Culture is continually changing. The outreach focus of a church is easily neglected by a busy pastor – or falls into the ‘too hard basket’. We can even run various programmes while failing to actually share Christ. What is the path forward?

The below videos encourage you to focus on building an authentic ‘Outreaching Culture’ rather than on running programmes. Your members are in your church community programmes. Your members are in their workplaces, schools, homes and neighbourhoods. The key is in YOUR MEMBERS. 

The below FOUR videos are for you to show to your leadership team / elders board, to discuss together.

Thinking leads to behaviour — so principally this is about changing the way we think, and it works!

Hear what others have to say…

  • We all know that the church HAS to do better in engaging with our communities in a conversation about faith and the hope we have in Jesus. We have to put a plan around our intentions! Our church and myself as a Pastor have greatly benefited from working together with Dave and the All Together team. They have been great in encouraging us in this and putting structure around it, tailored to our church and community.

    Ps Alistair Hall - Senior Pastor, Manukau City Baptist

#1 Introductory workshop for church leadership teams

1. Outreaching Culture – leadership team introductory workshop

This 8-minute video for pastors and their leadership teams covers some important foundational perspectives.  It is an optional session – that pastors can use if they think it is needed.

  • It is purposed to ensure a leadership team is in unity in their understanding of what the mission of the Church is.
  • It then identifies some key ‘hurdles’ that would need overcoming if an authentically outreaching culture were ever to be established in a church via the everyday conversational witnesses of the members.

A notes sheet, with discussion questions can be downloaded underneath it.

Note: If there is a negative feeling toward ‘evangelism’, we encourage that a leadership team video #4 first. This might remove some obstacles to what is being discussed. Video #2 is then strategy for church leaders, while video #3 is the same for your small group leaders.

#2 Outreaching Culture Strategy – for church leaders

2. Outreaching Culture Strategy – for church leaders

This 10-minute video for pastors and their leadership teams explains a simple and practical approach by which church leaders could build an authentically outreaching culture in their congregation. It introduces 6 principles applied through 4 leadership habits. It leverages greater intentionality in what you already do rather than proposing more work. It also comes with some significant support resources – which are all free. Some of these are via link on this webpage, while various others can be found via ‘resources’ at this website.

A notes sheet, with discussion questions can be downloaded underneath it.

Survey for annual review HERE.

Expected results: The primary measurable results mentioned are (1) an increase in the number of members who have engaged in everyday spiritual conversations, (2) an increase in the number of visitors to the church, (3) an increase in the ‘friendliness’ of members toward new visitors and (4) a resulting increase in the number people choosing to follow Christ.

Can your leadership team agree, “Yes, these suggested habits are so simple and sensible we are most-definitely going to now apply them, placing them in our planning calendars – until they are our habit.”

Appointing a second-in-charge: Who in your leadership team might be suitable to be a 2IC to you in this? How will you, as a leadership team, keep yourselves accountable to be consistent in these habits from year to year – until they are your permanent habit? The key reason churches don’t see results is a lack of personal discipline to actually apply the proposed habits faithfully. The habits make sound sounds. We suggest you actually do them – the ‘testimonial’ habit included!  

To read more: Download a free chapter on this very same topic from Dave Mann’s book The Elephant in the Room HERE. or purchase a hardcopy of the book HERE.

#3 Outreaching Culture Strategy – for small group leaders

3. Outreaching Culture Strategy – for small group leaders

This 17-minute video for small group leaders in local churches explains the habits through which small group leaders could partner with their pastor to SUSTAINABLY equip and mobilise church members as everyday conversational witnesses. Through these habits, the impact of the pastors desired leadership in this area is significantly AMPLIFIED – because people remember 10% of what they hear, 40% of what they say and 60%+ of what they do!  

The stated goal is to ‘reinsert’ the mission of the church small group into these groups – in recognition that many groups are already serving other good purposes. 

A notes sheet, with discussion questions can be downloaded underneath it.

EXTRA RESOURCE ON ‘INTENTIONAL DISCIPLE-MAKING SMALL GROUPS’: You will find 3 x 30min small group training videos with Dave at this webpage here. The topic is how to make disciple-making disciples through small groups. (The key word for disciple-making is intentionality!)

Can your leadership team agree, “Yes, we want our small groups to have an outreaching focus as a part of what they do, and these simple habits make so much sense that we are now wiling to actually work to apply them!”

#4 Outreaching Culture Strategy – the conversational approach

4. Outreaching Culture Strategy – the conversational approach

This 14-minute video summarises perspectives that have helped many shift from a negative perception of ‘evangelism’ to one that is positive and correctly connected to our current times and culture.  

This is especially relevant content for churches in Western environments.

A notes sheet, with discussion questions can be downloaded underneath it.

Can your leadership team agree, “Yes, this is the kind of outreaching practice we want to encourage in our church!”

When we all think differently we will all act differently.

The results could be greater than we ever expected!

What’s next?

Sign up for monthly pastors updates at the bottom of this page. These – and the resources they promote – are all free.