PUTTING AN END TO WORSHIP WARS - Elmer Towns

Most recently, evangelism along existing social networks has been recognized as the most
effective evangelistic strategy used by these churches. This involves reaching friends, relatives,
associates and neighbours for Christ. Church growth research suggests these are the people most
likely to attend a church when invited to do so.
THE WEAKNESSES OF THE EVANGELISTIC CHURCH
If Evangelistic Churches have been highly effective at getting new converts into the
church, they have been less successful at keeping them there. Many churches baptize hundreds
of converts a year but realize a net increase of only fifty or so new attenders. While every
community has an element of transition in it, Evangelistic Churches tend to turn over members
faster than the rate which may be more typical of their community.
Several factors may contribute to this obvious problem. First, many Evangelistic
Churches lack the infrastructure to assimilate new converts into the church family. When a
young man is converted, he is less likely to remain in the church if he attends church in a large
auditorium than if he becomes a member of a smaller cell group. Also, some Evangelistic
Churches have confused "decision-making" with "disciple making." Ten people may make a
decision for Christ during a soul-winning campaign but the fact that most of them never attend
church suggests they may not have decided to become disciples. Finally, the constant emphasis
on evangelism is often accompanied by a lack of emphasis on the disciplines of the Christian life.
Those who sense a need to grow in their Christian life often leave the church that brought them
to Christ and attend another church that will teach them what they need to continue growing in
Christ.
TAPPING INTO THE STRENGTH OF THE EVANGELISTIC CHURCH
The strength of the Evangelistic Church is its commitment to evangelism. Evangelism is
the work of the whole church and the whole church is involved in the process of bringing people
to personal faith in Christ. This approach to evangelism is sometimes called "Team
Evangelism." It is this approach to evangelism which is at the heart of evangelistic crusades or
outreach campaigns. Every church can tap into the strength of the Evangelistic Church by
teaching the principles of team evangelism and applying them in an outreach campaign.
Church growth research suggests if a person does not identify with people within the
church during the two weeks after they begin attending a church, he or she is likely to quit
attending. Also, most people need to attend a church and hear the gospel for three or four weeks
before they are prepared to make a decision for Christ or decide to join a church.
SUMMARY
The Evangelistic Church attempts to carry out the fundamental principle of Christianity,
i.e. getting unsaved people to become Christians. The Evangelistic Church takes on several
appearances. Sometimes it looks like a seeker driven or seeker sensitive church with
contemporary music and an up-to-date environment. Sometimes it resembles an evangelistic
crusade, but it's held on Sunday morning. Whatever its appearance, it is a church committed to