be the first of many such talks you will earplugs to individuals who are noise sen- We make praying for lost people a con-
have with your new friend. God will use sitive. We don’t want anything to get in gregational focus. In our auditorium, we
these times to soften their heart and open the way of someone coming to faith. have four large clear windows. We
their mind to the Gospel. As you go through the service, are you encourage people to write the names of
We live in a complicated world, and sensitive to time issues? It is important their lost friends on these glass windows
people’s lives are just as complicated. Do not to waste time. Cherish every minute inside our auditorium. Thousands of
not be discouraged if your friend does not you have and use it appropriately. names have been written on these win-
accept Christ after the first spiritual con- dows. Each name represents a person
versation. Use this time to build trust and
Salvation Focus
who is headed for a Christ-less eternity.
to deepen your friendship. Continue to As the message is given, always con- Each week as we see these names, we are
pray for your friend and, by all means, sider the lost people who may be listen- reminded that lost people matter to God
invite them to church. ing. At the conclusion of most of our ser- and they ought to matter to us.
vices, we give people an opportunity to There is a cost involved in reaching lost
Welcoming Environment
make a decision to follow Christ. The people. Our auditorium seats only 500. We
As I said earlier, we not only prayed subject matter may be parenting, life offer three Sunday morning services on our
for lost people, but we planned for them. skills, spiritual gifts, or serving, but main campus and will be opening a video
As church leaders, it is our responsibility regardless of what I am speaking on, I try campus at a local high school auditorium
“We reshaped our church to be a congregation
in September 2009. As church leaders, we
cannot allow the size of our buildings to
that loves and lives for lost people. We embraced determine the size of our harvest. Remem-
the fact that lost people matter to God and they
ber, God wants to build His church and He
ought to matter to the church.”
wants to use you and your congregation to
do it. It’s harvest time.
to create a welcoming environment for to end the message by giving people an
our new friends. opportunity to be saved. Marty Baker is founding and
When people drive onto your church Once a person commits his or her life senior pastor of Stevens Creek
property, what do they see? Are the to Christ, encourage them to begin pray- Community Church in
grounds in order? Do you have friendly ing for their friends and to be open to Augusta, Georgia, which began
faces in the parking lot helping the first- having spiritual conversations with them. in 1987.
timer find his or her way? When the first-
time guest walks through the door, is
there a greeter there to help with chil-
dren? Are your nurseries and children’s
Later Than We Think
ministries safe?
What about your language? Do you
Oswald J. Smith said, “Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill
use a lot of “insider” talk? We have to be
the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.”
careful with our words. Unchurched peo-
The Great Commission Symposiums offer unique opportunities for the Church of
ple may not understand some of the
God to recapture a vision of the true value of a soul. If history is any indicator, the
words that we use. It is important to com-
Holy Spirit will likely use this corporate gathering to prophetically stir our passion
municate in a way people can understand.
and remind us that the “bottom line” is not money but ministry. This refocusing is
When they walk into the auditorium,
long overdue and will no doubt require deep repentance and a total reorientation of
is there someone there to help them find a
priorities. Can we afford anything less?
seat? Is there a worship guide or a bulletin
It is later than we think. The imminent return of Jesus Christ demands that we
that helps them understand the order of
strip away every nonessential and urgently respond to the Spirit’s call. Though we
the service? What about the music? Are
live in perilous times, we must not retreat into isolation nor be preoccupied with idle
there enough hymnals for everyone or do
gazing into heaven. Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with ban-
you have a projection system that displays
ners, the Church must arise and take Jesus to the streets.
the words of the songs that you sing? Is
It is time to ask largely. The Lord said, “Ask of Me, and I will surely give the
the music too loud? At our church, we like
nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession”
to “feel” the music. However, we under-
(Psalm 2:8, NASB). —Mark L. Williams, second assistant general overseer
stand that some of our guests are not
accustomed to loud music, so we offer
EVANGEL • SEP 2009 11
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