1. Help the church establish an ongoing evangelism cycle.
Central to the Empowered Church program is the development of an ongoing evangelism cycle. When we compare the evangelism cycle to the harvest cycle, we see a number of important parallels. Both cycles consist of specific phases that must be followed if a successful harvest is to be expected. These phases can be divided into the following:
- Personal preparation (church assessment and revival)
- Planting seeds (literature distribution, Bible studies, and small groups)
- Cultivating for harvest (short bridge events and seminars)
- Harvesting (the public evangelistic series)
- Preserving the harvest (discipleship of new believers)
- Repeating the cycle (remember, the seed is in the harvest)
The Empowered Church program will lead the church through each phase of the evangelism cycle, step-by-step, enabling your church to maximize its evangelistic potential.
2. Involve every department of the church in evangelism.
In order for evangelism to be successful, every department of the church must work together in leading people through the different phases of the evangelism cycle. In many churches, departments work independently, which can weaken the church's overall evangelistic effectiveness. The Empowered Church program focuses each department on a specific phase of the evangelism cycle, enabling the church as a whole to work toward a common goal.
3. Involve as many members as possible in evangelism.
Not everyone can preach, teach, or knock on doors, yet there is still a very important place for every church member in the Lord's work. The Empowered Church program provides the training, resources, and opportunity for every member to be involved in soul-winning.
4. Ignite revival and spiritual renewal in the church.
When Jesus ascended, He commanded His disciples to take the gospel to the world. The task was enormous, and the obstacles were great. The disciples recognized that they could never accomplish in their own strength what Christ asked them to do. As they gathered in the upper room and earnestly prayed for divine aid to do the work of saving souls, the Holy Spirit was poured out with power.
So it is today. When the church unites for the purpose of reaching the lost and seeks God in prayer, the Holy Spirit will come to that church with power.
5. Encourage the nurturing and discipleship of all believers.
Every person needs time to grow spiritually. Baptism is only the beginning in the experience of a newly converted person. In order for new believers to grow into the “full stature of Christ,” they need support, encouragement, and nurturing from fellow church members. Yet not only should the church be concerned about the spiritual growth of new believers, it also needs to be concerned about the continuing spiritual growth among its existing members.
Nurturing and discipleship of all of the members of the church is essential. The Empowered Church program emphasizes, organizes, and trains the church to be an effective environment for the nurturing and discipleship of all believers.