As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets (Mark 1:16-20).
When the disciples cast out their nets, they did it as a group. When Jesus told them that he would make them fishers of men, he was also thinking about group fishing. Jesus never sent his disciples out alone (Luke 9 & 10). He wanted His disciples to live out the Gospel before others, so that the unbelievers might see their changed lives and believe in Him.
Group evangelism takes the pressure off one person. The group works better together. All are involved. All reach out. It’s not the experience of one person doing the work of the ministry, but everyone is involve and in the process of reaching out together, discipleship occurs.
Each person has a job, from the person who invites the guests, to the one who provides refreshments, to the one who leads the discussion. The team plans, strategizes, and finds new contacts together. Dale Galloway writes, “Once the list [of invitees] is built, the team begins to pray the prospect list, then to work it—making phone calls and home visitations. This responsibility can be shared with others in the small group” (The Small Group Book, p. 122)
Personal involvement matures people. God uses large group evangelism, like crusades and concerts, but the danger is a few people doing the work while the rest watch and stagnate. In cell group evangelism, there’s the shared responsibility which is critical for growth in discipleship. Depending on the lead pastor to do all the evangelism is not a biblical idea. God desires that each member is using his or muscles to reach out.
