Our Altar Call Follow-up

"John, stay with me," I said. I could see his eyes open and close as the young man sitting next to me was clearly under the influence of some kind of narcotic. John was one of a handful of people who responded to the altar call during the Sunday service and came to the Guest Lounge for follow-up.

Once I finished my presentation of the gospel, we talked briefly about his background and what made him want to accept Christ that morning. Fighting back tears, John said, "Would you pray for me? I want to be clean. I want to get better." After we prayed, I encouraged him to continue coming back to church and told him that "half of success in life is just showing up!" Though the people and the circumstances change from week to week, this conversation with John was not unusual for me in my role as assimilation pastor.

Every week I meet people like John. While they represent a wide range of needs and backgrounds, they are all responding to the gospel, wanting something better for their lives. Over the years, I've learned two major things regarding evangelism in this environment, (1) "Assumption is the lowest form of knowledge" and (2) "Don't assume that anyone is or isn't saved just because of their background or their outward appearance." That's the Holy Spirit's job. I've learned to curb my assumptions and let God work.

Critical moments

In the Guest Lounge after the service, I have only 5-10 minutes with those who've responded. Every second is precious. My goal is threefold: (1) to make sure they are encouraged and celebrated for their decision to respond to God, (2) to clarify the gospel message, and (3) to provide our follow-up steps to get them in community in our church.

As a quick starting point, I use the simple question: If you stood before God right now, and he asked you why you should get into heaven, what would you say? In my experience, 75 percent of people who respond to an altar call still don't know the basis of their hope of salvation, even after just hearing a clear gospel presentation. The answers I receive to that question range from "I don't know" to "I'm a good person" and even "I don't think I'd get in … I've done too much bad in my life."

The first step in discipleship is clarifying a person's understanding of the gospel. This needs to be done right away. As I go around the circle asking that question, I once again explain what Christ did for us that we could not do for ourselves, the doctrine of salvation and justification, through a series of stories, analogies, and Scripture. I assure each person that it is by grace through faith in Christ alone that God welcomes someone into heaven. It is my hope that they leave that room 100 percent assured of their status with God.

Tangible takeaways

Then I emphasize the importance of Christian community, that church is so much more than a weekly event. Life is not meant to be lived alone but together in a community of believers who can help them in times of need and also help them grow in their new-found faith.

I point to the next steps we'd encourage them to take, including getting baptized and attending our six-week Foundations and three-week Partnership classes where they will learn more about the Bible, our church beliefs, and how to use their gifts to serve others. I give them a brochure that reinforces the purpose of these classes and gives the dates of when they are held as well as the next baptism service. I also give them a copy of the book The Surprise of Your Life! It is an easy-to-understand explanation of the gospel. This reinforces their decision and also gives them an immediate opportunity to share the gospel with someone else by passing the book along.

To build upon the momentum of what God is doing and to help these new believers feel connected in our community, I call everyone that same week. It's important that I make those calls since I was the person who just had an encounter with them the past Sunday. During these calls I get to hear more of the heart and circumstances behind what led these men and women to respond to the gospel message.

During those follow-up calls, I congratulate them once again for having the courage to show up to church and accept our invitation to come to the Guest Lounge. I then ask them how their week is going and if there is something that I can pray with them about. Once again, I remind them of the next Foundations class and baptism service so they can sign up as soon as possible.

Oh, and about John. The next Sunday, when I turned around in my front row seat to greet those around me, guess who was sitting directly behind me, clear-eyed and grinning ear to ear? He wanted to let me know that he "got it" and that he wanted to "show up." Since his encounter with God in the Guest Lounge, he put himself into a sober-living home and he has been clean ever since!

It is my joy every week to help people understand that they are going to spend eternity with God in heaven while having an abundant life here on earth through the local church. What could be better than that?

Rick Campana is pastor of assimilation at The Connect Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. For a copy of the script that Rick presents in the Guest Lounge, email him at rickcampana@verizon.net