Leadership Journal

In the early days of the city of Chicago, some bold engineers succeeded in an amazing feat. They actually reversed the flow of the Chicago River. Instead of dirty water flowing into Lake Michigan, the river was dredged and channeled to flow out of Lake Michigan to a canal that eventually connected to the river system that would flow into the Mississippi River.
A similar challenge awaits every pastor who takes the Great Commission seriously. The natural flow of most churches is not toward evangelism. The reasons are many: a culture increasingly hostile to the message of Christ, fear of rejection, an inward focus on our own needs.
Even so, some pastoral "engineers" have succeeded at reversing attitudes in their congregations and are seeing notable results. Leadership invited three such leaders to discuss the task.
Jerry Cline has served nine years as pastor of Upland Evangelical Mennonite Church in Upland, Indiana. Before that he served for eight years with Overseas Crusades, six in Indonesia.
Mark Mittelberg is executive vice president of the Willow Creek Association and co-author of Becoming a Contagious Christian, book and training course (Zondervan, 1994 & 1995). Prior to joining the staff of the Association, Mark served for seven years as the director of evangelism at Willow Creek Community Church, where he continues to be evangelism trainer and a frequent speaker at seeker-oriented events.
Mike Slaughter has, for nearly two decades, pastored Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio. He is author of Out on the Edge (Abingdon, 1998) and Spiritual Entrepreneurs (Abingdon, 1995).

How do you shift people's attitude from "I should evangelize" to "I want to evangelize"?

Mike Slaughter: Renewal is God-breathed, not programed or planned. Pastors come to conferences wanting methodology and technology. We do media and all that, but when we started using media I began an hour to two hours of prayer every morning. God chooses to act in certain times and places. People in that place have a passion for God and a passion for people. From the pulpit you see those people who are taking notes and nodding their heads. They exemplify fruits of openness and love. My strategy has been to get that group together. I say to these people, "Carolyn and I are starting a group in our home on Wednesday evenings. The only requirement of those who come is that in six months to a year they begin to invest in the lives of others." I call it the "sanctified Amway plan." Mark Mittelberg: You begin with your own heart. If it's not what it ought to be, admit that to God and then to the people around you. Tell others, "I want to be a person who values lost people and reaches them for Christ more than I do now. I also want our church to do that, and I'm going to pray to that end. Hebrews 10 says we are to spur each other on to love and good deeds. Let's commit ...