“Good to Great” and Missions

Our executive staff at EvanTell has been reviewing “Good to Great”, a book by Jim Collins that analyzes 11 average businesses that suddenly experienced explosive growth that was sustained over a 15 year period. The purpose of the book is to summarize what these companies had in common that led to such a dramatic turnaround.

One of the common reasons for the success of these companies is what Collins refers to as “level 5 leadership.” We normally think of great leaders as being highly charismatic, able to lead by the sheer force of their charismatic personality and persuasive skills. However, Collins points out that in most of the companies that experienced sustained growth, this was not the case.

Here is a list of some of the traits of a “level 5” leader:

• Embody a paradoxical mix of personal humility and professional will.
• Ambitious, but first and foremost for the company and not for themselves.
• Display a compelling modesty, are self-effacing and understated.
• Resolved to do whatever it takes to make the company great, no matter how big or hard the decisions.
• Reflect a workmanlike diligence—more plow horse than show horse.
• Unwavering, doing what must be done for the sake of the company, even in the face of enormous obstacles and opposition.

It occurred to me that these same traits and work habits of level 5 business leaders are the same ones displayed by many of the great leaders in missions throughout history. Mission leaders such as William Carey and Hudson Taylor were in fact “level 5” leaders and these characteristics were part of the reason for the tremendous impact of their endeavors.

All truth is God’s truth. Many of the principles listed above are Biblical in nature and apply both in the worlds of both business and ministry. In the next few posts, we will more closely examine this correlation.

Testimony: Duane Wessels

Duane Wessels, a You Can Tell It! master instructor for EvanTell, recently traveled to Nigeria and Ghana to equip ministry leaders to train their fellow believers in personal evangelism.

“The benefit of what God is doing is already evident. Church leaders are being re-energized to reach more and more unbelievers, not just fellow Christians. EvanTell’s new resources for children are enthusiastically received by the leadership. The demand is great. Thanks for your prayers.”

Dealing with People Who Have Been Turned Off by Christians

How do you reach people who have been turned off by Christians? What do you say to people you want to see come to the Savior who is so good when they have seen Christians who, in their opinion, are so bad? In this episode of the Evangelism Encouragement Podcast, host Mark Rae talks with Dr. Larry Moyer as they consider some of the reasons non-Christians give as to why they have been turned off by Christians. 

Guest Blogger: AJ Rinaldi on Worship

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting a church in a small community in Texas as part of a project I was working on for EvanTell. This is a rare opportunity because of my family’s involvement in our own church in our own small corner of the Dallas area.

So what? People visit churches every Sunday across the country-nothing remarkable about that, right? Well, that’s my point—there are so many churches across the country in small (or maybe not-so-small) communities that we don’t hear of everyday, we tend to forget that great ministry happens everywhere! What comes to mind when you think of a small church in a small town? One thing I always have to remind myself of is that talent and giftedness is not unique to the “Mega-church” crowd.

Now, I do not attend a “Mega-church”, in fact, comparably our church is modest in size, so I do not judge by attendance numbers or budget—or do I? It’s easy, isn’t it, for us to assume that smaller churches in out of the way places are probably doing the “best they can” with what they have; creatively speaking? I was reminded this past weekend how foolish that assumption is. What a great band! The instrumentalists were highly competent in their art and did a very effective job in leading the congregation to worship.

Occasionally I experience churches that have exorbitant budgets allowing for the hiring of multiple staff members to fill every conceivable position within the worship staff. From musicians to technicians and all points of leadership, these folks are employed and given all kinds of time (not to mention equipment, money, etc.) to prepare for the Sunday (or Friday or Saturday) service each week. What a contrast to those on a more modest budget who have to work with volunteers and squeeze in hours late at night or whenever they can.

I am not suggesting that either is wrong. If they are truly using the resources God has blessed them with as wise stewards then there is no problem at all. What I am suggesting is that you don’t necessarily need to look outside of your own congregation and hire “artistic talent”. Often these roles can be filled by volunteers who can contribute significantly to the quality of worship that your church brings before God! He has placed amazing talent in every corner—just look around!

Dr. Haddon W. Robinson on Relationships with Non-Christians

It has been said that it does not take new believers very long to distance themselves from their non-Christian friends and neighbors after their salvation experience. What a tremendous witnessing opportunity he or she is missing as a result of the misguided influence of self-righteous Christians. Are we supposed to be “set apart” and pursue holiness to the extreme that we miss the opportunity to tell of the same grace by which we were saved? No! By all means, convince a new believer that they are a missionary to those in their lives that are lost. Encourage them to take the Good News of their salvation to their friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Remind them to “make the most of every opportunity” (Col. 4:5). Realize that a new believer is instantly qualified for evangelism. He can share his testimony of the trust he is placing in Christ for his salvation. Or he can tell of the security he has of knowing that he will spend eternity in heaven.

Relationships with non-Christians should be maintained regardless of the amount of effort it may take. According to Dr. Haddon W. Robinson:

“Making a place in your life for non-Christian neighbors demands effort, thought, and at times risk. Bridges are harder to construct than walls. But that doesn’t alter this reality: Outsiders to faith are first drawn to Christians and then to Christ. Unfortunately, not all Christians attract. Like a turned magnet, some repel. Yet Christians, alive to God, loving, caring, laughing, sharing, involved at the point of people’s needs, present an undeniable witness for Christ in their society” (from the foreword of Aldrich’s “Lifestyle Evangelism”).

God may use your relationship with that person to draw your friend to Himself. God may use you to share the gospel with your friend. If He did provide that opportunity, would you be prepared? If not, visit Evangelism.net and EvanTell.org for resources and training to help you overcome any obstacles that would render you ineffective if an opportunity to share the gospel comes your way.

Begin and Close a Conversation about Christ

In this episode of the Evangelism Encouragement Podcast, host Mark Rae talks with Dr. Larry Moyer about beginning and closing a conversation about Christ. This conversation on personal evangelism will encourage believers to remember a few basic concepts that can make sharing the gospel inviting instead of intimidating.

Advanced Screening of Expelled (the Movie)

I have seen an advanced screening of the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, and it is amazing!!! Every thinking person must see this movie! Not only is the information very compelling, but the way in which it is presented is engaging and keeps you interested. It is no secret that documentaries can be either boring - or - largely fictitious and contrived (as is the case with one very well-known “documentarian”); however, neither is the case with Expelled.

I am pleased to be able to reprint this article about the upcoming movie written by one of our great friends; Dr. Ray Bohlin - the President of Probe Ministries.

Editor’s (Probe) Note: In the land of the free, who would dream of well-reputed scholars—even tenured ones—being expelled from their own institutions? But those who dare to even cite evidence contrary to Darwinian evolution (www.redeeemingdarwin.com) are often pilloried, even terminated. A new documentary, featuring actor, lawyer, economist, former presidential speechwriter and author Ben Stein, blows the whistle on this travesty of academic and scientific freedom…

Most Christians would admit to feeling persecuted in one way or another. We may quickly add that, of course, it’s not like being thrown to the lions like the early Christians. But we see the culture undergoing decay and we perceive our perspective on ethical issues being marginalized. Occasionally we hear of people being harassed in their jobs for being a Christian.

But most of us would expect that in certain spheres of society, such viewpoint bias is quickly admonished and freedom is protected. Our universities are paragons of something called academic freedom. University professors need to be free to express themselves about wherever their research and thinking has led them.American society prides itself in allowing such ideals as freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and even religious freedom. That is a part of what has made our country a refuge for many over the centuries.

In the academic community this is even more highly prized because research is about discovering new ideas and testing them. Researchers need a generous amount of freedom to see where their ideas may lead without being restricted just because a department head doesn’t like their idea.

We tolerate even objectionable ideas like Communism in our universities precisely because it is in hearing all viewpoints that students can best discern the truth. Having been educated as a graduate student in biology departments in two different universities, I can tell you firsthand that not everybody gets along and there are frequent disagreements, both privately and publicly.

But this is seen as necessary because that is how we learn. Ideas need competition. That is how truth is pursued in our human context. During my time in the 70s and 80s as a biology graduate student I was even able to be free about my faith and my doubts about Darwin.

Such freedom is not available today. If a friendly professor learns of your doubts about St. Darwin, he or she will likely tell you to keep it to yourself if you want to graduate.

But what about professors and highly published researchers? Surely they are given a little more latitude? Guess again. Coming [April 18] to a theater near you is an explosive film… Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed starring Ben Stein which chronicles the persecution of highly trained and published scientists simply for doubting or denying Darwin.

A double Ph.D. in biology and evolution was locked out of his offices and all of his research privileges were denied. He was eventually terminated. When a U.S. Senator began asking questions, he was told it was all a mistake. Eventually, his superiors said he was making it up. When an official report came out documenting the abuse, they admitted it but claimed he deserved it.

A highly lauded university biology instructor was demoted and fired for simply including evidence contrary to Darwinism as well as evidence for it. She was told she was teaching creationism even though her lecture outlines were freely available online and the words Creator, Designer, or Higher Power never left her lips. Even the lawyer who volunteered to freely pursue a lawsuit was pressured to drop it.

A highly successful and well-published astronomer has been denied tenure even though he has published over four times the necessary peer-reviewed articles. The reason? He is open and receptive to the theory of Intelligent Design even though it has never been introduced into his courses.

Some are still fighting, some have taken early retirement. Some are blacklisted and can’t find a job. Clearly, some ideas are more tolerated than others.

Got your attention? This is really just the tip of the iceberg of these and other stories this film will explore. Plan now to attend when Expelled hits…

Stay Tuned!

For other great articles on this topic please visit www.redeemingdarwin.com

What is Redeeming the Culture?

The concept of Redeeming the Culture was born out of the relationship between the parachurch organizations EvanTell, Inc. and Probe Ministries. In 2006, when it was announced that Dan Brown’s novel The DaVinci Code was to be made into a movie starring Tom Hanks, believers everywhere were mobilized as a response to the controversy over how the history of Jesus and the Church was being misrepresented. One of the most excellent resources to address the issue was a study produced jointly by the two ministries. It was entitled Redeeming The DaVinci Code and it addressed the topic in a unique way with great impact.

Probe Ministries, under the leadership of Kirby Anderson, wrote and produced a study on the historicity of Jesus and the ecclesiastical development that followed His resurrection. Sharp contrasts were drawn that distinguished the historical truth from the fiction that had been written by Dan Brown. It was a terrific apologetic resource done with objectivity, thorough scholarship, and production excellence.

Recognizing that knowledge in and of itself without application is a fairly useless commodity, Probe partnered with the evangelistic organization EvanTell and their founder, Dr. Larry Moyer, to take the study to another level. The second part of the program was an equally thorough and excellent treatment of the subject from a different perspective. Rather than a historical, critical, apologetic defense, EvanTell’s piece provided sound Biblical and practical instruction for the Christian who sought to take the knowledge gained from the truth of the apologetic study and better understand how to share the gospel of Christ when engaged in conversation about the book and/or movie.

The unique thing about this particular endeavor was the approach that Probe and EvanTell took. Rather than attacking the people who enjoyed the book and the movie, the idea was to equip believers to respond—not react, when challenged about their faith. The overriding philosophy was and is one of “attract, don’t attack”. From this concept the overarching theme of “Redeeming the Culture” was born.

Redeeming the Culture is not about affecting change through social programs, governance or radical activity. Rather, it is a desire to see individuals exercise leadership within their own sphere of influence to change hearts and minds one at a time…

Evangelism Encouragement with Mark Rae

In this episode of the Evangelism Encouragement Podcast, host Mark Rae sits down with his good friend Daniel LaBry to discuss the state of evangelism in the church today and what EvanTell is doing to encourage and equip believers around the world to share the good news of Jesus Christ.