Introduction
One of the greatest needs in the church today is for members to do more in reaching the lost. As this book shows, to be evangelistic a congregation must utilize a wide range of methods to reach out to its community, and in this work, there is a place for everyone. Through this class, you can help prepare those you teach to engage in many different aspects of evangelism.
Be sure to keep this class practical. Give time for class members to share what they are doing in outreach. Reports from those who are practicing evangelism will encourage others to be doing it.
The teacher will need a copy of my book called Evangelizing Your Community, available from 21st Century Christian. (Call 1-800-251-2477.) If each student has a copy of the book, they can read the assigned chapter in advance which will allow you to spend more of your class time in emphasizing practical applications and letting the class tell you more of what they have done to put the suggestions into practice. You will have to decide which method will work best in your situation. Please note the objectives listed for each of the individual class sessions, and be sure these objectives guide you as you teach that class period. Also be sure that the class involves students through lots of questions and answers, give and take, and reports from students. For this class to be successful in reaching the overall goal of more people actually doing evangelism, students need a high level of involvement in the class sessions.
Your final goal is to see a significant number from your congregation engaging in more evangelistic activities over a long period of time. So, in this class you want to get people started in evangelism in the hope they will continue in this effort even when the class is over. Keep this ultimate goal before your class as you teach. Your congregation should be planning ways to keep the good intentions which members of your class develop moving forward.
--Stafford North January 10, 2010
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