What An Outward Focus Actually Looks Like

Nowadays, just about everybody knows that churches should have an outward focus.  The average evangelical church member has heard the term enough times to know that, when cast as a “Sunday School question,” as in, “Does your church have an outward focus?” the orthodox answer is “yes.”

I’m realizing that if I really want to help churches thrive, I have to get more specific than asking “Does your church have an outward focus?” and accepting the inevitable affirmative answer as accurate.  In fact, I think we can turn this into a quiz, which could be very helpful for your congregation and make for some excellent leadership team discussions.  I’m not giving you a scoring system, but I’d love to hear that you’ve talked and prayed about your results. Here we go:

1. How often do you (each of my uses of the word “you” here refer to your congregation as a whole) invite guests – both Jesus-followers and non-Jesus-followers – to visit your church? (a) Never (b) About once a year (c) About once or more per month

2. How many local (within driving distance of your church) non-Christians are you regularly praying for by name (that they would become Christ-followers)? (a) None (b) One (c) Several

3. Which new attendees is our church most apt to get excited about? (a) A new Christian family which has come from another local, evangelical church (b) A new Christian family which has just moved to town (c) A non-Christian individual or family

4. Does your church have an identifiable plan (or strategy) for bringing non-Christians to faith in Christ? (Jesus told us to “make disciples.” How is your church trying to make disciples?) (a) Yes. I can tell you what that strategy is (b) I think so, but I couldn’t describe it (c) I don’t have a clue

5. Does your church have a designated plan, such as a class, a booklet or a strategy, for helping new believers in Jesus to get started well and grow strong in the faith? (a) Yes. I can tell you what it is (b) I think so, but I couldn’t describe it (c) I don’t have a clue

6. You feel like you are fulfilling the Great Commission when your church has a “growth spurt” made up of people transferring from other local congregations. (a) Definitely (b) Definitely not. We welcome them, but we want to win the lost (c) I don’t know

7. Your church has some way or ways of keeping track of and celebrating professions of faith in Christ. (a) Definitely (b) Definitely not (c) I don’t know

8. Your church has some way of honoring those who make an extraordinary effort to make disciples out of non-Christian people. Your “soul-winners” don’t have to serve in complete obscurity. (a) Definitely, and I could tell you how they are honored (b) Definitely not. Our best evangelists are viewed as being oddballs (c) I don’t know

9. When your church prays together as a church, in worship services or smaller groups, you pray for boldness for the evangelistic efforts of your members and for the salvation of lost people. (a) Yes, regularly (b) Sometimes (c) Never

10. Discipleship at your church, your own congregation’s understanding of the Christian life, includes the sharing of one’s faith with lost people. This means that people considered for leadership in your church must be people who are seeking to win the lost. (a) Yes, for sure (b) Not necessarily.  It’s okay to be so involved in “church stuff” that we don’t have time for lost people (c) I really don’t know

11. In your church, the teaching of adult Christians is focused on teaching how to obey the Bible’s teachings, including the command to make disciples. You don’t just teach the Bible as “interesting information.” (a) We teach the Bible as information and expect people to make their own applications to their own lives (b) We are focused on teaching people how to live lives of active, obedient discipleship (c) I don’t think I understand the question

12. You talk about your success at winning people to Christ at your congregational meetings. (a) Yes (b) Some years “yes,” other years “no” (c) Never

13. When your church has special events, are they typically for the benefit of? (a) Lost people (b) Our own people (c) I’m not sure, except that they sure are a lot of work!

14. Your church, either individually or corporately, serves your community, and makes sure that those who are assisted know that they are being served in the name of Jesus Christ. You’re not just “doing good,” you’re doing good in the name of Christ. (a) Definitely (b) We serve the community but don’t care who gets the praise (c) We don’t encourage community service at all

15. Your church has one or more frequently repeated reasons why it is not growing (i.e., the culture, other churches, past church splits or troubles, poor pastors, the Covid pandemic, the need to mature in Christ for a few more years, etc.): (a) Yes, we have some great excuses! (b) No, we don’t make excuses for our lack of growth (c) We don’t make excuses because we are growing!

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

1. Take the quiz anonymously as a board, staff or combined leadership team. Exchange your papers and discuss the answers. Of course you’ll disagree with some of the author’s thinking, but please don’t let that become an excuse to not sharpen your outward focus!
2. Is there some aspect of being outwardly focused which Brian missed?
3. Should we be sharing this quiz, or our own version of it, with our entire congregation?
4. Are there changes which we could and should make, individually or corporately, right now?
5. Are there long-term changes which we should work toward to become truly outwardly focused?
6. If all members of your church worked at making disciples (practiced evangelism) the way you as the church’s leaders do, would you be an outwardly focused, disciple-making church or are you trying to get others to do what you’re not doing yourselves?