Building a Highly Contagious Church Mark Mittelberg,

Apostolic Culture The goal is not … –implementation of a program –Training a few evangelistic front-line soldiers But … –To create an evangelistic, apostolic culture –To create “viral v.a.b.e.s”

Stage 1. Own and model evangelistic values. Overcoming evangelistic entropy Key idea: leaders must model contagious lives

4 R’s toward modeling 1.Repent 2.Read –use key Gospel passages like screensavers) Relate –To other contagious Christians who fire you up 1.Reach out –Take some relational risks

Stage 2. Instill evangelistic values in the people around us. Create a congregational culture where it is normal for people to think, pray, talk, and do evangelism Use your circle of influence within the church to complete discipleship by teaching evangelism

Stage 3. Empower an evangelistic “point person.” There must a contagious leader(s) beyond the pastor to instill the value in the church When a pastor (or a committee!) is in charge, evangelism focus is, at best, erratic

A caution about your point leader … Don’t necessarily put the obviously enthusiastic evangelist in your church in charge –They are typically admired for zeal but avoided for approach Pick someone with the gift of “leadership” who can have growing evangelistic passion

Stage 4. Liberate and equip every believer. Stages 4-6 are led by the point person of #3 Here, train 100% of the members of the church to be contagious –i.e., to understand their own evangelistic style, and the needs of hearers –Help them learn by doing and practicing

Stage 5. Build a diversified evangelism team. Use all of the gifts of the body of Christ to build a multifaceted approach –Keep them together for cross- pollination and encouragement Yet don’t pull together all of the evangelistic people in one segregated e-team –Rather let them serve as pace- setters within various ministries

Stage 6. Innovate high impact outreach ministries and events. “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity.” Colossians 4:5 Moving from individual toward team evangelism

Summary 1.Own and model 2.Instill the values 3.Empower a point person 4.Liberate and equip 5.Build the team 6.Outreach events/ministries

Building a Highly Contagious Church