Go, tell & celebrate!

Scripture commands followers of Jesus to give an account for the hope that is within them. As such, pastors and church leaders are ever-mindful of the task of mobilizing believers to share their faith. In addition to ongoing evangelistic prayer and training, JJ Washington—the North American Mission Board’s national director of personal evangelism—says there are four practices any church can implement to help build evangelistic momentum among its members. These principles undergird NAMB’s Who’s Your One? evangelism initiative.

1. Identify a goal

The first step, Washington says, is to decide on the evangelistic activity you want to measure. That could include praying for the lost, gospel conversations, professions of faith, or baptisms. “Some churches do all of these. Some measure praying … as well as those they’ve led to faith,” Washington said in a Who’s Your One? campaign video.

2. Track the numbers

Next, Washington encourages churches to create a simple system to collect the information they want to measure. Some churches choose to have members text metrics to their small group leader, who then reports them to the church office. Others create a designated email where numbers can be reported. Regardless of how you do it, this step will allow you to have a realistic understanding of where you are, which will in turn help you clarify a vision for where you want to go. 

3.  Post the data

“Display the results in a high-traffic area within the church so everyone can see what God is doing,” Washington said. This is one of the most recognizable steps of NAMB’s Who’s Your One? initiative. Many churches use color-coded ping pong balls displayed in a case somewhere in the church to represent lost people the church has prayed for, shared the gospel with, or led to faith in Christ. In one instance, Washington said a church posted two crosses—one that included white sticky notes on which the names of lost people were written, and the other adorned with red sticky notes that included the names of those who had made a profession of faith.

4. Celebrate the results

Report the results you’re experiencing on a regular basis when you gather corporately, including on Sunday mornings. “Celebration builds momentum,” Washington said, “and encourages others within the church to join God in what He is doing. … Churches that are intentional about celebrating evangelistic activity are bearing much fruit.”