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Changing our evangelistic mindset isn’t easy. Extraction evangelism is ingrained in Western Christian culture. Yet extraction evangelism techniques create too many barriers to the Gospel to result in church planting movements. Period. They may even inoculate people against receiving the Gospel. There is not one single example, to my knowledge, of a group that uses extraction evangelism as their primary strategy ever catalyzing a church planting movement. Community evangelism, on the other hand, is part of catalyzing church planting movements around the world: even as you read this post! If church planting movements are our goal, we have to make the jump from extraction thinking to community thinking.

Dear Nicolay,

Greetings my dear brother. I trust you are well in the Lord's work in Ukraine.

Two weeks ago I visited a new church in Western Ukraine and I must admit that I was very frustrated by the messages which were spoken by the preachers. There was zero interaction and the young man I was with said nothing from the 40 minute message spoke to him at all. The preacher could just as well as speaking to the walls.

I am attaching an article that I wrote several years ago encouraging dialogue as a method - very Biblical- of communicating the truths of God's word.

When we started a church in the low income housing projects, the first thing we did was to prepare the ground in prayer.

In Matthew 12, Jesus gives an illustration in his defense against an attack by the Pharisees. They accused him of casting out demons by the power of the devil. He replied, "How can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his goods." (verse 29)

I sometimes think the Lord gave us the experience with Rosa and starting church in the projects because it so closely parallels Luke 10.

In Luke 10:1, Jesus commissions 72 disciples to go ahead of him in pairs to all the towns and places he plans to visit. Jesus had a strategy for the area--the disciples had to listen to his instructions, go where he told them and he would follow.

Jesus told me very specifically which street to walk because he planned to visit Springfield. My job was to hear him and obey.

The ability to hear God's voice  is vital if we are going to be on mission with God. He has plans for the area where you live. As you listen to him, he will give you a place to pray for, or put a person on your heart. Maybe he will say to you, "Get chatting with the person next to you in the grocery line--she needs to hear from me today." Or maybe he will put a people group on your heart--you will find yourself with an unaccountable burden to pray for skateboarders, or students, or the elderly. 

When God answered Rosa's prayers in such a clear way, we asked Rosa:

"Would you be willing to bring together some of your family and friends to hear about this Jesus who has been answering your prayers?"

Rosa jumped at the idea. But that same day, she introduced us to a friend who lived four doors down.

"You'll like her," Rosa told us. "She's a Christian just like you are."

A few months later, Tony (my husband) and I happened to be driving along Oltorf Street. We had some time to spare.

"Let's prayer walk Springfield," Tony suggested.

So we parked the car well away from the housing project and walked past the "Loitering is forbidden" sign at the entrance. We prayed as we walked. Suddenly, there was a huge downpour. The heavens just opened.

There was no way we could make it back to the car without getting drenched, so we ran for shelter  under a balcony where there were two middle-aged Hispanic ladies sitting in lawn chairs. As we chatted with them, they asked what we were doing there.

"We're praying for this neighborhood," we said.

In my normal time with the Lord one morning, Jesus spoke to me--not an audible voice, just that thought from nowhere that I've learned is often the way he speaks to me.

"Walk Oltorf Street," was what he seemed to say.

I would like to tell you that I immediately obeyed him, but that would not be true. It took me about two months, and it was only because a Texan summer was fast approaching that I finally obeyed what I had sensed him say.

A question that if often asked is, “how can house churches be simple?” How can they become “simple churches”? What are the simple patterns that are important?

Some years ago, the Lord linked for me this idea of simplicity with Mt. 18:20. “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” The Lord seemed to say, “What would you do if I physically showed up at your house church meeting?” My response was, “Well, I would immediately turn the meeting over to you!” And, He said, “Exactly.”

The house church context provides a unique environment for the study and application of God’s Word. When you have 10-20 individuals gathered in close proximity, it is different than speaking to 1000 people in an auditorium or even 40 people in a classroom. The house church gives a great opportunity for people to ask questions, to develop their understanding in a group, to share what the Holy Spirit is saying to them, and to develop points of application in community. In the context of the house church setting we do not want to be the “Sage upon the stage but the Guide along the side.” As such, we have the following guidelines for those who lead the “Word Time” in the House Gathering setting.

It is hard to believe that our website has been in existence for four years. During that time we have posted almost two hundred different articles. More importantly, through the website, we have been able to get to know many of you personally and we have been able to help one another in our walk with God and in the ministry that He has called us to. We are particularly amazed and blessed by the number of people across the Russian-speaking world that have contacted us and let us know that the principles discussed on this website are close to their heart and are a reality in their ministry.

There is no real way to measure the influence and impact of this website, but as we hear stories of changed lives, new disciples, and new churches, we realize that God has had a plan to use this website as at least a small instrument in the building of His kingdom.