Evangelism online- May 2005
By Nelson Searcy and John Troy
Evangelism Online: Church Health, Church Growth and Church Planting
**EVANGELISM / CHURCH GROWTH**
YOU’RE INVITED: BRINGING PEOPLE TO CHURCH
"Ohio Pastor Lee Powell made the comment that despite all the advertising they do, 80% of first time visitors come because they were personally invited."
- Available at: Church Marketing Sucks
THE POWER OF THE FIRST IMPRESSION
"When was the last time you took a good look at your sign? What does it say about you? I know of several churches that have a dynamic worship style with contemporary music but the sign out front says "old and uninspired."
- Available at: The Church Report
HOW TO HELP YOUR CHURCH GROW THROUGH CLARITY OF VISION
"One of the exciting dynamics of having a clear vision is recognizing the need to be present in the community. Rather than waiting for the community to show up on the church’s doorstep, churches that break growth barriers practice what some call, "Presence Evangelism;" being present in the normal network of society, being present in the ministry to physical needs of people, and being present in the spiritual battle for people’s souls.
- Available at: Church Central
WHAT IS SERVANT EVANGELISM
"Servant evangelism is intentionally sharing Christ by modeling biblical servanthood. It is the simplest, most transferable, and yes, most fun approach for moving believers closer to a biblical lifestyle marked by consistent witnessing."
- Available at: EPIC Team
- Want more on Servant Evangelism?
Check out the "Reaching My Community Through Servant Evangelism" CD
"Preach on Sex? Yes, please!"
Do you know what your congregation wants? According to a new study from ChristianityToday.com, nearly half of American churchgoers want to hear more Biblical teaching on Sexual Issues… That means half of YOUR church!
This Summer is the perfect time to turn up the heat and give your congregation some solid, scriptural teaching on the critical sex questions they deal with… But, as we all know, sex is not always easy to discuss! That’s why the Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas, teaching pastors of The Journey Church of the City in New York, have developed a sermon series package to help you teach on these sensitive issues…
Desperate Sex Lives: This six-part sermon series takes a relevant look at what scripture has to say about love, sex, dating and marriage. In addition to audio sermons, the series set includes sermon transcripts, outlines, complete graphics, presentation backgrounds, memory verse cards and more – Everything you need to help you feel comfortable talking about sex!
Alternative Series titles:
"Desperate House Lives", "Desperate Households" or "Love, Dating and Happily Ever After"
Just visit www.epicteam.org/dsl for your copy!
Our congregations have spoken. It’s up to us to give them the teaching they want and need!
Nelson Searcy is founding and senior pastor of The Journey, one of the most innovative and fastest-growing churches in the Northeast. An experienced church planter, writer and evangelism trainer, he previously served as the Director of the Purpose Driven Community at Saddleback Church.
** CULTURE **
WHAT’S DRIVING TODAY’S INNOVATIONS
"Leonard Sweet noticed how superstar band U2 changed their act in response to [the desire for participation]. ‘U2 used to use big screens and technology to create an extravaganza...Now Bono's stage pierces into the middle of the audience, and he draws from a palette of 45 songs by interacting with the crowd. A U2 concert is not about performance any more, but about relationships, about people there helping to shape the event itself.’"
- Available at: Christianity Today
** LEADERSHIP **
STRAIGHT TALK TO PASTORS FROM DR. PHIL
Dr Phil: "I was born and raised Southern Baptist in Oklahoma and Texas, hell fire and brimstone (laugh).In all honesty it was really an important influence for me. I was baptized when I was 13. It was a significant thing for me."
- Available at: The Church Report
HOW TO SHIFT CULTURES IN YOUR CHURCH
"As a leader in your church, you have the privilege, along with other leaders, of shifting your congregation's culture. If you assess that the culture isn't healthy, you have not only the privilege but the responsibility to shift it. The process of making the shift is not optional; it represents the process of incarnating the kingdom of God."
- Available at: Leader Link
- For more on Culture Shift, see the book at Amazon.com
**BOOKS**
THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOW (Buy Now)
by Marcus Buckingham
Great managing, leading, and career success -- Buckingham draws on a wealth of applicable examples to reveal that a controlling insight lies at the heart of the three. Lose sight of this "one thing" and even the best efforts will be diminished or compromised.
"The best business book since Good to Great for Church Leaders" – Nelson Searcy, Publisher, Evangelism OnLine
CULTURE SHIFT (Buy Now)
By Robert Lewis, Wayne Cordeiro, Warren Bird,
Culture Shift leads you through the process of identifying your church’s distinctive culture, gives you practical tools to change it from the inside-out, and provides steps to keep your new culture aligned with your church’s mission. Real transformation is not about working harder at what you’re already doing or even copying another church’s approach but about changing church culture at a foundational level.
**FEATURED CONFERENCES**
LAUNCHING A PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH CONFERENCE
July 26 – 27, 2005 * Ocala, Florida
JOURNEY LEADERSHIP SEMINARS
June 30, 2005 * New York City
- Developing a Successful Strategy (9am – Noon)
- Building A Church of Small Groups (1:30pm – 4:00pm)
Led by Nelson Searcy and the Pastors of The Journey, NYC For more information, visit: http://www.epicteam.org/seminars
**FEATURED CHURCH SITE**
Bay Area Fellowship, Corpus Christi, TX
http://www.bayareafellowship.com
Church Leader Insights is a bi-weekly publication sent via email that focuses on effective leadership, church growth, church planting evangelism and much more.
