Church of Christ
Introduction from one of the outreach groups leaders:
Hello, my name is Joseph Sullivan. I created this page to highlight upcoming classes and events on evangelism. You're invited to join this outreach group. Give it a test drive, and see if you like it. Invite your COC friends. Join our evangelism meetings. You need to be part of the COC and be in/near the Tampa Bay area, in the state of Florida, in the US. I am a group leader. But I want to add more leaders. We'll have a team leader page set up when that happens. The ideas shared can help prepare COC members (from different congregations) for outreach work and for meeting contacts within their church. Our other group leaders are JP Flores and Daniel Lookadoo.
Feel free to contact me: my email is joseph.leesullivan@gmail.com.
My cell phone number is 813.313.9787.
Facebook page, www.facebook.com/Mr.Joseph.Sullivan
Q/A
What is this group about?
This group will teach people how to teach the lost and new converts.
We will share Bible study lessons that give (effective) evangelism methods.
As the work progresses the students will learn how to do hands-on outreach events together with a team.
Our goal is to create more (team) leaders. We want to equip people with skills for soul-saving.
The work of this group is not to make co-dependent students in outreach, but to create independent men and women who can actively, independently, with confidence, lead, train, and work in the formats of outreach.
The classes will be fun, the learning will be transformative. The glory we give will serve our great God.
Our goal is to make you a teacher/leader in evangelism work. You will, (with time) be able to train others.
What you learn you'll be able to share with others, (with your Christian friends/family and with your church).
The goal of these training group classes... is to help equip you to set up, lead, teach, and organize your own group(s).
Which church will new converts go to?
If a member in the group converts that person, they can invite the new convert to the church they attend, (if they believe that is a good congregation for the new convert. Not all congregations are supportive and nurturing for new babies in Christ). Those who are converted will be invited to join the evangelism training group. The group will train them in key Christian principles. The group will share the importance of soul saving and teach them ways of sharing Jesus.
Which type of "church of Christ" is this group?
I don't like phrasing this as I am doing, but there are instrumental COC, one-cup COC, institutional COC, etc. This work is for conservative COC members That means non-instrumental, non-institutional, many cup Christians. Many Bible-based themes related to why this group advocates these ideals are in our free Bible study books here, if you want to learn more. A. B.
What do I need to finish in "Classes" and "Teaching" to move on to "Events"?
It is recommended to finish all the workshop training"Classes." But once you get started when you feel ready, you can ALSO join the evangelism "Events," group. As you further go through the curriculum in the evangelism training "Classes," you'll see how the methods taught in class workshops align with the outreach work we do in "Events." The classes and events go hand in hand with each other.
Is this group for preachers? Or interested elders?
This group is an education platform for personal development in evangelism. Preachers and elders are welcome to join. What they learn they can share with their family, Christian friends, and their church. A good leader will seek to grow and create workers in the kingdom and in the local congregation he attends. We encourage leaders to join up! :) What an elder, preacher, Christian, or paid evangelist learns, can be shared with their church to better help that congregation grow/develop in outreach work.
Where will the classes be?
The classes will not be at a church building. By not making the meet-up places at a congregation, other COC saints will be more inclined to join the group. If it was at a localized church and under the work of that church, fewer people would want to join to learn how to do outreach and actively participate, thinking the events/goals are for members of that local congregation. The goal of this work is to consistently, train individual Christians from various areas in the surrounding Tampa area, for the long term. This work is done by individual COC members from different areas who want to be equipped and equip others in soul-saving work. A local congregation would not focus on training saints outside of their church family. This group is put together to reach/train as many people in the faith as possible....as long as possible. The Lord's people through the years have had singing classes and preacher training programs, but few actually have sought to train people in evangelism. That is what this group is for. This webpage can be used as a template to create your own evangelism group website. We definitely need more training groups for equipping God's people for outreach work.
Are all the soul-saving teacher training materials, evangelism workshop lessons, and all the evangelism methods necessary for bringing people to Jesus?
In one word, "no." Any evangelism method we share, in outreach, (f regularly/consistently done) can save a soul. But the more methods you are familiar with the more versatile your approach can be.
Our evangelism training workshop books are helpful for gaining growth. perspective and awareness in important outreach themes. This Knowledge can equip a person to more efficiently do kingdom-building work. The more training workshop books are taught, the better the education to equip the students in this field of work. But people can save souls without such content.
Are all the soul-saving teacher training materials necessary? "No" We cover a large variety of the best soul-saving/grounding Bible lessons (we've been able to find) to give each student the time needed to grow as a teacher, as we rotate through these Bible study lessons. We also cover a wide range of content to familiarize the students with soul-saving themes and to reinforce those themes, through the subsequent lessons, that will also highlight such truths. As the student develops as a teacher, they'll get fluent with these soul-saving Bible lessons and will be able to pick the ones they find best for future use (in teaching non-Christians or their own group down the road, if they wish to lead such a class)
How big is the group?
The groups are meant to be small. Jesus trained the 12. We will train others and as the group grows, we will divide that group and make more groups. The mission is to expand by making more groups and by creating more leaders. As we grow our aim is to create more groups for leaders to train others in leadership skills, (in evangelism work).
How can this group help my local church?
The training concepts you learn can be used to help your church grow in numbers. You'll learn how to set up evangelism events, and conduct Bible studies, (with non-Christians and new converts). You will also discover mentoring methods to help train others in your congregation in evangelism. The advice is NT Bible-based and it can help you prepare your church to be ready when visitors/non-Christians and new converts come.
What can I bring? For "Classes/Teaching/Events" please bring your Bible and required study material. A pen/paper for taking notes is encouraged. Bringing your family or COC friends or church of Christ people you know from your congregation is fine. Just please let us know. For evangelism events and for training classes, you may want to consider bringing a backpack or bag, etc. to carry your Bible and designated materials you'll be given for the occasion.
The mentality of inclusion within a group, church, or within the kingdom as a whole in matters of doing Bible-based methods, fostering a structure of creativity and support in helping people become leaders and head up outreach activities is key for long-term change. Jesus had the Apostles follow Him, they learned from our Lord, and through this were made ready to be independent leaders, who did soul-saving work. They were taught in the Great Commission to mentor others in soul-saving work, and doctrine, to "Teach others what I (Jesus) have taught you." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Paul mentored, Silas, Timothy, and Titus. He helped them learn, grow, and become leaders. Evangelism within a group, church, and kingdom is about supporting God's people, in soul winning. If just a few undertake the responsibility, within a group, church, or kingdom, and these few (as time goes by) age and die or stop for some other reason, that group, church, and the kingdom as a whole will grind to a stop in matters of evangelism work. The key to evangelism longevity is mentorship, and that is to be found in supporting those who lead, head up outreach activities, and train others as future leaders. This group fosters a supportive environment of growth. Growth as leaders, growth as kingdom workers, and growth in doing outreach events. How did Jesus do evangelism? Read the Gospels. How did the Apostles and New Testament Christians do evangelism? Read the Gospels and the book of Acts. What you read within these pages, is what this group will do. We will follow the New Testament directive and pattern of evangelism.
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What is the age range? Who can come?
All COC people are welcome. These training groups are for men, women, the old, and the young. College people and senior citizens are invited to come. Also, if a father or mother wants to bring a son or daughter to these activities, that is fine too, (as long as they are respectful of the teacher/students/activities). Elders, preachers, paid evangelists, and deacons, are welcome to join in. What a church leader learns in these groups can be shared with their local congregations. That is the point of this work. We want evangelism training to be reproduced in other forums.
Can women teach? Will they teach men?
I have heard that some women have been silent in the evangelism field, due to the belief that they should not speak/teach period. The Bible tells us that women are not to teach in the assembly of the saints, "when they worship God," (1 Timothy 2:10;12). So female preachers giving sermons in the church is an obvious "no."But we do read of an evangelistic couple, Priscilla and Aquila who helped Paul and even housed the church in their home, (1 Corinthians 16:19). They did evangelism and taught Apollos the truth, (Acts 18:1–28).
Christians teaching non-Christians is a New Testament command we are all expected to follow. The Great Commission is not just for men. All are commanded to share the good news. How silly it would be, if a Sister in Christ remained silent and did not share Jesus with someone, for the simple reason that the individual was a man.
Women will be encouraged to share Jesus with non-Christians. In the training Bible classes, the ladies who want to teach will work with the Christian ladies. Females that are interested, will be given other roles to help them grow. They will be given opportunities to help set up events, recruit, and educate folks on evangelism work. Women are not to teach Christian men the Bible in a leadership role. But they are welcome to help in other areas. And will be encouraged to.
Can I copy, use/replicate this website for my evangelism work or for my church group?
Yes, feel free to use this forum/its ideas to serve God and His kingdom. :) You can use the website as a blueprint for your own website design. You can use the content on these pages to develop your own platform/group(s).
Are the classes and training free?
The training for the evangelism workshop classes, the Bible teaching groups, and the outreach activities are free. But the books we will study per study period are the student's responsibility. The books/links are listed in the "Classes" and "Training" sections of this website. The physical books are around 10 dollars. And each study session (for a book) is lengthy. To keep this forum running long-term, the members of the group must pitch in. If the team leaders spend money for each student, and each class session, the cost over time will add up. If a student is serious about learning and values the group training we are offering, they will be willing to help.