Application: Practicing What We Know
You are probably familiar with the cycle of evangelism.
- Prepare the ground
- Plant the seed
- Cultivate the crop
- Harvest the fruit
- Preserve the harvest
Often, our evangelism efforts yield poorly because we fail to follow God's plan and attempt to do it our way. We like to skip the steps we don't like or the harder steps or the steps we don't think we have time for. But our way is never as good as God's way. God's way is always best, and following His way promises success. Even when we do our best to follow this cycle, yet neglect to incorporate the publishing ministry, our work will continue to be much less effective.
To illustrate this, consider the resources used in a typical evangelistic campaign.
Typical Campaign Effort
Goal: To baptize people
Preparation: ∗
Meetings: ∗∗∗∗∗∗∗∗
Follow-up: ∗
More Balanced Campaign Effort
Goal: To make disciples
Preparation: ∗∗∗∗∗∗∗
Meetings: ∗∗∗∗
Follow-up: ∗∗∗∗∗∗∗
What would this cycle look like with an emphasis on publishing?
| Phase | Activity | Participants | Objective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Scatter Literature | Lay members, literature evangelists | Distribute tracts, pamphlets, and books as seeds to arouse interest and curiosity. Give time for the literature to do its work. |
| Phase 2 | Deepen the interest through personal ministry. | Lay members, Bible worker, pioneer, literature evangelists | Use printed Bible studies, Sabbath school study guides, and tracts to help establish small study groups. Develop disciples. |
| Phase 3 | The call to decision | Pastor, evangelist | Evangelistic series supported by literature, Baptisms, company/group organized |
| Phase 4 | Disciple new believers | Lay members, Bible worker | New believers encouraged to read, continue with follow-up Bible study series, train them to give Bible studies and distribute literature |
| Phase 5 | Restart in a new place | New members with literature evangelists |
Publishing is the spine, not a department. Literature feeds every department of the church. It helps to unify language and theology.
The church board should include publishing in the plan of the church, both for members and for outreach. Consider forming visitor packs to give to each visitor.
Associating Literature with Events Every major activity should consider how to use literature before, during, and after the event.
Use a combination of local and regional printing. When to use regional: long-term planning, larger orders, etc When to use local: on-demand, response to an immediate need, local languages, smaller orders, etc