It always seemed logical to me that meeting people’s needs and sharing Christ with them was a natural way to do ministry. As I grew in my Christian walk, I found that Christ did personal evangelism as he met felt needs (Matt. 11:4-5). I didn’t realize until I was older that not everyone does ministry this way. Charles Roesel, pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church Leesburg, Florida, however, does. He coined the term “Ministry Evangelism” and is proof that doing ministry like Christ did really does work (imagine that!).
After visiting FBC Leesburg and Roesel’s ranch, I have become even more aware of the success we can have by following Christ’s example of Ministry Evangelism. The Ministry Village, FBC’s Christian Care Center complex, magnificently holds together meeting needs and sharing Christ. The Ministry Village meets the needs of the community through their Men’s Rescue Mission, Women’s Care Center, Benevolence Center, Children’s Shelter Home, Teen Shelter Home, Pregnancy Care Center, and Community Medical Care Center. The ministries are run by the members and volunteers of the church, and proclaiming the gospel is accomplished daily. The center is an example of putting biblical concepts for evangelism into practice.
First, ministry evangelism is biblical. When we take a close look at Christ’s ministry, we see that he did not separate the spiritual and the social (Matt 4:23). Christ did not neglect the spiritual for the social, or the converse (Luke 4:17-21). Christ’s concern for people’s social welfare included a concern for their spiritual welfare. His compassion for their social needs moved Him to act, but not to the point of minimizing their need to follow Him by faith. We see Christ’s ministry as one that holds gospel proclamation and social ministry together.
Second, ministry evangelism is intentional. Ministry Evangelism intentionally seeks to understand the needs of those in the community. Then, it works to meet those needs and intentionally share the message of Christ. Churches must not wait for the lost to come to them. We must intentionally seek the lost and proclaim the gospel to them. FBC Leesburg, for instance, began Ministry Evangelism because they saw that their community had a specific need that had to be met – young, single girls were getting pregnant and needed help. They decided to provide not only help and encouragement, but also love and Christ. Lovingly and intentionally seeking to meet the needs of the lost shows Christ’s love and provides opportunities for the gospel to be shared.
Third, ministry evangelism is relational. When we do Ministry Evangelism, we gain a hearing. We build a relationship with those to whom we minister. We show people that we genuinely love and care about them. If we see people as simply souls to be won, they not only become a project, but we also rob them of their humanity. Being image-bearers of God includes one’s whole being, not just the soul. When we build relationships through ministry, we begin to see people as whole persons. The face from the street that seeks food becomes a friend about whom we care. We are given permission to verbally share Christ because we have connected and started a genuine relationship.
Fourth, ministry evangelism is practical. Ministry Evangelism meets people where they are. It meets real, felt needs. It provides for a physical need and allows for spiritual needs to be met as well. At the Benevolence Center of the Ministry Village, people receive food, clothing, and financial assistance with bills. They don’t leave, though, without receiving spiritual counseling and hearing the gospel. Ministry Evangelism accomplishes our biblical calling to do ministry and evangelism.
Fifth, ministry evangelism is successful. Those who are committed to ministry and evangelism are seeing people come to Christ, and entire lives are being changed. One of the reasons why the early church was successful in evangelism is because, as Michael Green explains, “There was no dichotomy between a social and a spiritual gospel” (Evangelism in the Early Church, 385). Since starting Ministry Evangelism, FBC Leesburg regularly baptizes 200-300 people each year. While visiting the Rescue Mission and the Women’s Shelter, I met and heard stories from men and women whose lives had been completely changed through Ministry Evangelism. Such stories are proof that sharing Christ with those to whom we minister is a successful way to fulfill the Great Commission. Ministry Evangelism simply works. And why shouldn’t it, since Christ modeled it for us? Meeting needs and sharing Christ can be held together without compromise.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed when seeing the many successful ministries that FBC Leesburg has developed. Ministry Evangelism, however, is manageable. Any church, regardless of size, can meet people’s needs and share Christ with them. Our churches must start meeting needs and sharing Christ.
Posted by urbanmin 
