Transcript EM Chapter 1 - Our Gospel Commission

OUTREACH
is for
EVERYONE
General Conference
Women’s Ministries
EVANGELISM MANUAL
Training Program
OUTREACH IS FOR EVERYONE
Chapter 1.
Our Gospel
Commission
General Conference
Women’s Ministries Department
• Christ's method alone will give true success in
reaching the people. The Saviour mingled
with men as one who desired their good. He
showed His sympathy for them, ministered to
their needs, and won their confidence. Then
He bade them, "Follow Me."--The Ministry of
Healing, p. 143.
• Public evangelism. Tent meetings. Bible
studies. Visitation. Small group seminars. Why
do we do these things? Is there a compelling
reason to share the gospel with others?
• And Jesus came and spake unto them saying, “All
power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the
Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am
with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Matthew 28: 18-20 KJV.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and
peach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth
not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them
that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they
shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up
serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they
shall recover. Mark 16:15-18 KJV
• The mandate is right here. Not only
must we invite people to come to us
but we must also go where they are.
• And the promise is there. He will be with us!
Hold on to His promise. His presence is our
encouragement, our help, our source of
strength and power. He, more than we can
ever fathom, has a heart for the lost and has
given His all to offer salvation to the people
we are seeking to reach.
• But let us not go, or teach, or preach without
the promised power—the Holy Spirit, who will
fit us and enable us to fulfill this great
commission. Remember to ask for, prepare
for and expect to receive this gift. Be
intentional in spending time in preparation for
the reception of the Spirit.
• We must ask for the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit. We do not use the Holy Spirit; He uses
us to accomplish that which we would be
absolutely unable to do of ourselves. He will
prepare the hearts of the people. He will
convict them of truth. Without the Spirit, we
will fail.
• Yes, we as women can reach them.
When the Holy Spirit empowers us to
share God’s love and grace, He will
also lead in our plans and will prepare
hearts to hear the gospel we share.
God Calls Women
to Evangelism
• Do we hesitate to
heed the call of the
Holy Spirit because
we are women?
• Today, women in many parts of the globe are
discovering their talent for evangelism and are
reaching the world for Christ. Could more of us
participate in public evangelism? Can we possibly
lead or assist in small groups, seminars or
evangelistic meetings? Can we befriend our
neighbors, work associates, and others, finding
opportunities to lead them to Christ? Can we then
nurture them as new believers?
• Does God call women to share the Gospel?
Definitely! God wants all of His disciples, both
men and women, to be involved in
evangelism. He did not call only men to
preach and teach. He calls all His disciples to
evangelize the furthest reaches of the globe.
• At times we may ask ourselves whether there
are some groups whom women especially are
able to reach? One answer is anyone with
whom we come in contact, including:
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Our families.
Our neighbors.
The men in our lives.
The youth.
The elderly.
And especially women.
• God has gifted many of the women of our
church with wonderful people skills—skills
that can help them reach people’s hearts.
Some have already been able through the
Holy Spirit to lovingly, tactfully lead people
to Jesus.
• Sisters, we may do a noble work for God if we will.
Woman does not know her power. God did not
intend that her capabilities should be all absorbed in
questioning: What shall I eat? what shall I drink? and
wherewithal shall I be clothed? There is a higher
purpose for woman, a grander destiny. She should
develop and cultivate her powers, for God can
employ them in the great work of saving souls from
eternal ruin.--Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 642.
• In addition to presenting the great truths of the
Bible, women can listen and provide counsel about
many family and personal matters. There are often
topics a woman may be hesitant to discuss with
men, such as their family problems, their heartaches,
and even abuse.
• God-fearing women who may have gone through
similar problems, who have compassion and
experience in meeting problems with the Lord at
their side can listen, pray with and for them, and
when the time is right gently point them to the
Savior who will walk with them through their
heartaches.
Putting GIFTS to Work
• Especially in pre-evangelistic programs and
ministries, women are often most successful
in reaching out to women. However, in public
evangelism, women speakers seem to be just
as successful as men in reaching both men
and women.
• In planning outreach and pre-evangelistic
endeavors, you may want to consider major
concerns of women in your community. Some
of the most critical issues that face women
world-wide are these:
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illiteracy
The General
Conference Women’s
abuse
Ministries identifies
health risks
these as the six Critical
poverty
Issues for women.
workload/hours
lack of
mentoring/training
• By studying your community and by
surveying the women you wish to minster to,
you can discover their most pressing needs.
After considering your resources, you can
decide how you can best minister to them.
• If you are a Women’s Ministries leader or
someone hoping to begin women’s
evangelism, as soon as possible begin training
women to lead out in women’s activities and
for personal witness. As much as possible,
include the women themselves in the
planning.
• Remember that a variety of gifts
and talents will be needed for
successful evangelism teams.
• Encourage women who display many different gifts
to join you in developing evangelist outreach for
your community.
• Value and affirm the vivacious, never-met-astranger types and the quiet, faithful prayer warriors.
• Together seek the leading of the Holy Spirit. Then
go forth in faith to fulfill the Gospel Commission.
• In Bible study groups or other informal
meetings, allow women an opportunity to
share and visit. Personal relationships are
very important to most women. This is an
ideal time for the women of the church to
establish lasting friendships with women
outside the Adventist Church.
• Let them remember that the home
on earth is to be symbol of and a
preparation for the home in heaven.
Ministry of Healing. P. 363.
• “Christ’s method alone will give true success in
reaching the people. The Savior mingled with
(people) as one who desired their good. He
showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their
needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade
them, ‘Follow Me.’” – Ministry of Healing, p. 143