Evangelism Resources and Tools

Here are some tools for you sorted into different categories. Keep in mind:

  • Some resources are items that can be ordered or purchased.
  • Resources in this environment can seem a bit overwhelming. Every tool has a purpose and context... if you are unsure what's right for you, contact the Evangelism Team and we can help.
  • Be sure to check with the BCNE Evangelism office to request loaner copies of some of these resources or assistance if you need.
  • Many of the documents posted here are in Adobe Acrobat format. Click the logo below if you do not have the free software for this and need to download it.  

/files/Pictures/Evangelism/Logos/acrobat get logo.gif  

Audios & Videos:
See the Multi-media Center of our website.

GPS:

New England GPS

GPS 2020 website. Full of resources, news, media and tools for accomplishing GPS.

BCNE GPS web pages.         

FindItHere website.

Evangelism Response Center- An innovative and exciting evangelism tool, featuring an opportunity to volunteer from home and an outlet to provide phone based Christian counseling, that your church can use to discover seekers in your community. The ERC provides the primary follow up for GPS Across 2010.

Personal Evangelism:

Evangelism Handbook- Book by Alvin Reid: Evangelism Handbook is one of the most thorough and up-to-date guides to the daily ministry of sharing Christ that we know of. Writer and professor Alvin Reid is particularly concerned about how the Western Church is practicing evangelism—its failure to reach the hardcore unchurched and its trend of losing young people faster than it can win them. This book discusses all these styles and more.

  • Apologetics
  1. Apologetics through NAMB at 4Truth
  2. Christian Answers
  3. Ravi Zacharias Ministries
  4. Apologetics Index
  5. Apologetics.com
  6. Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry
  • Servanthood Evangelism
  1. PDF Doc: Servanthood_Evangelism_Defined 
  2. Article: Friendship Evangelism: The Kind Everybody Can Practice
  3. Friendship Evangelism Resource List- Great bibliography list on the subject of Friendship and Relationship in evangelism.
  4. CD & MP3: "Reaching Your Community Through Servant Evangelism" Nelson Searcy
  5. SERVE! with Steve Sjogren- this website was developed by Pastor Sjogren whose church blazed new trails in serving their community. Many resources and ideas are featured here. Also see his website: OutFlow
  6. Book: Who is My Neighbor? by Phillip & Kandace Connor- As missionaries engage unreached people groups overseas, God is simultaneously bringing unreached peoples of the earth to our continent, often to our own backyards.   Who is My Neighbor? is a biblically-principled guidebook that assists the reader to move beyond their own ethnic group and cross culturally engage people groups from all over the world living in North America.

  1. Workplace Evangelism
    1. Marketplace Leaders website
    2. God's Love At Work website for women in the workplace
    3. Book: Experiencing God in Your Workplace
    4. Article:Empowering People In and For Marketplace Ministry
    5. Fellowship of Companies for Christ- Christ @ Work

Church based Programs
  1. How to Use Tracts Effectively (how_to_use_tracts pdf document)
  2. The Net
  3. FAITH Sunday School
  4. Share Jesus Without Fear
  5. Intentional Community Evangelism
  6. The Hope - telling the whole story of the Bible- a 2 hour web based or DVD movie that can be used to share the entire scope of God's revelation with non-Christians. Here is a summary and promotion sheet explaining the movie and how it can be used: hope_overview  (pdf)
  7. Most - This is a remarkable Academy Award nominated movie retelling of the popular sermon illustration of a draw-bridge operator and his sacrifice to save a train full of people. While filmed in the Czech language, it is English subtitled. This masterfully made movie is available on DVD, is about 30 minutes long and is excellent for showing in churches or sharing through relationships for a foundation for witnessing. 
 
Cross Cultural Evangelism
  1. BCNE's Ethnic Church Planting web pages
  2. Understanding other cultures. North American communities are changing.  From 1970 to 2005, the foreign-born population in the United States rose from 4.7 percent to 12 percent.  By 2050, it is expected that half of the U.S. population will be of a different race (other than non-Hispanic white).  As of 2004, overhalf of the residents of the city of Toronto were foreign-born.  At www.peoplegroups.info, users can search for people groups in their area, request information on people group resources, connect with other people group workers, and download research helps in reporting people groups in their area.  We have an awesome responsibility to reach our world for Christ.  Visit the online database today!
  3. Demographic Reports- web resource from NAMB with detailed demographics including ethnic make up of all the United States.
  4. Numerous resources related to church planting, church work, sermons or studies from churchplantingvillage.net  :
  5. Article online: A History of the Korean Immigrant Baptist Church... related to the Southern Baptist Convention.
  6. Starting multicultural churches:
  7. Understanding other faith beliefs  

Event Evangelism (GPS theme for 2012)
  1. Disaster Relief- Disaster is THE unscheduled event in which prepared churches can reach others for Christ in the most dire of times. 
  2. High Impact Events (PDF)- Special events are one of the most effective means of reaching individuals who otherwise would never come to your church. In the manual High-Impact Events: People Reaching People, NAMB's Evangelization Group has compiled templates for 24 such events – ranging from dinner theater, to sports clinics, to holiday parties. Events are a key part of the God's Plan for Sharing (GPS) strategy for reaching North America with the Gospel by 2020.
  3. Hosting an Evangelistic Block Party
  4. Using the BCNE Event Trailer
  5. Hosting a Financial Freedom Workshop through the church with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University program

Lord of the Harvest:

  • Laws of the Harvest Seminar (For Staff & Lay led renewal)- Let us share this dynamic process with you or your church in order for you to develop a comprehensive annual plan for evangelism. The seminar can be adapted in a way to fit the context of your ministry. This seminar is useful for presenting to:
    • Deacons
    • Leadership Teams or Committees
    • Boards / Elders
    • Entire Church
      • For more information or to request a seminar today go here...
  • Church Renewal Journey (For Lay led renewal)- It is possible to Awaken, Equip, Commission, Empower and Send your congregation through this strategic and dynamic renewal process of weekends in your church. The BCNE has been encouraging many pastors and churches to prayerfully consider holding these lay led weekends in their church. Once deciding to hold one of the five or more weekend emphases available, a coordinator from another location is appointed and helps the church prepare for about 3 to 6 months, then a leadership team travels to your church to lead the weekend of worship, prayer, fellowship and discipleship. For more information go to the national website or contact Tim Buehner at the BCNE.
  • Let It Rain (For Staff led renewal)- A revival study resource. With its powerful call to revival, this study series leads believers to lift up their eyes and return to the Lord. The landscape of our lives has become dry and scorched. So if your church is thirsty for spiritual renewal, heaven is bursting with the blessings God wants to rain down upon us.
  • A Campaign for Revival, Renewal, and Evangelism (revivalplanbookcomp pdf) (For Staff & Lay led renewal)- A practical manual for Planning, Sowing, and Reaping a Revival in Your Church. If the church were living with passion for God—as seen in the book of Acts—believers would not need revival meetings. Revival is God’s work to bring the church back to Himself.
  • Creating a Great Commission Prayer Strategy- Everywhere you look signs point to this fact—God is calling His people to heartfelt prayer. As believers answer this divine call to prayer, two things begin to happen. First, God’s people begin to return to Him in revival. Second, the church begins to be reclaimed as a house of prayer for all the nations (see Mark 11:17). A Great Commission Prayer Ministry will provide a way for churches to become houses of prayer with a passion for the lost. Additional Prayer resources : North Carolina Baptist Convention has some excellent prayer resources.
  • Fresh Encounter (For Staff led renewal)- Fresh Encounter consists of two six-session studies that explore the biblical requirements for spiritual awakening and revival and then helps the church make application in six key areas. A great study and event resource for renewal and revival. In order to research the Blackaby Ministry coming to hold the event at your church go here...
  • Experiencing God- (For Staff & Lay led renewal)- This phenomenal God-Centered study discipleship resource has helped millions of believers develop a more intimate relationship with God. Through personal and group study, you will learn how to recognize when God is speaking to you.. In order to research the Blackaby Ministry coming to hold the event at your church go here...
  • Kingdom Assignments (For Staff led renewal)- From a practical message on stewardship coming from the parable of the talents, this sermon has reshaped the lives of thousands of people and unleashed ministry evangelism in the church unlike no time before. Explore this valuable tool for renewal in your church.

 

Farm & Workers:

  • Farm_worker_resource_flyer (PDF)- This document is full of suggested books and web resources developed for leaders in New England arranged in the Farm & Workers categories of: People, Processes & Place. 
  • Facility Evaluation (church_growth_building_eval- Word Doc)- This very useful resource can help you evaluate your church building in view of how and what it communicates about the love of Christ to newcomers or guests. 
  • PeaceMaking and the Biblical Process of Conflict Resolution (PeaceMaker Ministries)
  • How To Make Your Church Visitor Friendly-While most churches consider themselves to be friendly places, the truth is they are – but only to members.This free PowerPoint presentation and listening guide from NAMB will help your church develop a strategy to ensure each visitor will be made to feel welcome, have questions answered, learn about the church's ministries, and want to come back. Visitor Friendly Powerpoint  Listening Guide
  • Church Renewal Journey- It is possible to Awaken, Equip, Commission, Empower and Send your congregation through this strategic and dynamic renewal process of weekends in your church. Church Renewal Journey will equip and tune the congregation into the mission of the church... that evangelism is not just the work of the pastor. The BCNE has been encouraging many pastors and churches to prayerfully consider holding these lay led weekends in their church. Once deciding to hold one of the five or more weekend emphases available, a coordinator from another location is appointed and helps the church prepare for about 3 to 6 months, then a leadership team travels to your church to lead the weekend of worship, prayer, fellowship and discipleship. For more information go to the national website or contact Tim Buehner at the BCNE.
  • Discover Your SHAPE: Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality & Experience! This is a great resource from Saddleback Community Church of El Toro, CA to help church members and leaders find their gifts and place in ministry. For a synopsis of SHAPE, go to SYNOPSIS . For print & media resources on SHAPE go to SHAPE .

 

Soil & Field Preparation:

  • Map Church - This excellent online resource for pastors and church leaders can help measure the perceptions that your church members have about their church. This assessment tool will generate reports giving your church’s leadership a snapshot of what your church perceives about itself in the areas of discipleship, evangelism, fellowship, prayer, worship, stewardship, theology, lay mobilization and missions. Responses to each question will also be correlated with the four authenticity measurements of knowing, obeying, connecting and leading. Please understand that although perceptions are reality to those who hold them, they may not be actual reality. The report will include tailored recommendations for your church. MAPCHURCH features a 126-question survey to which selected members will respond.  MAPCHURCH is a FREE resource provided by the North American Mission Board, Inc., in partnership with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). However, it is available for all churches to use if they find it helpful.
  • The Center for Missional Research exists to help Christian leaders make strategic missional decisions by reseaching North American cultures, analyzing ministry effectiveness of churches, understanding communities where churches minister, and building connections among churches.
  • Community Assessment Manual (comm_assess -pdf from NAMB)- The most effective means for reaching any community with the gospel of Christ is by identifying specific needs of the community and designing specific ministry to meet them. Consider assessing or evaluating the specific needs and services of your town or community with this excellent resource manual. Following this process enables your church to develop effective points of evangelistic ministry.
  • Multi-Housing Needs Assessment Form (multi_housing -pdf from NAMB)- Apartments and multi-family housing units are a great platform for evangelism. Use this tool to assess the needs at one location. 
  • Prayer has a significant and important role in preparing the soil.
    • Lighthouse_of_Prayer (PDF document)- consists of a group or an individual committed to intentionally pray for, care about, and share the gospel with individuals in their neighborhood or community. Lighthouses of Prayer are evangelistic prayer cells that are extensions of a local church’s evangelistic prayer ministry.
    • Follow Me: Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker- Book by Dr. Randy Sprinkle: God is calling believers out of church buildings and prayer closets to intercede in their neighborhoods, cities, and all over the world. This phenomenon of praying on-site as God, by His Spirit, gives insight is known as prayerwalking. Prayerwalking helps the believer experience prayer as a way of following Jesus as He is at work around us.This six-week Bible study is a tool that will transform a willing believer into an effective prayerwalker.
    • BCNE Prayer page
    • Taking Prayer to the Streets: Prayer Journeys - Online book from NAMB: The ancient proverb says "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Prayer Journeys is one step to spiritual growth and renewal.This Prayer Journeys website guide book is for a teacher or prayer coordinator. It includes everything needed to help believers to pray for and share Jesus with people in the communities where they live, work, play and worship. Several translations into other languages are also available.
    • Prayer Guide for Associations & Churches- Online book from NAMB: This excellent online guide for churches and Associations to build a strategy for effective prayer by C. Thomas Wright challenges believers to reclaim the church as a house of prayer with a passion for lost people. " And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us…." Psalm 90:17  The resulting strategy provides a specific process to challenge believers. The strategy helps associations and churches create a prayer ministry that is foundational to everything done in and through their ministries.
  • Book: “Surprising Insights from the Un-churched” Thom S. Rainer
  • Book: "Breaking the Missional Code" Ed Stetzer & David Putman- Provides expert insight on church, culture and mission highlighted through case studies and discussion of missional process.
  • Book: "Shaped by God's Heart; The Passion & Practices of Missional Churches" Milfred Minatrea- This book helps ministers and church leaders move beyond mere survival and maintenance toward a thriving missional mode for their congregations.
  • Book:  “The Unchurched Next Door” Thom S. Rainer
  • Report:  “New England Culture and Ministry Dynamics”  Rev. J. David Jackson: BCNE has received the rights to share a very special article: Understanding the Environment in Which We Minister: New England Culture and Ministry Dynamics written by Dr.J.David Jackson, former Church Planting Strategist, Greater Boston Baptist Association, Needham, Massachusetts, for your use in understanding the New England soil within which we seek to grow a harvest.  Go to:  understanding (PDF)

 

Seed Sowing & Church Evangelism (GPS Across New England 2010): 

  • How to Identify Prospects (prospect_tool pdf manual from The Net by NAMB)
  • CD & MP3: "Reaching Your Community Through Servant Evangelism" Nelson Searcy
  • Church Developing and Evangelism Strategy for the Internet- This is an instruction manual  (pdf) for proactively developing a pan for using the internet for an evangelism platform for the church rather than just a yellow page ad.
  • Developing a Comprehensive Plan for Evangelism in the Church- GPS Plan-It website from NAMB will help you design and manage a plan to accomplish the great commission goal of GPS through your church. With access to dozens of proven and effective evangelistic activities, programs, and events, this exciting resource will help you plan a comprehensive yearly evangelism strategy for your church or ministry. Go to: GPS Plan-It 
  • Vacation Bible School-

VBS is more than the old stand-by when it comes to summer programs. It still is a crucial means of evangelism and ministry. It connects the local church to families- new and familiar relationships in which to sow seeds for the gospel. See several of our VBS resources to keep the focus on this vital evangelistic event:

    • When VBS is Over... Then What?   VBS_followup  (MS Word article on the crucial importance of what you do after VBS is just as important as plans for the event itself)
    • 16 Evangelism Ideas for VBS 16_vbs_strategies (PDF brochure discussing different ideas for weaving evangelism in and throughout all of VBS)
  • Using Facebook Evangelistically- Social media or websites have been not only on the rise in popularity, but are showing signs of being very useful tools in evangelism, discipleship and relationship building. This free book explains, from a pastor's viewpoint, why and how pastors can use this valuable tool. facebook-for-pastors (PDF book)
  • Book: Who is My Neighbor? by Phillip & Kandace Connor- As missionaries engage unreached people groups overseas, God is simultaneously bringing unreached peoples of the earth to our continent, often to our own backyards.   Who is My Neighbor? is a biblically-principled guidebook that assists the reader to move beyond their own ethnic group and cross culturally engage people groups from all over the world living in North America.
  • Church Renewal Journey- It is possible to Awaken, Equip, Commission, Empower and Send your congregation through this strategic and dynamic renewal process of weekends in your church. Church Renewal Journey will enagae the entire congregation into the mission of the church... that evangelism is not just the work of the pastor... every member of the church is a missionary in their workplace and beyond. The BCNE has been encouraging many pastors and churches to prayerfully consider holding these lay led weekends in their church. Once deciding to hold one of the five or more weekend emphases available, a coordinator from another location is appointed and helps the church prepare for about 3 to 6 months, then a leadership team travels to your church to lead the weekend of worship, prayer, fellowship and discipleship. For more information go to the national website or contact Tim Buehner at the BCNE.
  • The Hope - telling the whole story of the Bible- a 2 hour web based or DVD movie that can be used to share the entire scope of God's revelation with non-Christians.
  • TRACTS- Tracts or small booklet pamphlets have been a long traditional seed sewing method of evangelism. It has been said that nothing cost less, goes farther, lasts longer or says it better than a gospel tract.
  • Most - This is a remarkable Academy Award nominated movie retelling of the popular sermon illustration of a draw-bridge operator and his sacrifice to save a train full of people. While filmed in the Czech language, it is English subtitled. This masterfully made movie is available on DVD, is about 30 minutes long and is excellent for showing in churches or sharing through relationships for a foundation for witnessing. 
  • Ministry Evangelism

Harvest End & Start:

 

General Interest:

(The placement of any of these links is not necessarily an endorsement of the ministries or contents of every resource. These are for general interest and usage through the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit.)

 

Evangelism Small Group / Discipleship Studies:

  • Out of Their Faces and Into Their Shoes, a book study on How to Understand Spiritually Lost People and Give Them Directions to God.
  • How to Give Away Your Faith- with study questions for small groups. Paul Little offers examples and advice for ordinary people who want to share the extraordinary gospel.
  • His Heart, Our Hands: Ministry Evangelism Toolkit- The Ministry Evangelism Toolkit is a resource for pastors and church leaders to inspire and equip church members to follow Jesus’ example of servanthood. These helpful ideas and practical applications show how to build personal and community relationships as a basis for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The toolkit includes His Heart, Our Hands: A Ministry Evangelism Toolkit, Servanthood Evangelism manual, a CD-ROM, and an interpretative video with vignettes, testimonies, and a panel discussion on steps to start a new ministry.
  • Servanthood Evangelism– Training manual from NAMB
  • Becoming a Contagious Christian- by Bill Hybels (Zondervan, 240 pages); teaching kit- With the subtitle "Communicating Your Faith in a Style that Fits You," the book and course represent the newest generation in friendship evangelism.
  • Share Jesus Without Fear
  • There are also several courses the Evangelism Team is able to come and teach:  One Day/one Hour Witnessing Training,  Using the EvangiCube,  Using the Witnessing Bracelet, effective use of the Personal Testimony,  Building Witnessing Relationships

 

Self Directed Training:

  • Evangelism Handbook- Book by Alvin Reid: Evangelism Handbook is one of the most thorough and up-to-date guides to the daily ministry of sharing Christ that we know of. Writer and professor Alvin Reid is particularly concerned about how the Western Church is practicing evangelism—its failure to reach the hardcore unchurched and its trend of losing young people faster than it can win them.
  • EDGE- A training manual developed by NAMB which equips churches and leaders to understand the relationship and process of evangelism to discipling. This resource is for equipping an army of Christians for evangelizing, disciple making, gathering people, and establishing churches.  This guide can by used for self-study or as a training guide with a mentor, pastor, other ministry leader, or associational missionary. This is the EDGE Training Manual (PDF file):  edge_e_training.
  • ACTS 1:8 MISSIONS STRATEGY - Becoming a part of a national movement of churches committing themselves to a comprehensive missions strategy in their community (Jerusalem), region (Judea), continent (Samaria) and world (ends of the earth). Go to ACTS 1:8 website.
  • SERVANT EVANGELISM- Website featuring a training CD & MP3: "Reaching Your Community Through Servant Evangelism"  
  • E-QUIP.NET- E-Quip is a web based training environment with tremendous resources for Associations and churches developed by the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists. Get quality teaching through a host of video courses. 
  • Telling the Story: Evangelism For the Next Generation (book, for ordering)- Maybe you think you would like to serve God as a full-time missionary or evangelist, but you’re not sure. And if you are called, how do you move forward? Telling the Story answers those who wonder “Have I been called to be an evangelist?” and “Where do I begin?” Written by veteran evangelist Luis Palau and evangelism trainer Tim Robnett, this book will be a valuable resource for anyone contemplating the call to evangelism.
  • Book: Who is My Neighbor? by Phillip & Kandace Connor- As missionaries engage unreached people groups overseas, God is simultaneously bringing unreached peoples of the earth to our continent, often to our own backyards.   Who is My Neighbor? is a biblically-principled guidebook that assists the reader to move beyond their own ethnic group and cross culturally engage people groups from all over the world living in North America.

  • May I Walk You Home? Sharing Christ's Love with the Dying- Book by Melody Rossi: Filled with hope, joy, and practical wisdom, May I Walk You Home? prepares you to talk about Jesus to family and friends with a terminal illness.

  • INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY EVANGELISM- NAMB Website Intentional Community Evangelism
  • FRESH ENCOUNTER- Fresh Encounter consists of two six-session studies that explore the biblical requirements for spiritual awakening and revival and then helps the church make application in six key areas. A great study and event resource for renewal and revival. In order to research the Blackaby Ministry coming to hold the event at your church go here...
  • PEACEPAK: Conflict is a real part of life in every church, but it doesn’t have to tear a congregation apart. A church can thrive instead of wither when its leaders are prepared to respond to conflict biblically. The Leader’s PeacePack (PeaceMaker Ministries Website bookstore) contains the vital resources a church leader needs in order to learn and model the principles of biblical peacemaking.
  • HIS HEART, OUR HANDS- His Heart, Our Hands: Ministry Evangelism Toolkit- a wonderful tool that will help your church reach lost people in your community for Christ through Ministry Evangelism (1-800-448-8032 Lifeway Stores).
  • Lifeway Resources- Lifeway has many studies, books and other resources dedicated to evangelism at their website for evangelism.