Evangelism and Spiritual Warfare, Mentor's Guide, MG08

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E V A N G E L I S M A N D S P I R I T U A L W A R F A R E

Evangelism Methods to Reach the Urban Community

Welcome to the Mentor’s Guide for Lesson 3, Evangelism: Methods to Reach the Urban Community . The overall focus of this lesson is to underscore two things, both of which are critical for a biblical understanding of a ministry of evangelism. On the one hand, we communicate the integrity of the hope of the Good News through our own way of life and personal character . This is the first part of this lesson. To underscore this point regarding the nature of ministry goes without saying, but it is important to reiterate for an urban ministry of evangelism. So much scrutiny goes into the messenger as well as the message that the former, if they do not represent the Lord with honor and dignity, can undermine the credibility of the latter in the eyes of those who hear the Good News. The second part of the lesson focuses on the roles that prayer, personal soul winning, and public preaching play in urban evangelism. We might characterize the second segment as communicating the Good News by word of mouth. These two means of communicating the Gospel– by way of life and by word of mouth –constitute the two forms in which the Good News can be delivered with potency and boldness in the urban community. It is important to note right at the beginning that these two ought to never be pit against one another; the Gospel must go forth in both ways if the full and clear message of the Gospel is to be experienced by those to whom the Lord God will send us. The focus on this lesson is not so much on the dynamics of urban sociology, anthropology, or missiological methods of delivery. Rather, I have chosen to concentrate on the practical, biblical, and personal dimensions of evangelistic method which will greatly and most often impact the lives of urban Christian leaders. No amount of argument can underscore the significance of these two complimentary concepts played in the apostles’ conception of the Gospel ministry. Paul spent a majority of his writings exhorting people to follow him as he followed Christ , never slacking or hesitating to call his audiences to take note of his own life as they judged the character of his message . For the evangelist, there must be a direct connection between the two if either is to have genuine credibility.

1 Page 67 Lesson Introduction

1 Cor. 11.1 - Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

1 Cor. 4.16 - I urge you, then, be imitators of me.