Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

First Advisor

Kristopher Barrnett

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to examine the effectiveness of an intentional sermon series, Everyday Evangelism, in cultivating an evangelistic culture at Mountain Chapel Methodist Church, a Global Methodist congregation. The study used a program evaluation model and addressed the question, How does preaching cultivate an evangelistic culture in the local church, along with questions concerning growth in prayerfulness for the lost, gospel conversations, acts of compassion, invitations to Christian community, follow-up with seekers, and whether leaders exhibited greater change than the congregation as a whole. The project employed a pre- and post-series survey design using two participant groups, a twenty-four-member leadership team and the broader congregation of approximately 150 active members. Participants were not randomly selected but were invited from within the existing church body. Data were collected anonymously through four parallel Qualtrics survey instruments administered before and after the five-week sermon series and analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify directional change within and between groups. Results indicated meaningful movement across the evangelistic markers, with the greatest growth occurring in prayer for the lost and acts of compassion, practices requiring lower relational risk. Growth in gospel conversations, invitations, and follow-up remained inconsistent, and a persistent lack of confidence emerged as the primary barrier to relational engagement. Leadership participants demonstrated more observable behavioral change than the congregation overall. Findings suggest preaching functions as a formative influence on evangelistic understanding and motivation but does not alone provide the sustained practice, feedback, or skill development necessary for consistent relational evangelism.

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