Mr. Nebel began by coining the phrase “evangelism entropy.” The laws of science teach us that entropy (disorder) tends to increase. While a church planter might start out with an organized approach to outreach/evangelism, entropy can quickly take over if he is not vigilant.
Individually: The Church Planter as Evangelist
Nebel noted that a church planter is a joiner. Whereas a pastor who accepts a call at an established church enters into a pre-established relational network (e.g., lay elders, perhaps other staff pastors, perhaps a diaconate, etc.), a church planter is (first of all) a missionary to his community. He needs to develop a relational network. Consequently, he should be joining organizations: school boards, rotary clubs, tennis leagues. All these sorts of vehicles represent opportunities for him to develop his connections, enhance his credibility, and put himself in a position to be used of God to reach sinners for Christ.
Nebel then introduced his main principle:
Main Principle: Have people of influence think and say good things about you and your church
This legitimizes your ministry. (Note that a good reputation with outsiders is an explicit requirement of elders. But Nebel is talking about something more intentional – going after the leaders in the community.)
Mayor, police chief, journalists, real estate agents, even local tavern owners. These folk will get you in the path of more folk–the more people in your network, the more likelihood that someone you know will have some life issue arise that prompts them to attend a new church, or to call you.
Mr. Nebel mentioned a particular man in the Associate Reformed denomination who is a very eager “joiner” (a Kimmons – sp?). One habit of this man is to keep his weekly Thursday lunch open in order to have a member of his congregation introduce him to some new person in the community.
Nebel confessed with regret that when he was planting a church in a small town in Wisconsin, he never met the most powerful landlord who owned almost all the rental properties. He exhorted the men:
You must keep on working on evangelism/outreach, otherwise you will stop.
Four “Drop In” Principles
1. Be a learner and ask for advice.
(Particularly from the very influential people in the town. “Hey, I’m new in town, I’m planting a church, I know you are an influential member of the community, I’d love to get some advice.” Normally these sort of individuals will allow you to do a “drop-by.”)
2. When doing a drop by, don’t go away empty handed: ask who else you should meet.
3. Never close doors: ask permission to drop in again.
4. Give them your card and say, “If you ever need me, call me.”
The reality is, you never know when your new friend might experience some personal tragedy. With regard to your business card, you want it to be graphically attractive and to have all your contact info, including your website. If you are in a bi-lingual community, you should have it in both languages.
(Editorial note: One church planter I knew presented the gospel in four brief points on the back of his business card. I found it quite distinctive.)
Four Questions
1. How many drop-ins can you do each week?
If you did two a week, that would be 100 influencers a year. Or it could be one new appointment a week, and one time circling back to refresh a previous connection. Two drop-ins per week really should be a minimum.
2. Who will encourage you and hold you accountable?
Learning this lesson is of no value to you if you do not put it into practice.
3. How will you track this?
Some sort of organizer (e.g., Palm Pilot, etc.).
4. When will you begin?
Nebel says the rule is this: If your church is stagnant, you need to spend 50% of your time doing outreach. (I guess the same would apply if your church is new. Actually, Nebel says the planter should always be doing outreach, no matter the size of the church.)
He had the attendees brainstorm as many types of people in life transitions as you can think of. What kind of ministries can we develop to capitalize on these transitions? Those undergoing a divorce, those recently divorced, those about to get married, newly married, those who have recently undergone the death of a loved one, those who recently had a new baby, or who have recently become empty nesters, immigrants arriving, job change/promotion/lay-off, newcomers to the community, addiction recovery, immediately getting out of jail, soldiers returning.
Nebel exhorted: You’ve got to meet the funeral directors in your city! They are often looking for pastors to pinch-hit, and that’s a great way to meet people going through a crisis (and be able to communicate the gospel to them).
One gentleman planting a church shared how he was the voluntary chaplain for the police department.
Corporately: A Culture of Evangelism in the New Church
1. Fuel prayer throughout the congregation
2. Think about natural life transitions, and capitalizing on them in various ways (pre-marital classes, addiction recovery, etc.)
3. Do special Sundays (e.g., Easter, Christmas, Mother’s Day)
Seasonal Considerations
Nebel noted that at certain times of the year, the planter needs to be thinking particularly in terms of outreach.
1. Church attendance tends to follow a three-hump camel. April, September and December tend to be peak times. Good times for outreach. The other times of the year are good for consolidation.
2. Grade your Sundays as “A,B,C, or D,” depending on how many will be there. (The Sunday after Thanksgiving is probably a D Sunday.)
3. Consider a “draw” element (a personality, celebrity, etc.) The smaller the community the bigger the “star” looks.
4. Use giveaways to capitalize on follow-up.
5. Initiate a new series on an A Sunday. (That keeps newer people motivated to keep coming to hear more.)
6. If you need topic ideas for the “peak” (A) Sundays, think about God’s love, power, and forgiveness. Those are always biggies on people’s minds (Christians and non-Christians alike).