Steve Sjogren offers ten practical reasons for using Servant Evangelism in your church:
1. It opens doors into the heart of your community.
2. It develops a doable ministry in your church.
3. It creates an opportunity for the church to "get involved."
4. It allows a few to touch many.
5. It gives practical tips for public considerations.
6. It is simple, non-aggressive and inexpensive.
7. It doesn't require extensive training.
8. It offers many evangelism and outreach strategies.
9. It nurtures team efforts and team-centeredness.
10. It is a lot of fun! (HT: BTW, you should be reading Steve's stuff)
And sometimes Rockbridge Seminary prof and all around great thinker/leader Gary Rohrmayer adds why he thinks they are important to the mission of the local church here. (HT) Notice how Gary sees the biblical basis behind what seems to many a radical, even emergent church practice. It's biblical to serve, folks.
Quoting Gary here: (And you should be reading his stuff too!)
I would add the following:
1. It promotes an incarnational spirit of evangelism. Getting people out of the building and onto the streets. John 20:21
2. It helps to identify the "men and women of peace" in our communities. Luke 10:5-6
3. It reinforces the gospel in the life of the participants.Philemon6
4. It shines a light in a dark world. Matthew 5:14-16
5. It is easily delegated to lay leadership. Professionals are not needed!
6. It promotes the values of kindness, generosity and servanthood.
7. It leverages permission based marketing.
8. It unleashes outreach creativity with the church. Ideas are limitless.
9. It provide an avenue for "Research & Development" in the local church.
10. It fills peoples buckets through a positive emotional experience.
New Hope folks, if you're reading this, how can we serve Valparaiso and our area in ways that surprise people with the grace of kindness and compassion, and give testimony to our love for Jesus and people?
Stay tuned, there could be a big announcement about that later today. :)
