Spirit of Evangelism: Massive Men

Promise Seekers/Standing In The Gap Event

Standing In The Gap, Washington, DCI remember sitting in a huge circus like tent at Jesus 76, an outdoor Jesus Rally in Lancaster Country in 1976. Ern Baxter had announced that if there were any young men who “aspired some day to become an elder” they were welcome to come to this tent for what had previously been advertized as a pastors, youth pastors, leadership seminar during the noon hour. He was speechless when he found the tent not only filled but six deep around the outside perimeters of those who accepted his challenge.

Sitting there, I asked the Lord to reveal to me what was happening. The still small voice assured me that these men sitting here would be men of God, raising up godly families, being a fulfillment to their godly wives, and would be the back bone of many a local church for their generation.

Twenty years later another evangelistic movement, The Promise Keepers, would target men. Founded by a college football coach, Promise Keepers would pack out football stadiums and arenas throughout the United States and other Countries, as all speakers, music etc. became an evangelistic endeavor to lead men into the saving grace of Jesus Christ and impact their lives and the lives of their families.

One of the most impressive events that I have ever attended was the Standing In The Gap event, sponsored by the Promise Keepers in Washington, D.C. on a Saturday. Parking far out of the city limits, my two sons and I took the subway in to the Mall Area of the Capital. Even though it was still early morning, I could only find a small patch of dirt for my one son and myself to sit upon near the old Smithsonian building while my other son and a friend tried to get closer to the front stage. By noon there was not an inch of exposed dirt left for one to sit upon in the Mall, as the wall of male humanity reigned clear to the Washington Monument.

I will never forget when every man knelt, face down in the grass, backsides raised, while in pure silence for quite a period of time of prayer. With hundreds of thousands of men present, you could still hear the pigeons fly, sirens in the distance, cars driving by the perimeter of the event. A Holy Hush prevailed as the united effort of hundreds of thousands of men prayed for their families, churches, and country. Words cannot really express that moment.

Not everyone gets the opportunity to see the seeds of hope become fulfillment in the magnitude I witnessed. Men jammed in and beyond a circus tent wanting to live godly lives, nurture godly marriages, and raise godly families had a generation later, approx. 20 years, the opportunity to bring their sons to see hundreds of thousands of men fill every inch of ground at the nations Mall to again pray for their lives, their marriage, and their families to be or remain godly.

I must admit that Standing In The Gap will probably be the most impressive mass evangelistic meeting that I will ever be a part of in my life time. Thank you Promise Keepers for having the vision to reach out to thousands of men, filling football stadiums for men cheering something than their idol, sports.  Hearing a stadium roar for Jesus is incredible. 

Spirit of Evangelism: There's Something Wrong With This!

 

Sent Out Or Come In: I Am Confused!

"Have all the world come into your house of worship and preach the good news to all creation." Executeus 15:15.

    

I may have it wrong, but I do believe that the Great Commission is for the Church TO GO OUT to the world, not trick the world to come into the church.  Where has this mentality come from that you have "to invite people to your church building" so they hear the gospel. What does this say about those who attend that church regularly?  Don't they know how to lead someone to the Lord? Can't they share the gospel?  Where is the "sent out" part in all this?  This is the same christian group that claims "apostle" means "one who is sent out", like a missionary they say.  Yet this group also boasts that there are no longer apostles because they all died out when the Cannon, or Written Word, the Bible, came into being.

They may be right for they aren't "sending anyone out", only inviting "outsiders" in.  "Insider" and "outsider" mentality can become very dangerous, and the unchurched sense that mentality very quickly. What inside a church will attract a person to come in? A free newspaper and a clean car?  Shows how cheap we can be! How about throwing in a free "Starbuck's" coffee from the church's coffee shop, and a free book from their book store! Ooops, that means I would have to come inside to get them too!

"Hey, how about if I invite you to Starbucks to get a coffee and a pastry? I'll buy. Throw in a paper if you wish. Let's sit on the couch by the window. I have a personal story from my life's experiences that I would like to share with you. I know it makes me vulnerable, but I will take the risk. By the way, I want to hear your story too if you wish to share it with me!" (See my previous blog.)

Spirit of Evangelism: Evangelistic Meetings

Special Evangelistic Meetings At The Local Church

      The church where I grew up had “Revival Meetings” twice a year which basically were a week of special church services where a visiting Evangelist would come and preach. Often many of the 12-13 year olds would come forward to accept Jesus Christ. The kids who had been raised in the church called it “joining church”. After the week of meetings, and after the evangelist left to go home, special classes were given to teach basically denominational doctrine, then the “candidate” was baptized in water as an outward sign for what had happened inwardly. The last Sunday of the week of services was usually a big deal with a congregational dinner following the service.

Two things stick out in my memory about these services:

1) Although attending dozens of them, I did not accept Jesus at any of them. I accepted Jesus while sitting in the lounge chair in our living room at home, as the sun peered through the front window. In the warmth of that moment, somehow, I knew God was real, and made a life changing commitment. My parents never understood what had happened because I never “went forward” to the altar at one of these services. Later I would discover that John Wesley wrote about his conversion, “I was strangely warmed”, and I know that is what I had also experienced.

2) I know of a person who “joined church” but did not accept Jesus as their Savior. When taking communion, they would actually get ill. I had an opportunity to lead that person into the kingdom of God, introducing them to Jesus as the Lord and Savior, and they have been enjoying communion ever since.

But again, an evangelist is brought in for a series of meetings or services, only to leave when the event is completed. Most of Christianity looks at the evangelist as a parachurch ministry rather than an extension of the local church. At least that is the current mindset in most churches. That needs to change, which we will examine in future blogs.

Spirit of Evangelism: Radio & Televangelist

From The Airwaves To The Receivers

I remember clearly listening as a kid to WGCB-Red Lion who featured a new radio preacher every every fifteen minutes.  Often the doctrines between the back to back programs were the opposite, one right wing conservative preacher speaking against tongues, followed by Jimmy Swiegart preaching the Baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of tongues.  It was quite confusing to me as a church kid. I can imagine what a nonbeliever thought if he accidently had it cross his dial.

With the dawn of television came an onslought of televangelists who now had the capability to preach to millions of people.  Pat Robertson founded CBN, Jim and Tammy Baker started PTL, Paul Crouch of TBN, and now Roy and Wendy Alec of GodTV. These networks can feature 24-7 televangelists and telepreachers.  Many of the names of preachers on these networks have become house hold names to both the christian and nonchristian.  The fall of Jim Baker, the crying of Jimmy Sweigart pleading, "I have sinned", the recent fall of Todd Bently with the Lakeland, Florida revival are landmarks in chrisitian television history.  Just as in the days of the huge mega-Crusades, the world of television preachers and evangelists is seeking accountability to give its medium credibility. 

What can we learn from the televangelist's journey?  Television costs millions of dollars, and the lavish lifestyles of the televangelist has always been what is questioned, not his evangelistic message.  His prosperity message is hammered by the press, but the truth of the simple salvation message, the basis of evangelism, has never been questioned. As Billy Graham has brought accountability to the Crusade movement, Pat Robinson has brought through his Christian Broadcast Network.  

     I was once at an evangelistic meeting where the speaker asked for a raise of hands of those who had been lead to the Lord through television.  Only a hand full of hands were raised.  When asked how may through a Crusade, a few more hands were raised.  When asked how many were lead by one on one discussion with a person, almost 85% of the hands were raised.  What does that tell us?   

Spirit of Evangelism: Billy Graham Crusades

Stability & Expansion

History has proven, that when ministries expand, budgets become huge, and staff increases, the Press invades asking where all the money has come from and where it is going. The same was true to the big Crusades as their staffs lived well while draining local ministries financially and physically. Along came a young evangelist from North Carolina who would bring accountability back into Crusade ministry, Billy Graham, for he created the Billy Graham Evangelist Association. Now salaries were fixed, budgets set, and many different parts of accountability were put in place. Billy Graham's life has always been placed under a microscope by the Press and believers alike, always proving flawless. He alone brought accountability and respectability back into the Crusade movements. Because of his impeccable reputation he has even flirted with being a personal spiritual advisor to several Presidents, all whom respect him no matter what party affiliation.

History also has proven that when there is a "birth" in new technology, there is also a "birth" in the way evangelism is promoted. Billy started in a Tent Ministry that was popular at that time, and allowed his association to move forward to not only do City Wide Crusades across America, but throughout the world, filling stadiums and arenas no matter where he preached. He is also instrumental in launching television evangelism, for he would broadcast his message when abroad back to America to be seen nationally. Although his three point sermon is a stable classic imitated by many, people still tune him in on their television for "Billy Graham Specials" viewed yet today.

I have had the privilege to attend one of his Crusades in Baltimore, Md. where he was revered as a hero, something that concerned him, for he joked with the Press, "When Jesus was greeted with palm branches, the same group yelled 'Crucify Him' only a week later."  Even today, many question who will be his predecessor, or is the day of the Big City Wide, Watched World Wide Crusade on the brink of history.

As technology changes, so will the approaches to evangelism.  Today with Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, My Space, Streaming, Social Networking, the Internet as a whole, new ways to present the gospel to the four corners of the world will be tried in an attempt to fulfill the Great Commission.  Hopefully there will also be future Billy Grahams to bring stability, accountability, and dependability. 

Spirit of Evangelism: City Wide Crusades

They Come And They Go

In the early 20th Century, City Wide Evangelistic Crusades became very popular. An "Evangelist" and his "Team" would come into town, set up a tent, and hold a Crusade.  Each well known evangelist had his own special singer and a staff to support his endeavors.  Churches in a town would unite to bring the well known evangelist to town, hold meetings for a designated period of time.  After the Crusade, the evangelist and his team moved on as the local churches shared the "new converts", the fruit of the Crusade.

Personally, I had the privilege of being part of Crusade 77 in York, PA during the summer of 1977.  This monumental event was the only time in the history of York County that 350 different local congregations worked together in unity for the purpose of evangelism.  An executive committee of 36 lead all the planning for a solid year in preparation.  Myron Augsburger, an Anabaptist, Mennonite Evangelist, was hired to lead the Crusade and preach. There were only two laity on the committee, me being one of them, leading Youth Activities.  The seven day event, held at the Grandstand at the York Fair Grounds that seated thousands was packed every evening.  Hundreds made decisions for Christ that week.  They had me sit on stage Friday night, Youth Night, and watching hundreds come forward at the altar call will be something I will never forget.  I have nothing but good memories about the planning and implementing of the event which left its spiritual impact on York County for years.  It was also a testimony to the "unity of the Body of Christ" which I have never experienced since. 

Evangelism is the only thrust the entire Body of Christ would stand behind; the only time each factionwas willing to day down their doctrinal differences.  Theology and doctrine divide, but the simple truth of salvation, the accepting of Jesus Christ into one's heart as your Savior, became the unifying factor.  

As we will see in a later blog, evangelism also means "birthing".  Not only were individuals "birthed" into the Kingdom of God those evening (our current mind set of evangelism), but an evangelistic spirit was "birthed" in York Country as well as a spirit of "unity" unmatched in the history of our area.  If God is to move in a city, a city wide crusade has proven to be a tool to help augment it.

Unfortunately, like his predecessor, the Circuit Preacher and the Tent Revivalist, the evangelist, being a parachurch ministry left town.  The Body of Christ since then has not functioned as a body but as factions.  Maybe a new "spirit" needs to again be "birthed", because that is what always happened using City Wide Crusades.  There was always a need to have another one later.  We need to have a different mind set of what an evangelist is, so that he won't abandon a project that he has "birthed" it, and he won't leave town!

Spirit of Evangelism: Tent Meetings

 

Tent Meetings: A Ministry On The Move

In 1739 with the closing to two churches, George Whitefield at Kingston, Bristol, England, decided to have an "open air" meeting in the fields of Manham Mount  to 250 coal miners.  The first open air "evangelistic crusade" was birthed.  John and Charles Wesley, of Methodist fame, were at first reluctant to the idea, but eventually fully embraced it and became one of the greatest open air evangelist of his time. By the early 1800's Camp Meeting were everywhere.  By the 1900's Tent Meetings sprung up everywhere across America.

I have a friend who as a child in the 1950's attended Oral Robert's Healing Services in his Tent Meeting.  Billy Graham "was discovered" conducting a Tent Meeting on the west coast in the 60's.  I attended Jesus Festivals in Pennsylvania in the '70's where there were three tents: one for salvation, another for those seeking "the baptism in the Holy Spirit", and a third for healing and deliverance while all other activities were held in the open air stage on the grounds of a farmer's field and later at Agape Camp Farm in central, PA.  My local church, CityView Community Church, perched on top of a hill over looking York, PA in the valley below, rented a tent, which when lit up inside could be seen for miles drawing curiosity seekers to its meetings.  In the past decade the "Newsboys" an Aussie Christian Band, did a tour in an inflated structure; I guess the modern version of a tent.

  Tents are biblical.  God never asked for an immobile structure to have His Presence reside; he chose a tent, the Tent of Meeting, as it was called. David wanted a permanent structure that glorified more grandeur than the palace in which he lived. Tents are mobile, and so is the Spirit of God. Temples and church structures are fixed, stationary, unmovable. I guess we can learn from the Circuit Riders and Tents that the Spirit of Evangelism is a mobile spirit, and both existed outside physical "church building structures".

Current Mindset: What is an Evangelist

Promise Keepers "Standing In The Gap" Men's Rally in Washington, D.C.Church's Current Mind Set Toward Evangelism:

     Evangelism's goal is to wins souls, wins souls, win souls. In case you missed it, and evangelist is a soul winner.

Some Current Forms of Evangelism That Has Been Effective:

• Tent Revivals, Camp Meetings
• City Wide Crusades
• Mass Crusades: ie. Billy Graham Association
• Televangelist on Television
• Local Church's Revival Meetings
• Street Evangelism
• Rescue Missions
• Wycliffe Bible Translators
• Mission Aviation Fellowship
• Jews for Jesus
• Promise Keepers

     Evangelism's goal is birth, birth, and rebirth. As Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born again."

Some Different Forms of Evangelism That Has Been Effective:

• Women at the Well Model: One on one prophetic ministry leading to community revival
• Nicodemus Model: Born Again message to people in and out of Church
• Loafs and Fishes Model: Group evangelism while meeting physical needs 
• Attacking the Occult: Prophetic Presbyteries, "Psalm Readings" instead of palm readings
• Within the Church Itself: Birthing new ideas, visions, programs, ministries, etc.

What Is An Evangelist: Definition

Webster's Definition:

Merriam Webster Dictionary defines it this way:

Main Entry: evan·ge·list

Pronunciation: \i-ˈvan-jə-list\

Function:noun

Date:13th century

Definition: 1 often capitalized : a writer of any of the four Gospels 2 : a person who evangelizes; specifically : a Protestant minister or layman who preaches at special services 3 : an enthusiastic advocate <an evangelist for physical fitness>

Acknowledgement: (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evangelist)

     This definition is so sterile, for there is so much more to evangelism today, and what makes an evangelist.  In my next series of blogs I hope to look at the "Current Mind Sets" of the 20th century Church towards evangelism, the pinnacles and pitfalls.  Then look ahead at what this century might hold if we have a "different" mindset toward how we, the Church, do evangelism.  I will welcome your comments on what has and hasn't worked in your lifetime.  Share with me by what method you came to the Lord.  Then feel free when we get to the "different mind set" section the ways or avenues that are unique that the Holy Spirit is currently showing you as forms of evangelism, or better yet, new ways you are practicing it!  Your comments far out way those of the author of this blog, so feel free to comment and share as we move along on this journey.

Embracing the "Evangelistic Spirit"

  Where''s the Father?"Scrubs: From Delivery To The O.R.

Scrubs: From The Birthing Room To The O.R.

My father rushed his pregnant wife to the hospital, only to be banned from the birthing room. A doctor sensing his fatigue hid him in a different room to sleep. When I came into the world, no one could find the father who was lost in sleep. Only after the momentous event of my birth could he be summoned.

 A generation later, I found myself being a “coach” at child birth classes, going through the C-section class only to face that situation in real life in less than 24 hours. Changing “scrubs” from the birthing room to the Operating Room, I found myself breaking new ground. Two children later, with fathers in the birthing room now a common practice, I find myself pushing the limits wanting to be in the recovery room with my wife.

 I am so grateful that the medical profession has “allowed” fathers to be part of the birthing process. Words can never express the emotions felt during the birth of one’s child.

The “evangelist” loves the birthing process, but so often the Church has not left the Dark Ages, not allowing its believers to be part of the process unless they were clergy. Many today have the “passion” to win the lost, to “birth” newborns spiritually, to “birth” new ideas and “passions” in the Church, but who, like my Father, are prohibited from participating in those births.

The medical profession in my day was willing to break through those barriers, willing to “birth” or “try” new ideas, new “mindsets”, like Fathers in the O.R. The Church, on the other hand, when willing to allow “breakthroughs” in previously established “mind sets”, have discovered that their release of the “evangelistic spirit” allowed for even greater breakthroughs, or birthings.

To experience a revival or reformation,  the “evangelistic spirit” must be released to birth new ideas, new models, new systems, new forms of life within the living organism called “The Church”, allowing its members to become part of the “recovery”. We will have to examine this spirit and its ramifications.