Evangelism Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Pursuing Disciple Making Movements in the Frontiers

Short cuts seem good in the beginning but often take longer in the end. We can be tempted to take alternate routes as we work in a new area. The Person of Peace concept comes from Luke Chapter 10. In verses five and six, Jesus tells them to look for someone who promotes peace. The disciples He sent out were to stay with that person and receive their hospitality. Through them they would reach the community. This is one DMM principle you can’t afford to take a short cut on.

“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Luke 10:5,6

The Person of Peace (POP) concept encourages us to work through local people. They lend you their credibility. POPs open doors in a community, especially in the early evangelism stages. Later, they often become the new movement’s leaders.

Recently, during a visit to Central America, I met a wonderful leader from an indigenous tribe. I asked him how he began the work of reaching his own people. He told me he had a dream where Jesus showed him a certain place to go begin the work. Notable in his story was how God provided him with a Person of Peace. read more

Important DMM Insights from a Successful Movement Leader in Asia

By Cynthia Anderson on Tuesday, June 21, 2022

If someone was raised from the dead would it launch a movement? Most of us, as DMM practitioners, would absolutely love to see that kind of a miracle happen in our area! “If only we could see more signs and wonders,” we think. These supernatural interventions are definitely catalysts for much abundant gospel sowing. When combined with quality disciple-making and prayer, they can bear much fruit. It can lead to a dramatic transformation of communities.

In today’s blog I share what I learned from a movement leader who has seen someone raised from the dead. You can read the full story about that miracle here.

It was more than miracles that launched the movement. Quality discipleship, prayer, and other factors led to the movement’s rapid growth. Let’s hear what Dan* has to say.

Interview with a Movement Leader in Asia

C. Anderson: It’s amazing that so many miracles have happened in your area. What do you do to teach the Word of God? Or are people only coming for the miracles?

Dan: For most people, it is a combination. It is not only the miracle, but the Word of God that touches their hearts. read more

Evangelism

Why Abundant Gospel Sowing Makes Perfect Sense

By Cynthia Anderson on Tuesday, June 21, 2022

One of my favorite things to do on a day off is to play in my garden. I’m not a “green thumb” but something about being out in the yard with my hands in the soil is very relaxing. God often speaks to me about spiritual things while I am gardening. As I fertilize, weed, and water, my mind drifts to my passion to see disciples multiply among unreached peoples. One key principle stands out. If we want to reap a great harvest, we must sow many seeds of the gospel. We need to practice what is called “abundant gospel sowing.”

The principle of abundant gospel sowing is simple, biblical and natural. If you want to reap a great harvest in a city, region or people group, you must sow many, many gospel seeds. When thousands of people hear the message of good news, hundreds will respond. If tens of thousands hear, thousands will respond. You can not expect to reap a great harvest of souls without finding ways to multiply evangelistic efforts. It is a foundational principle of Disciple Making Movements. Sow much, reap much. Sow little, reap little. read more

Church Planting Evangelism

How to Know Someone is Not a Person of Peace – Disciple Making Movements

By Cynthia Anderson on Tuesday, June 21, 2022

“Salaam Alaikum,” said the Muslim man who greeted me. I replied with the traditional response, “Wa-Alaikum-Salaam.” The phrase means “Peace be upon you.” My response meant “And upon you as well.” The Jews use a similar phrase of salutation. It is the word “shalom.” Blessing those you greet with peace is a well-known tradition in Middle Eastern cultures. Is this what Jesus referred to when He spoke to His disciples about the Person of Peace in Luke 10?

“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.”
Luke 10:5-7 NIV.

It could be that Jesus’ disciples were to greet people with that word “shalom.” If peace rested there and was received, they were to stay with that person. I believe Jesus was taking this a step further. A person of peace would not only receive His true peace, but would also promote the spread of that peace to others. read more

Church Planting Discipleship Evangelism Training

Need a Great List of the Most Vital DMM Startup Tools?

By Cynthia Anderson on Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Rice, meat, spices, herbs, onion, garlic…you make your list and go to the market. Before making a special meal, you first prepare the ingredients you need. You wouldn’t want to start cooking and then have to stop and run to the store. In the same way, as you begin your journey with Disciple Making Movements (DMMs), it is good to get your tools, training, and material in place. This will give you a better chance of moving forward in your DMM journey.

Invest in Your DMM Toolbox

There are many different tools you can add to your “toolbox” as you make disciples. But there are several things that are most essential. Get those basics in place. Then, as a builder or carpenter does, when you come across various new materials and skills, you can also add them to your DMM tool belt.

Essential DMM Tools and Resources

1. The Bible

This is so obvious I almost didn’t list it, but then decided I must. The Bible (particularly the example of Jesus and the Apostles in the New Testament) is your most important instruction manual for how to start a DMM. Take extra time to study, re-read and meditate on the principles for multiplying disciples that are there. read more

Evangelism Facing Obstacles Missions

DMM Obstacle: Cultural Misunderstanding Gets In the Way

By Cynthia Anderson on Tuesday, June 21, 2022

cultural misunderstandings about Christianity

“Nobody likes you. It would be better if you and your Jesus had never been born. We hear that you are all cannibals–you eat the flesh of your children in your sacred meetings.” This was said by Caecilius to his friend Octavius in the 2nd century. Pretty significant cultural misunderstanding about Christianity, don’t you think? Cultural barriers are not new to us today.

As we work with people from other faith backgrounds, these misunderstandings feel huge. Could they even prevent the starting of a Disciple Making Movement? How can they be overcome?
read more

Evangelism Facing Obstacles

Not Immediately Finding a Man of Peace?

By Cynthia Anderson on Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Days, weeks and months go by. For some teams, it can even be years. You have prayed, fasted and have been doing evangelism. But you still haven’t found the man of peace in your village or city. Frustration and hopelessness build inside.

The temptation to give up on Disciple Making Movement (DMM) principles is growing.

“Maybe this doesn’t work and I should just try a more traditional method of evangelism,” you think. Or perhaps anger toward God is also there. “If the harvest truly is ripe as Jesus said it was, why doesn’t God bring them to me?”

I have been writing a series about common DMM obstacles. Not finding a man of peace (or woman either!) can feel like an immovable barrier.

In the early stages of pioneering a Disciple Making Movement, the battle is intense. This is true both inside of you and in the spiritual realm. Faith is tested and tried.

The bigger the coming breakthrough, the more obstacles you will face. Don’t lose heart. The man of peace is there. Who they are will be revealed. Continue to walk forward in faith and follow best practices in this area.

Movement Leaders On Hold

Last year I was working with a group of South Asians who were pioneering in new places. They were national missionaries who already spoke the language. Good evangelists, they were very solid guys.

They had already seen churches planted in other areas. Those churches had multiplied and grown. Raising up elders, they handed the work over and moved on to new locations.

Suddenly, they went from leading growing movements with hundreds of believers to zero. The locations they were in were new territory for the gospel. There were no churches and no believers.

It was a hard change for them. Because they were already successful DMM practitioners, they expected quick results! They knew how to start movements, but were still discouraged.

Prayer, fasting, and faithfully sharing their testimony yielded little. Actually, it was nothing. No response. “Why can’t we find the man of peace?” They asked.

Doubts filled their minds. Insecurities surfaced. Maybe we aren’t as successful and wise as we thought we were! Are we just wasting our time here?

God Worked Deeply

During that first year (for some they are still in that place of waiting), God worked in their hearts. He was preparing the man of peace for them. But there were things that needed to come into place before that person was revealed.

“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.” Luke 10:5-6 NIV

The teams persevered in prayer, faith, and evangelism. Recently, they have been in touch with me, sending pictures of baptisms. The shift has come and the man of peace (in most of their locations) has been revealed. It wasn’t easy to wait for that to happen, but God was working through that process, both in them and in their area.

3 Things To Consider When You Don’t Quickly Find The Man Of Peace

1. The Spiritual Battle- You are facing unknown forces. (Eph. 6:12)

When we pioneer in a new place, we can not underestimate the forces that will try to hinder Kingdom growth. Remember, while you have been there a few months or years, darkness has held that place for centuries.

Those powers do not easily let go of their territory. This does not mean that God is not at work. It does not mean that the harvest is not ripe or that there is no man of peace prepared. You just haven’t found them yet.

Continue to pray in faith. One day you will meet them. God is at work. It is impossible for us to pray and God not respond. His power is so much greater than the forces you are up against.

2. Your Own Character Growth- God is preparing you

We should not underestimate spiritual warfare. Nor should we blame everything on that. God is also using this waiting period to grow humility and faith inside of you.

Surrender to His pruning process. It’s a lot easier than fighting it.

3. Best Practices to Follow- Prayer, Faith and Abundant Seed Sowing

Not sure if you are doing what is needed to find the man of peace? Check to see if you are adequately doing these three vital activities.

– Prayer.
When discouragement grows, sometimes we stop praying. Or we decrease our prayer efforts.

What could you do to intentionally increase your own prayer for the village, area or people you are focusing? What could be done to mobilize increased prayer from others?

– Continuing in Faith.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.” Heb. 11:1 NIV.

By very definition, faith shows itself when we don’t yet see what we are believing for. Once you see it, it doesn’t require faith!

Ask God to use this time to strengthen your faith muscles. Faith is required for a breakthrough. (Click here to see other blogs I’ve written about persevering in faith.)

Maybe the breakthrough you are about to see is bigger than anything you’ve seen before. In that case, God might be wanting to develop greater faith within you through this process.

– Abundant Seed Sowing.
Are you faithfully and daily sharing the good news?
Again, think and pray about how you could increase gospel sowing in your area. The absolute best way to find the Man of Peace is to abundantly sow the gospel. The Person of Peace will be revealed when someone shares the gospel with them. Their peace falls upon them and sticks.

Sometimes this requires a lot of sowing.

I love Ying Kai’s question, “How many people in my city will hear the gospel today?”

Give your time and energy to changing the answer to that question. A week or month from now, will more people regularly be hearing the gospel than are hearing it today where you are?

They Will Show Up

I want to leave you with hope and encouragement. The man of peace will be found. God has prepared them. The harvest is ripe where you are! As you pray, continue in faith and follow the 3 best practices. God will reveal the people through whom He will launch the movement.

Just don’t give up. Press forward until what your faith is hoping for becomes a person standing in front of you.

What do you plan to apply from what you’ve just read? I’d love to hear about it in the comments or on our DMM Frontier Missions Facebook page!

Evangelism Missions

Pushy Evangelism- Is it Wrong?

By Cynthia Anderson on Tuesday, June 21, 2022

There is a part of the shopping mall I avoid. It’s where they give out free samples of perfume and makeup. The salespeople there are quite annoying. If I even glance their direction, I end up stuck. I have to listen to their speech about a product I don’t want. Pushy evangelists feel the same way. I hate the idea of forcing people, in any way, to “listen to the gospel.” Yet, we have a life-saving message. How pushy should we be in our evangelism?

Many cultures teach us that to make anyone feel uncomfortable, or forced to do anything, is wrong. The big unspoken rule in evangelism today is “Don’t make them feel pressured.” I have been wondering. Is that a biblical way of thinking about sharing the gospel or not?

Jesus Said Compel Them To Come In

Jesus told a story in Luke 14 about a great banquet. The master invited many guests. But those people made excuses and didn’t want to come to His feast. He then told His servant to go and invite the lame, blind and poor. Having done this, there was still room at the party table. Finally, this.

“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.” Luke 14:23 NIV

God’s Passion For His House To Be Full

This passage shows us God’s great passion. It’s reflected in the instruction of the master. The master is determined that His house be full. It is not okay with Him that only a few come to the great feast He has prepared.

God is not happy with an underpopulated Heaven. It’s not a neutral issue for God. Sometimes we get the idea that God doesn’t care that much. Here is the gospel. Take it or leave it. Not very interested? No problem. I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable.

That is not a biblical way to think! It’s not how Jesus described the Father. No. Instead, He tells us to compel people to come into His Kingdom. The word compel means to “force or oblige (someone) to do something.” It definitely has the sense of pressure being applied.

In many cultures, there is a high value for tolerance. This is true in the West and it’s also seen in Buddhism and Hinduism. These worldviews say, “All roads lead to god. You do your thing, I will do mine. There is no such thing as truth. If you think your way is better or right, you are being arrogant.” It’s difficult in this environment to present a message that says Jesus is the only way to the Father. Yet it is the truth. It is a saving and transforming truth.

We need to be sensitive to culture. It is important to understand that putting too much pressure on someone too early can turn them away. But if we love the lost people in our lives, at some point, we must urge them, or at least invite them, to make a decision to receive Christ. To fail to do that is not truly loving them. It is living in fear of their rejection. It shows we value their liking us more than we value them.

We can not live in fear. Show genuine love to your neighbors, family and unsaved friends. Prove that love by gently, lovingly, inviting them to receive Jesus as Lord.

Rescuing My Daughter

Let me close with this story. One evening, long ago, our family walked through a market area in Kathmandu. Our daughter was about seven years old. We were on our way to a restaurant to eat. Suddenly, she let go of my hand and ran across the busy street. In the process, she was hit by a bicycle and knocked to the pavement. She ended up with a terrible gash in her head and stitches. We were lucky. It could have been much worse.

As she ran, I screamed out her name, “Steffi! Stop!” I lunged forward to try to grab her. I did this with great urgency. No hesitation was there. Nor did I worry about offending her or being too pushy. My love for her compelled me to take action to rescue. I desperately wanted to pull her away from life-threatening danger.

Willing To Invite

Does God’s love compel you to action? Are you willing to take a risk and boldly invite someone into the Kingdom? We can not say we love the unreached around us if we are unwilling to share the gospel with them and if after sharing, we don’t then invite them to accept it. It may not feel comfortable, but if we don’t share, they will never hear. And when we share, if we don’t ask, they can’t accept what we share about.

Would you pray with me?

Lord Jesus, please help me today to be willing to be uncomfortable. Even if I am seen as a bit pushy, even if I am rejected, I will share Your good news and invite people to accept You as Savior. I believe the gospel is a message that rescues and saves. Make me willing to boldly share it with the many around me who have never heard. Amen.

Church Planting Evangelism Missions

Evangelism Starts With Love

By Cynthia Anderson on Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Ding, dong. They are at your door. Or maybe they are walking through the train. They’re selling something you don’t need or want. It is a children’s encyclopedia set, some kind of kitchen gadget, or cheaply made toys. How do you feel? The primary thought in my mind is always, “How do I get rid of these people as fast as possible?” I want to stay polite and kind, but not have to listen to them! Many people feel that way toward us when we share the gospel. Are we just salespeople, pushing our goods? No. Absolutely not. But, our evangelism is no more than a slick sales tactic, if it doesn’t flow from genuine love for the unreached.

It’s Love Not Performance

Evangelism starts with love. Allow God to continually fill you with His heart for lost people. If we are doing evangelism out of a sense of duty, obligation, or an “I should”, we will not be effective. Nor will our efforts bring pleasure to God. He wants us to have His heart. Is this still your primary motivation for sharing His story? God’s aching heart for the lost?

Our tendency toward performance orientation can affect us. We may develop an underlying sense that we must do evangelism to win (or keep) God’s love. It is a lie. But it can still impact us. Instead of sharing good news from a heart of love, we start to share it out of duty. We begin to do it because we should. We need to return again and again to our loving Father. Let Him fill us once more with His heart, with His love- for us and for others.

Love Is Always More Important Than Methods

It is helpful as we train people to have them learn a method of evangelism. We teach them how to share their testimony and the Jesus story. It builds confidence and competency. This is important. But in training, always start with the trainee’s heart. Evangelism starts there. People sense whether you love them. They know if you are sharing the gospel to “convert” them, or because you genuinely care about them.

Ask God For A Luke 15 Heart

My “go to” chapter when love for the lost is getting a bit cool is Luke 15. There are three stories in a row about God’s heart for the lost; the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Take a few minutes to read and meditate on this chapter sometime this week.

1 Cor 13:1 “If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”- NIV

Are we “gongs and cymbals”?

5 Signs You’re Loving The Lost

Sign 1- If I love the lost, I sincerely and specifically pray for lost people.

Loving the lost around me starts with praying for them. That is why having a Lost and Saved list that I pray for daily has helped me so much. Develop a growing heart of love for the unreached around you. Start a habit of regular prayer for them.

Sign 2- If I love the lost, I prioritize giving time to them.

Sadly, many missionaries and pastors are too busy to make friends with the unreached. Todd Johnson of Global Christianity says 86% of Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims do not even know a Christian. But even when they know us, we have no relationships that go deeper than an acquaintance. Why?

The primary enemy of reaching the lost is our busyness. We must be very intentional about making space in our lives for lost people around us.

evangelism starts

I decide ahead of time. If there is a lost person who needs my time or wants to talk- it will always take a higher priority than my projects, task list or meetings. Making that decision beforehand gives you the freedom. You can stop and interact with lost people around you. You will respond to opportunities and needs.

Sign 3- If I love the lost, I see them as people, not as an object of my ministry goals.

I will be bold here. Believe me, I speak from experience and am also challenging myself.

If you only share the gospel during “ministry time” you are probably doing it out of duty and obligation. read more

Church Planting Discipleship Evangelism Prayer

What is a Lost and Saved List?

By Cynthia Anderson on Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Do you have a favorite tool for gardening or working in the kitchen? At our house, we have a favorite knife. It is sharp and the handle is just the right size. It works well for chopping about anything. If my husband and I are both in the kitchen, there sometimes is a competition for who gets to use that knife! Tools are important in seeing progress and becoming effective. The T4T Lost and Saved list is one of the best tools I have used. It will help you train people to start Disciple Making Movements.

What Makes This Tool Powerful?

What is a T4T Lost and Saved List? How does it work? What are the benefits of using one? The simplicity and power of this tool is amazing. It helps us identify people in our lives who we already have relationships with, but they do not know the Lord. The list also shows us who we could begin to train. Using this inventory of people we already know helps to shift our mindset from thinking of ourselves only as a trainee. We begin to think of ourselves as a trainer of trainers. It also gets us started with a regular habit of prayer that will deeply impact our disciple making.

My Lost And Saved List

On one side of my list are the names of my neighbors. The name of the girl who works at the coffee shop I frequent once a week is on my list. My language helper’s names are there too. On the other side of the list are names of movement leaders and people I have trained. Every day I spend time praying for these people. I pray for their children and for their health issues. I pray that their hearts will open to the gospel. Boldness and faith for the movement leaders, as well as protection from persecution, are other things I pray. I keep this Lost and Saved List in my Bible and also on my computer. The daily habit of praying for these people makes a big difference in my heart attitudes. It has affected my fruitfulness too.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Rom. 12:12- NIV

Learning to Make A Lost And Saved List

I first learned about making a Lost and Saved List from Ying Kai, the man who started T4T. I am so grateful to him for teaching me about this tool! Ying came to our region and ran a seminar for us about T4T. One of the first things he had us do was to make a two-column list on a piece of paper. On one side we were to write down a list of “Lost” people we knew. On the other side, we were to write down a list of “Saved” people we knew.

It was actually kind of hard for me at that point to write down very many lost people’s names. I was able to list three or four. I realized that I didn’t have that many relationships with people who didn’t already know Jesus!

My right-hand column, the “Saved” List, was easier. I wrote down the names of 15 or 20 people.
Then, Ying challenged us to pray daily for these two lists of people in a detailed way. That was the starting point- regular, daily prayer for them. As we prayed, we were also to choose 5 people from each column that we would take an action with.

For the “Lost” people, we were to choose 5 people that we would share our testimony with that week. We might have 15 or 20 names there. Every day, he encouraged us, we should pray for each person. But we don’t stop only with prayer. As we pray, we also share the good news.

The same with the other side. The “Saved” people are those we can train! As we learn how to share our testimony and the story of Jesus, we can train them to do the same. We need to pray regularly for these people too. Pray that God will help them to be bold in sharing their faith. We pray they will put into practice what we are training them to do. We pray for other needs in their lives as well.

Making a Lost and Saved List, and continuing to use it on a daily basis, is an incredibly powerful tool! It has changed my behavior and made me more fruitful. I have taught this tool to hundreds of local believers, church planters, and trainers. I’ve seen it change their lives and make them more fruitful too.

Why This Tool Is Effective

1) Having a Saved List helps us see ourselves as trainers of trainers.
It shifts our mindset. We are not only being trained, we are passing on what we know to others. It helps identify who those people are that we can train. Your “Saved Lists” of those you are training could be the beginning of 2nd generation groups. But first, the mindset has to shift from being trained to becoming a trainer of trainers.

2) Praying daily for specific lost people increases your love, passion, and boldness.
As I pray for people, my heart connects to them more. I start to feel God’s heart for them. This affects how much time I am willing to give up on other things in order to spend time with them. My priorities begin to shift as I daily pray for this list.

3) Having a list makes us more intentional about developing relationships with lost people.
I now notice the vegetable seller and street sweeper. It encourages me to talk to them more. Now I want to know their name and enough about them to start praying for them. I want to add them to my list.

4) It increases boldness.
As I pray for my Lost List daily, and as I chose 5 people to try to share the gospel with, I become bolder. I am now looking for opportunities to talk to them about Jesus. Watchful for needs they express, I step into those situations more actively. I find myself offering to pray for them when they are sick. My boldness goes up dramatically when I pray daily for these people by name.

Get Started Today!

Do you have a Lost and Saved List already? If you do, set a specific time each day to pray over these names and lift them up to the Lord. Establishing this as a habit will make a big difference in your disciple making efforts.

If you have never made this kind of list before, why not do that now? Take out a sheet of paper and make two columns, one for Lost and one for Saved. Write down the names of people you know on each side. Determine to pray for them each day. Put a star next to the five people you will try to share your testimony with this week (from the Lost side). Train your disciples to do the same! The impact of this tool will be immediate. Give it a try!

Have questions or comments? Post them on our DMM Facebook page!

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