"Small town evangelism" sounds like an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms. With no municipal arenas to rent for crusades and precious few new residents to call on, how does a church pursue evangelism? Don't "revivals" attract only the solidly saved? A few wayward teenagers might be threatened into attending one or two nights, but they usually slip out at half time to smoke in the parking lot.

Most people in the five small Midwestern towns where I've pastored have appeared to be either clean-living church members or well-certified non-believers. The lines are clearly drawn and memorized, raising a valid question: What does evangelism mean in a place with fewer than three stoplights?

The Needy Are with Us Always

The starting point is to remember that every community has people with needs; some just hide it better than others. No village or rural area is without the following three types:

1. Active church members who are not in a right relationship with God. Unless these are evangelized, outreach ...