Research reveals value of event evangelism

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Block parties, festivals and other evangelistic events are essential ingredients for effective churches, according a study by the Scarborough Center for Baptist Church Planting at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in conjunction with the North American Mission Board.

"Our findings suggest that many of our nation's most effective evangelistic churches are utilizing attractional evangelistic events," said Jerry Pipes, team leader for mass evangelism at NAMB.

WHAT THE STUDY REVEALED

Several common denominators emerged among highly effective churches:

-- They sponsor more holiday-related, revival-like and sports and recreation evangelistic events than any other types (in that order). More than half sponsor revival-like evangelistic events.

"We define evangelistic events as special events, which intentionally draw lost people through relationships and attraction, clearly present the Gospel and provide an invitation to respond," Pipes said.

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