Ideas For Evangelism - Way of Life Literature

attending sports programs, music programs, awardsceremonies, lunches, etc., that are not directly part of hisbiblical calling and responsibilities before God. As aresult, the true calling is hindered. Thom Rainer, who hasdone extensive research into churches and evangelism,warns that "weekday ministries" such as Christianschools and day care, can be an actual hindrance toevangelism."Our respondents indicated that evangelistic growthrarely occurred as a result of these ministries. Whatare the reasons for the disparity? Furtherquestioning revealed some fascinating attitudesabout weekday ministries. First, the church leadersindicated that such ministries can be effective forchurch growth but rarely for conversion growth. Theprograms tend to attract other Christians, but theirevangelistic value is questionable. Some pastors, asizable minority, told us that their churches' weekdayministries actually detracted from evangelisticemphases. One pastor lamented, 'We spend somuch time putting out fires in two of these ministriesthat we take away valuable resources that could beused to reach the lost. They really drain ourresources.' Another staff member, whoseresponsibility includes the coordination of theweekday ministries, commented, 'I don't doubt thevalue of what we do. Many Christians truly benefitfrom our ministries. But it is really time consuming.We struggle to know the right balance betweenministering to Christians and evangelizing thelost'" (Effective Evangelistic Churches, pp. 40, 41).Rainer adds that in a large survey of churches, only 11percent of the respondents indicated that weekdayministries were a contributing factor in their evangelisticeffectiveness.Pastor Doug Hammett of Lehigh Valley Baptist Churchin Emmaus, Pennsylvania, reviewed this article prior toits publication and observed: ‘182