Kinsman Evangelism

Jesus was a “kinsman evangelist” and we are called to be the same. Jesus developed relationships with the lost and with His disciples. The first step in developing a sound evangelistic program in your facility is to know where to start in building relationships and drawing near to the people who will be a part of the “harvest.” Let's call this the Pre-Cultivation Process.

Jesus started by building relationships. He was a friend to sinners. He did not come to this earth to befriend the religious and those who did not need a physician. He came for the lost and hurting. Right now begin to visualize your neighborhood with the Holy Spirit hovering over it and pray that He direct all of your efforts. Believe me, there are many people already in your sphere of influence with “hearts” prepared by the Lord for just a time as this!

Next, believe that your neighborhood is fertile ground! Many Christians erroneously believe that their family and neighbors, schoolmates and co-workers are not interested in the gospel. We are wrong. The Lord has already told us that the fields are ripe for harvest. That is the Word! The fields are ripe and ready! So where is the fruit? Well saints, the fruit is sitting in your own home, in your neighborhood, at your job and school! After you have made your commitment to submit to Christ's plan for global evangelism, then it is extremely important that your demeanor, body language and attitudes change towards the lost! It is time to be friendly! Be good listeners.

Get to know those members in your family who have never been approached, start approaching your neighbors and start building relationships. Don't barge in with your “canned” presentation and expect results. Meet your neighbors on the sidewalks, in the driveway, during block parties, at the neighborhood gas station and learn what their interests are, find out their needs and how you can show them love. Any salesman knows that “cold calling” is very difficult. Just knocking on doors will not be effective.

There may be some cities and cultures whereby people may be more receptive to strangers knocking on doors, but for the most part, people do not like to open their homes to strangers! Therefore, when “groups” begin to work their neighborhoods, the first step is to go to public places. Below is a list of places and activities to utilize in sizing up your gospel prospects and testing their readiness for hearing the “Good News.”

As I said, people do not like being approached by “strangers.” We must be wise and sensitive. “Door knocking” will not be effective until you start cultivating relationships first, not only individually, but in groups. The first step in the structure is for pastors to set up teams for public places in order to test the readiness of the soil. Public places should be visited by teams of three ministers using the Community Questionnaire Form. It is in the form of a survey.

For example, when “Group Leaders” approach the “fish,” questions such as, "Hello, my name is John Smith from Bible Teachers International and we are doing a survey today, may we ask you a couple of quick questions?" are to be used in approaching strangers. (See the “Community Questionnaire” in Appendix.) "Where is the Harvest?" At home, In your neighborhood, At work, At your business, At sports events, Family activities, Block parties, Organizational meetings, At school, At the library, At the grocery store, At the mall, At the beach, At the bowling alley. Develop a more detailed list of the above examples as you prepare to implement GE in your facility.

When friendships are established, the sowing and reaping process becomes a reality and so much easier! This is our first step in Evangelism: Building Relationships! Social and Kinsman relationships are the “Key” in testing the readiness of those around us who the Holy Spirit has prepared. At your backyard fence - relationships develop, find common interests. These are “contact points” to use in building relationship and preparing the soil. When you are in your neighbors’ homes, look for clues and common interests. Seasonal events and ball games are another contact point. Be sensitive to widows, widowers, single parent homes and people who are alone during the holidays. Be available when someone is hurting, sick, has lost a loved one, has financial problems and other areas of stress. That is another key: Be Available! Be friendly and find common interests.

Much evangelism can be done at first on a “personal level.” When contacts are made and you feel a trained team will be more beneficial for visiting the home, then communicate this need on the “Church Visitation Report.” (Appendix) In some instances, it may be more feasible for a team member to invite the “contact” to a team member's home for dinner or coffee and donuts.

A. Structure of Visitation Teams:

1. Group Visitation Teams (V - Teams) of three ministers go into the community actually putting into practice what was learned in the workshop or course. Follow-up takes place immediately after the Group Visitations back at the church. Students who were not yet selected as “Trainees” are part of the “Prayer Team” and may also be selected as “Observers” on the Group Visitation Team. (Group Visitation Teams are to be used for Home Visitations and for Public Places.)

2. A Group Visitation Team consists of: One Group Leader, One Trainee and One Observer. Two Prayer Partners are selected for each team. Prayer Partners do not go into the homes with the Group Visitation Team, but may participate in public places in an unobtrusive fashion. Team Prayer Partners do meet back at the church at the end of visitation time for the Follow-Up Session, if at all possible. Follow-up sessions may also be held in members’ homes.

In the beginning of the evangelistic program, the pastors and strong leaders should be assigned as Group Leaders. Trainees should be selected from your leadership staff. Observers may be selected from membership. Trainees will eventually become Group Leaders and members (observers) will eventually become Trainees when creating new group visitation teams. Of course, new converts and new members must complete the "Bridge Class" or have committed themselves to ministry inside of BTI before they can be assigned as “observers” on a team.

In addition, babes and weak saints cannot be encouraged to penetrate into areas where non-Christians will be approached. They may not be at a place spiritually to handle the “radical identification” principle. Remember, the Lord says the field is ripe for harvest, so many of the people we have been fearful in confronting with the Good News of the Gospel may already be ready to commit to Christ, without the process of cultivation and sowing of seeds.

The soil, in many cases, is already fertile and the seeds have been sown! You or someone else may have already sown seed and the Word has prepared someone's heart for commitment, but no one has confronted them with the question of committing themselves to Jesus Christ. Sometimes people are just waiting to be asked the question! Fish are caught in many different ways. Some fishermen use nets, some use a hook and a worm. We must learn to select the proper “bait.”

Some people may jump at the opportunity to come to your home for “dinner,” while others may feel more comfortable having you in their home. Invite them to a concert or production at your church or invite someone to meet you at the local “deli” for a nice cup of coffee or sandwich. Test the waters. We must become all things to all people. What may interest one set of neighbors, may be totally uninteresting to another. We must be “wise as serpents.”

B. The Process of Witnessing and Soul Winning: The Soil

Matthew 13:1-8 This parable focuses on the quality of the soil.

This parable highlights the quality of the seed. We must be sensitive to both the soil and the quality of the seed. In the natural realm, any gardener knows that cultivating the soil always goes before sowing and reaping. This is also true in the spirit realm. All truth is parallel. If the soil is hard with much resistance, then some cultivation and relationship building may be necessary. You cannot throw seeds in hard ground or on unprepared soil and expect them to produce anything!

Cultivation: to prepare; to dig or loosen; to tend; to foster the growth; to nurture; to seek the goodwill or acquaintance of; development.

Cultivation takes time and effort. Jesus spent time cultivating the soil in the lives of His apostles. Cultivation comes by relationship and this is stage one of the evangelism process. (Stage One)

Sowing: to impregnate; to scatter (seed) over the ground for growing; introduce; implant; spread; propagate. We "sow" seeds by disseminating the Good News of the Gospel through explanation, examples, testimonies, teaching, communicating revelation of the Word and especially “living the Word” before men.

Sowing is stage two in the process of evangelism where seeds are planted and an appeal is made to the mind of men through communicating truths and revelation.

(Stage Two)

Reaping: to cut for harvest; to harvest a crop; to obtain as a result of effort; to obtain a reward or return; bring in; obtain; acquire. We actively participate in the decision making process (someone committing to Christ and the promise of eternal life through the Son) by calling for a decision when the time has come for the harvest or the return. Reaping is the third stage in the process of evangelism and is an appeal to the will of men as we anticipate a response from them. (Stage Three)

C. Review the Process of Evangelism: Testing Readiness:

Are they ready to receive seed? Check the soil.

Spiritual Location questions: Determine where they are inside their spiritual walk. What are their mindsets about spirituality, God, Jesus Christ, their spiritual background/church background, etc. For example: “Mary, you have never really talked about your religious background before or where you are in your spiritual walk. Would you share this with me?” Or, “John, has your spiritual journey in life come to the point of commitment to any spiritual being, or are you still searching?”

1. CULTIVATING: Ongoing Process of building relationships. Remember, this is a time of friendship. Jesus was a friend to sinners. Jesus came eating and drinking. Did He not attend parties and go into sinners' homes? It is time to come out of our “comfort zones” and be all things to all people. Time to sacrifice our plans and timetables for others who are lost. Break down the “caricatures of Christianity” that non-Christians have come to know. Invite them to your home. Be flexible to their interests, organizations, concerns, backgrounds and culture.

Paul willingly put up with anything in order to win souls. I Corinthians 9 states that we need to deny self and become slaves in order to meet the needs of others. Relate the gospel to their needs. Need house painting? Become a painter. Need healing? Become a nurse. Someone lonely? Become a friend and a companion.

2. SOWING: A process of planting seeds and sharing the principles of the Gospel and the Good News in a relational manner (not preaching or coercing). Learn to adjust your relationships to meet others’ needs. Become all things to all people. Share your life and beliefs with others. It is important to know that “sensitivity” is important. Discernment is necessary. Jesus did not throw pearls to the swine. He was sensitive and discerning to those around Him.

Therefore, if your seeds are not being received, go back to Step 1 above: Cultivation. Longsuffering and patience are virtues the Lord wants us to operate in. Has He not been preparing us for this time?

Steps to cover during the sowing process:

a. Timely occasion statements - After the soil (relationship) has been cultivated, start planting seeds. Your training in the Principles of “Listening” are very important. Listen and then plant seeds. Listen and discern. Example statement: “Sally, sometime I'd like the opportunity to share with you what it really means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and what Salvation really means.”

b. Interest question - May I now share my testimony and the “Good News of the Gospel” with you and explain how you, too, can become a New Creature? Be sensitive to their schedules and lives. If need be, schedule a time and place within a short period of time to meet again. Steps to cover during the reaping process: Scheduling the “Decision” question - Schedule the time and place. Bring them to your house for a change! Oftentimes in door-to-door Group Visitations, it may be necessary to invite people to your home or a Group Member's home. It is difficult in society today, especially in the United States, for people to feel comfortable in opening their doors to strangers!

Example of a “Decision” question: “Sally, does this make sense to you? If so ask, “On the basis of what we have discussed, is there any reason why you wouldn't want to trust Christ right now and believe that He can and will do what I have said in your life?”

Points to Note:

a. At any point above in the “SOWING” process, if there is a negative response or offense, or if those you are witnessing to or building a relationship with do not have a good understanding of the “seeds” you have sown, then continue developing the relationship.

Go back to CULTIVATING and working the soil.

b. Remember, be sensitive. Jesus did not throw pearls to swine. This is a part of being “wise as serpents.” Become ministers of reconciliation, humble servants and work the relationship inside of love. Wait for the next timely opportunity or occasion to continue the “sowing” process. Meanwhile just be a friend.

c. Call for a commitment at any point in the above model when the Holy Spirit impresses you to do so. You do not have to schedule a time to ask them for a “decision” if the Holy Spirit guides you to do so at any point.

d. Asking for a commitment after seed sowing may seem hard to some people, but it is less threatening if you have been cultivating a relationship and actually planting the seeds.

e. Remember: You are not the one in this process doing the work, only a vessel. The Word of God is quick and powerful and will bring the increase. Many saints do not witness at all because they are fearful of the process or do not know how to effectively witness and present the gospel. If you become motivated to become a part of the Great Commission and obey the Lord's command to take part in the evangelization of the world, the Lord will strengthen you and guide you. Your leaders are admonished to train you and prepare you for this service.

f. An important principle to remember is that it is more profitable for you to become a “leader” and be trained as “Group Visitation Leaders” and “Trainers”, as your fruit will multiply much quicker.

D. REAPING: Harvesting means to bring in the reward, the souls.

Bring souls to a commitment and an assurance in what they have received. Immediately invite them to church and follow up a week later in their home with a Group Visitation! This is extremely important! Get them started on a Growth Path!