QUESTION
Is it really OK for a church to set a goal for baptisms? Isn’t that a work of the Holy Spirit?
ANSWER
It’s been said over and over, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time!” One way to prioritize evangelism is to set a goal for how many baptisms you would like to see in a year. That will give you an opportunity to measure how well you are doing in reaching your community for Christ.
Obviously, the Holy Spirit must bring conviction to those who hear the Word and the Heavenly Father will draw them to salvation by grace through faith. But our Lord gave the Great Commission and instructed us as believers to make disciples and baptize them in his name (Matthew 28:19-20).
Setting a baptismal goal reminds the church that every member’s responsibility is to share the good news of the gospel and trust God to bless the witnessing effort.
QUESTION
We have festivals and events, but not much witnessing. Is evangelism old school?
ANSWER
Absolutely NOT! Three things must happen in order for evangelism to take place:
1. Unsaved people must be present,
2. The gospel must be presented,
3. An invitation to respond must be given.
Far too many church events never include all three of these requirements.
The next time a church event is being planned, ask how you plan to invite lost friends, how will the gospel be shared, and how will you offer a response time. By
doing so, you will start to intentionally make church events evangelistic opportunities.
Pat Pajak is IBSA’s associate executive director for evangelism. Send questions for Pat to Illinois Baptist@IBSA.org.