Evangelization experts suggest that to grow a church, leaders should keep the front doors wide open, create multiple side entrances, and ensure the back door is securely closed. In this analogy, the front doors represent welcoming weekend services for non-believers, the side entrances symbolize small groups that reach out to and host non-believers, and the back door signifies efforts to retain new believers within the church.

Vibrant small groups with a intentional focus on evangelization are a hallmark of growing churches.  One effective approach is encouraging relational witnessing, where small group members share their faith with people they already know. Studies show that most people who start attending church or return to it were invited by friends or family, indicating that personal relationships are key to introducing people to Jesus Christ.

Small group members invite non-believers into their homes (perhaps for a shared meal), build caring relationships, and extend church invitations at appropriate times. Small groups provide comfortable, informal settings for both attendees and those evangelizing. They don’t require special facilities and can easily incorporate faith studies, such as video presentations followed by discussions. To fulfill its mission, a church seeking to evangelize should develop and support this type of small group structure.

By Pierre-Alain Giffard, Director of Pastoral Work

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