Training Designed to Give Believers a Compelling, Inward Motivation to Reach Out to Non-Christians
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Training Designed to Give Believers a Compelling, Inward Motivation to Reach Out to Non-Christians
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1. What is the best time of the year to have the seminar? 2. Can the format of 3 sessions Saturday and 3 sessions Sunday be modified? 3. Can you help prepare the people who will be facilitating our follow-up discussion groups? 4. Can the follow-up groups be done during regular Bible Class times? 5. How much does the program cost? 6. How is this program different from other evangelism programs? 7. What results will be see from this seminar? "I expect you were rather disappointed in our less than enthusiastic response to your message. I cannot account for this response (and I do not wish to speculate) but I do know it had nothing to do with your sincerity, energy, and God-breathed wisdom, all of which were truly evident...As you can see, it took me quite a while to complete the materials, but I was convinced of their importance...I want you to know that we have been inspired by your message, even if it did not seem so at first. You do great work, and it is God's work. Please remember this when you encounter churches who don't seem to want to commit themselves to evangelism. Sometimes we just need to give God time to work in us." 8. What's the difference between having the seminar live and using the videos or DVDs? 9. Is the seminar appropriate for teenagers?
Answers: 1. What is the best time of the year to have the seminar? In addition to avoiding conflicts with my schedule or your congregation's schedule, try to set up the seminar at a time when there can be at least three months of follow-up without any major interruptions (like Christmas holidays, Summer travel, etc.). The follow-up is integral to the program.
2. Can the format of 3 sessions Saturday and 3 sessions Sunday be modified? Yes, but there are some reasons for the usual format and these should be discussed. The sequence of the messages needs to remain intact, because they build on each other. The usual Sunday morning message ("Profound Disclosure") will be appropriate for all members, even those not attending the seminar, and very appropriate for non-Christian guests. The last message ("What the World Really Needs") would not be appropriate for non-Christians and not really what is needed for many Christians. There is flexibility, however; we just need to talk about it.
3. Can you help prepare the people who will be facilitating our follow-up discussion groups? Yes, I'd love to have a special session with them, perhaps on Friday evening. Most standard principles for small group discussions are relevant to the Harvest Follow-up Discussions, but additional training will be helpful. If your congregation does not currently have small groups, I strongly recommend we do a special session. One good approach is to get manuals into the hands of the potential group facilitators early enough for them to work through the first several Reflections before I arrive. Then we can have a 45-60 "pretend" discussion, for me to demonstrate an approach to facilitating the groups, followed by a 45-50 minute session to process what was observed.
4. Can the follow-up groups be done during regular Bible Class times? Yes, and the leadership of your congregation will obviously be the ones to make that decision. It should be noted, however, that the follow-up discussions are intended to be quite different from typical Bible Classes (see Discussion Group Facilitator Info on the Host Info page). Sometimes people bring a mentality into Bible classes that is detrimental to the exploration and discovery approach of the groups. Generally speaking, homes appear to provide an atmosphere more conducive to the purposes of the groups than classrooms. If you do decide to have the follow-up discussions in classrooms, however, there are some adjustments that will help. Try not to have over 15 people in each "class," and set up the chairs in a circle, with the facilitator seated in the circle as well.
5. How much does the program cost? Manuals are currently $10 each, and ideally, each person who participates in the program should have his or her own manual. (If you wish, you can provide photocopies of the outlines of sessions in which you expect to have members present who are not otherwise participating in the seminar.) Some congregations have their members purchase their own manuals, some purchase them for the members, and some encourage the former but help out those for whom it is a financial hardship. The entire $10 goes back into producing additional manuals. If you are having me come do the seminar live, you will need to cover the travel costs. In addition, most congregations give an honorarium of their choosing. There is no set fee at this time.
6. How is this program different from other evangelism programs? The primary difference is that it does not give a method for evangelism but focuses instead on providing a way to gain motivation for evangelism. That means the seminar is appropriate for every Christian, not just those who are willing to use a particular method.
7. What results will be see from this seminar? That depends on many factors, including what else is going on in the congregation (good or bad!), the leadership, the condition of the members' hearts, how well the members follow through with the Reflections and Group Discussions after the seminar, prayer, and how God decides to use it. I don't really think we control the results. We provide a structure and opportunity for God to work on us and pray that he will. Some potential benefits are listed on the benefits page. The program does not claim to be the secret that solves all our problems with evangelism. More likely it will be one installment in a congregation's overall plan for becoming more evangelistic.
8. What's the difference between having the seminar live and using the videos or DVDs? The gist of the message is aptly communicated through video or DVD. Some of the advantages of having the seminar live are that it creates more of sense of excitement due to having an "event," ability to adapt the message to the particular audience, opportunity for informal interaction between speaker and members, opportunity for leadership to discuss other aspects of evangelism outside the seminar or other matters of church leadership, and builds a relationship that can be continued
9. Is the seminar appropriate for teenagers? Yes. It was designed with adults in mind, and teens may miss some of the more detailed points, but they will grasp the essential message. The people in your congregation who work with the teens can look at the manual and discern whether they think the teens will work through it. There will be some value in the teens hearing the messages even if they don't do the follow-up Reflections, but the primary effect of the program depends on what people do with the follow-up materials after the seminar is over. |
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