The connection between evangelism and the local church

Evangelism is both a personal task and a team effort.

Think about fishing. Sometimes you can just walk to the pier, cast your line, and wait for your catch all by yourself. But if you ask the sailors on an ocean-going trawler what it’s like to catch tons of mackerel in rough seas, they’ll tell you that the job is impossible without mutual support and cooperation.

The fishing analogy does not cover everything about the connection between evangelism and the local church, but it is an image that has a biblical basis and helps us to understand it better. Jesus told his disciples to follow him, promising to make them «fishers of men,» and then sent them out two by two to preach and call people to repentance (Mark 1:17; 6:7, 13). Like fishermen on a trawler, we need the support and cooperation of the church to be successful in evangelism.

However, the connection between evangelism and the church has an even deeper meaning. Let us recall the first chapters of the book of Acts: the apostles preached the resurrection of Christ, and behind them stood a community of believers who lived in unity, had everything in common,

«praising God and having favor with all the people» (Acts 2:47; 5:13).

The life of this church, which became the backdrop for the preached Gospel, itself served as its living testimony. This aroused respect and affection for Christians among many residents of Jerusalem, which, apparently, contributed to the growth of the number of new converts and baptisms.

It is possible that Peter was appealing to the same principles he saw in the early days of the church in Jerusalem. When he described the church as «a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation» (1 Peter 2:9), he was emphasizing its uniqueness and its calling to a mission—to bear witness to God’s virtues. This calling is manifested not only in words but also in a life that confirms the faith it preaches:

«That in the thing in which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works of which they are eyewitnesses glorify God in the day for his inspection.» (1 Peter 2:12).

In the early chapters of Acts and 1 Peter (2:1), the church feels like a hive—a bustling ball of honeyed sweetness, pulsing with the movement of bees working tirelessly. The hive is necessary for the work of every bee, and every bee is a part of that work. What does this say about the relationship between evangelism and the church?

No analogy is all-encompassing or all-encompassing. However, let us try to summarize the relationship between church and evangelism in the Bible in four systematic statements, and then see what practical lessons we can learn for the local church.

1. EVANGELIZATION DIRECTS PEOPLE TO GOD, NOT TO THE CHURCH

If you were trying to convince someone to join your club, you would point out all the benefits of the club: how fun it is for members to spend time with each other, the annual table tennis tournament, etc. But that’s not how evangelism and the local church work.

Evangelism directs people to God, not to the church. This is the first statement.

Paul tells the Corinthians that Christ has given him (and them) «the ministry of reconciliation» and «the word of reconciliation.» He (and they) are «ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his appeal to us through them.» And this message of reconciliation is simple: «Be reconciled to God» (2 Cor. 5:18-21).

The Good News of the evangelist is not about «being reconciled to other people,» even though that Good News will result in people being reconciled to one another. Instead, the Good News of the evangelist is how a person can be reconciled to God. Everything else flows from that.

2. THE CHURCH IS ONE OF THE RESULTS OF EVANGELIZATION

Thus, the first desired outcome of evangelism is reconciliation with God. But there is also a second desired outcome: reconciliation with the people of God, the local church.

If your doctrine of repentance does not include the church element, you are missing an important part of the process. The covenant head must have a covenant people. Our church unity in Christ is not simply a consequence of repentance, it is part of the process itself. Reconciliation with God’s people is distinct from, but inseparable from, reconciliation with God.

All of this is beautifully demonstrated in Ephesians 2:1-10. Verses 1-10 explain forgiveness and our vertical reconciliation with God: «by grace you have been saved.» Verses 11-22 present the horizontal:

«For He is our peace, who has made the two one, and has broken down in His flesh the middle wall of hostility» (v. 14).

Notice that the action in verse 14 is in the past tense. Christ has already made Jew and Gentile one. This is what they are because God did it, and God did it right where He accomplished the vertical reconciliation—on the cross of Christ (see also Eph. 4:1-6).

In short, we are saved and placed among the people of God.

The first chapters of the book of Acts demonstrate what this looks like in practice:

«Then they, when they had gladly received his word, were baptized: and that day there were added unto them about three thousand souls» (Acts 2:41; see also 2:47; 4:4; 6:7).

People believe in Christ and are added to the «number» of the church in Jerusalem. They are counted. Their name is added. If they had cameras, their photos would probably end up in the church catalog!

Life after conversion takes the form of church fellowship. Christians should be in local churches, and that is where the evangelist will send people.

3. EVANGELIZATION IS THE WORK OF THE CHURCH

Third, evangelism is the work of the church. When a person is reconciled to God and (respectively) to God’s people, he or she receives a new assignment: to share the gospel with others. «Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,» Jesus said (Mark 1:17; also Matt. 28:19). In other words, every Christian and member of the church is called to share the gospel.

The first chapters of the book of Acts emphasize the preaching of the apostles, but when persecution began in Jerusalem and the church was scattered,

«And those who were scattered went about preaching the word» (Acts 8:4).

Local churches exist to worship God and to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. That is why teachers teach and church members learn. In fact, Jesus gives so-called evangelists, pastors, and teachers to the church to equip its members for ministry (Eph. 4:11-12), a ministry that undoubtedly includes evangelism.

We work together to catch fish.

4. THE CHURCH IS AN APOLOGETIC IN EVANGELIZATION

The lives of a transformed people, united in local churches, should also bear witness to the Gospel that saved them. «Gospel doctrine,» as Ray Orlund has written, «creates a gospel culture.» And this culture, embodied in our churches, should be attractive to people on the outside, at least to some (see 2 Cor. 2:15-16).

This brings us back to the image of the church as a buzzing, honey-filled hive. We see this in the book of Acts and 1 Peter (2). We also see it in the Gospel of Matthew (5), where Jesus speaks of the church as salt and light (vv. 13-16). And it is vividly depicted in the Gospel of John (13), where Jesus says:

«A new commandment I give to you: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another» (vv. 34-35).

Our good deeds toward outsiders and our love for church members point to Jesus!

All of this suggests that the local church is an apologist in evangelism. The life of the church testifies in favor of the gospel. Believers living in unity testify to the power of God in salvation. As we sit hearing the preaching of God’s Word week after week, and as the Spirit gradually shapes us into the image of His Son, we are an example of what the gospel can do for us as individuals and as a people.

Gradually, we become a new human community that follows the One who is «the firstborn of all creation» (Col. 1:15). And this new human community serves as a wonderful backdrop or billboard for our evangelism. It offers a contrasting culture to the culture of this world.

PRACTICAL CONCLUSIONS

What practical lessons can we learn from these four systemic principles? Often pastors try to strengthen the evangelistic ministry of the church by calling people to share the Gospel. That is certainly one aspect. But it is also critical to cultivate the church as a contrasting culture that serves as an attractive backdrop for evangelism.

1. Evangelism should lead to baptism and membership. Churches should not evangelize and leave new Christians alone. Nor should they evangelize, baptize, and then perhaps later induct someone into the church. Except in special cases (such as the Ethiopian eunuch), churches should do what the church in Jerusalem did: baptize people in their community (Acts 2:41). After all, baptism is the church’s official and authorized sign by which the church officially confirms a person as a believer. This confirmation must be protected and sustained by ongoing oversight through membership and Communion. We do not leave new chicks outside the nest; we bring them in.
2. Teach members to integrate their lives with one another. To strengthen the apologetic power of the church, members should be constantly reminded through the teaching of the Word and the observance of the Lord’s Supper that we are one body (e.g., 1 Cor. 10:16-17; 1 Cor. 12). They should be called to show hospitality (Rom. 12:13; 1 Pet. 4:9). All of this creates an attractive witness of the Gospel to those around them.
3. Teach members to sacrifice for one another. More specifically, Christians should think about how best to sacrifice for one another, financially and in other ways (e.g., Acts 2:42-46; 2 Cor. 8-9; 1 Pet. 4:10). Especially today, in a consumerist society, the example of shared generosity among believers becomes a powerful counterculture. Remember, Jesus told Christians to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34)—a sacrificial love, if there ever was one.
4. Practice Church Discipline. Christian hypocrites and heretics among us undermine the witness of the church. When church members are known in the community as liars, gossipers, and adulterers, the evangelistic work of that church will not be successful. Churches must confront and discipline members who are unrepentant in their sins. Ironically, this serves to evangelize the unrepentant church member himself (see 1 Cor. 5:4) as well as those who observe such a process from the outside (see 1 Cor. 5:1-2).
5. Teach members to share the gospel. Church leaders should find ways to teach each member the basics of the faith. This can be done through sermons, Sunday school or small group classes, church membership interviews, and other methods.
6. To encourage members to live lives that bless those outside the church. Members of the church are, we hope, known for their kindness, friendliness, and willingness to help. Good works should adorn our evangelistic words.
7. Inviting people to formal and informal church meetings. The life of the church together attracted the attention of non-believers. It pointed to something they had never seen. In other words, inviting outsiders to see and experience the real life of the local church should definitely be part of our evangelism.
8. Set an example in evangelism. Wherever ministers are known for their evangelism, church members can be expected to follow them and evangelize. Where ministers are passive, church members will be passive as well.
9. Share stories of evangelism and conversion. Church leaders should include stories of evangelism encounters in their sermons and classes. Church members should share prayer requests for evangelism opportunities. Baptismal candidates should have the opportunity to share their conversion stories. Moments like these help make evangelism a «normal» part of the Christian life.
10. Brag about your church. Christians should look for ways to speak positively and appreciatively about their local churches to unbelieving friends, but not with pride or arrogance. Doing this well, of course, takes practice.

CONCLUSION

Properly understanding and practicing the relationship between the local church and evangelism requires more than just calls for evangelism. It requires attention to issues of church policy and governance, membership, and discipline. It requires building a healthy church that is under the preaching of God's Word and understands that God has entrusted the church with this important work.

It requires godly leaders who teach and lead by example. And it requires church members who love Jesus and increasingly can’t help but praise the One who brought them from death to life—both inside and outside the church.