The Indigenous Principle

by J. W. Jepson, D.Min.

Life In Christ Center, 3095 Cherry Heights Road, The Dalles, Oregon 97058

CRUSADE PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES

With so many means of communication and transportation available to us today, we now have a variety of ways to proclaim the gospel of Christ. In addition to public preaching, private conversation and written correspondence, three of the Church’s basic forms of evangelism from its very beginning, we now also have such powerful technologies as printing, radio and television, and the internet to help us speed the light.

Evangelism is a function. This function takes on a variety of forms (e.g., public proclamation, personal evangelism, media evangelism, literature evangelism). Each form can have more than one mode; for example, public proclamation takes on such modes as: street and other open air preaching, evangelistic preaching in the regular church services, church crusades and city-wide crusades. Finally, each mode can follow a model. For example, a city-wide crusade can be sponsored by the evangelist and his team, or it can be sponsored by the churches.

No single form of evangelism is the exclusive one for our times. All are useful and should be fully developed and properly utilized in carrying out the Great Commission. Also, no form of evangelism should be isolated from the others. For each to be fully effective, all must work together.

What we are considering here is not evangelism as a general function, or even public proclamation as a broad form of evangelism. Our focus is on one specific mode of public proclamation--united public proclamation--with a view toward building a better model through the application of the ecclesiological principles set forth in chapter one. In other words our purpose is to see how the New Testament teachings concerning the Church will guide us in building a more Biblical, better functioning and more productive model for city-wide crusades (although some of what is said is applicable to other modes of public proclamation and perhaps even to other forms of evangelism).

In this chapter we are going to enter our subject at an advanced stage in its development. It is very important to keep this in mind. For our present purpose we are assuming that in the community that is moving toward united crusade evangelism a dynamic spiritual process has been developing. A sovereign work of the Holy Spirit has been going on. Christians have become deeply concerned over the spiritual/moral condition of their community and have been giving themselves to much earnest prayer with genuine humility and sincere soul-searching. Following the lead of the ministers, churches have been reaching out to each other, building on-going relationships on the common evangelical ground and exploring avenues for concerted action and inter-action. Soul-winning fires have been kindled and a great deal of personal and congregational evangelism has been going on. This has led naturally to the formation of some co-operative structures. Perhaps some "harvest vehicles" are already being implemented and a responsiveness that is the work of the Spirit of God has been detected among the unconverted. In all of this a consensus has matured that the Church should utilize the "tool" of the city-wide crusade to make a united evangelistic statement to its community.

At this point it is crucial that the eldership of the Church be well-enough informed to be able to establish the model for the crusade (and any future crusades) that harmonizes most naturally with the indigenous, on-going life of the churches.

Let us take a moment to consider two models that stand at opposite extremes. In the model at one extreme the evangelist decides to come to the city for a "crusade." He has a sufficient following among the people that he does not really need the official sponsorship of the ministers and churches, although he welcomes all who wish to come on board. He and his team plan and run the crusade, take all offerings and pay all expenses. During the crusade he presents his programs and projects, and raises support for them. He is not really accountable to the eldership of the Church because it is essentially his crusade, not theirs, although many of them probably concurred with his coming.

In the model at the opposite extreme the crusade is owned exclusively by the local churches and leadership. They sponsor it, plan it and run it. The evangelist is merely the guest speaker. He has little or nothing to say about what goes into the crusade or the content and conduct of the services. He has no way of guaranteeing that the crusade will meet his standards for quality and effectiveness.

Although some crusades fall into these two extremes, most fit somewhere in between. The quality crusades that have been conducted over the past few decades have generally followed this model: the evangelist does not come unless he is invited; the local churches are united enough to decide on a crusade and to issue a call to an evangelist, but need the evangelist’s team to come in and really pull them together for the event; the local committee exercises executive leadership, but the evangelist and his team do the actual running of the crusade; after the budget is met, the evangelist has the prerogative to raise additional support for his "outreach ministries"; the evangelist’s organization participates in the follow-up by supplying materials and monitoring contacts. This we will call the "traditional model."

We must learn that "mass" evangelism belongs first to the Church, not to the evangelist. It is one of the soul-winning tools in the Church’s tool box. It should be utilized regularly. For that reason its organizational structure should not be a temporary "scaffold" that is built just for a single event and then torn down. On the contrary, the unity in the crusade is a visible expression of the fabric of unity that has developed and is expected to continue among the churches. Therefore, the infra-structure of mass evangelism should be maintained and kept in readiness for periodic activation. All the while, the methodology should be steadily improved, refined, honed. Preparation should be continual. Remember, build to the mode, not just to the event.

Evangelism must avoid two mistakes: trying to reap a harvest when no crop has been raised, and raising a crop without planning to reap it. As a "harvest-vehicle," the crusade should be a regular part of the "sowing and reaping" cycle of the local Church. As the cycle is developed and as preparation becomes an on-going process, the united evangelistic crusade could become an annual feature in the community.

God mandated that the national feasts of ancient Israel be held annually. Today, almost the entire church program is structured on an annual basis, including: Christmas and Easter programs, summer camps, V.B.S., and missions conventions. The church budget is set up on an annual basis. Why should not the evangelistic climax be annual also? Why should not the "crusade season" become just as much a part of Church and community thinking and planning as the Christmas and Easter seasons?

In most communities there is a time of the year that is most appropriate for a city-wide crusade. Once the crusade infra-structure is established, its annual activation should not be difficult. It is when mass evangelism is not synchronized with the rhythm of the other regular programs and ministries of the churches that it tends to be disruptive. When all parts of the Church program are reinforcing each other, the whole is more effective. Moreover, the total impact tends to gain momentum. If, therefore, in the total evangelistic life of the Church sowing and reaping are co-ordinated, sowing should begin to overtake reaping and reaping should begin to overtake sowing.

PREPARATION.

Obviously, all of this is foundational to the subject of crusade preparation, because how preparations for the crusade are made will depend on how the crusade itself is viewed. If it is only an occasional event, preparations for each crusade will have to start from "scratch." But if it is a regular mode of evangelism in the community, preparations will be a developmental continuum.

It should be noted that the potential problem with regular city-wide crusades is that they will become commonplace. Support and participation can become half-hearted and routine. Then the crusades lose their power of penetration. But this is a potential problem in all ministries of the Church, and it can be avoided.

If the churches are consistently evangelistic and if the entire Christian community has worked together diligently to implement a sound co-operative strategy for their metropolitan area, a solid foundation will have been laid for effective proclamation. Most of what is termed "pre-evangelism" will have been done, and the crusade event will be a natural culminating point in the process.

Let us return to the community that was described earlier. The dynamics of unity and co-operation that were mentioned are in place. The leadership and churches are committed to develop and carry out a comprehensive evangelistic strategy. Instead of planning an event and building a strategy around it, they purpose to formulate a continuing strategy with events (including crusades) built into the continuum. How shall they go about to lay a proper foundation, build an indigenous infrastructure and prepare for the first crusade?

Even when the crusade is an annual event in the continuum, make the most of it. Aim at making each one better than the one before. Keep building the momentum until the community is thoroughly evangelized and continues to be evangelized.

Often one person, perhaps a pastor, catches the vision and shares it with a few others. A call is issued for other interested leaders to meet, or perhaps the proposal is presented to an existing leadership body. A consensus is achieved. An ad hoc steering committee is formed, and preparations are begun.

The Sponsoring Body.

The first corporate step is to establish the sponsoring body. Immediately this raises the question about the constituency of the sponsoring body. Who should be included?

The sponsoring body should be a permanently established and actively functioning interdenominational association that includes as much as possible the whole body of Christ locally. All churches and Christian institutions and organizations should be contacted. This should be done by or under the direction of the steering committee prior to the appointment of the Executive Committee and the formation of a crusade organization. It is important to avoid the mistake of building a crusade organization first and then inviting others to join in sponsorship after the fact. The invitation to join in sponsorship should be issued first so that all who participate in sponsorship do so on the "ground floor." After preparations are under way, if others decide to join in sponsorship, or such are discovered that had been overlooked, they should be welcomed and put in touch with the officers of the sponsoring body itself, who in turn will bring them into the sponsoring body.

Allow room for the commitment of ministers and congregations to develop. Some will "grow" into the endeavor. Make it easy for those who say "no" to change their minds.

The evangelistic premise and purpose should be stated so clearly that all who join in sponsorship will be in agreement regarding its message and objectives, and that all who are not in agreement will say "no" for themselves.

In some cities there are non-evangelical churches with evangelical pastors and evangelical minorities in the congregations. The pastors of such churches should be invited to join in sponsorship, but only those members of the congregation whom the pastor certifies as being spiritually qualified should be allowed to participate in counseling and follow-up. All converts referred to such churches should be integrated into evangelical cell groups within those churches.

Each sponsoring pastor should "think of the crusade as though it were happening within the walls of his own church, and that his congregation is singularly responsible for it."⁸¹ The pastor’s commitment "is essential, for it will signal to the congregation what their degree of commitment should be."⁸²

When congregations and individuals agree to co-operate, their pastors must insist that they actually do so and that the people take personal responsibilities and carry them out.

Also, it is important that everyone involved in the work be on guard against any un-Christian attitudes, words, or actions toward any churches and ministers who do not co-operate.

Certain prerogatives belong to the sponsoring body. These include: the decision to conduct a crusade, the appointment of the Executive Committee and the authorization for the preparations to proceed, the choice of an evangelist, the crusade dates, the crusade facility, and the ratification of the budget. The entire project is ultimately accountable, under Christ, to the sponsoring body.

The sponsoring body should decide right at the beginning by what method the budget is to be met and should give the Executive Committee its full backing in carrying it out.

Research.

After defining its own constituency, resolving to establish a co-operative evangelistic strategy, establishing the date and location of the first crusade and securing the evangelist, and arranging for proper funding, the sponsoring body is now prepared to proceed with foundational research. By this time the sponsoring body should be incorporated and have secured its tax exempt status.

When this committee is formed, the work of the ad hoc Steering Committee ceases.

The initial research phase is a major undertaking. If it is done properly and thoroughly, it will take about a year to complete. Its funding should be provided by the sponsoring churches and concerned individuals. It will require a large number of volunteer workers. It will involve massive data collection and analysis. It should include a regular newsletter. It should culminate in a two or three day Congress for all members of the sponsoring body at some retreat facility. At this Congress the members of the sponsoring body should receive the research report, adopt time-bound and measurable goals, plan further strategy, and recommit themselves to the common cause.

The research is two-dimensional--the harvest field and the harvest force.

The harvest force is the Church, including its institutions and para-church agencies. This research is conducted to identify who we are, what we have, and what we are doing and should be doing. This involves an institutional study. This research will collect data on the total seating capacity of the churches and the average total attendance, identify the growth/decline patterns of the churches and analyze growing churches, bring the evangelistic para-church resources into focus, identify evangelism courses and resources of local colleges and seminaries.

Engel has identified eight stages in the research process.⁸⁸

2. Identification of Data Requirements

  a. Categories of data needed to solve the problem.

3. Determination of the data collection procedure.

  a. Observation.

  b. Descriptive survey.

8. Phasing research into strategy.

CRUSADE ORGANIZATION.

The formation of the Executive Committee is the first real organizational step. It should consist of the Chairman (General Director), one or more Vice-Chairmen, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the chairpersons (Directors) of the operating committees. Others may be included as desired. It is vital that the Executive Committee work closely with the evangelist and/or his representative. It is also vital that the Executive Committee (through its Chairman) keep the sponsoring body regularly informed of progress.

After the initial research project is completed, the data should be kept current as a part of the on-going strategy and as an element of future crusade planning.

In planning the crusade itself, one of the responsibilities of the Executive Committee is to prepare a budget (in consultation with the evangelist and/or his representative) and to present it to the sponsoring body for early ratification. Once the budget is adopted, copies should be sent to all participating churches and organizations, and to the evangelist.

In view of the public’s negative attitude toward financial appeals in connection with evangelism, it is strongly recommended that the sponsoring body raise the entire budget before the crusade so that no public offerings will be taken at the crusade services. This policy will remove one of the biggest obstacles to evangelism and will cut much of the ground from under those who are looking for a basis to oppose evangelists and crusade evangelism. It would remove a barrier between mass evangelism and the masses. Thus the crusade can be presented as a gift of the Church to the community. It is sheer nonsense to ask the unconverted to help pay for their own evangelization. If it be asserted that the appeal is to the Christians present, the reply is simple--let this appeal be made in the churches prior to the crusade. Imagine the impact of a city-wide crusade service with no offering!

It is much easier to follow this policy when the crusade is a regular event, both because the crusade account would remain open year around to receive contributions from churches and individuals and because the indigenous principle when applied consistently will result in lower crusade costs.

The Chairman (General Director).

The Chairman of the Executive Committee is the key person in the preparation and administration of the crusade. He must be a person of outstanding spiritual and leadership qualities. He is responsible for general progress, making sure that all operating committees fulfil their responsibilities fully and on time. He should make periodic progress reports to the sponsoring body and to the evangelist. He must work in close co-ordination with the evangelist. He should make sure that all non-sponsoring ministers are personally invited to attend the crusade and to participate as much as is possible in each case.

The most appropriate person for this ministry is someone among the local eldership who himself is an evangelist gifted and knowledgeable in evangelistic generalship, dedicated to the evangelization of his own city, and possessing sufficient staff to permit him to give time and attention to this executive ministry. He must be non-sectarian in his spirit, able to view his own congregation as only one among many so far as the crusade strategy is concerned, and committed to the growth of the Church above the growth of a church.

Although the sponsoring body in each community will develop its own style, approach, organization, and set of procedures, and will adapt its methodology to local conditions, it must bear in mind that each evangelist whom it invites will also have his own style, approach and methodology. The Chairman must know the method of operation of the evangelist and see to it that it is embodied into the crusade plans and procedures so far as is consistent with the basic elements of the local model. Any differences must be harmonized at the very beginning.

If the indigenous model is developed properly, there should be no need for the evangelist to provide a crusade director or co-ordinator. This function is developed within the local body in the person of the Chairman. However, there is need for continual input from the evangelist. In some cases the evangelist himself will have time to give this personally. But in most cases the evangelist will need someone who is trained in crusade principles and practices in general and in the evangelist’s methodology in particular who will serve as a closely-working consultant to the local Chairman. One of the major functions of the evangelist and his co-workers is not to tell the local Church how to run his crusade, but to help them learn how to run their crusades and to give them ideas that they can use for both the present and the future.

Each crusade budget should include an honorarium to the evangelist and/or the evangelist’s church in appreciation for his ministry and the support and participation of the church and its staff in the crusade. This honorarium should be sufficient to cover the costs incurred by the evangelist’s church in providing this ministry to the crusade. Remember, in the indigenous model, the evangelist’s church is his "evangelistic association," and his team. It is his base of ministry.

If the sponsoring body is building upon the indigenous principle, it must choose evangelists who understand the principle and will work in harmony with it. The local methodology must be flexible enough to adapt to each evangelist, and each evangelist’s methodology must be flexible enough to adapt to each local situation.

In concluding this section on The Chairman it is important to emphasize that he should be the exclusive avenue of communication between the sponsoring body and the evangelist, between the Executive Committee and the evangelist, and between the Executive Committee and the sponsoring body.

The Secretary.

The customary responsibilities of the Secretary include: acting as custodian of all official documents (including the official list of the sponsoring churches and organizations), notifying members of the Executive Committee of all committee meetings, taking and distributing the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee, and other usual functions.

The Treasurer.

The Treasurer must be a person of integrity knowledgeable in the recording, handling and reporting of finances. This person shall establish and conduct proper bookkeeping procedures, make sure that all bills are paid promptly and submit all records for audit. The Treasurer shall provide full, accurate and current financial statements to the Executive Committee and through the Chairman to the sponsoring body, deposit all funds in a designated bank and make disbursements by two-signature checks. As soon as possible following the crusade, the Treasurer will provide to the evangelist a copy of the audit as evidence that all bills of the crusade have been paid. It is recommended that the Treasurer be bonded.

Operating Committees.

It would be inconsistent with the indigenous principle to prescribe just what and how many working committees are needed. The actual number of working committees will depend upon local requirements. All that should be done here is to identify the various crusade ingredients. Each community will decide for itself exactly how many committees it needs to make those ingredients work together in their own milieu. Some basic ideas will be discussed, but it is not intended that this be a complete crusade manual. Each community should develop and constantly upgrade its own manual. Likewise, each evangelist will develop his. Mutual flexibility and cross-pollination should be a dynamic process that should eventually result in higher general quality and increased standardization and exactness in the whole science of crusade evangelism as practised upon the indigenous principle.

Evangelists and local committees both should take advantage of the wealth of literature that has been produced on the subject over the past two hundred years. The crusade manuals of the various evangelists contain a storehouse of proven ideas and instructions. The eldership of the local Church, and particularly the members of the Executive Committee, should educate themselves thoroughly and apply what they learn to their strategy.

The ingredients of a crusade include: prayer, finances, counseling, follow-up, program and music, the facility, ushering, group delegations, some type of "Operation Andrew" outreach, children, youth, and publicity. The operating committees are formed to serve some or all of these crusade components. A committee can be formed for each one, or they can be combined (e.g., facilities and ushering) and taken care of by fewer committees. In either event, the chairpersons of all working committees serve as members of the Executive Committee.

Not more than one working committee chairperson should come from any one sponsoring church. Also, no-one should serve on more than one committee. In harmony with the indigenous principle, the crusade should emerge out of the on-going evangelistic life of the Church and the churches. Accordingly, as much as possible and practical, the elements of the crusade should embody the elements of the local church structure (choir, counselors, ushers, etc.). In other words, put into the crusade what is already in the churches. Also, put back into the churches what develops out of the crusade effort.

The Congregational Crusade Co-ordinator.

To secure maximum involvement from believers, each church should appoint someone to be a congregational crusade co-ordinator. This should be someone who is enthusiastic about evangelism, has basic leadership qualities, and is able to devote time to this ministry. In most cases it should not be the pastor. As a rule, pastors are congregationally oriented. Even if they fully support the crusade effort, it is not likely to be their number one ministry priority. After all, they are pastors. Some churches, of course, will have an evangelist on the ministerial staff. This would be the logical person for this assignment.

The congregational crusade co-ordinator should be a "spark plug" for the crusade within the congregation, urging the pastor to keep the crusade before the people, encouraging the people to pray, mobilizing the resources of the church for the crusade by working with various leaders (choir, youth, Sunday School, etc.), recruiting personnel, and being the contact person in the congregation for the flow of crusade information.

In such churches the congregational crusade co-ordinator has a big challenge. But also it is in such churches that he or she can accomplish the most good for both the crusade and the church. It is important that all who take this responsibility receive detailed instructions in the crusade manual and attend a training session. Also, they should receive recognition for their work from the pulpit.

Office.

An office should be established as early as possible to serve as the nerve center for the entire co-operative strategy. The Secretary may serve as the office manager (particularly if the office is located in the Secretary’s church or place of business), or another person may be appointed to this position. In the latter case the office manager should be accountable to the Secretary, and carry out the Secretary’s directives concerning general mailings and the flow of information and communication.

The office may be staffed by qualified volunteers. One of the most under-utilized sources of ministry in our churches are the retired people, many of whom have a lot yet to give and who are yearning for an opportunity to do something significant for the Lord, but are just waiting to be asked.

Prayer.

Whoever chairs a prayer committee must be a person of prayer with an ability to inspire others to pray. The closer the prayer emphasis is tied to the local church, the more powerful and productive it will be. Inter-church concerts of prayer are important, of course, and should not be omitted. But the basic thrust should be to secure a prayer revival in the churches. People will pray for the city as a whole, but the closer the prayer needs are to "home," the more concerned people will be in praying for them. Each church has its own unique sphere of influence, its own mission field, made up of its neighborhood and the unconverted friends and relatives of its members. Each church has its own spiritual needs. The more the entire co-operative strategy, including the crusade itself, is tied to these, the more meaningful it will be both to the pastor and to the congregation, and the more people will be motivated to earnest prayer.

The pastor should be the prime mover of the prayer thrust in his own congregation. He should preach passionately on prayer and set an example for the people to follow. He should urge all departments of the church to prayer, especially home groups. He should announce any inter-church prayer concerts that have been planned and should bring his people to them.

It has been customary to form a separate committee for the "Operation Andrew" kind of outreach. If a separate committee is formed for this purpose, it should work very closely with the prayer committee. In fact, there are good reasons for making this outreach an integral part of the work of the prayer committee itself. Although they will pray in general for the city and the crusade, most believers are going to focus both their prayers and their efforts on a relatively few prospects. They will pray for them, share the gospel with them, and invite and bring them to the crusade services. Thus the close inter-relationship between prayer and personal evangelism becomes apparent.

This committee (or these committees) should prepare a Prayer Guide and produce enough copies to include one in each sponsoring church’s packet as "camera ready" copy for reproduction as a bulletin insert, in the church newsletter, and for general availability to the congregation, as a prayer and contact list for the individual believer’s use. An explanatory letter should accompany the Prayer Guide instructing pastors on how to use the guide in promoting the crusade prayer and personal evangelism emphasis to the congregation. Pastors should distribute these to their people early, perhaps at a special dedication service.

Program.

The chairman of the program committee should be a person who is qualified and able to give leadership to the services under the generalship of the evangelist. He must have the ability to co-ordinate program and personnel. He and his committee will host the evangelist and all platform ministries and guests. In full co-operation with the evangelist this committee will plan and conduct the crusade services, develop extension meetings, and arrange for school assemblies, campus and civic appearances, media interviews and guest appearances. But to avoid the appearance of favoritism, the evangelist should not preach in any of the local churches during the crusade.

Some evangelists provide all of the special music; some provide no special music at all, and some provide part of the special music with guest singers providing the rest. The chairman of this committee should arrange for all special music not provided by the evangelist. In doing so he should consult with the evangelist and also seek the endorsement of the General Director. The singers he selects must be sincere, consecrated workers whose conduct is above reproach and whose musical ministry carries a clear gospel message that will complement the ministry of the evangelist. Likewise, he will select organists and pianists who are skilled musicians with an evangelistic style and consecrated workers of even temperament and sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

Among the churches there is usually a wealth of top-quality talent. In utilizing these resources it is very important to avoid inter-church jealousies, personal competitiveness, and a tendency toward the musical ministry degenerating into a local talent show or amateur hour.

Any pre-service concerts should be organized and well-controlled by this committee under the leadership of its chairman.

Important workers on this committee include: the song leader(s), musicians, and persons with broad civic associations. In building a combined crusade choir from all of the sponsoring churches and institutions, this committee should bring together the music directors of the churches and institutions and should work closely with them. Sheet music should be provided for in the crusade budget. This committee must make sure that all applicable copyright laws are obeyed.

This committee should develop and print a sufficient quantity of a "souvenir" songsheet containing the words of carefully selected gospel songs and choruses (securing permission of the copyright owners), and including information on the crusade.

The order of service will be the responsibility of this committee. The right person must be chosen for each part in the service. Many participants will be local leaders, some with active egos and a sense of self-importance. These must be instructed tactfully but definitely regarding their part in the service. They must know exactly what they are to do and how long they have to do it.

The tone of evangelistic services should be joyful but not frivolous, reverent but not somber. If dignitaries or delegations are present, it is appropriate to introduce them. But no human personality or group should distract the attention of the people from the Person of Jesus Christ and the preaching of His word.

Representatives of many worthy causes will want to distribute their literature and/or promote their projects at the crusade, but this must not be allowed.

The entire evangelistic service should move toward the invitation. It is important to consult the evangelist regarding the invitation songs. Eveyone will need to be alert to whatever the evangelist might do during the invitation and be ready to follow his lead.

Logistics.

This is a broad category that includes the following inter-related areas: building and facilities, security and order, health and safety, parking, ushering, and group reservations. These responsibilities can be handled by one committee or divided and given to two or more committees, depending on the local situation.

Chairpersons of committees that handle logistics must have outstanding organizational ability, especially in working with volunteers.

One of the logistical functions is ushering. The person placed in charge of ushering should recruit ushers and usher captains. Together they should plan their work. If no public offerings are to be received, the work of the ushers will be greatly simplified. Where there are offerings, they should be received quickly and securely, counted immediately under the supervision of the Treasurer, and deposited without delay. The usher force should be trained and provided with "usher" and "usher captain" badges. If needed, parking attendants should also be recruited and trained. Ushers and parking attendants should go to the facility prior to the crusade to familiarize themselves in detail with the premises. They should know the emergency routes and procedures. They should know what delegations are coming, where they will park and where they will be seated. They should be able to give specific and accurate information to the leaders and bus drivers of delegations. The usher force should greet the people as they arrive and hand each person or family a song sheet. They should be prepared to respond to every situation.

A carefully written agreement between the management of the facility and the sponsoring body must be worked out and signed as early as possible. It is important to stay within the provisions of that agreement. The activities of all crusade workers whose work relates to the facility will be conditioned by the provisions of the agreement. Be sure to observe all regulations, including capacity limits set by the fire department.

One of the most important pieces of equipment is the public address system. This should be of top quality and professionally manned. This includes all audio-visual equipment. We preach the greatest message in the world, and the quality of the public address system is no place to economize. Give the singing and the preaching of the gospel top quality sound. Also provide quality accompaniment instruments.

Other appointments include: a pulpit or lectern, banners, water and other refreshments for the evangelist, a music stand for the choir director, and flowers. Sometimes local businesses will provide these without charge for a printed acknowledgement.

It is suggested that the evangelist’s message be video-taped and audio-taped. These can be made available to the people.

The fact that the crusade services are held in a "neutral" facility is one of its strongest advantages. At the same time, the fact that the services are conducted in a facility completely unrelated to the churches is a disadvantage. The general public is not accustomed to associating a civic auditorium, coliseum, national guard armory, or other public facility with religious services. For that reason appropriate measures should be taken to orient the people to the fact that they are in a religious function.

This uniqueness of use must be made clear to the management of the facility from the beginning. Many of these public facilities have fast-food concessions and other commercial enterprises that operate in conjunction with the facility. These must not operate during a crusade except under absolute necessity and then only under strictly controlled conditions spelled out clearly in the rental agreement.

Some facilities provide their own personnel for parking and certain other operations. This must be taken into account in crusade planning. The crusade organization must never become involved in a labor dispute. Hired people should be paid well.

Some facilities require that a commission be paid on all sales made on its premises, including literature sales. The question of literature sales should be answered by each local crusade organization on the basis of the principles it develops. Once principle becomes embodied in policy, this policy should be made clear to each evangelist who is invited, and a working understanding should be established. One suggestion is that the local bookstores stock an extra supply of the books that the evangelist has authored. They can be mentioned at the crusade in a tasteful manner, including the fact that they can be purchased at local bookstores. This eliminates from the crusade any hint of commercialism and also shows regard for the local Christian bookstores.

It is advisable to contact the municipal transportation authority to inform them of the possible attendance and the service times, and also for information regarding bus schedules. This information, including printed schedules, can be made available to the people attending the crusade.

It is wise to formulate contingency plans whenever there is the possibility of disruptions due to such things as fuel shortages, strikes, and severe weather conditions.

A smooth traffic flow should also be a part of crusade planning, both to get people to the crusade services on time and in a good frame of mind, and also to avoid the negative Christian witness that congesting traffic would create.

Always maintain a good working relationship with all governmental officials (police, fire, health), and with the facility officials.

Another activity that comes under the category of logistics is group reservations. This can be handled by a separate committee or by a sub-committee of the Logistics Committee. Either way, it relates closely to logistics and they who are in charge of group reservations will find it necessary to work closely with those who are involved in other logistical responsibilities, particularly the usher force.

Also, from his experience John R. Rice says concerning the delegations committee:

"This committee is one of the most important of the campaign, and it is almost impossible to overestimate the good that can be done by the delegation committee... The delegation committee will have a large part to do with the attendance at the campaign and particuiarly with the attendance of lost people."¹⁰²

Delegations tend to make the crusade a community event. They can be of almost any nature: an ethnic group with an interpreter, a reserved section for the hearing impaired and someone to sign for them, labor unions, high school groups with their sections decorated in their school colors, college and university groups, service organizations, farm organizations, companies, civic organizations, groups from nearby or distant cities, military, hospital staff and employee groups. The possibilities for creative thinkers are almost limitless.

The delegation ticket system insures that people coming from a long distance will not be disappointed if attendance exceeds the capacity of the facility.

Obviously, every delegation has to be worked up from the inside.¹⁰³ For this reason the work of the delegations committee or sub-committee includes far more than keeping a list of who are coming, when, and where they are going to sit. Its members must cultivate key people and core groups within all of the potential institutions, who will recruit the largest possible delegations from those institutions.

Information.

By information is meant publicity and advertising. The chairperson of this committee should be aggressive and knowledgeable in communications and public relations, and have a good relationship with the media. He should be articulate, yet prudent in his statements. His information must be accurate and his statements totally reliable. The chairman of this committee should be the sole crusade spokesperson to the media. The wisdom of this should be apparent, for the moment more than one person starts making statements to the media the door has been opened to misunderstanding and confusion.

The basic difference between advertising and publicity is this: publicity is free; advertising you pay for.

In a Christian ministry, where the stewardship of limited funds is a necessity, it is important to look for and utilize all possible avenues to disseminate information about the crusade for little or no cost before deciding on the kind and amount of paid advertising to purchase. This is only logical. The place to start is the regular informational channels of the churches themselves: bulletins, bulletin boards, newsletters, public announcements, and (immediately prior to and during the crusade) its regular television and/or radio programs and newspaper ads. Pastors should send a timely announcement of the crusade to their denominational publications. If the committee is successful in mobilizing this kind of support among the churches themselves with the result that the regular informational channels of the sponsoring churches are fully utilized, news of the crusade can be disseminated widely to a primary constituency with little or no cost to the crusade budget. A detailed calendar of crusade events should be sent to the churches.

Next, the committee should provide all media with regular news releases and public service announcements at every stage of crusade development, beginning with the decision to conduct the crusade, the dates and location and the choice of the evangelist. As the crusade itself approaches, the tempo of news releases should pick up. During the crusade itself news releases should be issued daily, along with action photos, sermon highlights, special articles and feature stories containing testimonies of transformed lives.

This committee should explore and utilize local cable television possibilities, including the weather "scanner," for the extension of the crusade. Consider all media possibilities, including the reader-boards.

Through the use of a logo, a motto or theme, and other visual standardization, the crusade should maintain the same visual image at all appearances in all media.

One of the objectives of the indigenous principle of united crusade evangelism is that the community will see the crusade as a locally sponsored and supported event. The mobilization of the churches and the full utilization of their regular communications vehicles works directly to this end.

This committee should design and print a sufficient quantity of handbills for mass distribution, and supply each church and ministry with as many as it can effectively use. The handbills can be used as posters, or posters different from the handbills can be designed and produced. Yard signs and bumper stickers are also excellent means of advertising.

This committee should work closely with other operating committees. For example, even though this committee has primary contact with the media, all interviews and appearances, especially those involving the evangelist, should be arranged in consultation with the Program Committee. Also, this committee should work closely with the committee in charge of the facility in providing a place for the press.

This committee should hand-deliver professionally prepared crusade media kits to all media.

One writer lists five reasons for advertising: (1) to inform, (2) to invite, (3) to provide a point of contact for church members who invite others, (4) to lend prestige to the occasion, and (5) to remind. The writer follows with four objectives of advertising: (1) to attract attention, (2) to stimulate interest, (3) to arouse curiosity, and (4) to produce action.¹¹²

In concluding this section it is well that we remind ourselves that the very most that advertising and publicity can do is to bring someone to the crusade one time. By itself it will not bring them back. And as has been stated, by itself it will bring in relatively few. Its function is to inform and create a public awareness so as to assist the personal contacts which, under God, bring the most people and the most results.

Counseling.

Counselors should be trained in leading children to Christ, because often people will respond to the invitation as a family. Counselor training should include basic requirements for dress and conduct.

During the crusade the chairman of this committee should oversee the counseling process and be prepared to assist the counselor advisors in dealing with any problems. There should be a check-list of all authorized counselors for use at each service for the distribution of materials to counselors, the collection of decision cards, and to prevent the intrusion of unauthorized persons. It is essential to screen out cranks, cultists, and opportunists.

Counselors should meet together before each service for up-dated instructions, materials, and prayer.

Attention should be given to the placing of counselors in the audience. At the invitation counselors will begin to move forward. This begins movement in the aisles, and removes the difficulty that some have in stepping out alone into an empty aisle. It helps people do what they know they ought to do and really want to do.

The crusade services themselves are not the only times when people will turn to Christ and/or desire help. The Holy Spirit is continuously at work. A crusade telephone "hot-line" with a well-publicized number will assist greatly. Also, it is very likely that some will come to repentance on their way home after the crusade services; therefore, counseling and materials should be available on buses carrying groups and delegations.

Follow-up.

Follow-up (that is, "follow-through") has been traditionally the weakest part of crusade evangelism, in spite of the fact that it is perhaps the most crucial. One reason could be that in the traditional model of crusade evangelism the crusade is looked upon as something that the evangelist and his organization does in the city rather than an inherent function of the churches themselves. Hence, if follow-up is weak, it is viewed as a weakness of the evangelist’s system or perhaps of crusade evangelism itself.

In reality the crusade is an outreach by the Church. This fact is especially applicable to the follow-up phase of the crusade. Follow-up is the direct responsibility of the sponsoring churches, and each pastor must see it as his immediate priority of ministry.

Follow-up should include criteria (perhaps in the new convert materials) for choosing a church "home." It is assumed that all sponsoring churches will meet those criteria.

Three criteria should determine where the new Christian is to be referred: (1) church preference, (2) established relationships with other Christians, and (3) their proximity to the nearest sponsoring church.

If the new Christian indicates a preference for a specific evangelical church, he or she should be referred to that church immediately. The pastor should be notified personally and the pastor (or someone designated by him) should contact the new Christian within forty eight hours. A new believer should not be referred to a non-evangelical clergyman.

If the new Christian has neither a church preference nor a tie with another believer, he or she should be referred to the closest sponsoring church to his or her residence.

In every case, whatever is best for the person should be done, without partiality or competitiveness. If any conflict arises, settle it among the workers and keep the new Christian from being drawn into it.

The decision cards must be kept confidential, and no-one should be allowed to take advantage of them. They should be kept in proper order and in a secure location.

As the decision cards come in, the information should be relayed immediately to the pastors of the appropriate churches. The initial follow-up contact should be reported back by telephone immediately. This entire process should take no longer than forty eight hours.

Within a week after the crusade services, all decision cards should be reviewed. If any convert has not been contacted, the church receiving the referral should be called. If there is no action by the church within another forty eight hours, the person should be referred to another sponsoring church. This church should follow-up within twenty four hours and report back immediately. Every person must be properly cared for.

Other Committees.

Committees can be formed to address needs and undertake projects not specifically dealt with here, as is needed and appropriate to the situation, such as a Finance Committee and a Youth Committee. The local Church should continue to study the "science" of crusade evangelism, improving and refining its strategy for its own city.

Of course, an effective permanent local crusade infrastructure is the result of much careful planning and frequent experience, and is not erected for a once-in-a-decade event. It is built carefully and prayerfully by mature local Christians who have attained a requisite threshold of genuine unity, and who have made a serious commitment to utilize every method of presenting the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to their community. Because it is a locally based endeavor, they are likely to invite evangelists who, like the Biblical model Philip, are firmly rooted in a local Church (and who, it is hoped, will not subject them to a fund-raising).