Reaching new people – regardless of wherever they are at in their faith – should always be the norm of our churches. In Matthew 28, Jesus tells us to “Go into all the world…” not to wait for people to come to us. Evangelism, therefore, should always be in our hearts.

Here are three things that will help create a culture of evangelism in your church.

1. Reaching people is a Kingdom culture

Regardless of what kind of church you’re a part of, and regardless of what country and culture you live in, reaching people should be a part of our culture. It’s our job as Christians to represent Jesus, and Jesus’ heart was always for people. Evangelism is a Kingdom-culture.

Although it may be true that in some cultures, talking to random people – let alone inviting them to church can be a weird thing, we cannot allow our society’s culture to have more authority than Kingdom culture.

2. Everyone is welcome

What’s the experience of a new person at your church? It’s so important that every person who walks inside your church knows that they are welcome.

At all of our Hillsong locations around the world, whether it be a building that we own or a venue that is rented – we’ll have a big, bold, unmissable sign saying “WELCOME HOME”. Because that’s what it should feel like for visitors and members alike.

They need to know that they can come just the way they are, without having to dress or act in a certain way and feel relaxed.

The reality is, a lot of people love God and want to be more engaged with God, but they are not sure about the Church. If we’re going to be the Church, we need to represent Jesus. We need to be motivated by love and allow people to get plugged into healthy community, not create religious barriers that hold them back.

3. Empower your congregation

The reality is, not everyone is called to be an Evangelist in the mold of Billy Graham or Reinhard Bonnke – but we are all called to be witnesses. We can’t necessarily cross oceans to reach people, but we can cross the street and say hello to our neighbor.

Equip your congregation to reach people. Preach messages that are not just for Sunday’s but can be applied in people’s everyday lives Monday to Saturday. Equip them to make the most of their sphere of influence, and teach them to be open to what the Holy Spirit wants to do in and through them.

It might not necessarily be our job to ensure someone gets saved, but we can play a part in planting a seed in someone that God will nurture.

This thought was inspired from a webinar entitled ‘Evangelistic Churches’ hosted by Brenden Brown during Online Open Week in February 2017. Online Open Week is your opportunity to receive impartation and leadership training direct from the Hillsong team through live webinars.

If you would like to watch the full recording or find out more about future events from the Hillsong Leadership Network, click below.