Date: Jun 30, 2003 [ 8: 15: 35]

Subject: Summary - Follow-up on Visitors and Church Members

© 2003 BCP Harry Shelton Cole

Subject: Summary - Follow-up on Visitors and Church Members

SUMMARY OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH PLANTING LIST
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Moderated and edited by Pastor Harry Shelton Cole
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Introduction:

The question this week was not an easy one but it needed to be asked.
Too many preachers chase people who will never follow or be effective
for Christ. Jesus, I believe, focused in on men who would be able to
someday reproduce themselves. He never made a follow-up call on the
young rich man and when many believed but went away because of his
doctrine, he turned to the disciples and asked them if they would go
away too. We need to abandon addition and focus on multiplication.
God will add and we can concentrate on teaching faithful men. There
will be others in your church who will be best suited to minister to
those who are constantly needy but the Baptist Church planter must
focus on those who will reproduce themselves.

We got some great answers to this weeks question(s).

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How do YOU contact and encourage delinquents (Christians not in Church)?

How do YOU handle follow-up on visitors and prospects?

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Here they are:
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Jim Ragsdale, Pastor of Whittier Bible Baptist Church in Whittier, CA,
responded quickly to the questions of the Week. He echoes my sentiments
exactly and does much of what I do in follow-up. He ends his answers
with a request to hear from others. An honest question that we all have
asked. Honest answers that may help us as we continue to do what God has
called us to do.
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> How do YOU contact and encourage delinquents (Christians not
>in Church)?

I call, Then I visit. It really bothers me that I have to invite people
back to their church building to fellowship with the other parts of the
body.

It is like having an arm or a foot that decides to take a day off. Like
having to invite people to come their own house, for dinner. Can you
imagine. "Hey brother Joe, I would like to invite you to your house for
dinner tonight!"

I try to make the people that are in our church family realize that it
is their church and place of worship as a family. I should not have to
KEEP encouraging them to attend their place of worship. And being a
part of their own family.

BUT alas, We do!


> How do YOU handle follow-up on visitors and prospects?

I write a letter, "a Personal letter" about the services and try to put
something in the letter about them personally. (I try to talk to every
visitor before or after the services, we are small enough still) I was
in a church when first saved and the pastor spent a lot of time on the
floor talking to the visitors (we ran about 500 people and I saw the
church grow to over 1,000, and he still spent much time on the floor
talking to the people) I try to do that too...

I try to visit in the home within two weeks of every visitor. (most of
the time it is in the first week) I try to make an appointment with
them, instead of just showing up. Works better for me and I can tell by
the phone conversation what kind of a visit I will have and I always
start with the need of being saved. I NEVER assume that a person is
saved, they must tell me their salvation experience.


> Try to include why you believe your answer affords the best possible
> results in your church and/or church plant.

I would certainly be interested in how others do this. Getting people
to stay is hard for us... We have seen probably hundreds in our church
come and go...

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John S. Waldrip, Pastor of Calvary Road Baptist Church in Monrovia, CA,
gave his answer in the form of a personal testimony. The answer to the
question is scriptural and his advice is personal. Great touch.
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I don't think you have to do a great deal with folks who are genuinely
saved to get them to come to Church if the services are encouraging,
uplifting, and edifying. I am of the opinion that a great deal of work
must be done to get lost professors of religion to come to Church.

I got saved out of a completely humanistic background, not even knowing
that what I had become was called "Christian." My first public
testimony to a group of Christians was, "I think I became one of you
guys yesterday." My first public testimony to a lost man, my best
friend, was when he asked me if I had "become one of them" (pointing to
some Christians). My answer was, "You're damned right I am." He
laughed at me as he walked away, never to return and talk to me again.

For several weeks I floundered, not even considering what should happen
next. But when I was invited to Church for the first time, and when I
went, nothing short of grave illness has kept me from attending God's
house since that day. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT FOR ME IT IS ANY
DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHER CHRISTIAN!

When are we pastors going to learn from the Lord to invest ourselves in
those who are faithful, instead of messing around trying to persuade
lost folks to attend Church on a continual basis?

My advice? If you've led a guy to Christ who doesn't attend regularly,
go get somebody saved. The guy who gets saved will attend Church.
Birds of a feather do flock together.
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<<Jim Ragsdale follow-up John's post>>>>>>>>>>
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Brother Jim said,

I personally like what John has said. I was told several years ago by a
wise old preacher, "Go after those that are faithful, work with them.
Those that are saved will follow along, those that are not saved will
leave you alone to accomplish GREAT things for the Lord. Preach to
them, BUT do not waste you limited time on those that would 'PLAY' the
part. Find many that are lost and really get saved, these are the ones
you invest your time in" The Lord did it, but we do not, WHY?

Thanks John, for helping me to remember the focus of the ministry.
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Brother McKenzie frankly gives an answer that may not sit well with most
new church plants. Having warm bodies often means chasing them down,
getting them dressed and bringing them to church. The answer He gives,
I believe is a scriptural one.
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>How do YOU contact and encourage delinquents (Christians not in Church)?
>
>How do YOU handle follow-up on visitors and prospects?

I personally don't spend a lot of time with either. I believe in the
principle that, as we sow the seed, some will fall on the way side (not
saved) some on the thorny (saved, but choked by the cares of this
world), some on the stony ground (saved, but scarred off by persecution)
and some on the good ground. That which falls on the good ground will
even produce various degrees of fruit. I try to spend my time winning
souls and encouraging those who will produce fruit.

There is only so much time, energy, and resources to go around. I
believe those resources should not be spent trying to get folks to want
to do right, but helping those who want to do right do it.
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