Best Methods For Outreach/Church Growth

We preach the Gospel to people we engage while we aren't at church. The church is for the edification of the saints. We should, and are, preaching the Gospel to those we meet in the world everyday.

 

I'm asking for how that works. What does it look like. How do you "preach the gospel to people we engage while we aren't at church?" Do you just set up a soap box and let fly? Do you engage them around the lunch table? Do you preach in the park? You are DOING something that you define as "preach the gospel" and I'm trying to draw out of you what that is.

 

We have many members at our church and I'm sure they all utilize different methods.

 

May I have some clarification on this please? I agree, and our church does so.

What I'm trying to figure out is why you disagree on using the church building for these other ministries. You're saying saying that the ministries in my church, such as the grief meeting recently started and held on a weekday, or women getting together to exercise together on a Tuesday or if a group of elderly members are getting together to read and have lunch on a Thursday.

Why is it wrong? These things are done to help people who need it and to build relationships between members, making for a stronger, closer-knit church community.

Why should there be this major separation between Christians in a church building or outside of a church building? Shouldn't it all blend together in a believer's life? What's the point of separating it out? Shouldn't the Christian life encompass every single aspect of life?

I know some people get very serious about what should happen in a church and make the building itself a place that is used solely for a preacher standing up and preaching and people sitting there listening and on other days it just sits there quietly waiting until the next service. Is that what you're getting at? If so, why?

I don't want to argue it, I just want to understand your viewpoint on why church's shouldn't have the ministries I mentioned.

 

I never said that there wasn't a place for these types of ministries. My complaint was that the article was about how to grow a church and not once did preaching the Gospel to the lost come into play. If a church is worried all these ministries and not worried about preaching the Gospel, then somethings wrong. The article you cited describes ways to grow a social center, not a church.

 

Thank you. I can understand why you're upset now.

I have one more thing to ask everyone who didn't like what I wrote and I hope you'll answer by a pm or email so as not to derail this thread. That question is this: Since this wasn't the first and won't be the last time I write on this topic for someone, how would you like to see it approached? What would be a better approach? Please don't answer that I should have only said one sentence. I don't get paid for one sentence answers. Well actually I do sometimes! HA! But not on those ones.