Church-Based Evangelism: Distinguishing the Mission Field of Here

The methodology of Church-Based Evangelism so far has addressed the foundation of evangelism in a church (The Missionary-Pastor and Giving the Charge) and the praxis of evangelism in a church (Keep Evangelism Simple, Giving the Opportunity, and Planning the Moment). Now, these articles will transition to discussing how to build a culture of evangelism in a church.

A common leadership phrase is “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Managing, maintaining, and fostering a culture of evangelism matters as much as any planning, charging, or strategy. Now, Church-Based Evangelism ought to have already begun creating a culture of evangelism in which every church member views himself as a missionary. With the pastor as the example of a soul-winner, the charge that sets the standard, and the purposeful planning and execution of evangelistic efforts, you ought to see immediate feedback in zeal for evangelism in your church. At the very least, there likely will be general excitement around it. The danger comes when the normal rhythms of the church return. A return to comfort and normalcy will likely compete with maintaining a zeal for evangelism. Nevertheless, when a church begins its journey into Church-Based Evangelism, the excitement surrounding evangelism is a wonderful blessing that must be embedded in the church’s DNA or culture to be sustained over the long term. Below, you’ll read several ways a church can cultivate a culture of evangelism.

First, a local church can cultivate a culture of evangelism by distinguishing its mission fields. Every church has two mission fields: here and there. Every church, no matter the size, has the mission field of here, the location where it exists, and there, the ends of the earth, and each field must be distinguished. Distinguishing is not just marking out where a local church will engage evangelistically; it is also about understanding and being able to describe these fields. Distinguishing the mission fields is not about where each local church takes the gospel, but how each local church makes disciples. It is also about how a church emphasizes the work in each mission field. The difference in how a church makes disciples here from there is the follow-up discipleship of new believers and the continuation of conversations with interested, lost people. In the here, a local church takes on all responsibility for the discipleship of a new believer and continual conversations with lost people who have been engaged. In the there, another local church will have to take on these responsibilities. This particular article will focus on the mission field of here.

The mission field of here is distinguished through three specific layers of consideration: distance, government lines, and cultural lines (see endnote). A simple way to understand the mission field here is to ask: If I lead this person to Christ, could he or she realistically be baptized and discipled in my church, or would it be better for another New Testament church to do so? If the former, that is the mission field of here. If the latter, that is the mission field of there. While that is a simple way to understand it, determining the line of demarcation of when here becomes there will be contextual. Which is why it is important to consider these three layers.

Layer One: Distance

The first layer in finding this line of demarcation is the distance (in minutes) your community is willing to travel in its primary mode of transportation (e.g., driving, walking, public transit) on a regular basis. Some communities’ distance will be 10 minutes, while other communities could be beyond 30 minutes. Urban communities are often shorter distances, especially if they are walking or public-transit communities. Rural communities often are willing to drive farther. Determine this number, then create a radius around your church with it. This is the farthest realistic here mission field. Any person you win to Christ within this radius, you can invite to your church, baptize, and disciple. This is the main factor in determining the mission field of here. The other layers provide subtle nuances and help in understanding the culture within this radius. If you have never considered this, start with your church members and where they live, especially those who are active in more than just the Sunday morning service. That will give you a starting indication as to how far people in your community are willing to travel.

Layer Two: Government Lines

The next layer for distinguishing the here mission field is government lines. Zip codes, school districts, city limits, voting precincts, congressional districts, neighborhoods, and service areas (police and fire department precincts, etc.) are all methods the government uses to define areas in which similar people often reside. These government lines can often communicate who the people around you are and what they care about. Sometimes these government lines are helpful; other times, they are not. For example, in the Memphis area, zip codes are incredibly helpful in defining the area and its people, and in helping a church understand the mission field. However, in a place like Alaska, a zip code like 99557, which is 13,000+ sq mi, is useless for understanding the mission field. School districts can often communicate a community's needs and desires and reveal a touchpoint for the community. Some school districts value football, while others value future job training. Understanding why these lines exist (and whether they are arbitrary) will help you understand the people and needs of the community in which your church is located.

Layer Three: Cultural Lines

The final layer for distinguishing the here mission field is cultural lines. Cultural lines are the least rigid and most arbitrary, yet they are created by an evolving culture. There are two kinds of cultural lines: hard and soft. Some of these lines can create insurmountable barriers, making a potential here mission field into a there mission field. These are hard cultural lines. A person living in Bayonne, New Jersey, is within the travel radius of a church on Staten Island, but he will have to pay a $17 toll each time he attends a service. That toll becomes a cultural line that can prevent an area from being a part of the here mission field. Another cultural line is language. If your church is not multilingual or has the capability to be multilingual, then a community that speaks a different language, even if next door to the church, becomes a there mission field.  In considering the here mission field, hard cultural lines must be acknowledged so that either accommodations are made or partnerships with other local churches are formed.

Some cultural lines are not insurmountable, but are culturally difficult. These are soft cultural lines. A railroad track running through the middle of a town can divide it, creating two distinct cultures, even though nothing prevents crossing it. Zip codes and neighborhoods often arise from cultural lines, so there may be overlap with government lines. Soft cultural lines often divide wealthy from impoverished areas, low-crime from high-crime areas, farmers from city folk, blue-collar from white-collar, and stable homes from unstable home areas. Sometimes a church exists solely in one of these cultural types. Sometimes a church straddles multiple cultures. Your church ought to reach the culture it is in and engage it in the way the culture does. If your distance radius has multiple cultures, you need to reach all of them. If your distance radius only has one culture, you need to reach that culture. Soft cultural lines sometimes shift over time and may lead to a different culture surrounding a church, even as the church still looks, acts, and thinks like the former culture. When this happens, a church needs to seek to reach the new culture, not the culture that used to be there. Understanding the soft cultural lines is not about becoming the culture around a church, but about knowing the culture's needs and desires.

All of these factors form a church’s mission field of here. Now, pastor, you need to show that this field is white with the harvest. Your church must constantly be reminded that it exists in the mission field of here to reach the people with the gospel. A great way to emphasize your mission field of here is to create a map and place it by the entrance/exit of your church building. Another helpful way to emphasize this is to mention the name of your mission field of here any time you talk about evangelism. If your zip code matches the mission field, mention it as often as possible. Or use the neighborhood name, the city name, or some other understandable indicator of the mission field. How you emphasize this mission field can vary and will be determined by your culture, but to create a culture of evangelism in your church, the church needs to be reminded that it has been placed in that mission field for a reason—to reach it.

Note: All of these factors are considered by a church planter before choosing a location. This article takes those factors and uses them to help an already established church understand its here mission field.

This article is written by Klayton Carson, pastor at Range Hills Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn.