Evangelism, assimilation, and discipleship are interdependent and so closely intertwined, that the more common strategies employed by churches fall short of ultimately connecting the person to the body in a meaningful way. Common to most church’s models, strategic assimilation programs are largely information-oriented vehicles designed to educate the visitor on the ‘benefits’ of membership, sprinkled with enough ‘touches of love’ to make the visitor feel valued. Membership is the goal. What is completely absent from the strategies are steps needed to get the person plugged in and SERVING in the body. Servanthood evangelism is largely ignored by most church assimilation programs.

A visitor will much more readily connect to a body if they are made to feel that they have a God-ordained purpose to serve and are needed within that body to serve others in the name of Christ.

Three steps in making this happen-

1) Put their gifts and talents to use for the Lord. This will motivate membership, and membership retention, far more than a friendly letter and a keepsake mug.

2) Focus more on discipleship than membership, and discipleship involves serving God and serving others. Too many assimilation strategies stop at getting the visitor to attend a membership class and becoming a member. Some programs may include getting them in a small group. But then what? Once on the membership rolls, the new member is often anonymously folded into the congregation and the attention shifts back toward the next visitor and the pursuit of another membership to make the numbers.

3) Connect Evangelism (winning them to Christ), Assimilation (connecting them to Christ ? the body), and Discipleship (conforming them to Christ through serving). All three intimately related toward shaping visitors/members into disciples. By helping the member discover his spiritual gifts and then connecting them to his talents and passions, a new ambassador for Christ within the body will be surrendered and serving so that the exponential effect of the evangelism cycle can begin anew.

Actively serving and loving others are the surest signs that the church has properly assimilated and discipled the new member. Simply connecting them to a small group, an inwardly-focused, holy huddle is the surest sign of failure in this area.