Evangelism is a Discipleship Issue

What if the root of your church's weak evangelism isn't due to a lack of outreach events, but a flaw in your discipleship model?

A Barna Group study found that while 96% of practicing Christians believe part of their faith is to share it, only 52% had actually talked about their faith with a non-believer in the past year. This gap between belief and action sits at the heart of a struggle many pastors know intimately. We pour ourselves into teaching, preaching, and creating programs, yet our pews don't fill, and our communities remain untouched.

In my book From Lifeless to New Life, I wrote a section entitled "Lack of Evangelism is a Discipleship Problem." There, I argue that a congregation's failure to reach the lost is a sign of strategic error but a spiritual symbol. Effective evangelism doesn't start with better programming; it begins when we cultivate disciples who are so deeply connected to Jesus that bearing fruit—evangelism—becomes a natural and joyful overflow of their lives.

From Programs to People: Redefining Discipleship

I want to challenge the conventional wisdom that separates discipleship from evangelism. For too long, we have treated them as two distinct ministries. Discipleship was for the insiders, focusing on spiritual maturity and Bible knowledge. Evangelism was for the outsiders. The task is usually delegated to a specific committee or a handful of extroverted members.

This division is unbiblical and ineffective.

The Real Source of Fruitful Ministry

My central argument is simple: you cannot have effective evangelism without deep discipleship. When people are not cultivating their relationship with Christ, they will lack the means, motivation, and confidence to share their faith.

So a church's unfruitful evangelistic efforts point to a deeper issue within the spiritual life of the church. It signals that our people may know about Jesus, but they aren't experiencing the life-altering intimacy with Him that compels them to speak.

The Vine and the Branches: A Discipleship Model of Evangelism

In John 15, Jesus gave us a powerful metaphor to illustrate this very point. He said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." This imagery provides an organic, non-programmatic framework for church life.

• The Vine (Jesus): He is the source of all life, power, and fruitfulness. Our work is not to produce fruit but to remain connected to Him.

• The Branches (Your Congregation): The role of a branch is not to strive but to abide. Its only job is to stay connected to the vine, drawing life and nourishment from it.

• The Fruit (New Believers): Fruit is the natural, inevitable byproduct of a healthy branch connected to a living vine. It's not something we manufacture through sheer effort; it's something God produces through us as we remain in Him.

If you consult the commentary literature on this passage, you'll find that there are two primary views on the meaning of the "fruit."

1. Some commentators view "fruit" in verses 1-11 as a symbol of Christian maturity or good works.

2. Others view "fruit" throughout this metaphor as referring to the "fruit" of evangelism, i.e., new believers.

Those in the first group acknowledge that the term changes reference from Christian maturity to new believers in light of 15:6. The problem with this position is that there is nothing in the grammar to indicate that John is switching the meaning of "fruit" from Christian maturity to new believers when we get to that verse.

And John 15:6 clearly refers to new believers as the fruit produced through those who abide in close fellowship with Christ. The verse begins with election language, "I choose you and appointed you." That appointment is for an evangelistic mission, "that you should go and bear fruit."

The sort of fruit borne by those who have a deep, nurturing relationship with Jesus is harvested when they go. The link between discipleship and evangelism is inescapable.

Shifting the Pastor's Role

This perspective shifts the burden from your shoulders as the pastor. You are not the church's hired evangelist. Your role is to cultivate an environment where every member can connect deeply with Christ. It's about transitioning from a model where the pastor is the star player to one where the pastor serves as the coach and equipment manager, ensuring that church members are living out an authentic faith.

The goal is to nurture the connection between the branches and the vine, trusting that God will bring the harvest. When your people are taught how to abide in Christ—through prayer, Scripture, and community—the fruit of evangelism will grow naturally.

How to Make This Work for You

Understanding this connection is the first step. Applying it requires intentional shifts in your ministry. Here are a few practical actions you can take to start addressing the discipleship-evangelism gap in your church.

• Audit Your Discipleship Pathway: Look at your current discipleship process (Sunday school, small groups, classes). Ask this critical question: "Does this primarily increase knowledge, or does it foster intimacy with Jesus?" Adjust your curriculum and group discussions to focus more on practices that help people "abide," such as personal prayer, listening to God, and sharing testimonies.

• Preach on "Abiding": Dedicate a sermon series to unpacking John 15. Move beyond a simple explanation and give your congregation practical tools for abiding in Christ daily. Teach them how to cultivate a personal prayer life, how to read Scripture for transformation (not just information), and how to recognize God's voice. Frame these spiritual disciplines not as duties, but as the means to a vibrant, fruit-bearing life.

• Shift from "How to Evangelize" to "Why We Share": Instead of hosting another training on evangelism techniques, create opportunities for people to share their "God stories" with each other. When people hear how God is actively working in the lives of their friends, it builds their faith and demystifies the idea of sharing. This internal storytelling cultivates a culture where talking about Jesus feels normal and encouraging, which is the first step to sharing those stories outside the church walls.

• Model It Yourself: Your congregation will follow your lead. Be open about your own journey of abiding in Christ. Share your struggles, your victories, and how your personal connection with Jesus fuels your passion for ministry and for the lost. Your vulnerability will give them permission to be honest about their own spiritual lives and inspire them to seek a deeper connection with the Vine.

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The rest of the book, Lifeless to New Life, gives you practical steps you can take to help your congregation establish the link between their spiritual lives in Christ and their mission to the world.