Even if you're bad at it

Recently, the Texas Baptists' Missions team went through some missional coach training, which we are ready to do with mission leaders and pastors in Texas. One thing I learned through this training (something I knew as a pastor, but was never able to put words to), our trainer Dr. Bob Logan said if pastors will engage in a missional evangelistic lifestyle, church members will then follow in the kind of lifestyle.

What he said next is what really got me: The level of effectiveness of a pastor, doing this kind of work, really does not matter. What matters is that they are doing it. Even if you believe you are "bad" at evangelism, the fact you are doing it makes a huge difference.

It is an unspoken obvious reality that church members will typically have more effectiveness in evangelism since they are with the unchurched more. However, it is also important that pastors, church staff and church leaders take the lead in doing that. I have observed this in pastors when they start telling people about Jesus, inviting people to church, serving in their communities, and a variety of other activities that share the love of Christ both in word and deed, their churches start growing.

Second, people in their church start following their pastor's lead, and then the church grows more. I was talking to a pastor recently who told me the busyness of his church was keeping him from knowing lost people. Now this pastor was not bemoaning this fact, instead he has decided every Wednesday night this summer, he is going to take his family and lead his church into the park to cook hot dogs and meet people who need Jesus.

I talked to another pastor recently whose church has gone from about 30 in attendance to about 70 in attendance. I asked him, how did you all do that, he said, "Everywhere I go I drop cards about the church." You know his people are probably now doing the same thing.

Set an example, do something, get out there, God will bless the effort.