Theme: Towards a Growing and Fruit-Bearing Christian Life

  

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Training Seminars on Evangelism and Follow-Up

Session 1
Text: Matthew 4:17-20 

The Aims of these Seminars:

  1. To challenge you as to our personal opportunity and responsibility of doing personal evangelism.

  2. To teach you how to do personal evangelism and follow-up effectively.

 

The Effectiveness of these Seminars:

  • This depends on your willingness to learn. “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). 

  • Learning to witness requires effort.

  • There will be discouragements.

  • Our motivation in evangelism: Psalms 126:5,6, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

Principles of Evangelism

A. The Definition of Evangelism

 “To preach the good news.”

Terms used by Christian workers to define evangelism:

  1. Witnessing: “telling others about Christ” (I John 1:3).

  2. Testifying: to speak of what you have personally experienced in your own life regarding salvation.

  3. Personal outreach: “person-to-person dealing with men, women and children” that is, personally coming in contact with other persons, especially the unsaved.

  4. Fishing for men: “going out into the ocean of sin and pulling drowning souls into the ark of safety” which is the Lord Jesus.

  5. Soul winning: “telling of the Gospel to a sinner with the intent of bringing him to a saving knowledge of Christ.” (Proverbs 11:30)

 

Personal evangelism is:

“The act of effectively convincing a lost person of the following facts, through the use of God’s Word and in the power of the Holy Spirit:

  1. That he is a sinner under the sentence of eternal death (John 3:36).

  2. That Christ is the answer to his need (Acts 13:38, 39).

  3. That the sinner must definitely accept Christ as Saviour and Lord (John 12:48; II Thessalonians 1:8b).

B. The Necessity of Evangelism

  1. We are ambassadors of God on earth (2 Corinthians 5:20).

  2. Jesus gave us the Great Commission to preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:47; John 20:21).

  3. Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to empower us to preach the Gospel (Acts 1:8; Zec 4:6; Acts 18:5).

  4. The Gospel of Christ is the only hope of salvation for sinners (Acts 4:12 cf. Romans 9:3; Matthew 9:36).

  5. False religions and wrong ideas are capturing the minds and hearts of people (2 Corinthians 4:4).

C. The Message of Evangelism

  1. Beware of preaching “easy-believism” as it is an over­simplified gospel.

  2. Be willing to spend time teaching the gospel and to wait for the Holy Spirit to produce genuine con­viction of sin.

  3. Ensure that the following are found in the gospel message you present:

  • It should be God‑centred, not man‑centred.

  • It should fully represent Christ and His work of salvation.

  • It should represent sin as an affront to God’s Holiness.

  • It should be bold to mention judgment and hell as the punishment for our sins.

  • It should emphasize salvation through FAITH in Christ alone.

  • It should clarify the cost of the Lordship of Christ.

D. Communicating The Gospel

II Timothy 3:16,17 – “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

1.   The Gospel is to be Communicated Personally:

  • The main efforts of Jesus were put into building into the lives of a few people.

  • Our goal is not to make converts, but to make disciples (Matthew 28:19).  

2.   The Gospel is to be Communicated Lovingly and Gently

  • Ephesians 4:15 –  “speak the truth in love.”

  • 1 Peter 3:15 – “…be ready always to give an answer… with meekness and fear.”

  • Colossians 4:6 – “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt”  

3.   The Gospel is to be Communicated Comprehensibly

  • Use simple words that are easy to understand (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:20-23) 

4.   The Gospel is to be Communicated with the Use of Scripture

  • Use God’s Word wherever possible (Hebrews 4:12).

  • It is not our clever speech or sound arguments that converts sinners but the Word of God which He promises will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11; cf. Acts 2:14-36). 

5.   The Gospel is to be Communicated in Recognition of God's Sovereignty in Salvation:

  • God is the One who calls a person irresistibly and effect­ually to salvation (John 6:44).

  • Our part in evangelism is only two-fold:

  1. To present the complete gospel to him.

  2. To pray that God will work in his heart (1 Timothy 2:1‑4).

Leave the Results to God:

  • Don’t think you have failed if you don’t get results. (cf. Acts 17:32)

  • Our responsibility is to sow the seed.

  • Our success is measured by how well we have used the opportunities given to us to share the gospel with people around us.

 

Session 2
Text: Matthew 5:14,15

A. Gospel Tracts

There are different kinds of gospel tracts:

  1. Some contain a short story.

  2. Some are for specific audiences.

  3. Others contain an outline of the gospel message.

  • They present the gospel systematically.

  • We can give the person a copy of the tract to take with them.

  • The person can also check up the verses in a Bible

  • When you have limited time you can just give the tract to the person and ask him to read it.

 

B. The Bridge of Life Illustration

  1. Write  “MAN” on the left side, and “GOD” on the right side. Say, “Man was created to love God, but man chose instead to sin against Him.”

  2. Write the word “SIN” vertically between the words “MAN” and “GOD”. Quote Romans 3:23 - “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Questions to ask: “What does the word “all” in this verse mean? Does it include you?” Always use questions after giving a verse so that you may know whether its truth is getting across.) Say, “Since God is holy and man is sinful, sin separates man from God.”

  3. Sketch two cliffs with a wide gap between. Draw a little line figure of a man on the left and say, “Because man is cut off from God who gives him life, death is the result.” Print the words “DEATH” by “MAN” and “LIFE” by “GOD.”

  1. Then point to the word “death” on the left side and quote Hebrews 9:27 - “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Question: “According to this verse, is there any chance of being saved after death?”) Say, “The judgment that everyone has to face after death, is to suffer eternally in hell.”

  2. Say, “As sinners, man cannot do anything to get back to God.” Draw little incomplete bridges showing man’s futile attempts to reach God, and write the words “Good works” next to these bridges. Say, “This is because of sin that still stands as a barrier between man and God.” (pointing to the word “sin”)

  3. Say, “But the Bible also tells us that God loves man and came into this world as Jesus Christ to bridge this gap between sinful man and a holy God.” Write the word “CHRIST” across the word “SIN” using the letter “I” as the intersection.

  4. Say, “Jesus Christ died by being nailed on the cross, to take the punishment for sins.” Draw a cross which bridges the gap between man’s side and God’s side. Quote Romans 5:8 - “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Question: “According to this verse, did God love us and save us because we were good and worthy people?”)

  1. Say, “Not only did Jesus die for our sins, but He was buried and arose from the grave on the third day. No one else in history has ever risen from the dead. This means that no one but Jesus can save us.” Quote John 14:6 - “Jesus saith…, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” (Question: “According to what Jesus Christ said here, how many ways are there to reach God?”)

  2. Say, “In order to be saved by Jesus Christ, you need to turn away from your sins and turn to Him alone.” Draw a horizontal line from the little figure to the cross. When you turn to Jesus, you must believe in Him and receive Him into your life. Quote John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Question: “According to this verse, what do you need to do to have everlasting life instead of death?”)

  3. Draw a curved arrow that continues from the line you just drew going over the cross to the other side. Then write the word “Believe” above the line. Say “To believe in Jesus does not mean giving mental agreement to what the Bible says about Him. It means that you make the commitment to receive Him forever as your Saviour and Lord.” Quote John 1:12 - “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:” (Question: “According to this verse what should you do to become a child of God?”) Write the word “Receive” next to the word “Believe”

  1. End the presentation and issue the gospel call to salvation by quoting John 6:37 - “All that the Father giveth me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” (Question: “What does Jesus promise to do if you were to come to Him to be saved from your sins?”)

  2. Ask the question: “Does all of this make sense to you?” And if the answer is affirmative, then ask, “Will you come to Jesus for salvation right now?”

C. Personal Testimony:

A well-planned testimony of salvation can be useful in presenting the gospel (Acts 26:28).

Prepare your testimony in 3 parts (write the main points in each part): 

1. Your life before becoming a Christian:                                                                            

2. The Turning Point in your life:

3. Your life after becoming a Christian:

Some suggestions:

1.      Don't make your testimony too long. 3‑5 minutes is sufficient.

2.      Don't mention many names of people or places connected with your conversion. Christ should be exalted.

3.      Use simple words and expressions.

4.      Practice sharing your testimony.

E. An Evangelistic Bible Study Course

If conditions permit get the person interested in having several sessions of evangelistic Bible study with you.

  • Do not set unrealistic expectations for him.

  • Each session should begin with a short prayer and not be too long.

  • Help him a lot, particularly in looking up the verses from the Bible

  • Ask him to read aloud some of the verses from the Bible, or some of the text in the lesson itself.

Workshop:

1.      Write some points in the three boxes of the testimony of your salvation.

2.      Work in pairs and practise. Take turns to practise using the Gospel tract to share the gospel followed by giving a testimony of salvation.

 

Prepare for the next workshop: Memorise the following verses:

1.      Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”

2.      Hebrews 9:27 – “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment”

3.      Romans 5:8 – “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

4.      John 14:6 – “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”

5.      John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

6.      John 1:12 – “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.”

7.      John 6:37 – “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” 

Gospel Toolkit: http://www.lifefebc.com/resources/Gospel.htm

Learn how to share the Gospel in: Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien and Teochew in 15 lessons.

Session 3
Text: Acts 1:8; 8:1-4

Areas of Evangelism

 

I. The Home

  • The barriers that some face: language, cultural, generation gap.

  • Look for opportunities for your loved ones to come into contact with the Word of God, in some form that will circumvent these barriers:

  1. A Christian book

  2. An elderly Christian who speaks the same dialect

  3. Learn to witness in their dialect.

  • Help them to overcome the fear of coming to a new and strange place.

II. The Workplace or School

  • Some Reasons why we should:

  1. For most of us here, our place of work or study is our main area of influence outside our home.

  2. The place where Christians work or study is one of the largest sources of new converts.

  3. It is easier to follow up people we bring to Christ in our place of work or study because we see them almost every day.

  • Practical steps for testifying for Christ at our place of work or study:

  1. Don’t hide your Christian profession.

  2. Match your Christian profession with Christ-like conduct.

  3. Look for opportunities to witness – use a transition point, e.g. a question

  4. Share the gospel.

III. Outdoor Evangelism

A. Approaches to Outdoor Evangelism

1.   Distributing tracts ‑ discreetly.

2.   One‑to‑one personal evangelism ‑ if opportunities arise.

3.   Group evangelism ‑ to students/children especially.

4.   Door‑to‑door evangelism- systematically.

5.   Public places i.e. MRT, Bus interchange, shopping centres, Gardens, Parks, Open places, etc.

6.   Setting up a bookstore ‑ books to sell or distribute. Pamphlets, brochures.

B. Advantages & Disadvantages of Outdoor Evangelism

1.   Can meet anyone without exception.

2.   Vulnerability to abuse/discouragement.

3.   People are always in a hurry, no time.

4.   Open to the public to watch.

5.   Difficult to follow‑up (unless you have phone no. or address).

C. Practical Considerations for Outdoor Evangelism

1.   Go as a pair and not alone (Lk 10:1).

2.   Men witness to men, ladies to ladies.

3.   Be prepared to speak in Mandarin or dialects, i.e. Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochew, etc.

4.   Look out also for older people and children. They can be receptive especially the latter.

5.   Have a different variety of tracts for different age, ethnic/language groups.

6.   Do not be discourteous, always end off well. Remember you are a living testimony for Christ whether it be good or bad.

7.   Beware of unscrupulous people who may take advantage of you, i.e. pickpockets, hooligans.

8.   Do not consent to go to lonely, quiet places or to their homes unless you know them or you are in a pair with a brother accompanying you.

9.   Ask for email, pager, handphone or address to follow up if necessary (or make an appointment later or give your name and contact number)

D. When should we excuse ourselves and leave?

1.      When they are having a meal together.

2.      When they are obviously having guests in the house.

3.      When they are obviously about to leave the house.

4.      When they show anger.

5.      When they are steeped in their beliefs and say, “I like what I am studying. I believe it and don’t agree with you.”

6.      When they are not listening but are thinking of some way to make a rebuttal.

7.      When they are more interested in a TV program than the Gospel.

8.      When all they want to do is argue.

9.      When I am convinced they mean “No.”

10.  When they flatly say they don’t want to talk about it.

11.  When you feel like you are wearing out your welcome.

 Answering, Questions, Doubts and Excuses:

 1. “I am afraid of parental persecution if I become a Christian.”

  • There are many things in life he has to decide for himself (e.g. marriage)

  • We are all accountable before God individually (Rom 14:12)

  • He should put God first and seek Him  (2 Tim 2: 12, Acts 5:29)

2. “There are so many professing Christians who are hypocrites. I don't want to be like them.”

  • His faulty reasoning - Just because we have tasted a rotten apple, does it mean that all apples are bad.

  • The important thing is to be sincere about what we believe and to seek God with all our hearts.

3. “How do I know that there is a God?”

  • The arguments or rational proofs for the existence of God:

  1. The cosmological argument ‑ argument from the existence of the world

  2. The teleological argument ‑ argument from purpose (or end/telos)

  3. The anthropological argument ‑ argument from man

  4. The moral argument ‑ argument from morality (i.e. right & wrong)

  • Tell him that there is only one God (monotheism) and not many gods (polytheism). (Isa 44:6; 45:14,18, 21:22).

4. “Why should I accept the Bible as the final authority from God? Why not the Koran or Buddhist scriptures or the Apocrypha? They are equally good.”

  • The Bible is verbally & plenarily inspired of God (2 Tim 3:16,17; 1 Pet 1:19‑21)

  • It is God's special revelation to man, with no mistakes and whatever it said is true and authoritative.

  • It is authenticated by history and archaeology and has been miraculously preserved all these centuries.

5. “I am neutral in religion. I believe all religions are good and all of them will lead us to heaven.”

  • Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6; Acts 4:12)

  • While all religions may have some good morality, this is not the same as salvation.

  • Christianity is about a relationship with God and knowing Him in a personal way through Christ. (Joh 17:3)

  • We are either for Christ or we are not. (Mat 12:30)

6. “If there is a God, why does He allow evil in this world?”

  • God created all things according to His perfect will, but that He also gave men the responsibility to choose. (Eccl 7:29)

  • When man chose to disobey God, sin and its consequences brought about our present circumstances with both moral and physical evil (Gen 3:16-19).

  • Only God Himself can save us and deliver us from a world that is evil and destined for destruction. (Gal 1:3,4)

  • God has a purpose for allowing moral and physical evil to exist. (Rom 8:28)

  • God will one day triumph over evil and punish all those who oppose Him. (Eph 5:5,6)

7. “I am too busy with my world. After I established my business, I will consider Christ one day!”

  • This is short-sighted and disastrous (Mark 8:36; Luke 12: 20).

  • There is not as much time as he thinks. (2 Cor 6:2; Psa 90:10; Jas 4:14).

  • By the time his ‘one day’ comes it may be too late (Isa 55:6; Heb 12:17).  

8.  “I cannot understand everything about the Bible.”

  • We make use of many things we do not fully understand. We do not understand everything about medicine or electricity, and yet we use them.  

9. “There is too much to give up.”

  • Nothing is more important than his soul. (Mk 8:36)

  • God loves sinners enough to give up His Son. (Rom 8:32; Jn 3:16)

  • The things he loves in this world will pass away. (1 Jn 2:15‑17)

  • What he gets as a believer will exceed all that he gives up. (Lk 18:29‑30) 

10. “I am too great a sinner.”

  • Jesus came into the world to save sinners. (Mt 9:12‑13; Lk 19:10)

  • Paul was the chief of sinners, and yet he could be saved. (I Tim 1:15)

  • Jesus turns no one away. (Jn 6:37) 

11. “I must become better before I can believe in Christ.”

  • We go to the doctor when we fall sick. We do not wait to get better before seeing the doctor. (Mt 9:12‑13; Lk 18:13‑14)

  • He can never become better before he receives Christ (Eph 2:1-4) 

12. “I need to see a sign before I can believe.”

  • It is wrong to seek for signs. (Mt 12:38‑39)

  • If he cannot believe the Bible he will not believe at all ‑ miracle or no miracle. (Lk 16:27‑31)

  • God has already given us many signs:

  1. In Creation (Rom 1:20)

  2. In Science (Job 26:7)

  3. c. In Prophecy: (Deut 30:3) 

13. “I can make it to heaven by my good works.”

  • In order to be saved by good works we must keep all the laws of God without breaking any one of them. The breaking of just one law will render us guilty. (Gal 3:10‑1 1; Jas 2:10)

  • In reality good works cannot wash away our sins. (Jn 8:24)

  • Nobody in the world can do good perfectly. (Eccl 7:20; Rom 7:19‑24)

  • No man can be saved by depending on his own good works (Isa 64:6). 

14. “How about those who have never heard of Christ?”

  • These people are not innocent. (Rom 3:10; Rom 3 :23)

  • God's laws are already written in their hearts. (Rom 2:14‑15; Rom 1:32)

  • God is righteous in judgment. (Deut 32:4; Gen 18:25) 

15. “What about the beliefs of  rebirth, nirvana, etc?”

  • The fallacies of these beliefs.

  1. The end result of rebirth and reincarnation is to pay for all our sins or to have a zero account with regards to our sins. But in the first place, when we first entered into the world, we have to be logically "sinless" because we have not committed any sins yet.

  2. Why would an all‑powerful and all‑knowing God require so many births and rebirths to know who we are? God, because of His foreknowledge, knows who we are or what we will be like even before we are actually born.

  3. Life's suffering are not the results of bad past karma but rather in accordance to the foreknowledge and purpose of God. Some people are born blind, deaf or retarded, not because of some bad, past karma but because God may use such handicaps to help these people come to know Him.

  4. The Bible teaches eternal judgment rather than rebirth.
    (Luke 16:22‑24; Hebrews 9:27)
    For some useful background material, read the notes on Hinduism and Buddhism at the end of this handout.

Workshop:
Work in pairs to practise:

  • Making a transition

  • Using the Bridge of Life Illustration

  • Answering some objections and excuses

 

APPENDIX:
Sharing the Gospel with Special Groups

Roman Catholics

(1 out of every 17 Singaporeans)

1.     Win the Catholic to trust the Scriptures as the only reliable authority on faith, and to believe that they can understand it.

2.     Support everything you say with Bible verses.

3.     Get the Catholic to pray with you that God will open his eyes to understand His word.

4.     Share the Gospel with Him, as you would with any person but do it in such a way that you let the Scriptures speak for itself.

5.     Take time to give the proper definition of theological terms.

6.     If he is knowledgeable enough to be able to quote Bible verses that support his view, then offer to look up those verses on the spot and examine their context.

7.     Bring up some provoking facts, to convince him that the RC church can no longer be considered as belonging to Christ (e.g. The RCC doctrine of Purgatory is backed by only one verse in the Apocrypha)

8.     Give your own testimony of how you became a Christian emphasizing the role of God's Word in your salvation.

9.     Challenge the Catholic to discover God's truths for himself by carefully reading the Bible, and believing only what God says through it.

Cult Groups -
e.g. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses

1.      Begin with an attitude of love.

2.      Begin the discussion with prayer.

3.      Get them to agree beforehand on the subject for discussion.

4.      Do not let him dominate the whole conversation.

5.      Watch out for verses quoted out of context.

6.      Ask them to explain what they mean by theological phrases so that no misunderstanding will exist when these things come under discussion as they inevitably will.

7.      Look up the KJV when they quote verses from their own translation. Point out contradictions in their translation

8.      Share the gospel in terminology that has been carefully clarified.

 

Session 4
How To Follow Up a New Christian

I. INTRODUCTION TO THE FOLLOW-UP MINISTRY

A. The Goal of Follow-up:

  • That God may be glorified

  • as Christ is being formed in the life of the new Christian,

  • uniting him in the local body of believers

  • and eventually reaching through him to others.

B. The Principles for Follow-up:

1.     Specific prayer

2.     The ministry of the Word of God

3.   Individual attention

C.  The Cost of Following Up a New Christian:

1.     It demands much time and commitment.

2.     It demands much devoted effort to meet his needs in three areas:

a.      The principles and practice for his spiritual growth.

b.     The basic doctrines of the Christian faith.

c.      How to share Christ with his friends and neighbours.

How to tell if a new Christian is growing normally:

a.      He will become more like Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

b.     He will love others more (1 John 4:7).

c.      He will want to pray more (Galatians 4:6).

d.     He will want more of the Word of God (Acts 17:11, 1 Peter 2:2).

D.  Biblical Examples of Follow-up.

1.     Paul, when he was converted (Acts 9:10-18)

2.     New Christians at Antioch (Acts 13:38-44)

3.     New Christians at Lystra, Iconium and Antioch (Acts 14:21-23)

4.     Timothy (Acts 16:1-5) 

II. THE PROCESS OF THE FOLLOW-UP MINISTRY

A. Initial Follow-up

1.   The First Step: Immediate follow-up advice when a person comes to Christ:

a.      How he can be sure of his salvation (Romans 8:16) Verses to use: John 3:36 and 5:24.

b.     That he should begin to talk about his faith. (Romans 10:10; Matthew 10:32)

c.      That he has only taken the first step in the life of discipleship.

Arrange a place and time when you can meet again.

2.   The Second Step: Balanced Bible intake

a.      Meet with the new Christian and go over the whole gospel once more.

b.     Begin a follow-up course or basic programme of Bible study that will last for about 4-10 session.

c.      What to do at each session:

i.        Begin your study with prayer.

ii.      Read the notes, taking turns to read the paragraphs to each other.

iii.     Stop at every Bible reference and ask him to find it in his Bible and read it aloud.

iv.    When you come to questions, ask him what he thinks a possible answer might be.

v.      You don’t have to complete a study each time you meet; Depending on his pace, you could continue over several sessions.

vi.    It is best not to have him fill in the answers on the study worksheet at this stage, but suggest that he does this as homework.

vii.   Keep each session fairly short (45 - 60 minutes). End with a short time of prayer.

viii. Make arrangements for your next study session together.

3.   The Third Step: Regular Quiet Time

a.      The best way to show the new Christian what is meant by an effective quiet time is for you to go through one with him.

b.     Once he has started to have quiet times on his own, you can discuss them in your sessions with him.

c.      It may be useful for him to write down what he is learning in a notebook.

d.     Share with him what God has been showing you in your own quiet time.

B.  Long-Term Follow-up - Various Methods

1.   Person to person follow-up:

a.      Decide on a suitable Bible study programme.

b.     Arrange for a suitable time and place for your meetings.

2.   Follow-up through a Discipleship/cell group (2 Timothy 2:2)

a.     Advantage: It provides fellowship, love and care.

b.     Disadvantages: Conflicting personalities, different levels of motivation, and varied abilities in the learning process.

c.      Effectiveness depends much on the leader of the group and his preparation for each study session.

d.     How to conduct a study session:

i.        Introductory remarks and prayer (about 5 minutes).

ii.      Most study outlines will be divided into 3 or 4 sections. Do the following for each section:

iii.     Introduce it with a few remarks.

iv.    Carefully guide the group through the section. All the verses quoted are to be looked up and read by different members.

v.      Ask the right kind of questions - Open questions are best for stimulating discussion.

vi.    Encourage those who are quiet to speak, and gently control those who are inclined to speak too long and too often.

vii.   Briefly sum up the content of the section and any important considerations that have arisen during the discussion. Then go to the next section.

viii. When all the sections are completed (30-40 minutes), make some concluding remarks and then have an open prayer session (10-15 minutes).

3.   The use of books and tapes in follow-up:

a.      Books: Choose books that cover the basics.

b.     Cassette tapes: These are useful to follow-up busy people.

4.   Follow-up by correspondence:

This is useful when other methods are not possible.

  

C. Problems Encountered in Doing Follow-Up

There are three things you need to deal with these problems: patience, genuine love, wisdom.

The most common problems are: 

1.   Unwillingness to meet you for follow-up. Possible causes:

a.      He is not converted at all.

b.     He may really be converted, yet peer pressure or home pressure is too strong for him, or some fears have gripped him.

c.      He does not relate to you personally.

d.     He does not understand why you should want to meet.

2.   Unable to gain assurance of salvation. Possible causes:

a.      He is not converted at all

b.     He has not told anyone what he now believes about Christ (cf. Romans 10:9,10) 

3.     Afraid of identifying himself as a Christian. If you are fairly assured that he is really converted you can:

a.      Remind him that Christ expects him to be a witness (Acts 1:8; 1 Pet 3:15; Rom 1:16)

b.     Encourage him to identify himself as Christian first to those who will appreciate him as such.

c.      Encourage him to pray to overcome his fear of letting others know he is a Christian. 

4.   Facing strong opposition from family and friends.

a.      Encourage him to show love to them.

b.     Tell him that he is bound to lose some of his closest friends because of his new way of life. (Useful verses: Philippians 3:7,8; Matthew 19:29; Psalm 1, Galatians 1:6-8; 1 Peter 4:12-14 and Titus 1:9.) 

5.     Not wanting to come to church.

a.      Take time to explain beforehand what goes on in church.

b.     Show clearly that coming to church is commanded by God (Heb 1:24,25) for God’s glory, for our good and to edify others. 

6.     Wanting to have full victory over sin.

a.      Teach him that victory over sin is a lifelong process.

b.     Show him that he must depend on the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:26-25). 

Workshop:

Practice the following in pairs:

  • Giving initial follow-up advice

  • Beginning the first follow up meeting
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