CASTING YOUR NETS: WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE OUTREACH

Kevin Edwards Pastor of Outreach Ministries Where do you start in developing an effective strategy for outreach for your church? Poll the residents of your community for their needs Assist the poor physically, then spiritually Examine the Bible for Gods plan for outreach

While there are many strategies in use today to reach out and to increase attendance in churches, an eternally effective strategy will follow the biblical model. An outreach strategy must follow the Bibles principles and Gods model in order to be genuinely effective. This seminar will develop an effective outreach strategy in the following steps: I. Identify the key principles of a biblical philosophy of ministry Examine the biblical model of outreach Look at how Grace Community Church has put these principles into practice in outreach

A BIBLICAL PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY1

A philosophy of ministry is a set of unalterable principles that determines how you will function in your ministry. Simply stated, your philosophy of ministry defines why you do what you do. DEVELOPING A PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY Everyone has a philosophy of ministry, whether or not it is perceived or understood, clearly defined, or biblically consistent. Pastoral ministry needs to be intentional and purposeful but is driven by a proper understanding of the Scriptures. How is a philosophy of ministry developed? A. IMPROPER APPROACHES 1. Start with a Focus on Programs. a. Try to duplicate a "model program."
b.

Stay with an existing program (i.e., we do what we do because we've always done it this way, or because it worked at one time).

2. Start by Focusing on Needs a. Ask the people what they want.

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From the Biblical Philosophy of Ministry seminar at The Shepherds Conference.

b. Seek to attract people by pleasing them. 3. Start by Establishing Goals a. Set goals to achieve "success." b. Set goals based upon incorrect evaluations of the flock. B. PROPER APPROACH It has been said that if you aim at nothing you will hit it every time. To approach ministry without proper and accurate aim is to miss the intent of the Scriptures clear admonition to set things in order in the church (Titus 1:5). THE PILLARS OF A BIBLICAL FOUNDATION: 1. A High View of God a. God is holy, righteous, and just (and other perfections). b. We must seek to express His communicable attributes. e.g., we then must be holy (practical sanctification). NOTE: A failure to have a high view of God leads to RESULT: A toleration of sin A focus on man, evidenced in teaching and programs The church reflects a man-centered ministry that attempts to please peers rather than glorify God.

A COMMITMENT TO A HIGH VIEW OF GOD LEADS US TO VIEW HIS WORD AS THE PERFECT COMPASS FOR OUR LIVES... 2. A Sufficient View of Scripture The Bible is the very word of God (2 Tim 3:16) and is therefore without error and completely trustworthy in all that it asserts. In a world of no absolutes, Gods Word stands as absolute truth to be known and applied in every area of life. Scripture is the very foundation upon which the church is built and comprises not only the content of the message that the church proclaims but also the methods by which the church operates. Every decision and aspect of ministry must be

submitted to the scrutiny of relevant biblical data. A ministry void of the teachings of Scripture will also be void of the blessings of God. a. Inspirationverbal, plenary inspiration. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21) It is breathed out by God. b. Inerrancyit contains no errors. God conveyed truth to divinely chosen individuals. And what they wrote did not stray from the original formulation of truth as it existed in the mind of God. (Psa. 19) c. Authoritysimply stated: What it says I must do! (Psa. 119) If we are to have a biblical philosophy of ministry, it must seek its sole authority from the Word of God. c. Sufficiency2 Pet. 1:3-4; Ps. 19; 2 Tim. 3:17; Heb. 4:12 The Scriptures are not only authoritative over every aspect of life and ministry; they are also sufficient for the same. Second Timothy 3:16-17 states, All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. The implications of this verse are astounding, for it asserts that the Word of God is sufficient for all areas of ministry, including preaching, teaching, and counseling believers unto godliness. Therefore, the primary focus of every sermon, Bible study, or counseling opportunity must be the teaching of Scripture. Any time the church gathers, the emphasis must be on the proclamation of Gods Word and the exhortation to obey it (1 Tim 4:13). A ministry that believes in the sufficiency of Scripture will do everything possible to bring the Word to bear on the lives of the congregation. The sufficiency of Scripture demands that individuals as well as ministries be devoted to and trusting of the Word of God. In other words, a proper view of Scripture demands our obedience and our belief. It demands our affections, our faith, and our understanding. A belief in the sufficiency of Scripture prohibits any attempt to integrate it with psychology or worldly philosophies. e. RelevancyIt is totally relevant for every situation. (Psa. 19; 2 Tim. 3:17; Psa. 119:105; Isa. 40:8;) It may not give us an explicit answer to every specific problem, but it will always give us the principles by which we can, through obedience, glorify God. The outgrowth of this essential component, the right perspective of Scripture, will be a commitment to teaching sound doctrine, and then how Christians are to change and grow. Again, MacArthur states:

A SUFFIECIENT VIEW OF SCRIPTURE OF GOD IS THE BASIS OF A BIBLICAL VIEW OF MANKIND... 3. A Low View of Man a. Mankind is totally depraved. On his own he cannot do good. (Rom. 3:10-18) Own his own he is unable to understand or accept the things of God. (2 Cor.1:18; 2:14) His heart is deceitfully wicked. (Jer. 17:9-10) His goal in life is selfishness and only evil continually. (Gen. 6:5; Eccl. 9:3)

That man is depraved means not that he always acts as wickedly as possible, but rather that wickedness so permeates his entire being that he is enslaved to it and is therefore inherently unable to respond to the Gospel in faith and repentance. This reality has profound implications for the ministry of the church, particularly in the area of evangelism. Because the unbeliever is spiritually dead (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13), no amount of eloquence on the part of the evangelist is able to grant him life. Because he is spiritually blind, no amount of human logic or reason is able to open his eyes to the truth. And because he is spiritually enslaved to sin, no amount of evangelistic persuasion is able to free him from his unbelief. In light of these truths, the evangelist must depend not on his own rhetorical ability to convince the sinner to come to Christ, for this ability simply does not exist. He must look instead to the One whose power supercedes his own in drawing sinners to faith in the Savior. Simply stated, the evangelists hope as he seeks the conversion of the lost is found in the sovereignty of God. b. Man was created to glorify God, but because of sin, he seeks to glorify himself (Rom. 3:23). NOTE: A sinner is alienated from God, and as a result, he will seek fulfillment from the world's evil system (1 John 2:15-17). The implications are disturbing: Christ will not be seen as the only solution to man's needs. Substitutes will be provided that promise fulfillment and a better view of self. Felt needs rather than real needs will be addressed.

RESULT: The church produces people who make choices to solve their life's problems based on what they believe will practically meet their perceived needs.

KNOWING THIS ENABLES US TO FORMULATE MINISTRY THAT SEEKS TO MEET REAL NEEDS, NOT JUST FELT NEEDS. THEREFORE, THE GOAL OF ALL TRUE MINISTRY IS TO LEAD MAN TO A GREATER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD. AN ACCURATE ANTHROPOLOGY OF MAN ENABLES US TO CORRECTLY UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH... 4. An Accurate View of the Church In Matthew 16:18, Christ said, I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it, and He has done just that! The church, which is comprised of all who have repented of their sin and placed their faith in Christ, is a living organism made up of true believers who offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5). Christ so loved the church that He died for her (Eph 5:25) that He might sanctify her and present her to Himself in all her glory, blameless and without spot or blemish (Eph 5:26-27). Christ both nourishes and cherishes the church (Eph 5:29), and exists as head over His bride (Eph 5:23). The church, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20), is to function as the pillar and support of the truth (1 Tim 3:15). It is through the church that believers are equipped to mature into the likeness of Christ (Eph 4:11-16) and unbelievers are presented the Good News of the Gospel (Matt 28:19-20). Because the church constitutes Gods primary vehicle for working in this age, it is vital that all believers identify with, function in, and submit to the leadership of, a local church (Heb 13:17). Believers are to edify one another with their spiritual gifts (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Peter 4:10-11), regularly assembling together (Heb 10:24-25) that they might devote themselves to the teaching of Gods Word, fellowship, celebration of the Lords Supper, and prayer (Acts 2:42). Because of the premium that Scripture puts on this kind of involvement in the local church, a given ministry must seek to foster in Gods people a deepening love for and commitment to the church, as well as a biblical understanding of what it means to function as the church. a. The church exists to worship and glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31; Heb. 13:15) b. The church exists to be a repository of divine truth (1 Tim. 3:15). c. The church exists to provide a context of loving fellowship with one another for the purpose of mutual edification (Eph. 3:16-19; 4:12-16). d. The church exists as a training center whereby people can grow through the application of teaching and the utilization of their spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12-14; Rom. 12; Eph. 4). e. The church exists to be a light in this dark world, for the evangelization of God's elect (Mat. 5:13-16; 28:19-20; Titus 2:11-15). f. The church exists to provide accountability to the purity of the church ( Matthew 18).

NOTE:

A failure to correctly understand the purpose of the church leads to superficial and counterfeit ministry, resulting in disunity, and "program success" is glorified rather than God. People become passive spectators rather than active participants. Leadership is forced to spin all the plates to keep the programs functioning.

RESULT: The church becomes an organization, run by men and programs, rather than an organism of committed believers empowered by the Spirit of God.

A CORRECT PERCEPTION OF THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH HELPS US TO CORRECTLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP... 5. A Biblical View of Church Leadership Spiritual leaders are not masters but servants. Their servant-leadership comes from their divine call to serve (Acts 20:29). The New Testament teaches that the local church has elders or overseers who have special responsibility to equip (Eph.4:11) and care for (Acts 20:28) and teach (I Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9) the members. Furthermore the New Testament teaches that the members are to respect (I Thess. 5:12) and be submissive to these leaders (Heb.13:17), but not to treat them as infallible (I Tim. 5:20). a. Leaders must reflect the character of Christ to be models for the flock (1 The. 2:4-12; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 5:1-5). b. Leaders must adequately equip their people to do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12). c. Leaders must provide ample opportunity for them to do this work (Heb. 10:24-25). CONCLUSION A well-articulated philosophy of ministry that is biblical is essential to doing ministry Gods way. Its crucial that this biblical philosophy of ministry be the grid through which all your ministry decisions are filtered and passed. Grace Community Church Mission Statement: TO GLORIFY GOD AND EXTEND HIS KINGDOM BY LIVING AND PROCLAIMING HIS TRUTH IN THE WORLD.

II. BIBLICAL MODEL OF OUTREACH Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesnt. The Great Commission is first to delight yourself in the Lord (Ps. 37:4). And then to declare, Let the nations be glad and sing for joy! (Ps. 67:4). In this way God will be glorified from beginning to end and

worship will empower the missionary enterprise till the coming of the Lord (John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad!, in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, 54). A. Gods Mission2 Mission does not originate with human sources, for ultimately it is not a human enterprise. Mission is rooted in the nature of God, who sends and saves. God continually seeks to initiate reconciliation between himself and his fallen creation. God demonstrated his nature by sending his one and only Son into the world. The emphasis of John 3:16 is on God, who loved the world so much that he gave . . . . This is the very nature of God. He is always giving, relating, reconciling, redeeming. He is the source of mission! From the very foundation of the world God has been the great initiator of mission. Rom. 5:8 God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 1 Jn. 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but the he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. The mission of God originated in the mind of God. God initiated the mission while we were still enemies, alienated from his presence. Gods mission of reconciliation is not based on human works. God the source of the mission Christ the message of the mission Holy Spirit the power of the mission The Church the instrument for the mission The World the target of the mission

B. Gods Message The message of the Gospel is first of all a God-centered message, not a man-centered one. A God-centered message proclaims the holiness and love of God, the condition of repentance demanded of man, and the person and work of Jesus. A man-centered message minimizes mans true condition, neglects the Lordship of Christ, and focuses on the benefits man receives.3 In this new reformation of self-esteem, the first thing required is to pull God down from His supremely elevated place so you can then lift yourself up, replacing God-exalting theology with man-exalting self-esteem psychology. To pull this off requires altering and

Summarized from Gailyn Van Rheenen, Missions: Biblical Foundations & Contemporary Strategies (Zondervan, 1996) ch.. 1. 3 For a fuller development of a God-centered gospel, please see the Shepherds Conference notes to the seminar: The Way of Salvation.

misinterpreting the Bible and the gospel for the grand purpose of making people feel better about themselves, so they can fulfill their dreams and realize their visions. Christianity, in the hands of some seeker-sensitive church leaders, has become a get what you want rather than a give up everything movement. These leaders have prostituted the divine intention of the gospel. They have replaced the glory of God with the satisfaction of man. They have traded the concept of abandoning our lives to the honor of Christ for Christ honoring us. As such, our submission to His will is replaced by His submission to our will. Since people usually reject the real gospel, modern evangelicals have simply changed the message (John MacArthur, Hard to Believe, 4-5). Mankind wants glory. We want health. We want wealth. We want happiness. We want all our felt needs met, all our little human itches scratched. We want a painless life. We want the crown without the cross. We want the gain without the pain. We want the words of Christian salvation to be easy. If Christians dont acknowledge and preach the fact that salvation is through Christ alone, they are herding unwitting people through the wide gate that leads to destruction. Thats not my opinion, thats the Word of God [Matt. 7:13-14]. People are breezing through those wide, comfortable, inviting gates with all their baggage, their selfneeds, their self-esteem, and their desire for fulfillment and self-satisfaction. And the most horrible thing about it is they think theyre going to heaven. And somebody thinks hes done them a big favor by coming up with a consumer-friendly gospel about which everybody feels good (John MacArthur, Hard to Believe, 12-13). How could fallen man, in a cursed world, find Gods truth by his perverted reason, when perfect man in a perfect world couldnt find God with perfect reason? Even Adam couldnt know what God wanted if God didnt tell him, and nobody else can know what God wants if God doesnt tell him. Satan always wants to depreciate the special revelation. What a great strategy it is to say, Lets convince the church it doesnt even need to preach the gospel. Tell me where that heresy came from heaven? Heres a hint: who has the most to gain if we stop preaching the gospel (John MacArthur, Hard to Believe, p. 195)? Why is it so hard to find [the way which leads to eternal life, Matt. 7:14, Luke 13:23-24] today, and why is it so hard to get through? Its hard to find because so many churches have strayed from teaching the truth of the gospel. And its harder, once weve heard the truth, to submit to it. Man worships himself. Hes his own god. What we need to tell people is not Come to Christ and youll feel better about yourself, or Jesus wants to meet whatever your needs are. Jesus doesnt want to meet our needs our worldly, earthly, human needs. He want us to be willing to say, I will abandon all the things I think I need for the sake of Christ (John MacArthur, Hard to Believe, 14). The Great Commission that Jesus gives in Matthew 28:18-20 demonstrates the scope of what is required to have an effective outreach. All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Our preaching of the gospel message begins with an utter reliance on the sovereignty of God. According to Scripture, if God did not sovereignly open the eyes of the spiritually blind, no one would ever see. If God did not sovereignly draw sinners to Christ, none would ever come, as Romans 8:7-8 says, because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who

are in the flesh cannot please God. Nothing about this message is attractive. Believing in this doctrine is fraught with shame; it is unreasonable, illogical; and it assaults everything that is human about us, everything we love about our fallenness. What are we left to do with this impossibility? Paul relayed the answer in 1 Cor. 2:1-5: And I, brethren, when I cam to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Thats where Paul landed. He didnt shy away fro the hard truth of the cross but embraced it instead, saying in effect, Im not looking for a popular position from which to proclaim this message or advance it on the back of public favor. I preach the shameful cross because thats what Ive been told to preach. And I leave it to the sovereign power of God to work through that message to produce a faith that rests not on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. Would that we can say the same (John MacArthur, Hard to Believe, 35-36). Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [Jesus] concentrated Himself upon those who were to be the beginning of His leadership. Though He did what He could to help the multitudes, He had to devote Himself primarily to a few men, rather than to the masses, in order that the masses could at last be saved. This was the genius of His strategy. It all comes back to His disciples. They were the vanguard of His enveloping movement. Through their word He expected others to believe on Him (John 17:20), and these in turn to pass the word along to others, until in time the world might know who He was and what He came to do (John 17:21, 23). His whole evangelistic strategy indeed, the fulfillment of His very purpose in coming into the world, dying on the cross, and rising from the grave depended upon the faithfulness of His chosen disciples to this task. It did not matter how small the goup was to start with so long ast hey reproduced and taught their disciples to reproduce. This was the way His Church was to win through the dedicated lives of those who knew the Saviour so well that His Spirit and method constrained them to tell others (Robert. E. Coleman, The Masters Plan, in Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, 102). baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you God wisely established that no one could ever come to know Him by human wisdom. The only way anyone will come to know God is by divine revelation and through the Holy Spirit. Well-meaning congregations and pastors go to great lengths to steer around the teachings of Jesus that are hard to believe. They dont do it because theyre sinister, or malicious, or consciously out to deceive anybody. They do it because good new is fun to deliver, but hard words arent. Hard words are sometimes confusing and embarrassing; its hard to make eye contact when you repeat some of them.

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Christians dont know how to interpret and share the hard words of Jesus, so they skip over them. But delivering half the message is almost worse than delivering no message at all. All of what Jesus has to say is important. Its not up to us to decide what well pass on and what well try to hide. Well never know the deep, saving, spiritual truths of God unless someone reveals them to us. As 1 Corinthians 2:11 says, No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Paul added in verse 12, Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. Those things are forgiveness of sin, salvation, and the hope of eternal life, as well as all the blessings of justification, sanctification, glorification. We cant know them by human reason. We cant find them in a test-tube experiment. We cant figure them out by rationalization. We can know them only through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. You cant go to heaven unless you know how, and you cant know how except by reading the Bible. Thats the only place where men wrote down words the Holy Spirit inspired. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (John MacArthur, Hard to Believe, 31, 18, 203). Twentieth-century Christianity has tended to take a minimalist approach to the gospel. Unfortunately, the legitimate desire to express the heart of the gospel clearly has given way to a less wholesome endeavor. It is a campaign to distill the essentials of the message to the barest possible terms. The glorious gospel of Christwhich Paul called the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16)includes all truth about Christ. But American evangelicalism tends to regard the gospel as a plan of salvation. We have reduced the message to a list of facts stated in the fewest possible wordsand getting fewer all the time. Youve probably seen these prepackaged plans of salvation: Six Steps to Peace with God; Five Things God Wants You to Know; Four Spiritual Laws; Three Truths You Cant Live Without; Two Issues You Must Settle; or One Way to Heaven. The gospel is not primarily news about a plan, but a call to trust in a Person. It is not a formula that must be prescribed to sinners in a series of steps. It does not call for a mere decision of the mind, but a surrender of the heart, mind, and willthe whole personto Christ. It is not a message that can be capsulized, abridged, and shrinkwrapped, then offered as a generic remedy for every kind of sinner. Ignorant sinners need to be instructed about who He is and why He has the right to demand their obedience. Self-righteous sinners need to have their sin exposed by the demands of Gods law. Careless sinners need to be confronted with the reality of Gods impending judgment. Fearful sinners need to hear that God in His mercy has provided a way of deliverance. All sinners must understand how utterly holy God is. They must comprehend the basic truths of Christs sacrificial death and the triumph of His resurrection. They need to be confronted with Gods demand that they turn from their sin to embrace Christ as Lord and Savior. The form of the message will vary in each case. But the content must always drive home the reality of Gods holiness and the sinners helpless condition. Then it points sinners to Christ as a sovereign but merciful Lord who has purchased full atonement for all who will turn to Him in faith (John MacArthur, Faith Works, 193195). and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

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C. Gods Method Just as the message of the gospel encompasses the entire revelation of God, so does the method of the gospel encompass the whole missionary process as delineated in Scripture. The process begins with transformed life which authenticates the gospel being communicated. Then, it is only the Scriptures which will cut to the heart and bring the sinner to repentance and faith in Christ so, our only tool is the Bible. Where do we end our teaching of the Word? 1. Pauls missionary strategy presented under 4 levels of responsibility [extracted from Detwilers chapter in Vital Missions Issues] Making Disciples: The Fruit of Proclaiming the Good News Nurturing Disciples: The Emphasis on Spiritual Growth Organizing Disciples: The Provision of Spiritual Leadership Entrusting Disciples: The Commitment to Gods Care

2. Pauls missionary strategy presented under 10 levels of growth [extracted from Hesselgraves Planting Churches Cross-Culturally (Baker, 1980)] Missionaries commissioned Audience contacted Gospel communicated Hearers converted Believers congregated Faith confirmed Leadership consecrated Believers commended Relationships continued, and Sending churches convened

Question: Once sending churches are convened has indigenization been fully accomplished? Answer: Yes, if the churches so established are self-propagating, selfsupporting, self-governing and self-educating! III. GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCHS PRACTICE OF OUTREACH

Grace Community Church is an evangelizing church. The vast majority of evangelism taking place at Grace Church is taking place in the everyday lives of the congregation. By virtue of many years of faithful leadership and a body of believers hungry for the Word, Grace Church is blessed to have a biblically literate, sanctified congregation that understands the mandate of evangelism and is equipped to carry out this mandate.

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There are four Walls of Truth that define biblical evangelism. Biblical evangelism is: (1) Godcentered, (2) Theology-driven, (3) Discipleship-oriented, and (4) Time-redeeming. The vision of Outreach Ministries is to have evangelism at Grace Church fall within the confines of these four walls of truth. God-Centered (vis--vis Man-Centered)

The gospel begins with God in His glory; not man in his need. John MacArthur Biblical evangelism begins and ends with recognition of Gods sovereign hand in moving the hearts of sinful man. The danger in evangelism is to have a man-centered gospel message and a man-centered presentation driven by man-centered motives. Calvin called the human heart a fabricum idolarum, an idol factory. The solution to this predicament is to drive evangelism from Scripture with the intent and understanding that Gods glory is the ultimate goal in all things including evangelism. Theology-Driven (vis--vis Method-Driven)

There is an endless supply of methods of evangelism today. There are biblical methods, unbiblical methods, and many falling in the broad spectrum between. A biblical method of evangelism is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. The faithful evangelist must know Scripture so that he can communicate the gospel in the right manner to the right audience. A thorough understanding of the Bible coupled with flexibility and sensitivity to the need of the moment is key. Keep teaching the truth of Scripture until they are saved only God knows how much that will take, but we keep teaching the truth. Discipleship-Oriented (vis--vis Decision-Oriented)

Biblical evangelism emphasizes the faithful following of Christ over and above an on-the-spot response. That is to say, the church is commanded to make disciples, not entice decisions. The emphasis is not on procuring a sinners prayer, a raised hand, or an altar call. Rather, it is on making fully equipped disciples of Christ and teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded in submission to His Lordship. Time-Redeeming

In Colossians 4:5, Paul told the church in Colossae to make the most of the opportunity. Literally Paul writes here to redeem the time, using the same word used to describe the redemption of believers in Galatians 3:13; 4:5. Believers have been given an allotted amount of time here on earth by their Creator. The believer has a responsibility to be a wise steward of that time. The one God-honoring, Godsanctioned activity able to be done here on earth that will not be able to be done in heaven is evangelism. Time wasted here on earth is time lost in eternity. The reality of hell compels the child of God to fervent evangelism. A. Fundamentals of the Faith Grace Community Church is deeply committed to studying and teaching Scripture with diligence and authority. The Fundamentals of the Faith ministry is a 16-20 week series covering 13 foundational topics of Christianity. It is a ministry designed to equip new believers with a solid

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foundation of biblical truth. It is also one of the most effective evangelism ministries at Grace. Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (Rom. 10:17). Lesson 1: Lesson 2: Lesson 3: Lesson 4: Lesson 5: Lesson 6: Lesson 7: Lesson 8: Lesson 9: Lesson 10: Lesson 11: Lesson 12: Lesson 13: Introduction to the Bible How to Know the Bible God: His Character and Attributes The Person of Jesus Christ The Work of Christ Salvation The Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit Prayer and the Believer The Church: Worship and Fellowship Spiritual Gifts Evangelism and the Believer Obedience Gods Will and Guidance

B. Visitor Outreach The desire of Grace Community Church is to respond to those who visit Grace Church in a manner commensurate with Pauls exhortation in Colossians 4:5: Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Three criteria are gleaned from this exhortation. The response to visitors must be rightly girded (conduct yourselves with wisdom), rightly focused (toward outsiders), and rightly timed (making the most of the opportunity). When a person attends Grace Church for the first time, they receive a welcome packet with an attached visitor card. There are two boxes of particular interest in the middle of the card. The first box indicates the visitor is interested in becoming a Christian. The second indicates the person would like a personal contact. The Visitor Outreach ministry was formed first and foremost to minister to visitors who check one of these two boxes. The Visitor Outreach ministry has three arms: Response Teams, a Phone Team, and a Ministry Coordinator: 1. Response Teams The Response Teams are geographically distributed two-man teams consisting of husband-wife teams or two men. The majority of teams are husband-wife teams to maximize flexibility and appropriateness in calling on various visitors (male and female). The Response Teams are flexible, sensitive to the situation, and sensitive to the people on whom they are calling. These teams are comprised of mature members of Grace who have been recommended by Grace pastors or elders so that the visitors are called upon with wisdom and discretion. The Response Team contacts the visitor within a week of the initial visit.

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2.

Phone Team The second arm of Visitor Outreach is the Phone Team. All visitors within the greater LA area receive a phone call within a week of their visit. This phone call is a brief non-intrusive call to thank the visitors for their visit and to let them know Grace Church is available for questions and ministry. If the opportunity arises, the visitor may be connected with a Response Team, but this is not the agenda of the call.

3.

Ministry Coordinator Visitor Outreach has a ministry coordinator responsible for oversight of the ministry. If a visitor checks the personal contact box, the coordinator calls to minister on the phone and make an assessment of the particular need of the visitor. If the need warrants, the contact is given to a Response Team. These calls are made within a week of the initial visit.

At the core of Visitor Outreach are the Response Teams. These sanctified men and women have been prepared for the ministry by faithful service and spiritual growth. They are rightly girded. The focus of Visitor Outreach is ministering to the visitor. It is rightly focused. Whether the contact is from the response team, the phone team, or the ministry coordinator, the connection between Grace Church and the visitor is made within a week. This is rightly timed. C. Grace Evangelism Grace Evangelism is a training ministry. Participants learn a variety of methods to present the gospel. For example, while evangelizing a Roman Catholic, salvation by faith alone needs to be emphasized. A person trusting in an altar call or some prayer in the past might need to hear the same gospel presentation with more emphasis on repentance. A Jew can be given the gospel primarily from the Old Testament. A Thai or animist might need more of a chronological, sermon on Mars Hill approach starting with God as Creator. The training venue for Grace Evangelism is the door-to-door ministry in the neighborhood of the Neighborhood Outreach ministry. The methods taught in Grace Evangelism include the gospel outlines below. Discipleship Evangelism/Evangelism Explosion Type of Outline Grace Rom 6:23; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5 Man Rom 3:23; Eph 2:9; Prov 14:12; Rom 3:10-12; Ps 51:4; Eccl 7:20; Matt 5:48 God 1 John 4:8; Jer 31:3; Exod 34:7; Ps 89:32; Heb 10:31; Hab 1:13 Jesus John 1:1, 14; Isa 9:6; John 20:28; Isa 53:6; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Cor 15:3-4 Faith James 2:19; John 3:36; 6:47; Heb 11:1; 11:6; Rom 10:9

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Chapter 5 of Terrorism, Jihad, and the Bible Is There Hope? 1. You cannot please God through your own efforts or your own intelligence. Rom 8:7-8; Jer 13:23; 1 Cor 2:14 2. If you continue in unbelief and sin, there is nothing in your ultimate future but death followed by Gods wrath. Heb 9:27; Rom 3:10, 23; 1 Cor 6:9-10; Luke 13:3, 5 3. Nevertheless, God offers salvation freely to all who turn to Christ in faith. Acts 16:31; Rom 10:13; Heb 7:25; Rev 21:6; 22:17; Isa 55:1-3, 6-7 4. Salvation was purchased by Jesus Christ, who bore the full penalty of sin on behalf of all who would ever trust Him. Isa 53:4-6; 1 Pet 3:18; 1 Cor 15:3 5. He rose from the dead, thus signifying that salvation is fully accomplished. 1 Cor 15:4; Acts 2:24; 17:31; Rom 1:3-4 (Note: fully accomplished not a process, not a continual re-sacrifice) 6. Salvation is offered freely to all who believe. Rev 22:17; Matt 11:28-30; John 3:16, 18; 5:24; Rom 10:9 7. Salvation is possible only because Christs perfect righteousness is imputed to all who believe. Rom 4:5-8; 3:24 (Note: imputed also, 2 Cor 5:21 and Phil 3:8-9) 8. Only this imputed righteousness of Christ is good enough to make us acceptable to God. Phil 3:9; 1 John 5:11-13; Rom 10:3 Chapter 12 of Faith Works What Must I Do to Be Saved? Teach them about Gods holiness. Ps 111:10; Job 28:28; Prov 1:7; 9:10; 15:33; Mic 6:9 Lev 11:44-45; Josh 24:19; 1 Sam 2:2; 6:20; Exod 20:5; Ps 1:5 Show them their sin. Mark 2:17; Jer 6:14; Isa 57:20-21 Rom 3:10-18 James 1:5; Rom 6:23; Isa 64:6; Rom 3:20; Gal 2:176 Heb 9:27; Luke 12:2; Rom 2:16; Rev 21:8 Instruct them about Christ and what He has done. John 1:1-3, 14; Col 2:9 Rev 17:14; Phil 2:9-11; Acts 10:36 Phil 2:6-7; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22-23; 1 John 3:5 2 Cor 5:21; Tit 2:14; Eph 1:7-8; Rev 1:5; 1 Pet 2:24; Col 1:20; Rom 1:4; 4:25; 1 Cor 15:3-4 Tell them what God demands of them. Ezek 18:30, 32; Acts 17:30; 26:20; 1 Thess 1:9; Luke 9:23; John 12:26; Acts 16:31; Rom 10:9

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Advise them to count the cost thoughtfully. Luke 14:26-33; Matt 10:34-38; John 12:24-25; Mark 8:35-37 Urge them to trust in Christ. 2 Cor 5:11, 20; Isa 55:7; Rom 10:9-10 D. Neighborhood Outreach The Neighborhood Outreach ministry is a door-to-door ministry in the neighborhood immediately surrounding Grace Community Church. The goal of the ministry is threefold. Ministry teams go out to the neighborhood to invite people to Grace Church, to proclaim the gospel, and to sharpen the evangelism skills of the ministry participants E. Language Outreach The Language Outreach ministry enables Grace Church members to share the gospel with those who do not speak English as their first language. The ministry provides audiotapes of the gospel in over 25 different languages. Information on resources such as Bibles, tracts, and John MacArthur books in other languages is also provided. F. Ethnic Outreach Los Angeles is blessed to be one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. Various ethnic outreach ministries at Grace are running to communicate the Word of God and to minister to people in their native language. 1. Spanish Outreach 2. Filipino Outreach 3. Korean Outreach 4. Thai Outreach 5. Chinese Outreach G. Jail Outreach Each month over 30 Grace Church men go into the Los Angeles County Jail system to preach, teach, and disciple inmates. Many of the men currently involved in this ministry were saved through this ministry years ago. Now they have become members here at Grace and have a desire to reach others in the same situation. 1. Jail 2. Rehabilitation Center 3. Youth Correctional Facility

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H. Hospital Outreach A group of faithful women trained in evangelism at Grace Church go into hospitals to minister to hospitalized children. These dear women read Bible stories and Scripture, sing songs, play games with the children, and evangelize. The children they minister to include those temporarily hospitalized as well as chronically ill children. Grace Church also supports a full-time hospital chaplain. I. Union Rescue Mission Grace Church assists in the services held at the Union Rescue Mission in downtown Los Angeles. Our men preach the messages. Other members help in leading music and discipling the guests. We also have a number of fellowship groups that regularly minister at the Mission through various means. Evangelistic Bible studies are held in several of the local hostels around the Mission. J. Sports Outreach The Sports Outreach ministry is a gathering of members of Grace Church to play sporting events. The games are open to the community. In between games, expositional Bible studies are held. 1. Basketball 2. Volleyball