Door-to-door evangelism can revitalize worship
Let's say you could change one thing about your congregation. What would it be?
A better youth program?
Stimulating and provocative sermons?
A service of contemporary worship?
Perhaps a better building, something up-to-date and functional?
All these would enhance a congregation's sense of well-being, but they aren't the one thing many congregations need. The missing link in a good many churches, synagogues and mosques is a zeal for evangelism. Mind you, by zeal I don't mean that people are being tackled in shopping malls and dragged to worship.
I mean the kind of zeal that wants the best for other people, especially family and friends. It means an eagerness to tell others about your religion and to help them find an inner peace they have not been able to discover on their own.
Some of you may know that Billy Graham recently finished a major crusade in the Twin Cities. I had the privilege of interviewing both the elder Graham and his 43-year old son, Franklin, heir to the vast evangelistic organization.
You also may know that Franklin had a somewhat wild youth, drinking too much whiskey and running around the world, narrowly avoiding trouble everywhere he went. At one point, Billy and Franklin met abroad and arranged to have lunch together. During lunch, Billy suddenly said, "Franklin, I sense that you are in the middle of a spiritual crisis."
Franklin was shocked that his father could read him that quickly and correctly. And from that day forward Franklin's life took a turn, got straightened out and stayed on course.
That's the kind of zeal I mean. It's really just a concern for others. If you believe your religion is true, that it offers the best plan for living a happy life and holds a believable scenario for eternal life, why wouldn't you want to share that with everyone you know and love?
That's one kind of evangelism, a personal invitation to get right with God. But there are other legitimate ways of dispensing the wisdom of your religion without being a pest or a bunkshooter.
You may be surprised to learn, for example, that I believe door-to-door evangelism can be an effective tool. Few congregations do it but if it's done right, you will gain friends and members for your congregation.
The first rule is to make a quick hit. Ring the doorbell, state your mission, offer a brochure and leave. Visits should never take more than a minute unless you're invited inside. But even then, keep the visit short.
And if those people you visited actually show up at church, make a return visit and bring them a plate of cookies. At least make a phone call and thank them for attending worship.
There are so many other ways to evangelize a neighborhood. Big events such as ice-cream socials will bring people out of their homes and onto church property. But unless you make personal contact while they're on the grounds, they're unlikely to return. So have greeters spotting strangers all over the church lawn and be sure to issue a clear invitation.
The one problem with big events is they sometimes work too well. Some congregations have reported difficulty welcoming the large number of visitors who come to big events. But if you have a system in place for fitting strangers into the congregation, you should have a happy result.
One more piece of advice. In future, the church must welcome people from every ethnic background. It is an absolute scandal that worship is still the most segregated hour of the week. If you're in a mixed-race neighborhood, door-to-door evangelism is essential.
The important thing is to take the first step. Don't let your congregation shrivel up and die. That's happening all over the nation. Your congregation could be different.
Clark D. Morphew
7-20-96
