Posted: 11/15/05
Harris: Leaders model evangelism lifestyle
By Jenny Pope
AUSTIN—Congregations will reflect the lifestyles of their leaders—especially when it comes to evangelism, Pastor Jeff Harris pastor of Grace Point Baptist Church in San Antonio told participants at a seminar during the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.
“Evangelism begins and ends with you,” Harris said. “Either you embody the lifestyle or you do not. If you do not have a passion for lost people, your own people never will. That passion has to come from you, the leaders.”
Harris has focused his efforts on the neighbors in his cul-de-sac, holding picnics and praying intentionally with his family for opportunities to share Christ’s love. He has seen eight neighbors come to faith in Christ.
“There are opportunities we miss everyday,” he said. “When we begin to live out our faith in our lives, it becomes an epidemic, infectious, and it will spread in our community. Like Acts 1:8 says, ‘When the Holy Spirit comes on you in power, you will be my witness.’ You have to expect things to happen.”
When ministers teach church members how to embody their faith and expect things to happen, leaders also must equip them to share their story, he said.
“Your people do not need another program,” he said. “They already have the knowledge to share their story and the Holy Spirit within them. The only thing they need to know is I once was lost and now I’m found.”
Harris said he does not consider himself an expert and will never write a book on the subject.
“There’s already a book; it’s called the New Testament,” he said. But he does not shy away from speaking the truth about the churches he sees today.
“Some of us are so legalistic we’re starching our underwear,” he said. “We need to loosen up a little bit. We’ve gotten so acculturated where we only have church parties with church people. … It’s true—lost people stink. But we cannot protect our kids from the world. We can only prepare them for it.”
We seek to connect God’s story and God’s people around the world. To learn more about God’s story, click here.
Send comments and feedback to Eric Black, our editor. For comments to be published, please specify “letter to the editor.” Maximum length for publication is 300 words.