For so many reasons, when the church thinks of evangelism it generally thinks of two things.
Evangelism is not marketing.
We tend to think that a slick marketing campaign is the way to get people into the doors. Or that new pastors will bring new people. Or that if we only had the newest building then families would join the church. Or if we had the greatest bible studies or program for people to come to during the week that they would abandon their other obligations and come to church.
But the fact of the matter is there is only one thing in the history of the church that has ever worked to bring people into the faith and lead to transformed lives.
And it is not a new building or a new sign. (Do you know that there is a church that does not have a sign in front of it?!) It is not a program or a study. It is not new pastors or new leadership. The one thing that has always lead to transformation is a church that has generous people.
Generosity is the greatest evangelism that we have. It is the greatest practice that we have that shows people who we are and what we are about. Because when we see a generous life it is so compelling that we cannot help but be drawn into it and learn more.
Watch the first 4 minutes of this video:
This Is My Home from Mark on Vimeo.
People don’t come back to this man’s home because of the collection of odd and peculiar items in the home. No! People come back to this man’s home and bring friends because of his hospitality, his invitation, his generosity.
Everyone is compelled to see a person who lives out the generous life. Because deep down everyone knows generosity is the way we ought to be. Everyone longs to know how to live the life that gives everything yet grows all the richer.
Historically, Christians are people who are defined by generosity. We are the people who look at what we have and say “All this isn’t ours! We’re just like an overseer! And if [someone] tells us that “this is mine.” We’ll tell them, “You know what? It’s yours? It’s yours!” We give it.”
Generosity is not a marketing campaign, it is a lifestyle.
So Church, temper the desire for good marketing with the spiritual practice of generosity and see the greatest form of evangelism at work.
- Something that people do on street corners (and then there are feelings/opinions about that
- A marketing campaign
Evangelism is not marketing.
We tend to think that a slick marketing campaign is the way to get people into the doors. Or that new pastors will bring new people. Or that if we only had the newest building then families would join the church. Or if we had the greatest bible studies or program for people to come to during the week that they would abandon their other obligations and come to church.
But the fact of the matter is there is only one thing in the history of the church that has ever worked to bring people into the faith and lead to transformed lives.
And it is not a new building or a new sign. (Do you know that there is a church that does not have a sign in front of it?!) It is not a program or a study. It is not new pastors or new leadership. The one thing that has always lead to transformation is a church that has generous people.
Generosity is the greatest evangelism that we have. It is the greatest practice that we have that shows people who we are and what we are about. Because when we see a generous life it is so compelling that we cannot help but be drawn into it and learn more.
Watch the first 4 minutes of this video:
This Is My Home from Mark on Vimeo.
People don’t come back to this man’s home because of the collection of odd and peculiar items in the home. No! People come back to this man’s home and bring friends because of his hospitality, his invitation, his generosity.
Everyone is compelled to see a person who lives out the generous life. Because deep down everyone knows generosity is the way we ought to be. Everyone longs to know how to live the life that gives everything yet grows all the richer.
Historically, Christians are people who are defined by generosity. We are the people who look at what we have and say “All this isn’t ours! We’re just like an overseer! And if [someone] tells us that “this is mine.” We’ll tell them, “You know what? It’s yours? It’s yours!” We give it.”
Generosity is not a marketing campaign, it is a lifestyle.
So Church, temper the desire for good marketing with the spiritual practice of generosity and see the greatest form of evangelism at work.