Point magazine may 2018 by Converge

M AY 2 0 1 8

S TA R T. S T R E N G T H E N . S E N D .

C O N V E R G E M AGA Z I N E

Does

really evangelism

matter?

The Evangelism Mandate

The Roar of a Family

Go and Make a Friend

Converge is a movement of over 1300 churches working to help people meet, know and follow Jesus. We do this by starting and strengthening churches together worldwide. Church Planting churchplanting@converge.org Church Strengthening strengthening@converge.org International Ministries missions@converge.org converge.org ConvergeWorldwide @convergeww converge_ww

VOLUME 10 // NUMBER 1 EDITOR Mickey Seward CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Fran Anderson, Michael Smith, Ryan Emenecker DESIGNER Darren Jones To add or remove your name from our mailing list, call 800.323.4215, M–F, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. EST or visit converge.org/subscribe Point (ISSN/1546-3257) is published three times per year by the Baptist General Conference, 2002 S. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60005. Printed in the U.S.A. Nonprofit Standard postage paid at Arlington Heights, Ill., and at additional mailing offices. © 2018 Baptist General Conference. POSTMASTER Send address changes to Point, 2002 S. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60005-4193. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www. zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ REPRINT PERMISSION Permission is granted to photocopy articles in small quantities for personal, church or school use. Please protect our copyright by writing or typing before copying: “Reproduced from Point by permission.” This permission does not extend to articles reprinted from other publications, reports for another publication or large quantity reproductions. For such purposes, written permission must be obtained from Point or from the original source.

ERIC JOHNSON

FROM THE PRESIDENT

SCOT T RIDOUT

each one reach

usiness was booming for Zach. He had spent years paying his dues and moving up the ladder, but finally — finally — he sensed he had made it to the top. His six-figure income, beautiful home and the respect of his coworkers were enough to make anyone proud. Sure, he made some tough calls, stepped on a few toes and, honestly, even developed some enemies along the way. But that’s the price you pay to climb the ladder of success, right? Yet weekend after weekend as he sat on his porch overlooking the picturesque view of the western hills, Zach pondered, Is this it? Why do I feel so empty? One Monday morning as he took the usual route to his office, he noticed the highway was unusually busy. Most people would be discouraged. In Zach’s mind, this was a great thing. You see, Zach was a tax collector. More traffic meant more people to tax, which meant more income for him. It was going to be a great business day.

As he moved along the road, people were buzzing with excitement. “What is it?” he asked. “Why are so many people here?” “Jesus of Nazareth is on his way to Jerusalem and he is coming through Jericho,” someone answered. Zach had looked forward to an opportunity like this for months. He had heard stories about Jesus and how different he was from so many religious leaders. He heard that Jesus healed blind beggars, touched lepers and engaged in conversations with sinners. Most religious leaders avoid these kinds of people — people like Zach — on the outside.

one He even heard that one of Jesus’ disciples was a tax collector and that Jesus told a story about a tax collector being more righteous than a Pharisee. Jesus was a man Zach had to see! As Jesus approached, Zach tried to work his way through the crowd to get to a place where he could see Jesus. Unable to do so, he climbed a tree to get a glimpse of this unusual rabbi (and this was no easy feat, because robes and climbing do not mix). Suddenly, there he was. Zach had scaled the tree and sat on a limb just in time to see Jesus and his entourage pass by. But Jesus stopped and turned his gaze toward the tree where Zach was perched.

How embarrassing, Zach thought. Me, a grown man, up in a tree. How undignified he must think I am. Before Zach could get the thought out of his head, he heard a voice. “Zacchaeus, come down. I must stay at your house today.” It was Jesus. Zach would later describe that moment as almost an “out-of-body experience.” He couldn’t believe Jesus was talking to him, much less inviting himself to dine at Zach’s house...with Zach. This can’t be happening, he thought. It took a moment for Zach to gain enough clarity to gather a response. Shuffling ever so gingerly, he slid down the tree, brushed himself off and escorted Jesus and his crew back to his house. The moment was surreal as they made their way through the streets and Zach welcomed Jesus and his disciples into his home.

“

Zacchaeus, come down. I must stay at your house today.

POINT |

cont. each one reach one

M AY 1 8 |

As dinner was served, Zach felt overwhelmed with both the honor of hosting Jesus in his beautiful home and the sense of guilt he had for how he acquired his wealth. Can we just admit that there were very few rules for tax collection in Jericho? Piled on to his sense of guilt were the comments Zach overheard as he escor ted Jesus to his home: “Why would Jesus go to his house?” “Doesn’t Jesus know who that man is?” “Jesus is going to the house of a sinner?” Embarrassed. Ridiculed. Judged. Zach could not get people’s words out of his mind. And yet here was Jesus eating in his home, treating him as if he was valuable. . .honorable. . .loved. At this moment Zach felt an overwhelming sense of conviction and joy. He couldn’t contain himself as he blurted out, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” This response startled everyone almost as much as it startled Zach. What was that? he thought. Something happened inside him — an unescapable need to be honest with Jesus reached to the depths of his soul. Yet Zach felt great. He felt relieved and alive! Something changed in that moment. His newfound desire to make things right with God and people was both immense and authentic. Jesus broke the room’s deafening silence with words that Zach never thought he would hear: “Salvation has come to this house.” All of us who have come to Christ have had the “Zacchaeus” moment. We have recognized our sinfulness and complete inability to measure up, mixed with the exhilaration of being loved, redeemed, forgiven, accepted and

invited into the family of God. Recognizing the power of God’s grace through the gospel is the greatest moment we have in this life. The only thing that comes close to that moment is when God gives us the gift of leading someone to Christ. One reason sharing my faith is so energizing is I realize I am walking in the character and priorities of my Savior who came, as he states in the Zacchaeus story, to “seek and save that which was lost.” One of my greatest desires and most consistent prayers in this season of my life is that God will grace every person in every Converge church with the privilege of leading someone to Christ. That is the heart of Each One Reach One. Something changes in us when we lead a person to Christ. Being evangelistically active moves us out of the comfort zone of Christian fellowship and into the community we are called to reach. The experience forces us to become others-centered, generous, forgiving, patient, persevering, prayerful, humble and dependent. It opens our eyes to the power of God in the lives of our neighbors, coworkers, relatives, friends and classmates. It helps us see people as valuable and our communities as a mission field. Evangelistic fervor keeps the church “on mission.” Best of all, w e get the privilege of seeing God work to transform individuals’ eternities — moving from darkness to light, from death to life, to be transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. So here is the question: Will you join me?

Will you join me in trusting God to use you to help somebody — anybody — grasp the love of God through what Christ has done on the cross? Are you willing to believe that God has perfectly positioned you to reach someone with the gospel? Will you build relationships with those outside the faith and plant the seed of Christ in those new friendships, praying God would work in their lives and they would acknowledge Jesus as Savior and Lord? May God open our eyes to the daily opportunities to engage those who are far from church but near to the heart of God. May he give us the patience to invest in relationships in order to build a context for us to share the love of Christ. May he grace us with the privilege of seeing people in our lives — neighbors, coworkers, relatives, friends and classmates — meet, know and follow Jesus. Better Together,

Scott Ridout President, Converge

TABLE of

CONTENTS

THE EVANGELISM MANDATE

// Mark L. Strauss

THE ROAR OF A FAMILY

// Troy Emenecker

EXTRAS 12

Still walking with God

14 Creating a culture of evangelism

GO & MAKE A FRIEND

18 Crossing the water

22 Easy as 1-2-3 23 S tart. Strengthen. Send.

// Michael Smith

COVER Does evangelism really matter? Why should it? As Mark L. Strauss writes,

Reach One is that every person in every Converge church would have the privilege of leading someone to Christ.

POINT |

“Christianity without evangelism is not Christianity.” The heart of Each One

The Evangelism Mandate MARK L. STRAUSS

M AY 1 8 |

The movement of God behind evangelism As a kid growing up in the church, I remember frequently being taught that we as believers needed to share our faith with others. Though the prospect of “cold turkey” evangelism could be scary, we were to do it because God had commanded it and because it pleased him. We also shared our faith because it was good for us, kind of like eating our spinach, brushing our teeth or doing our jumping jacks. It was a spiritual discipline that would make us stronger. I remember feeling guilty if I had a conversation with an unbeliever and did not share my faith. While we should all share our faith, these were not the best motivations. Evangelism is not something we do because it’s good for us. It’s not even something we do because it pleases God (though I’m sure it does). It’s something we do because of who we are. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have been reconciled to God through Christ’s death on the cross. We are now his agents of reconciliation, ambassadors for Christ, who are carrying out his mission in the world. We are part of God’s story, the divine drama of Scripture and the movement of God in human history. The story begins in the Book of Genesis with God’s creation of a perfect world and the creation of human beings in his image to have a relationship with him (Genesis 1-2). But

with relationship brought free will, and Adam and Eve chose to reject God’s authority, disobeying him and becoming “fallen” people, destined for death and separation from God (Genesis 3). But God, because of his grace, love and mercy, put in place a plan to bring people back into a right relationship with their Creator. The plan began with Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:16) but found its first clear expression with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. God promised Abraham that through him he would make a great nation (Israel) and through that nation all the nations of the world would be blessed. The plan came into sharper focus through King David in 2 Samuel 7:1116. God promised David one of his descendants would bring salvation to the people of God and would reign over them forever in righteousness and justice. Nine hundred years later, that prophecy was fulfilled with the coming of Jesus. Through his life, death and resurrection he paid the penalty for our sins and so defeated Satan, sin and death, reversing the results of the fall of Adam and Eve. Human beings and, indeed, all of creation can now be restored to a right relationship with God. But the story didn’t end with Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension to heaven. Though Jesus accomplished our salvation through his death on the cross, he did not take this message to the whole world. That was the role he gave to his disciples after his

POINT |

everal years ago I was asked by one of my students if I would be interested in joining a group that was working toward better relations between Christians and Muslims in San Diego. I happily accepted the invitation to attend the event. I had to admit I didn’t have any friends (and only a few acquaintances) who were Muslim. I thought, How can we share the love of Christ with Muslims if we don’t even know them? At the event, jointly sponsored by a mosque and a Christian group, several Christians and Muslims stood and shared the joy they experienced getting to know each other and learning about each other’s culture, religion and worldview. During a question-and-answer time, the issue of proselytizing (trying to convert someone to your religion) came up. The Christian pastor who had organized the event stood up and said, “We want you to know we would never dream of trying to convert others to our religion. That is out of bounds for this group.” Up until then, I had been excited about the prospect of joining this group. But now I realized I could not continue if these convictions were expected of participants. Why? Be cause Christianity, fundamentally, is a religion of mission and evangelism. It is in our DNA to share the good news of Jesus with others and to seek to win others to Christ. This is who we are. Christianity without evangelism is not Christianity.

WHAT HAS YET TO BE FINISHED IS THE DELIVERY OF THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION TO A LOST WORLD. THAT IS OUR TASK.

resurrection. In the power of the Holy Spirit, they were to be his “witnesses” in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). As the body of Christ and the people of God, the church’s role is to deliver the good news about the salvation Jesus accomplished and to call people to faith in him. In reference to his own suffering as a Christian, the apostle Paul makes a remarkable statement in Colossians 1:24. He writes, “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.” This is an astonishing statement. Paul says he is completing what is lacking in Christ’s suffering. What could possibly be lacking from Christ’s once -for-all sacrifice for our sins? While nothing is lacking as far as our salvation is concerned, what has yet to be finished is the delivery of the message of salvation to a lost world. That is our task. We are finishing what is left in Christ’s work by taking the good news to the ends of the earth.

The word “evangelism” comes from the Greek noun “euangelion,” which means “good news.” To evangelize is to share the good news of salvation with those who’ve never heard it. While Jesus accomplished our salvation through his death on the cross, we “fill up what is lacking” in Christ’s suffering by taking this message to the world. This is our mission. It is our identity and our reason for being.

The mandate for evangelism Jesus’ last words to his disciples in Matthew’s gospel indicate our fundamental mission:

“

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)

M AY 1 8 |

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “Go and make converts.” He doesn’t say, “Convince people to accept Jesus as their Savior.” He says, “Go and make disciples.” While evangelism is a necessary first step, it is only the beginning. Our task is to produce fully committed followers of Jesus, believers who truly love God and love others and who are themselves bringing others to Christ. Paul says something similar in 2 Timothy 2:2. He tells Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” Timothy is to reproduce himself in others. This means first of all evangelism, but also discipleship — training and equipping believers who will pass this training on to others. By way of analogy, parents would never leave a newborn baby in the hospital after giving birth. The birth is just the beginning of the long and challenging task of raising a child. There are 18-plus years of feeding and clothing and teaching and training. In the same way, evangelism is the (necessary) first step in making disciples, fully committed followers of Jesus who are themselves evangelizing and discipling Christ followers.

Methods of evangelism There are many ways to share our faith. Perhaps the greatest evangelist of all time, Billy Graham was famous for his huge stadium events, where thousands of people would come forward in response to the gospel. I remember being part of one of these events in Aberdeen, Scotland, where my wife and I were living during my doctoral studies. We had volunteered as counselors and marveled as thousands of people poured out of the stands at Graham’s invitation to accept Christ as their Savior. Graham clearly had the spiritual gift of evangelism (see Eph. 4:11), and stadium events were an effective method for him. Though not everyone has this spiritual gift, we are all called to make disciples and to evangelize (2 Tim. 4:5). But there are many ways to share your faith.

CONVERGE’S EACH ONE REACH ONE MOVEMENT FOCUSES ON PERSONAL EVANGELISM, WHICH IS SIMPLY LIVING OUT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THROUGH YOUR DAILY INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERS.

Whenever you do a kind deed such as visiting someone in a hospital, or welcoming a new neighbor with a gift, or stopping to help someone fix a flat, or babysitting for a young mother, you are sharing the love of Christ with them. St. Francis of Assisi is purported to have said, “Preach the gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.” Of course, this is something of an exaggeration. To share the message of salvation we have to not only share the love of Christ with them, but also tell them what Jesus accomplished on the cross by paying the penalty for our sins. But we earn the right to be heard by loving people unconditionally and giving self-sacrificially. One of the most important images of the church is “the body of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 4:12), a metaphor indicating we are Christ’s presence on earth. When people meet you, they are meeting Christ, because you are his representative, his presence in the world. Some people wonder what they should say or whether they need to memorize a speech to share their faith. But the best way to evangelize is to simply tell others what God has done for you and what he means to you. The transformation Christ has accomplished in your life is the best testimony you can share concerning the truth of the gospel.

The means for evangelism Of course, none of us lives up to the standard of Christ, and we will always fall short of modeling the life of Christ. But we need not despair because of our shortcomings. The power for evangelism does not come in our abilities or skills. It lies in the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, who convicts people of their sin and draws them to God (John 16:8). The Holy Spirit also promises to give us the words to say when we share our faith with others (Mark 13:11). All this means that the most important tool we have for evangelism is prayer and a faithful walk with God. Pray God will give you opportunities every day to share your faith with others. And pray he will give you the words to say that will draw others to himself. Finally, pray the Spirit will be preparing the hearts of those you will encounter today.

Mark L. Strauss is a biblical scholar and professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary, San Diego.

POINT |

The Roar

of a Family O

M AY 1 8 |

ne thing nearly every city in America — regardless of region or climate — can connect fall with is football. Come September, those living within shouting distance of a high school don’t even need to leave their houses to know how their local team is playing. The roar of the crowd is as good a scoreboard as any. This past fall, the roar could be heard about 30 miles southeast of Phoenix, Arizona, in the town of Queen Creek. It is there the Canyon State Academy Rams prepared each week to do battle on the gridiron, just like so many other teams around the country. Except the Rams aren’t like most other teams. Most teams don’t have an entire church in their backyard. But through a sponsorship program established by Sun Valley Community Church, the stands don't just roar at each Canyon State home game. They shake. Founded in 1948, Canyon State Academy is one of 40 programs nationwide operated by Rite of Passage, a Nevada-based organization focused on rehabilitating at-risk children and adolescents. The campus houses around 400 youth, about 350 of whom are boys, and provides educa tional, career and vocational training, in addition to offering athletic opportunities for its youth.

In January 2017, Sun Valley opened the doors of its new Queen Creek campus — one of five locations the church operates — next door to Canyon State Academy. One Sunday that summer Tiffany and Ricky Jordan, who had been attending church at the new campus, noticed several high school boys outside the auditorium wearing football jerseys and passing out schedules. “We wanted to interact with the boys,” Tiffany said. “So we asked ab o u t th e fo otball pro gram and eventually connected with coach [Kyle] Sager and [campus pastor] Mo [Grimm].” Before long, Tiffany had a table set up in the church's courtyard, where she began encouraging Sun Valley attendees to commit to “sponsoring” a member of the football team. Sponsors would attend games, hold signs, leave encouraging notes for players and bring them snacks. Around 250 people signed up to be sponsors for the Rams’ first game in September, and the program only grew from there, with sponsors traveling to Phoenix and even Glendale, a suburb more than 50 miles away. As the season progressed, connections grew between families and the nearly 50 kids on the roster, some of whom were experiencing their own personal cheering section for the first time.

Canyon State Academy football games used to be played in near silence – until members of a local church built lifechanging relationships with the players. TROY EMENECKER

“There was a sense of accountability, to do their best for their sponsor,” Sager said. “Especially for out-of-state kids, this was huge. Just somebody to be there.” G r im m said th e pro gram has evolved to include other sports. The sponsor/athlete relationships evolved as well, leading to at least 12 athletes being baptized and others regularly attending services at Sun Valley. “We’re now seeing sponsorship moving to mentorship,” Grimm said. “Families are meeting with athletes, spending more dedicated time, talking and building relationships.” Sager and Grimm estimate that about 25 percent of the sponsors work at Canyon State. “The church integration gave us a focus to how we work with these kids and how we bring everything together,” said Sager. “We get kids from all areas of life and help them know they are loved regardless. And the love is not just coming from their coaches — it’s coming from their church, it’s coming from their community.”

…players are able to experience a family who loves Jesus through their love and actions. "They get to see Christ in action," Crystal-Star said. "We pray with them, be an example to them and just show them what a normal, fun family looks like."

Though Sun Valley is a multisite church, its mission to help people meet, know and follow Jesus permeates each of its campuses. The sponsorship program with Canyon State, Grimm believes, fits the church’s vision perfectly. “ I t ’s totall y hand - in - hand ,” h e s a i d . “We want to give the students a healthy sense of what a family looks like. When we talk about God, when we talk about Christianity, when we talk about a family, if you don’t have a healthy view of your family, who cares? Our sponsorship is giving students a healthy view of a family, a healthy view of community.

Less than a year into the program, Tiffany says her goal is for every kid at the school to have a connection with a family. Though football tends to be an easier way to attract support, she wants to support other sports throughout the week, as well as other clubs and activities that don’t typically draw as much attention. For Grimm, the experience with Canyon State has brought everything full circle. “Sun Valley's Queen Creek campus started on a football field at Canyon State. For it to kind of be our rallying point, it’s so fitting,” he said. Football practice will start up again in May. Coach Sager and the rest of the team will look to build upon last season. No doubt he will have his work cut out for him, integrating new players into an ever-changing roster. He won’t be alone, though, and neither will his boys. That sound they hear from the stands? It’s the roar of a family, loving its own.

Troy Emenecker is a freelance writer. He attends a Converge church in Mesa, Arizona.

Members of Sun Valley Community Church packed the stands at Canyon State Academy football games. The accompanying photographs were provided by SVCC members who built lasting relationships with CSA student-athletes.

POINT |

“When student-athletes can look up in the stands and see families, it’s incredible. Quite frankly, when I came to games two years ago, even a year ago, the players would come out on the field and [after the game] leave. That was it. There weren’t a lot of people there. Now, the players are coming through a tunnel of people, on and off the field.” Among those shaking the bleachers each week are Jared and Crystal-Star Fleming, who were looking to get involved at the Queen Creek campus. The Flemings sponsored three boys, regularly taking them to church and to lunch next door at the café Canyon State owns and operates, employing their students.

“The football games are awesome,” Jared said. “The church's kids would make signs and cheer the team on. It's our own little community.” Also, players are able to experience a family who loves Jesus through their love and actions. “They get to see Christ in action," Crystal-Star said. “We pray with them, be an example to them, and just show them what a normal, fun family looks like.” The Rams may only have won three of the eight games they played last season, but Sager doesn't measure the rewards in wins and losses. “To watch the process from when we get new kids in April, and then nine months later through a football season, and see how they’re ready to face those challenges that got them here, is rewarding,” the coach said. “The text messages, the Facebook messages and three, four years down the road when they come back for homecoming, that’s when I collect my paycheck — when I see the kids again.” Tiffany and Ricky Jordan have found a way to connect with a population they have always wanted to impact. “I just think your life is enriched when you get to know other people’s worlds,” Tiffany said. “I’ve always believed that to love is greater than to be loved. It’s just addicting. You just want to keep getting to know these kids because you just love them.”

THIS IS MY STORY

Still Walking With God A CANYON STATE ACADEMY STUDENT IS OVERCOMING SPIRITUAL CHALLENGES— WITH HELP FROM HIS SPONSORS FROM A LOCAL CHURCH.

M AY 1 8 |

I came to Canyon State Academy on March 29, 2017. In July, the football team went to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp in Flagstaff, Arizona. When we got there, I thought it was a cool campus, but I wasn’t expecting what I saw the first night. I remember looking around during worship and thinking, Wow! This is actually pretty cool. I guess you could say I felt welcome there. I felt like I was a part of something that could be greater. At the end of the week, when they were having a worship night, they asked if anyone wanted to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I can’t describe it, but something just compelled me to do that. I decided Yes, I want to be with you, Lord. I want to turn from my sinful ways and be a part of you and walk with you. Ever since, it has been a struggle. Nobody’s perfect. None, whatsoever, but I am trying to overcome that struggle. I am still walking with God. Every Wednesday morning, bright and early, we do the FCA Bible study (led by Sun Valley Community Church campus pastor Mo Grimm and youth pastor Ronnie Bunton). The sponsorship program here at Canyon State Academy is amazing. When I was working one day at the academy's café, Miss Kristin, the manager, came up to me and said, “Guess what — I’m sponsoring you for football!” I was like, “What?!? I was so surprised, but in a good way.

I guess I didn’t think of her sponsoring me because she is my boss. She would come to my games. If she couldn’t, my other sponsor, Miss Tiffany, who runs the thrift store, would come. Sometimes they both came. I am one of the few kids here who still has a family that loves and supports me. Not only do I have them, but I also have my sponsor family too. To have that extra support is helpful. Playing on the football team, since you’re with the same guys for

I DECIDED, YES, I WANT TO BE WITH YOU, LORD. I WANT TO TURN FROM MY SINFUL WAYS AND BE A PART OF YOU AND WALK WITH YOU. NOBODY’S PERFECT. NONE, WHATSOEVER, BUT I AM TRYING TO OVERCOME THAT STRUGGLE. I AM STILL WALKING WITH GOD.

six months, we have built a family bond. Most of us keep in contact. I will check in with guys and say, “Hey, how are you doing? You doing good?” It doesn’t have to be long, but I make sure everybody is OK. I try to put them before me. Being on the football team broke me out of my comfort zone. I have shared what I believe with

a few people, but that is something I still have to work on. Sometimes, I’m worried that if I say, “Hey, you know, there’s God,” somebody might respond, “Oh, I don’t care. Why are you talking to me about that?” I need to work on that, to have the resiliency to bounce back from that, to be able to say, “What I believe is something good, something positive. I’m sorry you don’t agree with me.” When I started at Canyon State Academy, I was a year behind in school. I enrolled in the GED program, and now I will graduate in May. Since I am graduating early, I am eligible to play football again next season. Because I have my GED, I am able to attend the Automotive Technology program at East Valley Institute of Technology. I have always wanted to work on cars, and I have a passion to be a mechanic. I am also in the academy's Computer Technicians program to learn how to work on electronics. Thanks to what God is doing in my life — and the people from Canyon State Academy and Sun Valley Community Church that he brought into it — I will have a greater opportunity to succeed than I ever would have had on my own. Due to privacy restrictions, the author's name has been withheld.

Unengaged. Unreached. She lives among a people group with no known believers and no one working to establish Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s church. We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep them waiting.

Send a missionary. Support a missionary. Become a missionary. Answer the call at converge.org/send.

Creating a

Culture of Evangelism LEE STEPHENSON

M AY 1 8 |

Evangelism. I have never met a pastor who thought evangelism wasn’t essential or even commanded. As Christians, we know what the Bible says about reaching the lost and the importance of sharing our faith journey with others. The sad reality is that many churches are just not reaching people far from Christ. Yes, fellowship and discipleship are essential; but I would also suggest that discipleship cannot be divorced from the responsibility of evangelizing. If we are trying to live the great commission, why are we not doing more to reach more people? Somewhere along the road, many churches lost their zeal for reaching those without Christ — not in theory, but more in practice. Moving a church to think about and engage in the responsibility of evangelism requires a particular culture and mentality. These are probably among the more difficult qualities a church can attempt to create.

Evangelism is scary and it goes against almost everything in our American culture. Americans are the world’s highest consumers of goods. As a result, too many of our church attendees have become consumers when it comes to church. I saw it happen in my church. People will give their money with the expectation they will receive a certain amount of goods and services in return. If we want to reach the lost in our community, we need to help our people learn to stop asking, “What is in it for me?” and start asking, “What will it take to reach my neighbor?” One of the most selfless things a church can do is focus on reaching people far from Christ. He gave us a great example of this. Jesus didn’t come for the righteous — but for the sick and the sinner (Mark 2:17). How can we ever become comfortable watching someone walk into hell? If we want to create a culture of evangelism in our churches, I believe we must do several things:

Pray

Paint a picture

Make prayer a regular practice. Consider praying at every gathering for those who don’t know God. Pray about your responsibility as a church and as individuals when it comes to evangelism. I have been inspired by others who regularly pray God would allow them to be directly involved in seeing someone come to faith in Jesus. What could happen if this was a regular prayer of the church?

To create a culture of evangelism in your church, you have to create a circle of concern. Paint a picture in which people see faces of those they are connected to who are far from Jesus. Ask them to think of people who live nearby, such as a neighbor, coworker, family member or someone in their daily routine. Awareness is key to growing concern and ultimately creating culture.

Give people words to say

Model in their midst

Help people develop a plan

Leaders create culture. Culture tends to be developed more from modeling desired behavior than from telling others what they should do. If it is vital for the church to be on its game when it comes to evangelism, then it is even more critical for the leaders to model this in their daily lives. Take time to share stories of the wins and the losses. Your people not only need to be inspired by the successes that come along the way, but also by seeing that the pastor isn’t God’s most excellent evangelist. Allow failures to encourage others to reveal their faith journey, knowing not everyone they talk to will receive Jesus on the spot. Moreover, take time to celebrate those who do share their faith.

Now that you have worked at creating awareness, many people don’t have a clue about what to do next. There are three stages of evangelism you can guide people to understand: cultivate, plant and reap. Teach people how to cultivate relationships and engage in spiritual conversations.

However, many church members just need help in knowing where or how to get started. Sometimes, they have a hard time talking to non-Christians merely because they are so used to talking to Christians. Teach them how to plant seeds using one sentence that gets sprinkled into a normal conversation. Keep it simple.

6 Create consistent reminders It is easy for leaders to think, Because I said it once, everyone automatically gets it. Seldom is that true. People tend to forget. Find ways to keep the urgency of evangelism present in the daily routine. Reminders can be anything from a bookmark, a business card they keep in their car, a wristband or a refrigerator magnet.

POINT |

Relationship is key. Don’t look at your neighbors as a project. Look at them as someone to love. Healthy relationships will open doors to more in-depth conversations that lead to spiritual discussions. But first, get to know your neighbors by learning their names and understanding who is in their home. Eventually you can bridge to the church questions, which springboard you to being able to talk about and share the gospel.

Take time to teach people the story of redemption — God, man, Jesus, response (and critical Bible verses that support the story). If people are getting this training in your church, you are well on your way to creating a culture of evangelism.

Taking time to celebrate regularly also reinforces the importance of this evangelism mission. Every time there is a baptism or a high-attendance weekend, link it to life change and stories of impact. What gets celebrated gets repeated. The areas in which we lack discipline are the very areas we need to add structure. What does this look like in your current context?

7 Follow up for the future Church leaders need to remember we are not in the business of making decisions, but of making disciples. Make discussions about vital next steps in the faith journey a regular part of every conversation with your members. Have a system to follow up, thank those who invite first-time guests, teach on baptism and invite people into ministry. If done right, more people will grow in their awareness of the call to evangelize.

8 Cut programs that aren’t evangelistic M AY 1 8 |

Programs have a way of sucking the life out of evangelism. Oddly, it seems evangelistic programs often do other things better than evangelism: they produce community

among participants, open the doors to new places of ministry and encourage people to make a stand for Jesus. Don’t get me wrong — these are good things. However, they tend to do little when it comes to actual evangelism. If lost people aren’t coming, if they do not hear a clear presentation of the gospel, if next steps aren’t being talked about — cut the program! Pastor, building a culture of evangelism in your church starts with you. If you are modeling evangelism, creating evangelistic environments, teaching people how to share their faith and what to say, celebrating those who are trying to evangelize and the lives that are being changed — you will become an evangelistic church. Some of you are already doing this. Great job! Don’t grow weary. Keep up the great work. Others of you have gotten stuck and maybe even forgotten the evangelistic roots that first started your church. It isn’t too late to start turning things around. God still wants to use you and your church to advance the kingdom. None of this is about the size of your church. It is about the size of our mission to make disciples of all nations. Let’s do this together!

Lee Stephenson is executive director of Church Planting for Converge and a church planter.

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change lives “For the first time since launching 26 years ago, our church will have a permanent home. We’ve been the beneficiary of churches sharing their facilities with us, and now we will be able to help other churches in the same way. Converge Cornerstone Fund has been great in advising us and structuring our loan for the new building. We encourage our congregation to invest in Cornerstone because its funds are used to build churches. We can empathize with that. By working with Cornerstone, we’re sowing back into the Converge movement to help grow and expand other churches and ministries.” Dr. Robin Holland, senior pastor of Living Hope Bible Church

Learn how you can invest in starting and strengthening churches—and earn interest on your investment—at cornerstonetoday.org/invest or by calling 877.228.8810.

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Crossing the Water “Hey, didn’t we go to school together?”

M AY 1 8 |

Pastor Aaron Day has been asking that question in airports, coffee shops and grocery stores for years. And almost always, it turns out he did go to high school with that person. Aaron’s just like that — he loves people, he remembers people and folks are drawn to him. In 1997, Aaron and his wife Cathy joined the launch team of Cascade Church in Monroe, Washington. He was the evangelistic spark plug, the one who would share Jesus with obnoxious telemarketers and lead people to Christ on airplanes. Cascade flourished while Aaron served as pastor of student ministry and outreach pastor. After a decade in Monroe, the Days accepted the call to plant a daughter church of Cascade. Originally, they thought they would be heading farther in toward the Seattle metro area. It turned out God wanted them farther out toward the mountains. The rural town of Sultan, Washington, became the focus of their prayer and energy. The Day family moved to Sultan in order to be present in the community in which they would be serving. Context is everything. Sultan is a rural community in the Skykomish Valley of western Washington. It sits astride one of two major highways that cross the state east to west. The town is small but vibrant, rural but connected to the city, sustainable but with a high per capita of homeless. In order to begin a church in Sultan, Aaron knew instinctively one of the primary outreach initiatives would have to be justice ministry. Just before the church launched, a major flood hit the Skykomish Valley. Aaron and members of the core team jumped into action and helped

sandbag businesses in the small downtown area. Wading through filthy water while encouraging and praying for nervous shop owners sent a message. Quickly the team became known as advocates for the community and a positive addition to the town. On September 9, 2007, Crosswater Church was born in Sultan. The church's purpose attracted attention: Love God. Love People. Serve Generously. One of the first ministry initiatives Crosswater attempted was Servefest, a day of practical hands-on service to the community. Dozens of people fanned out across Sultan and painted benches, pulled weeds at parks and schools, washed off graffiti and gave food and water to those in need. Again, the community noticed something was different about this church.

'I didn’t know churches loved like this anymore' Crosswater met for nine years at Sultan High School. That’s nine years of setup, teardown and transitory existence. Even then, the Days led their church to serve and be a blessing in the name of Jesus. The local school district was initially wary of “another church” showing up in one of its schools and sharing its cafeteria and classrooms. “We were very intentional about being a blessing to the custodial staff and teachers,” Aaron said. For example, at every parent/teacher conference (twice per year), the church provided meals and snacks for teachers, since they are on-site for extended hours. One self-described agnostic teacher said, “I didn’t know churches loved like this anymore. Most church people complain about the schools rather than help. And I really experienced Jesus from the peanut butter popcorn!”

This rural church is serving as a bridge to Jesus by serving its community. NATE HETTINGA

So many people in the Sultan area are hurting. The economy is depressed. Many have been hurt by a church or church people. Dozens are homeless. The school system is overwhelmed. The people from Crosswater step in and bring Jesus to life with their hands and feet, as well as with their words. They coach and serve in the schools. (Aaron has coached football and baseball since moving to the community.) They offer showers, food and warm drinks to the homeless. They give out water bottles and event invitations at area festivals. Church leaders often ask themselves if anyone in their community would notice or care if their church were to close its doors. Crosswater has become a church known around the community as a people who make a difference. Sultan would do more than just notice if the church ceased to exist. It would grieve.

Crosswater, with the help of the Converge Cornerstone Fund, was able to purchase a building less than two years ago. It’s not new. In fact, the building is the oldest church in the area, a 120year-old former United Methodist facility that was moved across town by a team of horses in the early 1900s. A permanent space for ministry has made a difference. “It’s been like a replant to have our own space,” Aaron said. “We took the neighbors cookies when we moved in, and they were like, ‘Hey, you guys are real!’” And they are. Crosswater is here for the long haul. The name itself is revealing. People have to literally cross a river to get to the city of Sultan. And how do you get across the water? A bridge. “Jesus makes a way for us to have a bridge to the Father,” Aaron said. “We get to be a bridge to help people find Jesus. As the Apostle Paul wrote, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News!’ That’s what we’re doing here.”

“I didn’t know churches loved like this anymore. Most church people complain about the schools rather than help.”

Relentlessly gospel-centric

Nate Hettinga is lead pastor at Cascade Church in Monroe, Washington, and director of Converge Northwest church planting.

POINT |

Pastor Day has been diligent in creating a culture of evangelism. It’s been slow but steady. The church has averaged 20 baptisms each year for the past decade. At least five homeless individuals have gotten off the streets and into families. Many, many more have realized once again that they’re human and worthy of dignity and respect. “We are relentlessly gospel-centric,” Aaron said. “Our goal is to be Good News to our city, not just talk about Good News. We’ve had to recast our vision several times in order to keep away from an inward focus. An outward focus doesn’t come naturally or easily. It’s my job to keep us on mission.”

make

a FRIEND How you can share your faith with someone from a different culture.

MICHAEL SMITH

M AY 1 8 |

haring your faith with people who look and talk like y o u can be intimidating. Sharing your faith with people who are overwhelmingly different from you can seem downright impossible. Two Converge missionaries who are helping reach the nations here and abroad say that doesn’t have to be the case. Laura* serves with a multicultural congregation in the United States, but will soon join a small, growing Converge team in a Middle Eastern country that is just 0.7 percent evangelical. She says the refugee crisis has presented an oppor tune time for the gospel. Hundreds of Muslim refugees are coming to church every week. They hear the gospel and are asking spiritual questions. Dawn* ser ves in Europe, where she is involved in reaching out to Muslims. Before moving there, she was involved in ministry to international students in the United States, where she connected with college

and university students from a variety of different cultures.

Sharing is biblical Laura points out that Christians s h a r i n g t h e i r fa i t h w i t h p e o p l e from different backgrounds is not optional; it’s something Christ has commanded us to do. S he cites Jesus' own words: Matt 28:19-20: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

John 14:15: “If you love me, keep my commands.” Matt 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” “We share our faith to the nations because it means Jesus is that much closer to returning, and we get to spend eternity with him,” Laura says.

Relationships matter As you interact with people from different cultures, Laura says, it is important to get to know them before you tell them about Jesus. “Go and make a friend. Take them out for coffee. Listen to their stories. Respond in grace, love and truth. This is a person made in the image of God,” she says. “They may be from another culture and do things differently than you, but have fun learning those differences. As you form a relationship with them, seek to understand those differences and appreciate them.”

Adds Dawn, “Many international students never have the opportunity to enter an American home. Even just a simple activity such as inviting them to a meal, and praying before the meal, can open up a great conversation.” Laura witnessed another member of the Converge team in the Middle East sharing his faith with Muslim men. One thing she noticed and admired about him was his willingness to interact with these men, including playing soccer, going out to eat and traveling to the beach. Although the missionary didn’t speak any Arabic, he didn’t let the language barrier stop him. He didn’t have many chances to share his faith verbally, but the men saw the love of Christ in him through his actions. “These Arab Muslim guys saw this American male who did not speak their language desiring to hang out with them, love them, laugh with them and have a good time,” Laura says. “That spoke volumes.”

Obstacles to overcome Laura experiences three main difficulties when trying to share her faith cross-culturally. The first is language, particularly when she is in the Middle East. “Through time, patience and much frustration, the language can be learned, no matter what language it is. You just have to put in the effort, and they will see that,” Laura says. “The fact that you are willing to learn a language that is not your own just so you can converse with them means more to them than you will ever know.” A second difficulty Laura faces is her lack of understanding of others’ worldviews and customs. If she is not willing to learn their customs and ways, she believes she will never be effective in sharing the gospel. “If I come at situations from my own viewpoints and not theirs, I won’t

be able to make and keep relationships, and I will only cause myself much frustration and anger,” Laura says. “We must learn to recognize cultural dif ferences, seek to understand them and come to appreciate the God-given cultural diversity among us.” The third obstacle Laura has to overcome is fear. “It is normal to fear immersing ourselves in a different culture. We fear the unknown. This difficulty is often ongoing. I consistently have to submit myself in prayer to God and ask him to change my heart. There will never be a point where I have ‘accomplished’ ministering cross-culturally; it is a lifelong process of prayer, learning and growing.” Like Laura, Dawn found obstacles to sharing the gospel. "It’s important to understand the variety of misconceptions about Christians, their faith and the Bible that exist among people in many cultures," she says. “People living in countries with a small Christian presence may have never had the opportunity to interact with a Christian. They receive information from television, the media, books and other sources, which may not reflect the true meaning of Christianity.”

Practical advice Laura’s advice for sharing the gospel cross-culturally is first to pray and spend time in the Word daily. “When you seek the Lord, he sanctifies you and shapes you more into the image of his Son,” she says. “When

“

*Names have been changed to protect missionaries serving in high-security zones

Michael Smith is a content specialist for Converge.

POINT |

...wherever you are, whether across the street or around the world, it's important to get out there and practice sharing your faith. You'll be amazed at how God will use you.

you begin to look more like Christ, it becomes easier and more natural for you to share your faith with others.” She continues, "It’s important to have the right mind-set when sharing your faith with someone from a different culture. “Remember, it's another person you’re talking to. It’s not a number. It’s not a box to check. It’s not a high-five you can give to your friends,” Laura says. “It’s a human being who craves love and satisfaction just as you do. When we come at sharing from that perspective, it becomes less intimidating.” Dawn finds it helpful to ask people from other cultures about their faith, including their views on God, the afterlife, the basis of right or wrong and what God wants from us. “Often, people are interested in discussing these topics, and they may also allow us an entry point to share some of our worldview,” she says. She cautions, "It is also important to remember that the terminology you use may mean something different to the person you are sharing with." According to both Laura and Dawn, wherever you are, whether across the street or around the world, it’s important to get out there and practice sharing your faith. You’ll be amazed at how God will use you. “There is no Christian that exists on this earth — no matter how ineloquent, no matter how reserved, no matter how uneducated, no matter how flawed, no matter how sinful — that God does not delight in using to bring his gospel to the nations,” says Laura.

Easy as

Sharing your faith with others doesn't have to be difficult. Try this easy three-step method to become more comfortable sharing your story.

In his article The Evangelism Mandate (page 6), Mark L. Strauss writes, “The best way to evangelize is to simply tell others what God has done for you and what he means to you. The transformation Christ has accomplished in your life is the best testimony you can share concerning the truth of the gospel.” Sharing your faith doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be as easy as 1-2-3. The following three-step method has helped many people tell others about how they began their relationship with Jesus and what it means to them.

1. W hat my life was like before I followed Jesus How did you feel? What were your plans and purpose in life? What did you live for? What kinds of things did you do? What did you believe?

2. Why/how I began following Jesus What circumstances led you to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Why did you choose to follow Jesus? How did it happen?

3. W hat my life has been like since I began following Jesus How has following Jesus changed you? How is your perspective different? What do you live for now?

Your turn Follow the three steps to write your testimony below. When you are done, share it with others. (Tips: Pray before you begin writing. Write like you talk. Keep it short.)

1. Before I began following Jesus…

2. And then (how I began following Jesus)…

M AY 1 8 |

3. Now that I am following Jesus…

EXAMPLE: I was so heartbroken and filled with grief that even thinking about the future was painful. I no longer had hope or a purpose. A friend told me about how God will always be there and will give me hope and a future. Soon, I accepted Jesus as my Savior. Now I live knowing God has a plan and a purpose for my life that is so much greater than any plan I could have for myself.

UPDATE Converge is a movement of churches working to help people meet, know and follow Jesus. We do this by

STARTING AND STRENGTHENING

CHURCHES TOGETHER WORLDWIDE Start We are committed to starting missionally minded churches until every people group and community has heard the gospel. We start churches that start churches to see lives changed with Christ’s love and truth.

21 16

New church grand openings and multisite campuses from January 2017–March 2018

Existing churches that affiliated with Converge from January 2017–March 2018

Numbers reported by Converge Districts

Unity through diversity

NEW Church Planter Podcast

Converge launched an initiative to help reach its goal to grow the number of its churches that serve a cultural or multicultural congregation to 30 percent. The initiative’s goal is to provide a $12,500 grant to assessed and approved cultural/ethnic planters who start a church in 2018.

Converge church planting leaders Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee launched Unfiltered: Real Church Planting Conversations, a podcast focusing on between-thelines church planting conversations. converge.org/unfiltered

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Strengthen We strengthen existing churches. Strong churches are led by strong leaders. We equip leaders to expand their ministry impact and fulfill the unique calling God has given them. Lessons for leaders

Investing in our future

Converge recently launched its Whiteboard Leadership training series to help pastors more effectively lead their church, staff and community.

Twenty-five young leaders from Converge churches across the country took part in the first Young Leader Cohort in January. Ten veteran large-church pastors served as mentors during the two-day intensive, helping support and guide

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the young leaders as they build their future in ministry. You can play a role in giving these young leaders the support and guidance that is essential for their future in ministry — and in our churches. converge.org/advance

Send As we anticipate the second coming of Jesus, many in the world haven’t heard of his first coming. Together we ask God to create a gospel movement among every least-reached people group — in our generation.

Nations, including the United States, in which Converge missionaries serve

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Converge missionaries serving around the world

Converge missionary appointees raising funds to enter the mission field full time

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CONVERGE

R E A C H ACROSS THE STREET & AROUND THE WORLD

When we reach across the street and around the world with the gospel, we impact lives for eternity. That’s what the Converge Reach Conference is all about: helping you develop effective strategies and opportunities to extend your church’s gospel reach locally and globally. Take the opportunity to participate in dynamic breakout sessions and learn from other ministry leaders, including Ed Stetzer. This is Converge’s national conference that only happens once every two years—so make it a priority to attend. J U N E 2 7 – 2 9, 2 0 1 8 // I N D I A N A R E G I S T E R AT C O N V E R G E . O R G / R E A C H - C O N F E R E N C E