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Cultivating a Culture of Evangelism in the Local Church
By Joshua Mills
- September 7, 2025
- Series: God’s Design for the Local Church and the Life of the Believer
Healthy churches don’t treat evangelism as a niche program for a few; they cultivate a gospel culture where every member prays for and speaks of Christ. This article explores how pastors model and multiply evangelistic zeal, drawing from Scripture and Spurgeon.
Why do so many churches that hold to the doctrines of grace lack evangelistic zeal? If we are going to foster evangelism today in our churches, we must first build it into our culture. Ray Ortlund helpfully notes:
“Gospel doctrine creates a gospel culture. The doctrine of grace creates a culture of grace. When the doctrine is clear, and the culture is beautiful, that church will be powerful. But there are no shortcuts to getting there. Without the doctrine, the culture will be weak. Without the culture, the doctrine will seem pointless.”[i]
In many Reformed churches, it is not the doctrine that must be corrected, but the culture. Often, churches do not evangelize because evangelism has not been built into their DNA. Scripture reminds us that Christ gives leaders to the church, “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11–12). Evangelism is not a program for a few, but the overflow of a healthy church culture.
There may be evangelistic programs and outreaches, but if the church culture itself is not evangelistic, this task will fall to a few committed members. Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892) understood that evangelism is not simply the job of pastors or missionaries but the task of the whole church:
“Great things are done by the Holy Spirit when a whole church is aroused to sacred energy. … Labor to gather a church alive for Jesus, every member energetic to the full, and the whole in incessant activity for the salvation of men.”[ii]
Spurgeon saw the need for a culture of evangelism within the life of the church. The pastor can help cultivate this culture in two primary ways.
The Example of the Pastor
First, building a culture of evangelism must begin with the pastor. Paul urged Timothy, “do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:5). If the pastor is not concerned with the salvation of the lost, then his church will not be either. The pastor’s calling is not merely to implement programs, but to model a burden for souls and equip his flock to reach the lost.
Spurgeon warned: “The slow-coach minister will not have a lively zealous church.”[iii] This example begins in the pastor’s private life. A man who walks closely with God, quickened by His Word and burdened for the lost, will naturally stir his people to the same. As Spurgeon put it, a minister is to use “all means to save some … he is no minister of Christ if this be not the one desire of his heart.”[iv]
One of the most practical ways pastors can encourage evangelism is through prayer. In the book of Acts, when believers prayed, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Spurgeon likewise saw the prayer meeting as a fertile ground for evangelistic fervor: “If you want your people as well as yourself to be soul winners, try and keep up the prayer meetings all you can.” [v] Corporate prayer meetings shape the culture of the church by reminding believers of the urgency of the gospel and teaching them to intercede for the lost.
Building Disciples and Leaders
Second, pastors must invest in a few faithful leaders who will multiply evangelistic zeal. Spurgeon suggested beginning with one or two choice young men, gradually increasing the number of trained leaders.[vi] Paul gives the same pattern to Timothy: “what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).
Often, evangelism is more caught than taught. When believers come alongside a seasoned evangelist, they learn how to share the gospel naturally and confidently. Street evangelism, open-air preaching, or intentional neighborhood conversations become opportunities for hands-on training. A culture of evangelism is cultivated as ordinary Christians are equipped and mobilized to speak of Christ in everyday life.
Conclusion
Spurgeon reminds us that the minister must first develop an evangelistic culture within his church if he is to have a church of soul winners. This spirit is cultivated in two ways: by the pastor setting an example of evangelism before his flock, and by intentionally training others who will carry on and spread that zeal.
Evangelism is not an optional program of the church but flows from the very design of the local church itself. A church marked by gospel doctrine and gospel culture will be a church where every believer prays for the lost, every pastor models evangelism, and every disciple is being equipped to share Christ faithfully.
Reflection & Application
- How can you personally contribute to a culture of evangelism in your church this month?
- What steps can your elders take this year to anchor evangelism in prayer and discipleship?
- Who are two people you can invite to pray and learn evangelism alongside you?
For more from our series please visit: God’s Design for the Local Church and the Life of the Believer Archives – Servants of Grace
References
[i] Ray Ortlund, The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ (Wheaton: Crossway, 2014), 21.
[ii] Mark Dever, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (Wheaton: Crossway, 2007), 116–117.
[iii] C. H. Spurgeon, The Soul Winner: Advice on Effective Evangelism (Ross-shire: Christian Focus, 2015), 102.
[iv] Ibid., 197, 200.
[v] Ibid., 100, 104.
[vi] Ibid., 99.
Joshua J. Mills is married to his beloved Kyla and they have two children: Isaac and Lydia. Outside of the home, Joshua has the privilege of serving as pastor at Trinity Baptist Church (Burlington, Ontario) and as a guest lecturer through Carey International University of Theology.
