Refocusing a Church on Evangelism

http://pastors.crossmap.com/article/refocusing-a-church-on-evangelism/item283.htm

[The Pastor's Tool Box] 10 Jul 2006--In 1996, statistics show that ten thousand Southern Baptist churches baptized no one. Zero. Zilch. Nada. One-fourth of the churches of our Baptist Zion failed to see one person baptized. In 1996 another thirteen thousand baptized five or less. And neither of these is the greatest tragedy, which is the abject failure of our great convention to reach young people. A generation ago, C. E. Matthews said that a church which baptizes no one in a year has sufficient cause to put on sackcloth and ashes and proclaim a season of fasting and prayer. Such a call is not unwarranted in our day.

Well, enough of that. I am an optimist and would rather focus on how to see God work to change us than to dwell on our failures. The most common question asked by my students is, "How can I lead the church to which God has recently called me to become evangelistic?"