

Evangelism is such a critical part of church planting, so churchplants.com pulled together our top-10 articles on evangelism for church planting. Here are some great articles by church leaders and a few free resources for download on evangelism for church planting.
Here Are the Best Articles on Evangelism for Church Planting from Top Thought Leaders
- 8 Doable Evangelism Keys for ALL Churches by Brian Dodd This is An 8-Step Evangelism Strategy Any Church Can Use: Build Relationships With Unchurched People, Be There During Times of Tragedy, Be a Welcoming Church, Have Christian Men in Leadership, Have Relevant Messages, Give People Time to Process the Message, Share the Gospel and after they become Christ followers, Immediately Engage Them in Ministry.One leader’s powerful personal story will transform your church plant’s outreach.
- Why Personal Evangelism Matters So Much for Church Planters by Mack Stiles Though most pastors see evangelism as a key to spiritual health for the life of a believer and the life of the church, given the astonishing number of things that must be done for a new church plant—not to mention the internal sinful resistance to evangelism—it’s easy to lose our fervor in evangelism. Evangelism, it seems, is always pushing the ball uphill. If evangelism is to be woven into the fabric of the life of a new church plant and its pastor, it takes some thought and planning.
- 5 Ways to Rethink Evangelism in Today’s World by Dave Ferguson and Todd Wilson Recent research tells us that one out of 33 Americans has not set foot in a church in any way in the past year, but Gallup reports that 92 percent of the U.S. population say they believe in God. These numbers and research are telling us we have to come to grips with the reality that we’ve lost our ability to connect to this group of people who actually believe in God. As a church, we have to rethink evangelism for church planting because we have to rethink how we reach this group of people who believe in God, but have not found a safe place in our churches to find their way back to Him.When it comes to evangelism, outreach, witness, preaching and the Great Commission, how can a church planter lead well?
- Free eBook: “Evangelism Insights by Greg Stier While this book may be geared toward youth leaders and ministries, its insights are applicable to anyone hoping to help their ministry grow spiritually and numerically. As your plant develops its own youth ministry, this will be an important resource to share with youth pastors, teachers, and volunteers as well. Download this free eBook that offers ministry strategy for both spiritual and numerical growth.
- Why a Simple Invitation Has Strategic Power for Evangelism by Ed Stetzer People want to be invited to church and into a relationship with Jesus. It’s really that simple. The church exists to proclaim the gospel and demonstrate the kingdom of God in a lost and dying world. In being faithful to her calling, the church should be reaching people with the good news of the gospel and welcoming them into a local community of believers. Welcoming people into the local church should be the natural overflow of a local church’s faithful ministry. However, many churches find themselves unfruitful in seeing new people to connect with their congregation.
- How Evangelism Clouds the Great Commission (and What to Do About It) by Frank Powell Have you ever struggled to understand the role of evangelism in discipleship? The Great Commission. A phrase we have adopted to describe the mission Jesus left for his followers. It sounds like an awesome mission (and it is), but I have struggled for years to understand the meaning of discipleship. Unfortunately, the church often serves to muddle the situation. Let’s be clear: We have a mission on this earth, and our mission is to make disciples. You and I will be held accountable for how we carried out our mission. This is not something to be taken lightly.
- Rethinking Witness: Engaging the Spirit’s Power in Evangelism by Larry Walkemeyer Are you willing to engage in earnest prayers to reach more people with the gospel? Every church leader has defining moments in his or her ministry. I remember mine. It was actually a story someone told me about Billy Graham, but I’ll never forget hearing it. To be honest, I’m not even certain if it’s completely accurate, but this story clearly captures the essence of Rev. Graham’s approach to evangelism, as I know it.
- Free Excerpt: “Creative Evangelism Ideas” From Cru Press Green From Cru Press Green: “This is a section taken from the book The 250: Creative Ideas for Evangelism, which can be ordered at the CruPress store. In the book, and in this excerpt, you’ll find creative ideas for evangelism used on campuses all over the country.”
- Alan Hirsch: Why Evangelism Cannot Be Our Focus In this video, Alan Hirsch discusses why discipleship may be more important than evangelism for church planting. Alan Hirsch shares powerful insights on the dynamics of discipleship and why disciple-making, not evangelism, is essential to expanding the church’s influence throughout the world. Contrary to modern ministry, Hirsch believes Jesus made discipleship, not evangelism, his focus. This can be seen in how Jesus called, interacted, developed and commissioned His disciples.
- 3 Little-Known Secrets to Effective Evangelism by Verge Network This truth is what discipleship is all about: learning to live in light of the good news that redeemed us, until we think, act, speak and live like Jesus (Romans 8:29). And this is why evangelism for church planting must be seen as a part of our continual discipleship rather than a one-time event that precedes discipleship. At best, we run the risk of communicating that repentance is needed to enter the Kingdom, but better spiritual formation methods are needed once inside. At worst, we may be communicating that it is possible to come to Jesus for salvation without having any intention of being His disciples.
Want more articles on evangelism, outreach, and discipleship for your church plant? Check out churchplants.com for even more great insights.