For a decade of my life, I had the privilege of leading a church that was deeply committed to reaching the lost. By God’s grace—and through prayer, hard work, and a relentless Gospel focus—we experienced steady growth as new believers came to Christ and joined the church every week.
Since then, for more than 30 years, I’ve led a ministry called Dare 2 Share, which trains youth leaders to equip teenagers around the world to share the Gospel with their peers. I’ve talked with thousands of youth leaders and preached in countless churches, both large and small. And in all those conversations and visits, a pattern has emerged:
Most churches are not effectively reaching the lost in their own backyards.
Many of these churches are doing great at other things: teaching the Word, serving the poor, supporting missions overseas, developing volunteers. But when it comes to engaging the unreached in their own neighborhoods, they’re struggling.
Why is that? I’ve identified seven major reasons, based on firsthand experience and honest conversations with church leaders around the nation:
1. Missing the fire: a lack of Gospel urgency
In many churches, there’s no real urgency to reach the lost. There’s no “whatever it takes” mentality rooted in the reality of eternity—specifically, the eternal consequences for those who die without Christ.
Sometimes that lack of urgency stems from theology—a belief that saving souls is entirely up to God. Other times, it’s simply a lack of awareness or focus. But Jesus made the mission clear:
‘Go and make disciples of all nations…’ Matthew 28:19
That includes your next-door neighbors.
Church leaders must help their people hear:
- the call from above—the Great Commission
- the whisper from within—the compassion of Christ
- the scream from beneath—the reality of Hell
Only the Holy Spirit can ignite a passion for the lost, but that spark often starts when urgency is preached, taught, and prayed for.
2. A lack of modeling: church leaders who don’t evangelize
As someone once said, “No tears in the eyes of the writer, no tears in the eyes of the reader.” The same applies to church leadership and evangelism.
If pastors and staff aren’t personally sharing the Gospel, the congregation likely won’t either.
Jesus said in Luke 6:40:
‘The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.’
In other words, whatever a leader models is what people follow. Bible-studying pastors produce Bible-studying people. Evangelizing pastors produce evangelizing people.
So here’s a tough question: If a leader doesn’t regularly share their faith, should they be in church leadership at all?
Jesus said:
‘Come, follow me…and I will send you out to fish for people.’ Matthew 4:19
If we’re not fishing, are we really following?
3. Prayerless strategy: Intercession has left the building
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1–4
We are called to pray for “all people” because God desires all to be saved. In fact, intercessory prayer for the lost should be the first priority in a church, according to Paul’s instructions to Timothy.
But sadly, many churches spend more time on announcements than on prayer for unbelievers.
Intercessory prayer often becomes the job of a few “prayer warriors,” rather than a value woven into the fabric of every meeting, small group, and staff gathering. That’s not what we see in Acts—the early church “devoted themselves…to prayer” (Acts 2:42).
If we want to see Gospel urgency rise, we must raise the volume of prayer—specifically, prayer for those who don’t know Jesus.
4. No training, no telling: the absence of evangelism equipping
Most churches don’t have a clear, ongoing plan to equip their people to share the Gospel.
We train people how to study the Bible, how to give, how to pray—but we often leave evangelism to the few “gifted” ones. Why not make it part of spiritual growth for every believer?
Imagine if every year your church offered:
- a sermon series on evangelism
- small group curriculum focused on Gospel conversations
- tools like the Life in 6 Words app (free on iOS and Android)
- a devotional on evangelism, such as 6 Words That Will Change Your Life (on the YouVersion Bible app)
We have the tools. We just need the intentionality.
5. The silent sanctuary: the lack of Gospel clarity
Recently, after visiting a local church, a pastor friend asked me to share my honest feedback. I replied, “Great people. Good sermon. Strong worship. But if I were lost when I came in, I’d still be lost when I left—the Gospel wasn’t clearly given.”
Here’s the truth: When you consistently preach the Gospel, your congregation feels confident inviting friends. Why? Because they know the message of salvation will be shared every single time.
In the church I pastored, we gave the Gospel in every sermon—and people came to Christ weekly. Not because of great marketing, but because our people knew that if they invited someone, that person would hear Gospel.
This can also happen in small groups, through programs like Alpha that are designed to help unbelievers explore faith in a safe space.
6. Good deeds ≠ the Gospel: outreach without evangelism
Too many churches have replaced evangelism with “outreach”—serving the poor, collecting food, or meeting other physical needs.
These are good things. But they are not the main thing.
Government programs can address physical needs, but only the church can address spiritual ones—and we must do both.
We’re not fully loving our neighbors if we feed their bodies but ignore their souls. Serving is powerful. But serving with the spoken message of the Gospel is transformational.
7. No stories, no fire: overlooking the power of testimony
In evangelistic churches (not in name, but in deed), you’ll regularly hear stories of lives changed through salvation. These stories inspire the congregation and fuel a culture of evangelism.
Think about it: One of the reasons we love the book of Acts is because of the many stories it tells, stories of real people encountering Jesus and being transformed.
Want to spark Gospel passion in your church?
- Add a “mission moment” in your services.
- Let people testify about how they shared Christ.
- Celebrate salvations and Gospel conversations.
When believers see that evangelism is real, now, and near, they’ll be more likely to engage in it themselves.
Conclusion: It starts with you.
My prayer is that every church leader reading this can take these seven observations and turn them into practical next steps.
Start with prayer. Ask God to break your heart for the lost in your community. Pray for Gospel urgency—and for the boldness and wisdom to lead your people in living it out.
It’s time for your church to reach out.
It’s time for you to lead the way.
