SAN ANTONIO (BP)–Comparing people who do evangelism to hunting dogs, and those who don’t to lap dogs, Bobby Welch encouraged FAITH evangelism luncheon attendees to “get out of the house and do some huntin’!”
Welch, creator of the FAITH evangelism strategy and strategist for global evangelical relations for the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, joined about 300 others June 12 in San Antonio at the luncheon sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources.
“We’ve got the hunting dogs in this room,” Welch said. “Lap dogs are those little dogs that stay in the house, sleep on the bed and shiver when it gets cold. You have to feed them certain things, pet them a certain way, and when they go out of the house, they’re scared to death.
“But hunting dogs are the ones who live in the yard, always ready to go,” he said. “They’ll eat whatever you throw out to them and appreciate it. They’re never happier than when they are in the back of the truck, heading out to the woods to see what they can track down.”
LifeWay will introduce the next generation of its FAITH Evangelism Strategy Dec. 1. For the past 10 years, churches that participate in FAITH have been required to have the senior pastor’s involvement and follow a stringent training regiment. The next generation of FAITH will loosen the requirements for a church to be involved.
LifeWay no longer will require churches to have the senior pastor’s direct involvement in training before the church can participate. Also, training will be done locally instead of only in LifeWay-conducted training events.
The new format will offer churches the opportunity to set their own training and scheduling options, allowing for more flexibility to suit their individual needs.
LifeWay President Thom S. Rainer said FAITH is the banner of what LifeWay does in evangelism.
“We understand that at the heart of evangelism is the heart of someone with a heart for lost people,” Rainer said. “We want this new FAITH format to be a useful tool so we will be able to stand at next year’s SBC and see baptisms increased.”
Welch said, “We’re at the point now where we are ready for the next level of what has to be done. LifeWay is opening the floodgate. This is the tipping point for your ministry.
“The big news is you’ve been let loose,” Welch said. “You can’t whine now like a bunch of lap dogs about how LifeWay won’t let you do something. It’s time for you to get out and hunt.”
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For more information, go to www.lifeway.com/faith.
