tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612639.post115131979542457975..comments2011-03-28T13:53:04.038-07:00Comments on OKPREACHER'S CHRISTIAN RESOURCE CENTER: "Reaching Those Without Christ"Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612639.post-1151333496831121772006-06-26T07:51:00.000-07:002006-06-26T07:51:00.000-07:00Great idea, will be eager to read the results.Great idea, will be eager to read the results.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612639.post-1151325582975113272006-06-26T05:39:00.000-07:002006-06-26T05:39:00.000-07:00As a layman, I'd like to hear more of the practice...As a layman, I'd like to hear more of the practice of what you're discussing.<BR/><BR/>David Rogers speaks on this subject somehwat in <A HREF="http://loveeachstone.blogspot.com/2006/06/hard-soil.html" REL="nofollow">his latest blog</A>. His colleague's experience with "knocking on doors" is consistent with our own church's experience: lots of activity, membership/attendance remain static. Similarly, "F.A.I.T.H." evangelism at our church has about 1 profession per 1000 doors. The Mormon church uses a similar approach. I sometimes wonder if the real "goal" of their program isn't so much to gain converts (which they do), but rather to condition themselves against opposition so that they remain true to their message - which, for the record, ain't our message.<BR/><BR/>Mr. Rogers proposes an alternate strategy at the individual level - "relationship building." This one seems to be more successful. It's amazing to me to hear people in church discuss how revolutionary that approach is - "you mean make FRIENDS? Wow! I never would have thought of that."<BR/><BR/>Your proposal seems to be at a larger macro-level, church planting within the community. My own church (and a sister church) were started this way nearly 40 years ago. There's still 10,000-20,000 people without a church in our community, but there have been no <I>local</I> church plants (that I'm aware of) sponsored by these three congregations in quite some time. Further, I've been told that the bulk of "new members" in churches in town have been "transfer growth," rather than new converts. This is largely true in terms of US citizen membership at our church; being a University community, our international sunday school has had great success in reaching non-US people with the gospel.<BR/><BR/>You've laid out an interesting strategy in the last couple of paragraphs - churches targetted at different people groups, churches that have different atmospheres! Please keep us posted on how it progresses!Scotte Hodelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18169091099621054377noreply@blogger.com