Jesus advised a man to “count the cost” before following Him. The WIGtake question is “What’s It Gonna take to reach Missouri with the gospel?” Prayerfully ask the WIGtake question needed to spiritually transform your community.
Here is a bold seven-part plan. God invites us to join Him in His mission. If we could actually do this already, we would not rely on the Lord.
1. END/VISION
Imagine a state in which 4.5 million lost people (74.6 percent) heard the Good News so that they could respond in repentance and belief in Jesus. This prioritizes getting the gospel to the three million “Unclaimed” that comprise 50.7 percent of Missouri’s population. Evangelicals would not work alone – the task is too great. Churches develop evangelism strategies. Witnessing materials and approaches would be customized to groups of people. We would seek not only to make converts, but disciple-makers. An Acts 1:8 approach means witnessing simultaneously in all four fields.
The end/vision for WIGtake Missouri is accomplished by the leadership of the Holy Spirit through the following strategies:
2. PRAYER
Prayer IS missions. Church-wide robust prayer pleads for God to call out workers into His harvest. Prayer-walking is needed in each community that leads to spiritual encounters in which the gospel is presented to groups of people.
Personal prayer cover must be provided for workers in the harvest. Each believer should solicit 12 faithful prayer warriors. An annual prayer emphasis in each church is recommended.
3. EVANGELISM
Awaken and equip evangelizers. Start by establishing small groups that focus on making disciple-makers. Disciple new believers as intentional witnesses. To be as reproducible as possible, orality training should become the new normal. Revivalists must help churches prepare and follow-up with each new believer.
Track with God’s Plan for Sharing (GPS) through two-year emphases such as Light Up Missouri mixing servant evangelism with Bible distribution.
Identify pockets of lostness. Mapping teams are needed in the highest concentrations of populations using student teams, church evangelism committees, and other volunteer efforts. Integrate evangelism into every ministry of the church.
Get into the community to bring change. Quarterly blitzes and planned servant evangelism should bear fruit. Media blitzes should place ads such as FinditHere.com on websites, radio stations, newspapers, magazines, and TV networks that are most likely to generate spiritual conversations with lost people. Embrace NAMB’s Evangelism Response Center and recruit new encouragers in telephone and online chat techniques for spiritual help (1-888-JESUS-20).
4. CHURCH PLANTING EVANGELISM STRATEGIES
Recruit and deploy many Evangelism Catalyst missionaries to start multiple small groups simultaneously and raise them up as new church plants. Each church should be challenged to Start a New Church by the MAWL method: Model-Assist-Watch-Leave. Reframe discipleship to raise up new believers and disciple them to maturity until they become disciple-makers, missionaries, and church planters. Train laity as church planters each year.
5. COMMUNICATION
Conduct annual media campaigns that create spiritual conversations with the lost. Establish new social media outlets to keep believers informed and knowledgeable about progress and needs. Keep churches informed through timely releases regarding evangelization efforts throughout the states. Encourage churches to communicate the update with churches at least quarterly.
6. SCRIPTURE
Promote the authority and availability of God’s Word through existing and new networks. Adopt Scripture distribution as a priority. For language groups without an entire Bible in their language, collaborate with Bible translation organizations to underwrite the translation work. Distribute massive quantities of Scriptures in print, audio and storying forms. Make Scripture distribution commonplace in the lives of every believer: “Here! I have a gift for you! Want to talk about it?”
7. MOBILIZATION
Awaken, nurture and join God’s mission among the lost. Conduct lostness-awareness services, sign up every home to receive The Pathway, show videos from MBC, IMB, and NAMB, make up special bulletins customized for your community, and prioritize baptism as the focus of monthly or quarterly worship services to involve families and friends of the new believers. Share testimonies from those who are serving to share their faith and make disciple-makers.
What’s the WIGtake question for your community? (Mark Snowden serves Missouri Baptists as Evangelism/Discipleship Strategist (573) 556-0318 or msnowden@mobaptist.org.)