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Introducing people to faith in Christ is a central component of what it means to be the church.

Like me, many of you were raised and still minister in an environment where the Great Commission is followed by a public call to salvation at the end of every church service.

The Altar Call is such an integral part of many Evangelical churches that we feel like we’re letting God and the people down if we don’t do one every week.

I have struggled to do this effectively for my entire pastoral ministry. Some of that struggle is because I don’t have the spiritual gift of evangelism. Yet. I recognize that not having the gift of evangelism doesn’t exempt me from obeying the command to evangelize.

Why The Public Salvation Call Is Harder In A Small Church

In addition to not being gifted in that way, I have also discovered that the public salvation call (like a "come to the front" or "raise your hand" invitation) is also much harder to do in a small church environment than in a big church, for two reasons:

First, it's intimidating. In a small room you’re likely to be the only person responding, so you really stand out (that "close your eyes and bow your heads" request is regularly violated, after all.)

I know, I know … many of you are cracking your knuckles right now, getting ready to start typing "if they really meant it, they'd want people to see them." But that's simply not true.

Not everyone is comfortable standing out in a crowd for any reason, no matter how much the decision matters to them.

While we don’t want to make this important step so easy that it doesn’t really register with people, we shouldn’t make it harder than it has to be. We can’t exclude the sincere seeker just because they’re shy, or because they’re wanting to start their walk with Jesus in a more personal, private way.

Second, for the pastor and the church, the weekly public salvation invitation is more likely to be a discouraging event than an encouraging one. Here’s why.

Many healthy churches see an annual water baptism rate of about 10 percent of their weekly attendance. If your church runs 1,000, that means 100 baptisms per year, or two per week, which means you can expect about four or five raised hands on a typical weekend.

Meanwhile, a very healthy church of 50 or so (which is the normal church size) will see about 5 baptisms per year from maybe 10-12 raised hands per year. That's less than one response in a typical month, meaning you'll end most services on the down note of "no one raised their hand ... again.”

Altar Call Alternatives

The good news is, most of the people who have accepted Christ over the last 2,000 years did not respond to a "raise your hand" or "come forward” Altar Call. So if a public call to salvation isn’t working in your church, you’re not closing the door to heaven if you don’t have one every week.

Here are a couple alternatives that I’ve seen work in smaller churches:

1. Have a monthly Open House Sunday.

Once a month, everyone is encouraged to bring their unchurched friends because the message will be specifically salvation-oriented, concluding with a salvation invitation.

Many small church sermons aren’t aimed at unsaved people, not because we don’t care about their salvation, but because there are many Sundays without any unsaved people in the room, so we speak to the people who are there, not to the people who aren’t.

This is why many church members don’t invite their friends. They might get a lot out of that sermon on Romans 7, but it’s not a great message for them to invite a nonbeliever to hear, so they never know when to ask them to come.

When we designate a specific Sunday every month for a salvation emphasis, our church members are more likely to invite their unsaved friends because the day is tailored for that. They also know that other church members are more likely to have friends there, too.

2. Offer a call to salvation that doesn’t require a public response. Yet.

A public acknowledgement of salvation is not an option for the believer. We are clearly instructed to “confess with your mouth” (Romans 10:9-13). But that confession doesn’t have to be at the very moment of decision. It can come later, without any risk of not being saved in the meantime. In most churches, that happens when they’re baptized.

Here are couple ideas for a more personal salvation response:

A simple "repeat with me" sinner's prayer, which everyone in the room is asked to say, in support of those saying it for the first time. This can be followed by designating a place for them to check in, with someone who is trained to answer their questions. In our church, we have a reception area where they can receive a free Bible, a What’s Your Next Step? booklet, and a chance to ask any questions and be prayed for.

Another alternative is to have trained church members who wear a special pin, lanyard, T-shirt or something else that identifies them as someone who can answer questions and pray with people.

Be Ready

In the small church, while we aren’t likely to see salvations every week, we must be ready for them.

Like a fisherman, we need to repair our nets during the off-season so no one slips through the gaps during the on-season.

The Great Commission is not a suggestion. But it shouldn’t be seen as a burden, either.

Like all valuable aspects of life, we need to be prayed up, prepared and ready, so we can seize the opportunity when God brings it.

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