Signs of the Times- WiFi and Multi-Site Churches

On my about page I mention that my favorite item on the menu at Starbucks is WiFi, technology that gives you wireless access to the internet while you sip your coffee. In the last eight years or more churches have been adding coffee shops to their church atrium. The new thing now is to add wireless internet access and comfortable chairs and sofas. But even more valuable than WiFi is churches that are using satellite broadcasting to expand their church to multiple locations.

It is being called the “Multi-Site Revolution“. Many of the most successful churches have become too large to have any real connection among the congregation. Many of these churches are successful because they have found a niche, a ministry to a particular demographic that facilitates church growth. What many churches are doing is building new churches in different areas of their metropolitan areas to reach different communities. What is interesting is the fact that many of these churches are doing a satellite broadcast that is being shown live at the multiple locations. The pastor will preach at the main campus and there are community pastors and a worship band that handle announcements and lead worship live at the multi-sites of the church.

One church that has implemented this successfully is Ed Young and Fellowship Church. The main campus is in Grapevine, Texas and they now have additional sites in Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, and even Miami. They have over 40,000 people in attendance every week at the multiple locations. The congregation is content to watch Ed Young on a big screen live from Grapevine or sometimes one of the other locations. Other churches that are doing this are Saddleback, Northpoint, and Willow Creek.

Saddleback saw over 100 people trust Christ on the first weekend at their new sites. Each campus creates buzz and the unchurched and often unbelievers check the church out and hear the gospel presented and trust Christ. Saddleback’s vision is to have 10 sites by 2010. The thing I like about the multi-site church movement is that it focuses on people and not new buildings. Because most of these sites start small, it is not about a building campaign, it is about inviting people to something that members and regular attenders are truly excited about. It forces the congregation to be outward-focused and community-minded.

Make it all about the people and the gospel - no strings attached. How? Look for opportunities to share the clear and simple gospel message motivated by grace and love, not guilt. When we go about the great commission in context of living the great commandment then we have effectively removed any strings that are attached. Take the next exit - Go wireless!

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. 

Mark Batterson on Evangelism

Pastor, author, and blogger Mark Batterson wrote briefly on his blog today about his personal and corporate perspectives on evangelism. First of all personally - he authentically shares:

“To be perfectly honest, over the last several months, the Lord has really convicted me about my lack of urgency…And it’s not about sharing our faith out of guilt. It’s about being so excited about who God is and what God has done that I can’t not talk about it.” (read more)

I love his passion. I have been given numerous opportunities lately to share what I believe about evangelism both in witnessing and in casual conversation. I think the biggest thing that Batterson points out is something that we teach in our evangelism training at EvanTell…that we should share the gospel out of grace and not guilt. Guilt has so often been associated with evangelism that it has given evangelism a fearful, negative connotation. I pray that outlook is overcome. That is my dream for the church.

Batterson closes explaining his dream for the church:
“Can I share a dream? I’ve always dreamed of being part of a church that was experiencing the reality of Acts 2:47. It says people were added daily. Don’t you want to be part of a church that is experiencing life changing transformation on a daily basis?”

Just like I do - he desires to see a church with Acts 2 Church DNA.

Are Christians at Risk of Becoming An Endangered Species?

What does the future hold for the existence of Christianity in the United States? That’s an interesting question, isn’t it? I think it’s often shrugged off because, after all, we live in a Christian nation, right? Can you imagine a day when a Christian could lose his or her job because of their faith; not that they proclaimed it in the workplace or even in the public schools; but outside of the institution—in their private life?! Imagine no more—the day is here. In fact, it wasn’t even the individual who was “accused” of sharing their faith that was fired—it was guilt by association! Read the story here.

I Am Beginning to Understand What “Post-Christian” Culture Means

Now I do not want to get bogged down in politics—believe me, it would be easy as I am a very politically-minded person. Nevertheless, we should be aware of what is happening in other communities as a foreshadowing of where we could be headed. Consider our European brothers and sisters in the UK. Recently, the Archbishop of Canterbury conceded that the UK will eventually have to consider incorporating elements of Sharia law into the public law. That’s an extreme step for a free European nation—and one we should watch closely. If we lose our moral compass— as some claim has happened in the UK— as a result of the weakening of Christianity, then that vacuum may very well be filled with ideologies that will create an oppressive state of affairs for believers in the US. We should all be asking and observing how far other religious extremists will go to replace Christian thought in the public sector.

We have been blessed with a freedom in this country that millions of Christians around the world do not have. Our plight is nowhere near the real persecution occurring every day around the world. However, Islam is spreading and with it, a subtle, sinister pressure on Christians to be ‘tolerant’—which is a nice way of saying we need to change and adapt to the beliefs of Muslims.

So, to back up and avoid sounding paranoid—what’s the point? Muslims are passionate. They pursue their religion and the attempt to convert others with extreme fanaticism. This is no secret, no great revelation or offensive posturing—it is simply the truth. How about believers in Christ? Ours is the message of hope for eternity and compassion for today. Are we living and communicating the message with these two things in mind? If indeed a moral vacuum exists—are we contributing to it? Like it or not, we are influencers. Compassion and tolerance are not synonymous terms—sometimes being compassionate means sharing a message that is offensive. Although we may not (but you might) have the ability to affect society in big chunks, each of us has a small sphere of personal influence. If you really want to make eternal impact on this culture for tomorrow, work with a passion for Christ and His message within your sphere today.

Reference the Gospel During the Reading of Scripture

It can even be done the way one introduces a paragraph of the Scriptures he’s about to explain. For example, suppose one were speaking from 1 Corinthians. It would be most natural and effective to say:

“I enjoy speaking from the book of 1 Corinthians because the person God used to write this portion of Scripture was a man named Paul who, prior to coming to know Christ, called himself a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violently arrogant man. He had every reason to think, I am too big a sinner for God to save. But he recognized that on the cross Christ did not die for some people, He died for everybody. Because He paid the price for our sins by dying in our place and rising again, God can now extend the free gift of eternal life to anyone who will simply put their trust in Christ. So if you think you are too big a sinner for God to save, rest assured that as we study this paragraph in 1 Corinthians, that is most certainly not true.”

Have someone else read the passage of Scripture. Represent every generation in those that read the Scripture and coach them on referencing the gospel during the reading of Scripture. It is a very effective way to share the gospel.

Share the Gospel Through the Conclusion of Your Message

A conclusion of a message has to appeal for action. God wants everyone there to act upon what has been said. Suppose you have been preaching on John 13:1-17 where Christ washed the feet of the disciples. That has absolutely nothing to do with how to get to heaven, does it? But what would be more appropriate than at the end of the message to encourage believers that a mark of greatness in God’s eyes is not how many servants you have but how many people you serve?

Then in a most effective way you can say to lost people in the audience, “My message this morning has been to believers. But maybe you are here today and you do not know for sure if you were to die you’d go to heaven. Before you think about how you can serve the Lord, may I encourage you to think of how the Lord has served you? Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, died on a cross to take the punishment for your sins and rose again the third day. Because the price for sin has been paid, you can receive eternal life as a free gift. If you have not received that free gift, I would love to talk with you and help you arrive at that point where you know beyond the shadow of any doubt that if you were to die, you’d go to heaven. But do not even think about you can do for Him until you have first received what He has done for you.” Now that is a powerful message!

You are Not the Only One Who Can Share

Someone else who can appeal to lost people is a person who gives a five to seven minute testimony. Why not on a fairly regular basis have people from your congregation give a testimony that clearly presents the gospel? That time is critical so it’s important to have them to write it out, allow you to read it, make any suggestions and then re-write it prior to giving it. Through a clear testimony, the lost person can understand how he, too, can come to know the Savior.

Variety is often called the spice of life. It also is the spice of evangelism. When one uses varied ways to appeal to non-Christians in a non-evangelistic setting he ends up making an eternal difference in the lives of those who don’t know Christ.

What is Boldness in Evangelism?

Many Christians have asked, “How can I get rid of my fear in evangelism? What do you have to do to stop being afraid?” The New Testament responds to the problem of fear by talking about boldness. For example, when the prominent men of Jerusalem “saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled” (Acts 4:13). When contemplating our need to be bold as Peter and John were, we must first define boldness in this context.

Boldness in evangelism is the courage to speak with freedom, plainness, and confidence about the Lord. This side of heaven, we will likely never escape moments of fear. But God has an abundant supply of boldness for those who ask for it. As God answers those requests, we need to reflect on the truth of our message and develop a concern for those who need to hear. As we then obey Him instead of our fears, we will find ourselves speaking up in situations where previously we may have been silent. He gives the courage that enables us to speak with freedom, plainness, and confidence about the Lord.

As one experiences boldness as it is stressed in Scripture, it then becomes obvious that boldness in evangelism is related to our walk with the Lord, confidence in the Gospel, and concern for the lost. When these areas are as they should be, fear is often present, but so is the boldness needed to overcome it. As much as we might like to separate the spiritual life from evangelism, we cannot do so. The more intimate we are with the Lord, the bolder we will be in evangelism.

Verhoeven Claims Jesus Was Son of Mary and Roman Baptist

We interrupt our normally scheduled programming for a brief announcement: HERE WE GO AGAIN…not just another wild sci-fi fantasy or provocative thriller from Verhoeven (Total Recall, Robocop, Starship Troopers, Basic Instinct) but another wild claim about Jesus which could very well be a sci-fi fantasy or provocative work of fiction…

In terms of the historical method of criticism, very few texts can hold up as well as the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The quality of manuscripts, location identified in relation to the events, and the date of authorship relative to the date of the happenings are more closely linked in the case of the New Testament texts than even accounts of Alexander the Great (considered to be unquestionable history).

So, why do works keep popping up that question the historical authenticity of the gospel accounts? It’s all about worldview—without Christ, there is no accountability to His call. Paul sums it up best in 2 Corinthians 4:3-5.

One thing that I find perplexing, that never seems to be questioned in these stories: Why do supposedly scholarly people talk about “proving” or “disproving” some historical event “scientifically”? History is not a chemical reaction or physical property that can be repeated in a lab. The best way to be critical of history is not by using the scientific method, but rather the historical method. When done properly, the bible is without a doubt one of the most reliable and provable resources of true historical fact that anyone can turn to.

For more reading on the subject, I highly recommend these two resources:

Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell

The Case for the Real Jesus by Lee Strobel

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.

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