregation to know

how to respond to seekers

Exhortation, Knowledge, Teaching, Prophecy Proclaim the gospel in a way the

unbeliever can hear

After church …

Church: respond in seeker-

appropriate way perhaps not visitation!

Believer: be prepared for spiritual

conversation if cued

Conclusion

When believers 1/2/3-P tag-team with congregations ...

Communicating (i.e. w/staff) utilizing multiple gifts allowing different points of impact

along evangelism process scale

Lost people come to know Christ!

“Whole-Body” Evangelism

Dr. John Chandler

www.rasnet.org

john.chandler@vbmb.org Copyright John P. Chandler, 2000