Towards 2000: The Gospel Meeting

The gospel meeting has been a staple of 20th Century Christianity. A format which began in the previous century with "circuit riding" preachers (who went from town to town preaching when most towns did not have a "local preacher") has continued throughout this century, first as an evangelistic tool, then as an edification tool, and finally, in many cases, simply a tradition.

As the church moves into the 21st Century, we must ask ourselves if this is still an effective tool. If not, what can be done differently to restore its effectiveness?

First, we must admit that the gospel meeting as an evangelistic tool has long ago fallen out of favor. In the days of "circuit riders," most townspeople would attend such a meeting because there were fewer demands on their time, and many people were interested in examining the differences between religious groups. Today, the few visitors who attend gospel meetings are members of other local churches, not members of denominations who want to "check out" what we believe and teach. Expecting to baptize a dozen new believers at a gospel meeting is simply unrealistic, and we would be better served to admit it. This is not to say that the word of God is ineffective, but when it does not reach unbelievers, they will not be converted. Other strategies must be employed to evangelize the world, because the days of announcing a meeting and expecting unbelievers to come to us are gone.

Second, we should also be willing to admit when we hold gospel meetings designed to edify our own members, but attendance is half our normal number or less, we need something more effective. We can berate those who fail to attend, but in reality, how much sense does it make to serve a meal when no one is coming to eat? In particular, the expense of such an effort must be examined. If few are going to attend such a meeting, the Lord's money might be better spent by sending it to support evangelism efforts overseas.

What strategies can be employed to make gospel meetings more effective? First, look at what is working. For instance, here at Westside, where weeknight gospel meeting attendance runs at a level between 50-70% of Sunday attendance, there is one huge exception. Our annual Youth Lectures average a much higher attendance, ballooning our Sunday morning numbers to near record levels. The difference is in planning. These lectures are designed with a specific purpose, for a specific age group. The teaching is still Biblical, but the emphasis is slightly changed.

Perhaps more specific needs should be met. The church has long been a proponent of the family as a major building block of the church, so perhaps a strategy could be to bring in a speaker with particular expertise in building godly families. Another area which has long been important has been the attempt to keep older members active and involved, so perhaps an older speaker with an emphasis on God's need for leaders and workers and teachers who are more experienced could be utilized. Still another possibility is to take a subject which holds interest for unbelievers as well, such as the Evolution/Creation debate. In this instance, rather than just posting it on our sign or sending out flyers, unbelievers could be specifically targeted so that God's word might reach the lost.

A second strategy could be to look at the format itself. Long ago, meetings lasted as long as the preacher could be kept. Slowly the format changed, first to two week meetings, then Sunday to Sunday meetings, then Sunday to Saturday, then Sunday to Friday. Today, many churches are holding either Friday to Sunday meetings, or Sunday to Wednesday meetings. These shortened forms allow those who consider their lives too busy to commit to a week's worth of services the opportunity to attend every service. Some will say this is just a watering down of the commitment it takes to serve God, but if we are able to reach more people this way, isn't that the point? Shorter meetings may simply be more effective. In addition, the shorter meeting may be more easily adapted to the specific need meetings discussed above.

As God's people, our focus needs to be on evangelizing unbelievers (Matt. 28:19-20) and building up believers (Eph. 4:11-13). It is time to take a serious look at the gospel meeting as an effective tool to do so. It can continue to be helpful, but like anything else, for God's work to be accomplished will require God's people to have a mind to work (Neh. 4:6).