Picture yourself seated on one end of a park bench. On the other end is a street person with ragged, soiled clothing and grimy face. You strike up a conversation and point him to the Savior, using Scripture verses from Romans. Next day is Sunday and you are seated on the end of a church pew opposite a fellow-believer who is struggling with heavy personal problems. He so much needs helpful, kind words! But you remain silent.

Here is a huge and tragic problem choking modern churches: We are able to speak to those outside the church with greater ease than to our own church family members! Why is this? Because endless evangelism, even if effective, brings in more and more who become like those who brought them to Christ. Here is a maxim for church life:

1. Energetic outreach does not in itself provide for the edification and upbuilding of those in the church fellowship. However,
2. True discipling always leads to evangelism.