The great need today is not for Pastors to be more evangelistic, but for all Christians and church members to be able to share their faith, easily, clearly, and effectively. 

I once asked someone with the gift of evangelism if they knew what they were supposed to do with their gift.  He had a puzzled look on his face.  The obvious answer is to share the gospel with unsaved people.  However, that is not the entire answer.  The real answer is found in Ephesians  4:11-12. 

¹¹And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 

Evangelists and Pastors are the gifted leaders which God has given to the church.  Evangelists have the task of “equipping of the saints for the work of service.”  In other words, people with the gift of evangelism, especially those who have that vocational calling, are responsible to equip other believers to evangelize. 

Most Pastors I have met, and I have met hundreds and even thousands, do not have the gift of evangelism.  They do not have that motivational gift.  They want to evangelize.  They are evangelistic.  They can preach evangelistically, sort of.  They really want their members to evangelize, however, they are not gifted evangelists.  That is fine, however, the church today really seems to ignore or under utilize those with the gift of evangelism.  When I was a Pastor I have been guilty at times of not using those gifted evangelists to train and motivate my congregation in evangelism.  Perhaps that is because evangelism is a gift for me, though not my top gift. 

But when I did use evangelists to do what they were called to do, the results were incredible.  I can remember one particular week of revival or crusade, when we saw 86 decisions.  Not all of them went to our church, some attended from surrounding churches.  I called many of those Pastors and told them about someone who attended their church who made a decision during our “revival” or “crusade.”  Many were baptized and added to the churches in our community as a result.  We baptized 34 people as a result.  This did not happen in every crusade, but it was not the only time we had these kinds of results. 

Even greater was the effect it had on our members.  They were motivated to share their faith, to invite their friends, to be more bold in their evangelism. 

So, Pastor, even if you are not a gifted evangelist, don’t kick yourself for not being one, just make better use of those God has put around you.  That is the way He works.  He does not expect you to have all the gifts.

Announcing a New Seminar for Arizona Churches

User Friendly Evangelism:

Christians are far more likely to share the gospel if they are trained to do it, and if it is demonstrated to be a priority in the church.  But, the methods we are often trained to use are difficult to remember, awkward to use, and unnatural for most people to use around their friends, family, associates, and neighbors. 

User Friendly Evangelism combines the most effective personal evangelistic plans ever used with easy to remember, easy to use methods and motivation that enables anyone to become an effective soul-winner.  A soul-winner is not a bad word, it is a good word.  Paul wanted to win souls, 1 Corinthians 9:19-21. 

What is covered in the basic three week course? 
(The length can be tweaked to fit your schedule, but three weeks helps everyone to really learn it and use it.)

• How being “Christ-like” means being a compelling witness.
• How to Give a Testimony people will really want to hear.
• An easy way to lead a conversation to spiritual things.
• How to end with a punch when you are asked to give a public testimony.
• Three Simple, Easy to Remember, Proven Effective, Gospel Presentations.  Not Kidding.  Really Easy.
• Number 1:  The Good News Sandwich
• Number 2:  A, B, C, and D
• Number 3:  L-O-V-E  If you can memorize these 20 words, you cannot mess this up.
• Two Evangelism Methods for Chickens.  Bring all your chickens, even Pastors and Staff can do it.

These topics are also covered because Church members are so confused on them today,

• What is the Gospel Message?  In other words what are we really supposed to tell people?
• What is Real Faith?  Or, What is God asking an unsaved person to do?

When is the best time to Train Your Church in “User Friendly Evangelism?” 

Yesterday, but since we cannot turn back the clock on that, then today or tomorrow. 

Realistically, if you are planning any special times of outreach this year, it would be a good idea to train your church in these methods a few weeks before.  For example, if you are planning a special Easter Outreach, then allow for 3 weeks of training, and then however much lead time you are using for your Outreach Campaign.  Are you asking your church members to spend 4 weeks inviting people for Easter Sunday, then plan the training 7 weeks before Easter, if you are planning for 2 weeks of outreach, then plan the training 5 weeks before Easter. 

What types of Outreach Events are Your Planning This Year?

• Men’s Conference
• Women’s Conference
• Revival or Crusade
• Vacation Bible School
• Community Wide Seminar
• Special High Attendance Sunday with a Special Speaker
• Seeker Sensitive Sermon Series Aimed at the Felt Needs in Your Community
• College Student Seminar concerning Apologetics, Evolution, or Relationships
• The List Goes On.  If fact, send me your list or type it in the Comment Box Below.

Coke Zero

On a Personal Note, I have trained hundreds of people in these methods.  The reason I have been able to do it is because it is so easy.  I have led hundreds of people to Christ using these simple presentations because they are so easy.  Let me help you train and motivate your people to win their friends and neighbors to Christ.  Call me to schedule a time to talk.  It will only cost you a Coke Zero.  When you see how simple it really is you will be tempted to do it yourself, but do not do it yourself.  Use the Bible method and allow someone else to use their gifts to do it.

Spiritual Gift teachers tell us that about 5 percent of believers in the average congregation possess the gift of evangelism at some level.  Some people in your church have the gift of evangelism, but you do not know it.  These people especially need to be trained.  They are secretly longing to be trained.  When trained to use their gift, they will be an unbelievable blessing to you and your church.

To schedule “User Friendly Evangelism” Training for your church or talk more about it, contact Dr. Carr

email  kelly at carrsmail.com
home  480-821-7021
cell    480-748-0210

Jesus called Philadelphia, the church of the open door because He had set a door before them which no man could close.  It was a door for ministry, a door for evangelism.  There was a world, open to the gospel, waiting to be evangelized, which God had placed at their doorstep.

Fate is in a similar situation.  Located just a mile off of interstate 30 on Hiway 66, the old east / west Hiway that connected Dallas to the cities just east of it, they have had two great cities grow up to them.  Years ago, Fate was a small town, with a small Baptist church.  They were rural.  However, the growth of Dallas and its suburbs is turning Fate into a small city. 

Rockwall, just east of Dallas on Lake Ray Hubbard was for many years a bedroom community for the Dallas Area.  It was filled with elegant homes of the executives who worked in Dallas.  Rockwall continued to grow and expand with many fine businesses of its own and has become a large and growing city which is trying to keep up with its own growth. 

Royse City was a small city just located on Hiway 66 about 7 or 8 miles east of Fate.  It has always been a nice town with a great school system and community spirit.  The growth and expansion of Dallas, Mesquite, and Rockwall has turned it into a new bedroom community for the big city and a growing city of its own. 

As Rockwall to the east of Fate, and Royse City to west of Fate have both grown and expanded, they have met at Fate.  In fact some of the children in Fate attend school in Royse City and some of them in Rockwall.  Some of the mail in Fate has a Rockwall address and some has a Royse City address.   Yet, Fate still has an identity, community, and destiny all its own. 

Actually, First Baptist Church of Fate shares a story that is similar to that many churches.  It is a church that has for many years been faithfully supported and attended and served by a small group of believers who are devoted to Jesus Christ.  They love the Lord and believe in the Great Commission and have served the Lord faithfully in their field.  They own their church property.  They own 17 acres.  They faithfully preach the Gospel.  And now, God has given them a new assignment, a city full of urban minded lost people to be reached.  Many churches like this one have had to make the transition from being a rural church to a city church.  It is as if God has prepared them ahead of time and allowed them to quietly grow and become established until the day He was ready for them to embrace the future He had for them all along!

Brother Rodney Williams is the Pastor at Fate.  He has served at a number of churches in Texas and recently retired from his position as Director of Missions at the Hunt Baptist Association.  He has been working with this incredible congregation to help prepare them for the changes that will be necessary to reach this new set of people which Jesus has sent to their doorstep.  It will require new thinking, new techniques, new containers for the old message, in some cases, new technologies, but the same attitude the church as had of opening their doors to their community.  They just need to ask who that community is now, and what is needed to open the doors in a way that the community will recognize it.  Brother Rodney has told me about several of the community outreach events which they have done merely as service events.  Letting young families know they are there to serve.  They are also preparing to participate in the GPS, outreach of the SBC this year before Easter.  This outreach is something which every church can easily and inexpensively do to reach their communities with high quality materials that communicate well.

It was a real joy to preach at Fate because I could see the real, God-given potential, they have.  It was also a joy because I used to Pastor just about 30 miles east of there in Greenville, Texas.  A number of people who used to be a part of our church in Greenville, were able to come out to Fate and see us.  They had to endure another sermon from me, but it was at least good to watch them do it and then catch up a little.  It was the first time in 10 years our family had been able to go back to Texas during Christmas. 

Another real blessing of being at Fate, was that I had the privilege of baptizing Cindy’s mother while I was there.  Brother Rodney and the church was very gracious to allow us to do this.  Cindy’s mom was saved several years ago, but had not yet been baptized and had wanted to come to Arizona and let me baptize her here.  However, that never worked out.  Since Fate is only a few miles from where she lives, it seemed the perfect opportunity to help her take this important step of obedience to Christ. 

I preached on the subject of Building a Spiritual Legacy, based on Caleb’s request to Joshua in Joshua 14.  Caleb was a man of great faith and faithfulness.  He stood for God when others faltered and fell to cowardice.  Caleb left a spiritual legacy for his family, his community, and his country.  We need more like Caleb today.  I will leave a copy of the sermon outline for you to download below in pdf format.  It is no masterpiece, but it helps us all think about the legacy we will leave behind.

Blessings on Brother Rodney Williams and the First Baptist Church of Fate!

Click Here to Download the Sermon:  Building a Spiritual Legacy    (It is in Adobe PDF so you will need Adobe Reader to be able to open it).

First Jesus Church, Eager, AZ

It was my pleasure and privilege to be able to preach at the First Jesus Community Church of Eager, Arizona on November 29, 2009.  This wonderful congregation has done an amazing job of building a beautiful log cabin church building.  If you pass through this town, you really must stop by and see it on the inside as well as the outside.

Eager and Springerville, these twin towns, are located at an elevation above 7,000 feet, like Flagstaff, except on the East side of the state only a few miles from New Mexico.  Located in these beautiful mountains it is a picturesque place to live.

Pastor Larry Rhoads has just recently retired and they have a new Pastor beginning in January.  In the meantime, they had several Pastors and a few laymen to fill the pulpit for them.  Cindy and I drove up from Chandler, to Payson, Showlow, and then to Eager and Springerville.  This requires ascending a peak of over 9,000 feet to get across the mountains to the church.  These mountains were snow capped and beautiful on the drive both coming and going. 

The congregation of this SBC church was extremely friendly and positive.  This is a place where community still matters. 

I was able to preach on the subject of Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, or “How Can We Approach God?”  This is a message that offers a clear distinction on how people approach God and which approach is actually approved by God.  It offers excellent application in terms of salvation, prayer, and attitude.  This makes it an excellent message for both believers and unbelievers.  There is a part of the message that I have borrowed from the great Fred Wolfe which I heard him preach in person about 20 years ago.  I will add a copy of the message outline for download.   It comes from a series I preached on the Parables called “Stories You Love to Hear.”  The title of the message when I first preached it was, “The Fundamentalist That Made God Sick.”  You can download it below.  Feel free to preach it as long as you do not claim it for your own.  It is an excellent evangelistic message for a Revival meeting or evangelistic crusade in your church.

Click Here to Download Sermon Outine:  How To Approach God    (Sermon in Adobe PDF, so you will need Adobe Reader to open it.)

Blessings on the dear members of First Jesus Community Church of Eager, Arizona!

Part 1

Great storytellers are often great at using sound effects to illustrate the events of their story.  This is a subject that is often overlooked in our preaching and presenting classes.  Even though we enjoy it personally, most of us are not used to using sound effects or are afraid of using them. 

Sound effects visualize the action of the story.  Sound effects emphasize the action of the story.  It is a way of vocally underlining or bolding, the action you are describing.  Sound effects have a way of gaining and regaining the attention of the audience.  And sound effects are fun for the audience and even for the speaker.

One of my favorite speakers in college was a college professor who was also on the staff at the church I attended.  He had an incredible repertoire of sound effects.  When telling an Old Testament story about someone who was stabbed with a sword there was a specific sound for that.  He could imitate the sound of a sling, a punch, a slap, a fall, etc.  He was also a great visual communicator who had the gestures that matched his sound effects.  He was a joy to listen to and made you want to hear him again and again.

Momentum is powerful.

Momentum is an ally.

Momentum is lost quickly and easily.

Momentum can be created.

It is called “The Big Mo” and is sought by every athlete, every coach, every business leader, and yes, every Pastor and ministry leader.  When you have momentum it seems like problems are easily overcome, but when you do not have it even small problems seem insurmountable.  If you feel like you are having to push and pull every detail through your church and every little change, and every new ministry opportunity is met with little enthusiasm, then you are experiencing lack of momentum.  We ALL know what that feels like.

When it comes to church growth, momentum is your best friend, and lack of momentum may be your worst enemy.  Momentum can be delayed by gossip, bad attitudes in ministry leaders, unhealthy systems, unhealthy ministry leaders, lack of follow-through, insufficient finances, loss of good ministry leaders, and, of course, a poor attitude from the Pastor.  Often lack of enthusiasm from the people is the result of a lack of enthusiasm from the Pastor, staff, and deacons.

There is GOOD NEWS!  Momentum Can Be Created!  Think about it.  A locomotive running down the track has enough momentum to crash through brick walls, pull SUV’s down the track for a mile, and more.  (Only Superman is more powerful than a locomotive.)   But that same locomotive is sitting still on the track for hours waiting to be loaded down with goods and passengers.  There are hundreds of tons that have to get started from a standing position.  Ice can stop it.  Wooden blocks can stop it.  It really does take a lot to get the momentum started, but trains run on schedule every day.  How?  It takes lots of energy, and a plan.

Perhaps you have felt the enthusiasm of a Revival, or Youth Camp, or Vacation Bible School, 40 Days of Purpose, or a Friend Day.  You know what kind of preparation went it the planning of it, and felt the momentum of getting “all aboard” both before the event and the glow of achievement and celebration after the event.  It took a lot of work, but people seemed to be willing to pitch in because they understood the purpose of the event, the value or potential value of the event, and were caught up in the enthusiasm of the leadership. 

Perhaps you would say, “Kelly, we are not an event church.  We like to do quality worship on a regular basis and people should be willing to respond to that.”  You are right, people should be willing to respond to that.  But try an event and see if they respond to something that is out of the ordinary.

Perhaps you would say, “Kelly, we do events, but it is a long time between them and we lose momentum, and then we have a difficult time regaining it.”  You are right, if you wait for camps and Vacation Bible School or other season events to provide your events and momentum, you are definitely at the mercy of someone else’s schedule.  You must be pro-active and intentional when it comes to planning your annual church calendar.  That is another topic.

Here is a great way to keep momentum on your side on a regular basis throughout the year.  People love what is “New” and “Different.”  Why do manufacturers continually advertise their products as “new and improved?”  Car manufacturers design new body types, colors, interiors, and features every year.  They are smart.  They know they have to continually create a buzz, a momentum for people buying their products.

Try a New Sermon Series

Many of the large and fast growing churches have found a way to continually create momentum through good church calendar planning and through strategic “New Sermon Series.”  It seems that every 4 to 6 weeks they are advertising a new sermon series.  And when they advertise this new series, it is more than just an announcement from the Pastor.  The entire church seems to reorganize around the new theme.  The children, youth, and adults have something to get them involved.  There are events planned, there are new graphics, and videos, and special speakers, and advertising, etc.  People get excited.  They want to attend and they want to invite their friends.  How do they do it?  Well, they plan for it.  They get all of the staff involved, and the lay leadership is involved in the planning.  It becomes a part of their structure, their system, and their church culture. 

Give it a try.  Use one of your best sermon series and get everyone involved in the planning and implementation.  Or if you need a little help, download the free sermon series here and add some stuff to it.  You can also find some great resources from Ed Young, Jr. at CreativePastors.com. 

I have put together a New Sermon Series Checklist that you can use for your next sermon series and keep on using for future sermon series. 

You can download it here free below.  Simply “right click” on the link below and then select “save target as” to your desktop or the folder of your choice.

New Sermon Series Checklist

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Feel free to call on me if you have any questions about this article.