Session Two
Article One – “The Development of Evangelism in America” Chuck Monan
Article Two – “How a Whole Church Vanished” Dwight L. Baker
Article Three – “Outreach Choices” John Ellas
Application Points for Session Two:
In these three articles, learners will be challenged to consider -
• Why is it important to have a historical perspective on the development of Christianity in America?
• Why did the doctrine of Calvinism have such an important impact on Christian thought during the “Great Awakening” periods?
• What lessons are learned from what happened with the church in North Africa?
• John Ellis concludes in his article that “effective evangelism is a slow and relational process.” What are the implications of this statement?
• What would you describe as the “entry points,” “pathways,” and “invitations” that we make available to the un-churched?
Sunday Morning, December 14, 2003
Session Two – “Becoming Evangelistic People”
5 Minutes
Welcome & Prayer
10 Minutes
OPEN
How many of you grew up in a Christian family where a premium was placed on “passing the faith along?”
15-20 Minutes
DIG
The Puritans who founded the New England colonies were men and women of deep religious convictions. However, history records that in just a couple of generations, many of their descendants lost their religious fervor. How does this happen?
What can we do today to prevent this from happening with our children and grandchildren?
Why is it important to know our religious history as a restoration movement?
How did the article entitled “How a Whole Church Vanished” make you feel? What are some of your observations about the factors contributing to their decline and fall as it relates to the contemporary church in America?
Just as America’s future depends on healthy families giving birth to a new generation, Christianity’s future depends on churches having new births in Christ. When comparing information about churches that are growing in contrast to churches that are declining, tracking baptisms is a way to measure advances. Baptisms are properly separated into two categories to really measure a church’s evangelistic success. Biological growth represents baptisms of members’ children, and conversion growth quantifies the baptisms of individuals who were previously unchurched. Reaching the unchurched requires very intentional evangelistic strategies. How is the PV church doing on both of these fronts?
20 Minutes
REFLECT
Where do we each find the courage and convictions to confront another human being with the divine claims of Christ?
Churches of Christ have a deep-seated conviction that evangelism should receive top ministry emphasis. How might the church leadership take this conviction and radically change the culture of an “inward-focused church” to become more outreach-oriented?
5 Minutes
PRAYER TIME
How have you been convicted by this study this week?
Pray for the church leaders, ministry staff, and membership that we can catch an evangelistic vision.
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