Fields Are White for Harvest

March 29, 2017 by Leave a Comment

 

English Teacher Leads Client to Salvation

English Teacher Leads Client to Salvation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pubisher’s note: When Jesus announced, “The fields are white for harvest,” (John 4:35), He was giving an oft-overlooked secret for effective evangelism.  Chicken evangelism means “share Christ before you chicken out.” Shelly Stalker is a good example of one who shares faith early in a relationship. 

Shelly’s Story

I recently returned from Oaxaca, Mexico, where I taught English classes for the last 3 years. After settling in Tucson, I started advertising that I was willing to teach conversational English.

Our First Meeting

One Hispanic man met with me about the classes. We will call his name Juan.We conversed and he asked about why I had been in Oaxaca. After I explained that I had been there as a missionary, Juan asked me if I was Christian. I said, “Yes!” Then I responded, “Are you a Christian?” To which he replied “No, I am Catholic.” I asked Juan if he understood the difference and he answered, “No.”

After that, I gave a pretty detailed explanation of grace and how Jesus came to give it to us as a gift and that we can not possibly earn it. We then moved on to other conversation and made an appointment to begin classes the next week on Sunday evening.

Our Second Meeting

The next Sunday evening, we got together and and it wasn’t long before Juan started asking me questions about my faith. He told me his sister was a Christian and that she was different than the rest of the family. I then explained that God wants to have a personal relationship with each of us and that He is my best friend. I talk to God about everything and ask Him for help or guidance throughout my day.

Juan asked me about why there are so many bad things happening in our world if God is really God. I said, there are many bad things that happen in this world, but there are many good things also. God is good and He wants the best for us, but we must make a choice to allow Him to help us. We must make a choice to serve Him and love Him. He is there to help when things go bad, if we are willing to listen and be obedient. It isn’t always easy, but I have joy and peace throughout it all because of Him.

Chicken Evangelism in Action

We sat for a few moments until I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to push a little and ask him the all-important question. So I asked, “Would you like to receive Jesus as your Savior and have Him come into your heart?” Juan said,”Yes!”

So, I led him in a simple prayer asking forgiveness of sins and for Jesus to come into his heart to live and help him. He repeated the prayer after me. The smile afterwards said that peace had now come into Juan’s heart!

Then we began our English lesson!

Filed Under: Chicken Evangelism, Ministry

Demonized Man Speaks “Jesus!”

March 21, 2017 by 2 Comments
Demonized Man Speaks "Jesus!"

Demonized Man Speaks “Jesus!”

Demonized Man Speaks “Jesus!”

A demonized man came and sat down at the table beyond us. He was young, cropped with black hair, and dark in complexion. In fact, darkness seemed the aura around him. With face contorted, he appeared angry and slightly unkempt. He walked uprightly supported by a cane. An older man, who we later learned was his father, accompanied the demonized man.

Before the Demonized Man Entered the Restaurant

We were seated at a table in an open door restaurant in Bernal, Mexico. My wife and I, along with our friends, Lino and Cathy Padilla, were enjoying a meal and catching up on the news when the man and his father appeared. Something tugged on my mind to go over and pray for this man. As I continued to discreetly observe his dark demeanor, I became increasingly convinced he was oppressed by demons.

Being rather quiet and reserved by nature, I resisted the impulse to minister with the fellow. We kept visiting with our friends, but the prompting to pray with the demonized man didn’t leave.

I was Scared

To say I was scared is accurate. It is not my nature do do what I kept thinking God wanted me to do. Further, I didn’t know what would happen. Hesitation prevailed, and that was OK with me. At least for a while. But the Holy Spirit is relentless . . . .

The Tipping Point

Our meal was over. I knew I had to go one way or the other: Get up and get out — or get up and go over and talk with the demonized man. The tipping point came when I realized our friend Lino was a native-born Spanish-speaker. He is also a gifted evangelist who may have even seen someone rise from the dead as he prayed for a girl on a street. With Lino around, I decided to go for it.

What Happened as We Began to Pray for the Demonized Man

“May we pray with you?” (That’s a common question for Chicken Evangelists.) I addressed him, more as an announcement than a question. He looked startled, but something in his response suggested openness. We immediately began to proclaim the blood of Jesus over the demonized man.

The War

Some might say, “All hell broke loose.” I prefer to say, “All heaven broke loose!”  I was loud. The neighboring tables emptied quickly. We said to the man, “Say, ‘Jesus!’” The demonized man began to say “Jesus!” as best he could. The young man contorted his mouth and began to try with utmost effort to speak. His one word sounded like, “Jash-sus.” But he was smiling, shouting this one word loudly with mighty effort.

What Happened with the Man?

I don’t altogether know what actually happened with the young man. Was he  delivered in total or in part?  I’m not sure. He spoke only the one word — the name of Jesus. What I do know is a major change took place. He became jubilant! He was happy and excited!

God was glorified in at least 3 ways. I obeyed God. The man became grateful and exuberantly joyful. God chased away a demon.  Moreover, the young man spoke “Jesus!”

I wish we could follow up on this young man. There’s more, but he had made a start. Better, God had made a start.

Why talk with strangers? Why practice chicken evangelism? Because Jesus did. As a matter of fact, nearly all of Jesus’ outreach was with strangers. Check it out. How many times can you think of where Jesus evangelized His friends? Christ is in us, and we’re in Him. By His grace (and it takes grace) we do what He does.

Filed Under: Chicken Evangelism, Ministry

Sharing the Gospel the Old Fashion Way: One Person at a Time

March 3, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Sharing the Gospel the Old Fashion Way: One Person at a Time

Sharing the Gospel the Old Fashion Way: One Person at a Time

Publisher’s note: Dr. Jerry Root posted his story “Sharing the Gospel the Old Fashion Way: One Person at a Time” in an email requesting donations. Dr. Root directs the Evangelism Initiative at the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Used with permission from Dr. Root.

Last week I found myself in a conversation with a man who asked me what I did for a living. I told him I was a professor. He responded by wanting to know what I taught. I told him my Ph.D. was in Philosophy of Religion and he immediately asked me what my religion was. I told him that I was a Christian and then reciprocated and asked him if he was a religious person. He said that he was, and that he was a Muslim.

We had a great conversation, which included a discussion of the differences and similarities in Islam and Christianity. At each point I made, he simply replied, “I am tracking with you.” When I told him that Christians believe that God is a God of love, and that this love is essential to His being, he seemed very intent. As I shared about how there is in fact a way to God and to true forgiveness, he responded again, “I’m tracking with you. This is very meaningful.”

I paused only a second and then asked him, “Is there any reason why you wouldn’t want to trust Christ right now”? He said, “No” and gave his heart to Christ in prayer, trusting in His provision to love him and forgive him. I am now beginning a process of following up on this new brother in Christ.

The whole witnessing experience was fun. It is also the kind of thing that we at the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism (BGCE) are seeking to instill in all those we train, from college-age students to church leaders to marketplace leaders to lay Christians in all situations. (See here and here for resources)

Dr. Jerry Root
Director, Evangelism Initiative

 

Filed Under: Ministry, Tell Your Story

Building on the Foundation of Apostle and Prophet

June 21, 2016 by 2 Comments
Apostles and Prophets

Apostles and Prophets

Publisher’s note: This document regarding the importance of building on the foundation of the apostles and prophet has been collated by Thomas Harry who serves as Senior Leader and supervises Church Operations and Services of a church in the UK. He holds a degree in Technology and Business Studies achieved at Strathclyde University, Glasgow in 2002. Thomas and his wife Vivian, have been married for over 4 years and have 2 children.

© 2016, Z3 News. All rights reserved. This content may be freely reproduced.

Greetings to you dear believer. The Lord has confirmed that the church as a whole has shifted to a new season and consequently we must build on the Apostolic and Prophetic foundation laid out in Ephesians 2:20.

Over the past few months and in particular at the start of 2016, the Lord has been emphasizing and continues to emphasize one of the most crucial words for the church. The word is regarding Ephesians 2:20 and the church building on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. Due to the unprecedented number of confirmations from Christian leaders all over the world, it is clear this is a word for the whole church. The bible says in Exodus 2:25 “By the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses let every word be established.” In this extraordinary case there are not 2 or 3 confirmations for this word, but 10 confirmations in this document alone from unconnected sources from all over the world. It has been extraordinary and from every angle.

“Behold I do a new thing, before it springs up I will tell you, do you not see it?” (Isaiah 43:19)
Some believers may not have realized it yet, but the church has shifted to a new season and the Lord is doing a new thing. ”And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” (Mark 2:22).

The Lord has emphasized that this parable will now become a major reality for the church in this new season. The Lord requires us all to adjust to a new wine skin in order to prepare for and contain what He is about to release in the earth.
There are huge changes and awakening coming in the earth and the church. However, as the parable states if we do not prepare a new wine skin, the new wine cannot be contained. This new wine skin is found in Ephesians 2:20: “Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.” (Ephesians 2:20)

In relation to a church, the prophetic sees where God wants to take a church. The Prophetic obtains guidance and direction from the Lord in the form of visions, prophetic words, revelation, insight, heavenly mandates etc. The Prophetic brings the revelation from God of the vision and future plans the Lord has. The Apostolic then brings the authority, wisdom, strategy and heavenly instruction on how exactly to complete the plan. With only the Prophetic, a great prophetic word will only remain a great word 20 years later and nothing is accomplished, this is what has happened in many circles. With only the Apostolic we have good works, strategy, wisdom but we may not actually accomplish God’s will as we have not obtained the Prophetic guidance or word from God for His exact will. That is why the 2 are so interdependent and it is essential for every church to build on this foundation.

It is important at this stage to emphasize that when we talk about the Apostolic & Prophetic we are not talking about titles, individuals, positions or hierarchy. We are talking about the function or the role of the Apostolic or Prophetic in the church. If we do not clarify this distinction people will think it is all about the titles within a church or leadership hierarchy. To think that way would miss the point as many with no titles or positions within churches actually function in the Apostolic and Prophetic. Naturally if you have a genuine Apostle and Prophet operating in a church then this would help ensure the church is built on the biblical foundation of Ephesians 2:20. However, the main focus is the function or role of the Apostolic and Prophetic, rather than titles or leadership hierarchy. [Publisher’s note: What is an apostle? may be helpful for some.]

It is also important to state that Apostles and Prophets are NOT more important and that Pastors and Teachers are NOT now obsolete. They all have essential roles and functions as do all the fivefold ministry and all believers who are not in full time ministry. The reality is Pastors would be more effective and function better with a lot less burnout if proper foundations were in place. The truth is we have placed unnecessary and indeed unbiblical pressure upon Pastors hence why so many have struggled in ministry. The Pastor has been made the foundation/focus of the church and this has led to significant imbalance in the church. This imbalance and undue Pastoral pressure has led to countless committing suicide, leaving ministry, financial scandal and marital breakdown. Some will say that is all down to lack of integrity or character and while that will play a part – the fact that Pastors have been given such heavy and unbiblical burdens has been just as pivotal. If Churches had been built on the correct biblical foundation, then there would be fewer unnecessary demands on Pastors.

There is the fivefold ministry which most are familiar with, which is the Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher and Evangelist as per Ephesians 4:11 “So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers”.

The church has built predominantly with the foundation of Pastor, Evangelist and Teacher. However, in addition to the aforementioned Ephesians 2:20, the word of God further emphasizes the correct foundation and true biblical order to be the Apostles and Prophets. The additional emphasis is found in 1 Corinthians 12:28: “And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets.” (1 Corinthians 12:28)

It is vital at this stage to highlight that it is God who created this order of first Apostles and Prophets, not man or any individual. Therefore, when you remove the very foundation instructed by the Lord – you have no foundation at all and no building can successfully stand with no foundation.

The Apostolic and Prophetic is primarily about alignment with God’s mission. This includes His heavenly plan for a local church, its region and the nation as a whole. Each church has a specific mandate or plan from God and in order to correctly fulfill this, both the Apostolic and Prophetic are needed. Each church has a bigger purpose than to be a Sunday destination for believers, host Evangelistic outreaches and develop in-house church program’s. The Ecclesia are meant to have a sphere/region of influence where the church impacts society in a far more tangible way and negate the operation of the devil in their designated region. Jesus’ mandate was to “Destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8) and this needs to be our goal also. It includes transforming communities, schools, the government, business and reducing the problems and evil in the area like addictions, poverty and crime. This level of influence is very rarely seen through churches, however, that is what the Lord desires and is expected of us as per Matthew 28:1 “All authority is given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of nations” and Jeremiah 29:7 “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city I have placed you.”

However, if we refuse to build according to the Ephesians 2:20 blueprint, then it is not possible to have this level of impact. If a church operates without the function or application of the Apostolic and Prophetic, they loose a significant degree, if not all of the sight/vision and wisdom/strategy to build effectively. That is why it is so important that all churches adjust accordingly so that they have both the prophetic guidance and Apostolic wisdom and strategy to correctly advance the Kingdom of God. We all must adjust our current wineskins accordingly or the Lord cannot pour out His new wine (experience, encounter, expression of Jesus in the church) or our old wineskins and structures will burst as they cannot contain what God is about to do.

Some may wonder how such a shift is happening now and why such a significant biblical truth and foundation has been missed by the majority of the church. The Lord has a time and a season for everything. An excerpt from a prophetic word by Chuck Pierce, who is one of the most respected prophetic voices in the world, lays a foundation for this fresh revelation and understanding of Ephesians 2:20: “The time is NOW to plow that fallow ground. There is more than your mind has conceived – new patterns, new ways, and new means. The familiar will chain you down to an old thing and way, and you won’t be ready for the breaking of a new day. You will return to divine patterns you’ve not seen clearly in the Word before; or you saw them and you didn’t know how to apply it right.”

Here Chuck speaks of blueprints in the word being seen in a new way and that is exactly what has happened with Ephesians 2:20. With all of this in mind, it is crucial that we all adjust accordingly. Whatever group, ministry or denomination, the Lord is speaking to all. The Charismatic and Pentecostal groups may feel they have accepted Apostles and embraced the Prophetic, however, by and large they too have not built their churches on this foundation. Therefore, it is not a season for merely acknowledging these 2 foundational functions and roles, but actually building our houses and churches around these as the bible instructs.

Many will be realizing that this will require sweeping and drastic changes where they are planted. It is vital that all leaders in particular humbly accept this and seek the Lord on blueprints on how to adjust accordingly so that they are prepared to be a house that experiences the fullness of what God wants to do.

Some will resist as is always the case when God does something new or moves in Revival power. However, God gives us freewill, so we can continue with our man made designs and ideas about church that is built on the old wineskin of the Pastoral, but will miss out on what God wants to do. God in His grace will not pour out His new wine on those who resist this change, because as the parable says – their wineskin will burst and the wine will be wasted. In the natural we all know the mess and marks that are left when wine spills, so in the spiritual the Lord does not want to pour out wine in places who refuse to adjust their wineskin as it will lead to wasted wine and wineskins.

 

Confirmations of the Foundation of Apostles and Prophets – 10 Global Confirmations

The word of God says in Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord does nothing without revealing to His servants the Prophets.” The Lord has indeed brought fresh revelation to His church. Therefore, the best way to emphasize that this is a genuine word from God is to provide a list of confirmations from respected leaders in the Church. Some sections will be highlighted for emphasis and all sources are quoted for research and further study if desired.

Confirmation 1: Catherine Brown (Scotland) – Prophetic Word for 2016
As we approach the year end and we contemplate what the New Year of 2016 may hold in the Kingdom of God it is my conviction that we are shifting into a deeper dispensation of grace by which we will move in new levels of wisdom, instruction and revelatory understanding, which will in turn release God’s miracle-working power and provision in our midst.
“There is a global paradigm shift coming that will cause the church to move from “revelation-only” to the much needed gift of instruction plus revelation. It is receiving and acting upon the word of apostolic instruction coupled with revelatory understanding that will become the key to miracle manifestation.”

Confirmation 2: Sharon Stone Prophetic Word for 2016 – Time to Build Apostolically
“This begins with the Church again being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, so there are some shiftings that are going on around the earth right now. This foundation is being restored in a new dimension of God’s government. He is giving us fresh strategies for today and so new blueprints to build are being released to enable the Church to partner with God in this new mandate. For some it will look like a redevelopment plan, but for all participating it will be structures that are going to accommodate an incredible harvest.”

Confirmation 3: Alice Cresswell – Morningstar (England) – Apostolic and Prophetic partnership
“This is a time for the prophetic to go to a whole new level. Like Daniel, supernatural gifts will begin to be used within every sphere with people of influence, to help rebuild His city and His Temple. I believe Cyrus and Daniel represent the apostolic and the prophetic coming together in a whole new way to bring about the purposes of God at this time, to liberate the people of God from captivity, from being lukewarm and complacent and from the religious spirit. The Lord is rebuilding His temple, that is the people of God. The Apostolic (like Cyrus) will come into greater maturity and follow divine strategies and advance, taking enemy territory.”

Confirmation 4: Cindy Jacobs (USA) – January Prophetic Word for 2016
“There will be connections between apostles and prophets that will result in prophetic words not only being released, but also implemented to see their fulfilments.”

Confirmation 5: Marshall Cross (Scotland) – January Prophetic Word for 2016
“The ‘old wine skins’ and the ‘old wine’ have had its day and unless we are willing to transition to the new we will be left in the old way of doing church and ministry. Once the plates stop moving in the spirit the Tsunami of change will settle and there will be a period of recognising the true apostolic as the scales will begin to fall off the eyes of those once blinded.”

Confirmation 6: Jane Hamon – Prophetic Word for 2016 – (USA)
“I believe as the Apostles and Prophets (as well as apostolic and prophetic people) come together to decree and create a sound in the earth, they will put the Lord in remembrance regarding previous covenants in our nation where we were dedicated to God and to the expansion of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God, and He will respond from Heaven.”

Confirmation 7: Peter Wagner on the Apostolic Reformation
Peter Wagner calls it a “ChurchQUAKE”. States that by 2017 we will see that the New Apostolic Reformation has arrived in Europe. Dr. C. Peter Wagner has presented why Apostolic Churches are changing the world today. In 2017, it will be 500 years since Luther´s Reformation. That will also show that the New Apostolic Reformation has arrived full-fledge in Europe.

Confirmation 8: Phyllis Ford – January 15th Word for 2016 (USA) – Reformation Winds
“The Lord said He was about to set things in order, ushering in an apostolic and prophetic order that will change churches and even house meetings. People will be gathering together with a hunger for His presence and hearts crying out for transformation, and it will take place in the house both apostolically and prophetically. In many ways God will see to it that things fall into their proper place.”

Confirmation 9: Val Russell – Prophecy 6.2.16
“For you to accomplish the destiny of My Church, you must be joined with Me, partaking of My Divine insight. Build My Kingdom by being spiritually smart. The Spirit of Wisdom and knowledge will work together for you; knowledge is knowing “what” to do and it is prophetic in its nature. I have not called you all to be a Prophet, but I have called you all to be prophetic. Wisdom is knowing “how” to do it. Wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge accurately. Possess My wisdom as well as My power for Wisdom is an intelligence – it is the mind of Christ. The Spirit of Wisdom will cause you to be kingdom-minded people who rule and reign with rank, positioning and power, and possess kingdom dominion and authority. This is being “Apostolic”. You are not all Apostles but I have called you all to be ‘Apostolic’. Build on a Prophetic Foundation, advance the building with Apostolic Revelation, and keep Christ Jesus as your Chief Cornerstone.” (Source: Facebook Page of Prophetic Releasers for UK Revival – Revival Prophetic)

Confirmation 10: Ryan LeStrange – Word for 2016 – Apostolic and Prophetic foundations
“His house is built on the apostolic and prophetic foundation with Jesus Himself being the chief cornerstone (see Ephesians 2:20). A large part of the Body of Christ is opening up to the reality of these two foundational gifts and ministries. There will be tremendous apostolic and prophetic synergy to uncover the plans of the Father for His people along with divine strategy. These two gifts will lock arms in an unprecedented way in order to pioneer dynamic Kingdom expression.”

What Does This Mean For The Church?

From these confirmations it is clear that the Lord Himself has declared a global shift and new season for His church that must be built on the Ephesians 2:20 foundation of the Apostles and Prophets.

Filed Under: Local Churches Global Apostles, Ministry

4 Trademarks of a New Testament Apostolic Church

June 21, 2016 by Leave a Comment

ken Malone Apostolic Church

Ken Malone Apostolic Church


4 Trademarks of a New Testament Apostolic Church

Publisher’s note: Ken Malone is being used by God to mobilize the body of Christ throughout Florida and the nation. After being a pastor for 24 years, Ken has recently stepped down from a pastoral position which has allowed God to launch Ken into his apostolic role. He is an ordained minister and serves as the founder of Forerunner School and Ministry, Inc. and serves on the board of Dutch Sheets Ministries. Ken also serves as one of the leaders of Network Ekklesia International, an Apostolic Network founded by Dutch Sheets. Ken walks in a governmental apostolic mantle that releases the body of Christ into their destiny. He also ministers with a prophetic, seer anointing which enables him to identify activate and release redemptive gifts in individuals, churches and cities. (If you’re wondering, “What is an apostle?” click here.)

These four things signify what a New Testament Apostolic church should look like.

The role model the Lord left us for the church is found in the book of Acts. He didn’t leave any other model. Today our congregation life is filled with programs and clutter that remove us from being a book of Acts people.

Trademark: A distinctive feature or characteristic that serves to identify the maker or originator.

Wow, what a definition. Now let’s look at some of the characteristics that identify our Maker:

1. Outpouring of His Spirit – Acts 2 released the promise of Joel that His Spirit would be poured out on all. It is God living in us and among us. He puts His life inside us, and through that life, we converse and have relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And it shall be in the last days, God says, “That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind” (Acts 2:17), God loves relationship. How are you relating to Him? Begin again to talk to God and read His Word. His life will ignite within you.

2. Signs, wonders, miracles and healing – At the gate Beautiful, a man who was lame from His mother’s womb was miraculously healed. This marked the beginning of miracles through the hands of the apostles. It is a trademark left to us so that we would also operate in the miracle-working ministry of Christ. Miracles are the marks of a New Testament Apostolic Church. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles (2 Cor. 12:12).

3. Dreams, visions and the prophetic – Do you dream with the Lord? Did you know the Lord dreams? He releases His dreams, visions and prophetic word to His people. I have spent most of my life going after the voice of the Lord. Even to this day I long to hear Him speak. Acts 2 marks us as a people, when filled with the Holy Ghost will have visions, dreams and prophetic words.

“And your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17, MEV).

I was sharing a dream with Lou Engle, and he said to me, “Follow the dream, follow the dream.” That’s the way the book of Acts church operated—not through programs, but through dreams, visions and the prophetic word. Dream again! Ask the Lord to give you His dreams, visions and prophetic word. (Note: True prophetic words, dreams and visions will be within the integrity of God’s written word.)

4. Harvest – This is a signpost to us. In Acts 2, the results of His Holy Spirit being poured out was 3,000 souls coming to the Lord through believing in Him. It happened again in Acts 3 with the results of 5,000 coming to the Lord through the Lord healing the man at the Beautiful Gate. Let’s raise the bar. This is the mark of revival. Several years ago, a lady asked me to attend the revival meetings going on at their church for the last 30 days. I was interested in what was going on, so I asked, “What’s happening?” She said, “Many are being blessed and touched by God.” Then I asked, “Any souls being saved?” She responded, “No.”

They were being renewed, which we all need, but this is not what I call Awakening. Recently, there have been thousands saved in Williamson, West Virginia. This began a little over a month ago when a no-name evangelist by the name of Matt Hartley from Tennessee came into Williamson for a three-day meeting but the meetings just kept going.

Revival broke out, however, when the evangelist spoke in the school and thousands of students were saved. Pastor Mitch Bias, with the regional Church of God in Delbarton, said prayer, plus desperation, has paved the way for this spiritual breakthrough, especially among the young people. Now that’s the trademark I’m looking for.

Let’s lead someone to Jesus, whether it’s 1 or 1,000. It’s a sign of real revival.

Publisher’s note: These 4 foundational aspects of a New Testament apostolic church plus much more are included in my book — Local Churches Global Apostles: How Churches Related to Apostles in the New Testament Era and Why It Matters Now

Filed Under: Local Churches Global Apostles, Ministry

Forge One Day BiVo Training (June 25) OutreachMagazine.com

June 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
bi-vocational minister

bi-vocational minister

Hugh Halter hosts this workshop for church planters and pastors who are bi-vocational or considering it.

Source: Forge One Day BiVo Training (June 25) OutreachMagazine.com  

 

At the Church of the Living Water we are searching for ways to support mission workers and evangelists. This training may help.

Filed Under: Local Churches Global Apostles, Ministry

Curiosity Evangelism

June 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Publisher’s note: Curiosity Evangelism — great article. I didn’t write it and I don’t know who did. Nevertheless, it can help a lot of us “chicken evangelists” get started.

Recently I came home to our apartment building to find my neighbor Tanner sitting on the steps having a cigarette. I stopped to talk for a few minutes. I had been thinking that it would be nice to talk with Tanner about faith, but I never knew quite how to start that conversation (a pretty common feeling for most of us, I think).

That night was different, though. I realized that my motivation for wanting to talk with him about faith was not because I should. I really wanted to know about his spiritual life.

In a word, I was curious.
“Do you have any spiritual beliefs? I’m a Christian, and I find that I’m really curious about other peoples’ faith journeys.”
He answered candidly about his past experiences in church, and talked at length about the reasons why he stopped being involved several years back.

As this conversation was happening, I realized that I had just stumbled across a breakthrough in my own ability to talk about spiritual things with people.

If I am genuinely curious about people, if I am interested in their lives, then naturally (since I am a spiritual person) that will mean I am curious about their spiritual lives.
That has led to some really great spiritual conversations with people.

Curiosity is powerful.
When I’m curious about something, I’m motivated to learn about it.
I’m willing to expend energy, or maybe even money, on it.
I spend time thinking about it.
I try to get other people thinking and talking about it.

I’ve found that when I’m curious about a person, that is a big motivator to encourage me to talk with them and figure out where they are in life and where they are spiritually.
So often we hear teaching that we should share our faith with other people, because it’s the right thing to do. Because it’s what we’re supposed to do. Of course that’s true. But I’ve found that the most authentic and meaningful conversations I’ve had about faith were the result of me simply being curious about that person’s life and spirituality.

Most people like to talk about themselves, and a few honest questions about their life can really deepen a casual friendship and open the door to hear their spiritual story.

Who are you curious about?

For stories about how chicken evangelism works, go here.

Filed Under: Chicken Evangelism, Ministry

Amplify Conference at Wheaton College

May 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

Amplify Conference of Evangelism at Wheaton College, June 28-30, 2016

 

I plan to participate in this conference.

  • WHO IS SPONSORING THE AMPLIFY CONFERENCE?

    The event is sponsored by the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism at Wheaton College. The BGCE exists to lead the conversation on evangelism by training, resourcing, and mobilizing followers of Jesus to share their faith; networking leaders; researching best practices; engaging thought leaders; and launching strategic ministry initiatives.

  • WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF AMPLIFY?

    Many in church leadership positions want to help those in their care to increase their gospel witness and prioritize evangelism. Unfortunately, as our world changes so quickly, strategies for making this happen often cannot keep pace. We are coming together to lead the conversation in evangelism and then implement a renewal of evangelism in our local churches. We will be sharing research, platforming speakers, and conducting breakouts to move the conversation about evangelism and the local church forward. The event will feature a mix of plenary speakers, case studies, research, breakout sessions, and networking times.

  • WHO SHOULD ATTEND AMPLIFY?

    Amplify is for anyone in a church leadership position or in a position outside the local church setting where you are seeking to weave an evangelism ethos into your own life or the lives of others. The conference is intended to equip and inspire you personally and as you lead others in developing a lifestyle of gospel witness.

  • WILL THERE BE FOLLOW UP TO AMPLIFY?

    Amplify is an annual national conference. In between gatherings, we will be producing and sending out evangelism training, research, and leadership resources regularly. We will also be developing networks of leaders who bond together with a vision for becoming ongoing learning communities and cohorts that gather annually at the conference to make progress.

  • More info is avaliable at http://www.amplifyconference.tv/

 

Registration Information | Questions? Call 800-254-2022 or email shirley.cross@lifeway.com

 

 

 

Filed Under: Local Churches Global Apostles, Ministry

The Changing Face of Evangelism

May 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment

 

Editor’s note: The  following post is written by Beth Seversen. Do you see how it relates to Chicken Evangelism?

Beth Seversen is the denominational leader for evangelism in the Evangelical Covenant Church and a Billy Graham Research Scholar. Beth is currently pursuing a doctorate in Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. She is researching emerging adults and the factors that make churches effective reaching them.

16Feature-The-Changing-Face-of-Evangelism-0517

Two critical ways evangelism can adapt to cultural shifts.

This post is part of a series called Amplifying Evangelism. Don’t miss the Amplify Conference on evangelism, June 28-30 at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois.

History recounts numerous missional movements that have sought to reach people far from God through cultural accommodation. The Jesuit mission to China and St. Patrick’s Celtic way of evangelism are two examples of how the missionary church practiced cultural adaptation to further God’s mission.

George Hunter’s 2010 work on the Celtic mission informs us that Patrick and his men engaged the Celtic imagination in presenting the gospel through the creative arts of story and song and drama, adapting their mission to pagan culture to induce Celtic awakening. Similarly, to be effective in the contemporary world, evangelism methodologies in the West are adapting to Western culture shifts. Here are two examples.

Encounter vs. Information

Effective evangelism emphasizes experience over information in an increasingly post-Christian and postmodern context. In previous generations, evangelism methods appealed to reason and then called for a commitment to Christ based on a logical presentation of the gospel.

Some missional communities reverse the order today and find translating the gospel to contemporary cultures is more fruitful when an encounter with God precedes explanation about God. In such contexts, non-Christians are led to experience God before receiving a download of information about God.

Experiencing God may take the form of emotional healing from harm imposed by others or from personal addiction. For instance, Christians ministering at Burning Man (a self-expression and arts festival that annually draws some 60,000 people, many of them millennials) adapt the cultural tools of the festival to reach “Burners” through encounter.

Burning Man is an experimental society and participants dabble in everything from drug-induced altered states of consciousness—often associated with artistic creativity—to consciousness-raising projects. Personal and global transformation are explicit goals of Burning Man, as is taking responsibility in working toward a greater future.

Christian groups at Burning Man provide a “menu” of spiritual experiences to festival participants who show up at their camps. Dream interpretation and heart “massage” are popular among young adult Burners who encounter God through healing and listening prayer while believers help them identify their spiritual blockages, unresolved wounds, brokenness and addictions.

Scripts vs. Spiritual Conversations

Similar to the previous generation’s evangelism methodology of information download, in the past people often relied on formulaic presentations of the gospel. Evangelistic scripts like “The Four Spiritual Laws” and “Steps to Peace with God” were found to be evangelistically fruitful.

The previous Christian generation might assume that their non-Christian audience shared their belief and trust in absolute facts, observations and logic, and therefore tended to approach evangelism with argumentation, evidence and reason. Those assumptions are not always accurate today.

Cultural observers note that as culture shifts to more postmodern ways of thinking, non-Christian audiences no longer assume there is absolute truth, but that truth is biased and facts are socially constructed based on assumption.

What’s more, people today are less interested in being “taught” when they can become “experts” by educating themselves through the Internet. Popular culture emphasizes discovery, journey and narrative over apologetics, debate and persuasion. Today, fruitful evangelism looks more like story than propositional truth, telling God’s story and explaining how our own story fits in with God’s larger mission.

Significantly, younger generations don’t want a script or even a verse—but they do want to converse! Recent studies by Pew Research Center and the American Religious Identification Survey on the “Rise of the Nones” assure us that even those who are religiously unaffiliated generally still believe in God, pray frequently, enjoy community and often care about significant causes like human trafficking—providing plenty of opportunities for relational evangelism and spiritual conversations.

Encounter and story are two ways evangelism is effectively adapting to contemporary culture.

 

Filed Under: Chicken Evangelism, Ministry

6 Most Influential Evangelism Sites

May 9, 2016 by 2 Comments
Influential Evangelism Sites

Influential Evangelism Sites

What are the Top 6 Most Influential Evangelism Sites in My Life? Most of us need help with personal evangelism. If you are like “most of us,” try one or more of these sites. If you’re stuck in regard to personal evangelism, I especially recommend the first or the last of the six.

Evantell.org

Alongside the giants in this list, most people have never heard of Evantell. Yet they highly impacted my life and understanding of evangelism. First, they defined the gospel for me like no one else. Based on 1 Corinthians 15:1-6:  “Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead.” Second, Evantell taught me how to biblically pray for the lost.

 

 

Campus Crusade

Thank God for Bill Bright. In the 1960’s the hottest training team around was Campus Crusade for Christ. I gained from the training and led numbers of students to Christ. Campus Crusade has expended and adapted to change over the years. Some people may try to tell us, the “old” approach doesn’t work anymore, but don’t let that throw you off. The Four Spiritual Laws still work. The online presence is now called “cru,’ and can be located at cru.org.

 

Luis Palau

Luis Palau led an area wide evangelistic campaign in the Quad Cities (Moline, Davenport, Rock island and Bettendorf) some years ago. One line from Dr. Palau’s training  may have wavered, but never left me. “Lord, stamp eternity on my eyelids.” Go to luispalau.org

 

Billy Graham

Influential because it’s always been there as long as I can remember.  Yet,  I’m including Billy Graham on this list of influential evangelism sites for a peculiar and very current reason. Their follow-up tracts (which appear to be a knock-off of the Four Spiritual Laws) fit into my wallet better than any other. How often I have witnessed with a man and then had no tract to leave in his hand. If you want a good wallet-sized tract, Go to BillyGraham.org.

 

Outreach Magazine

This is a newcomer to my list. I include it primarily because of the articles by Thom Rainier. Well worth listening to. This author is one of the foremost evangelism and church growth thinkers today. You can access them at Outreachmagazine.com

 

 

Chicken Evangelism

Do you think I’m joking? Not on your life! Stories impact. This is an influential evangelism site because it tells simple stories of personal evangelism. Where else can you find so many stories of personal evangelism? Or any stories for that matter? I did a search of the top 100 evangelism sites on google. I was trying to find examples – stories, if you will – of personal evangelism. I found only one site in the top 100 with an example of personal evangelism. Many sites talk about evangelism and tell how to do it, but ChickenEvangelism.com  inspires by example.

 

Have you got a site that is actually helping lead people to salvation in personal evangelism? Pass it on in the comment section.

 

If you have led someone to salvation by means of personal evangelism, let the world know. Inspire others by telling your story.

 

 

Filed Under: Chicken Evangelism, Ministry