Third Annual Outreach Resource of the Year Awards (2005)

 

by Tamara Rice

In 2005, thousands of outreach resources gave Christians—from churches and families to individuals and parachurch ministries—deeper insights, helpful advice and timely challenges to improve their outreach efforts. In this feature, you’ll get a glimpse of the resources that rose above the others, made their mark and helped equip many of you to share the love of Christ with those who don’t yet know Him.

Publishers, ministries and members of our Editorial Advisory Board submitted their nominations, which our Outreach editors separated into categories and narrowed to the list of finalists that you, our readers, voted on alongside our esteemed group of expert panelists. We asked our panelists to evaluate the resources in the category specific to their expertise. Resources were evaluated for their ministry potential and accessibility. Below, you'll find the winners from all 10 categories.

And now, without further ado, we present the one resource leveraged by thousands of churches across the country to tell the story of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection. As our editors looked at your votes and pored over the finalist list, one title rose to the top.

THE BEST OUTREACH RESOURCE OF THE YEAR IS …

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
(Walt Disney Pictures/Walden Media)

With fans of the C.S. Lewis fantasy tale making The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe the third highest-grossing film in America last year ($290 million), it’s no surprise this movie—rich with sacrifice and redemption themes—stands out as our Best Outreach Resource of 2005.

Wardrobe marked the first film adaptation of the world’s second-largest-selling book series and Walden Media’s most expensive project to date. Walden and Disney recruited a Who’s Who list of Hollywood names—led by Shrek Director Andrew Adamson and producer Mark Johnson (Shrek, The Notebook and The Alamo)—who brought to life the magical world we’d read about and pictured in our minds. Those who didn’t know the story soon anticipated the film as the pulse-racing movie trailer debuted in spring ’05, sparking curiosity and wonder in moviegoers nationwide. The weekend of its release (Dec. 9–11), millions of people flocked to almost 7,000 screens to hear Aslan roar in surround sound.

Publishers hoping for the success of Walden’s picture were quick to supply hundreds of Narnia-related resources that pointed readers and moviegoers to the story’s spiritual significance.

And with mainstream movies and outreach no longer strangers, thanks to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ, churches welcomed another opportunity to use a popular film to begin spiritual conversations with their communities. As many as 10,000 congregations around the country took advantage of the movie’s appeal to engage the unchurched through sermon series, children’s events, theater screenings, special speakers and more.

Bob Rognlien, pastor of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (LCGS; lcgs.net) in Torrance, Calif., and author of Experiential Worship (Navpress), led the church’s Narnia campaign. LCGS bought out two theaters for the movie release specifically for outreach purposes, says Rognlien. “The response was great. People wanted to see the film, but they also brought someone who doesn’t go to church.” He estimates that 30% of the audience at LCGS’ theater events were unchurched. In the six weeks that followed, LCGS, like many churches throughout the country, invited visitors to a special Narnia sermon series. Rognlien’s series, “Living in Narnia Today,” kicked off on Christmas Eve.

Measuring the film’s outreach success is not a scientific task, but it did provide Christians a prime opportunity to join in the cultural conversation during a season when people see and hear about Christ’s birth. And scholars say the film has the potential to be a pop culture reference similar to “The force be with you.” Says Wheaton College professor and C.S. Lewis scholar Jerry Root: “Twenty years from now, we could be saying, ‘Do you remember when that happened in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?’ to share Christ with someone.”

While Lewis set out to create a fantasy children’s novel, not a religious allegory, the similarities between Aslan and Christ are not accidental. Friends say Lewis was simply exploring his imaginary Narnia under the premise that, like us, those in Narnia would need a redeemer who would be, as Lucy discovers, dangerous and good. Thus, Aslan has become a beautiful picture of Christ in a setting that children and adults alike have found—and no doubt will continue to find—compelling and unforgettable.

CHILDREN'S OUTREACH

 

Mega Sports Camp
(Gospel Publishing)

This VBS alternative can also be used as a midweek event or even an after-school program. With the draw of athletic events, it meets a need for parents who want their kids involved in sports, but not necessarily in the high-pressure environment of typical community programs. More than that, it gets kids who might not otherwise be drawn to a church to a place where they can hear the Gospel. Churches who’ve tried it say the results speak for themselves.

Says Suzanne Cole of Trinity Evangelical Free Church in Covington, La., “MEGA Sports Camp was our most successful outreach ever. We had over 175 kids and nearly 30 accepted Christ—we’re definitely doing MSC again.”

And when it comes to involving existing church members in the program, panelist Ivy Beckwith believes Mega Sports Camp stands apart in its ability to attract men in church to participate in the outreach—something other kids’ programs sometimes fail to do. As for the kids themselves, says Beckwith, “this all-inclusive sports camp program focuses on teaching children basketball, soccer and cheerleading. I believe it would be a program attractive to children who are not already a part of the church and would be especially attractive as an outreach to boys.”

Beckwith adds that the kit materials—which she hails as thorough—offer flexibility for churches and camps of all sizes. Most noteworthy, Beckwith says, is that “the entire program is geared toward evangelistic outreach.”

FINALISTS

Captivating Children’s Sermons by Beth Edington Hewitt (Baker)

How to Lead Your Child to Christ by Robert & Bobbie Wolgemuth (Tyndale)

"Veggie Connections" (Integrity)

 

YOUTH OUTREACH

Do They Run When They See You Coming?
by Jonathan McKee (Youth Specialties/Zondervan)

McKee’s book might well be described as the little book that could. Small, unassuming and easy to use, one might not guess what a gem it truly is. Hailed by a veritable Who’s Who of youth ministry gurus, including Les Christie (William Jessup University), Jim Burns (Partnering With Parents in Youth Ministry, Regal) and Wayne Rice (Understanding Your Teenager, W), McKee’s insights hit a nerve.

The book’s publisher, Youth Specialties, shares a recent letter to McKee from a youth pastor named Jonathan: “I used to think I did a halfway decent job reaching out to unchurched students, until your book smashed my illusion. Thank you, really. I needed to hear what you had to say.”

“Do They Run … asks the question begging for scrutiny behind the walls of many of our evangelical enclaves,” says panelist Jeremy Del Rio. “Why is so much of what Christians do irrelevant to the people Jesus commissioned us to lovingly reach?” McKee, Del Rio says, approaches his topic in a non-threatening way.

The focus of the book is practical application, which McKee shares through anecdotes and simple steps, all leading to his conclusion that evangelism is more than a presentation. It’s not what we say—it’s who we are. Says Del Rio: “It’s an excellent resource to provoke youth ministers to rethink how and why Christ still calls us to be fishers of men.”

FINALISTS

Am I Good Enough? by Andy Stanley (Multnomah)

GOSPEL Journey Adventure Kit (Dare 2 Share)

The Youth Worker’s Guide to Helping Teenagers in Crisis by Rich Van Pelt and Jim Hancock (Youth Specialties/Zondervan)

POSTMODERN OUTREACH

 

Velvet Elvis
by Rob Bell (Zondervan)

What does a velvet painting of Elvis have to do with faith? Thanks to the immense popularity of emerging church leader Rob Bell, many of you now know. It was no surprise to our panelist Spencer Burke that Bell’s Velvet Elvis came out a winner.

Says Burke, “Much of the focus in outreach has been about style, technique and models. These things only scratch the surface. Instead of evaluating our theology and practice in the context of our old schools of thought, the challenge is to rethink and refresh our image of Jesus.”

And this, Burke says, is what Bell does by inviting us to color outside the lines of traditional views about how we relate to God and others. For example, rather than thinking of truth and theology as a solid brick wall that cannot be moved, swayed or altered, he invites us to think of it as a trampoline, upon which we can all bounce in harmony, our own knowledge and experience altering the height and depth of our jumps.

Fans of Bell’s NOOMA DVD series were grateful to finally have in writing the insights of the magnetic pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, Grandville, Mich. When we reviewed Velvet Elvis in Media Cue last fall (September/October 2005), we noted that some readers might find a few of Bell’s conclusions startling—and he is now no stranger to controversy. But the true beauty of Bell’s book is not just his articulation of the theological nuances of the emerging church movement, but his uncanny ability to explore passages of Scripture and the life of Jesus in context and beautiful color.

FINALISTS

a.k.a. “Lost” by Jim Henderson (WaterBrook)

No Perfect People Allowed by John Burke (Zondervan)

Organic Church by Neil Cole (Leadership Network/Jossey-Bass)

The Gutter by Craig Gross (Relevant)

 

TARGET OUTREACH

Why Men Hate Going to Church
by David Murrow (Nelson)

When we ran with Murrow’s Why Men Hate Going to Church as our lead Media Cue review (May/June 2005), the book had already started brewing a steady storm of controversy. The New York Times’ Peter Steinfels called it “politically incorrect” and reminded us that the Church is a “patriarchal and sexist” institution. However, the statistics speak for themselves—church activities are attended by 60% to 80% women—and even Steinfels knew the question begged an answer: Why do men hate church?

Murrow—TV producer, Presbyterian elder and founder of Church for Men seminars—believes it’s in the male DNA. Church is inherently feminine, tender and meek, he says. And, according to him, testosterone-filled men need less intimacy, more challenge; less talking, more doing.

Our guest reviewer for the book, Senior Pastor Don Wilson from Christ’s Church of the Valley in Peoria, Ariz., focuses his church ministry at men as a means of reaching entire families. Wilson wrote in the Media Cue review: “In all of my 35 years of ministry, I’ve never read a book about why men stay away from church, until now.”

Panelist Elisa Morgan—whose ministry at MOPS Intl. Inc. focuses on the opposite end of the gender gap—calls Murrow’s book “fresh and passionate … a thoughtful foundation with helpful how-to’s for women and church leaders longing to bring the American male back to church.

FINALISTS

Bringing Your Faith to Work by Norman L. Geisler and Randy Douglass (Baker)

I Love Mormons by David L. Rowe (Baker)

Superando el Dolor by Dr. Ralph Woerner (Promise Network)

The 9 to 5 Window by Os Hillman (Regal)

 

OUTREACH LEADERSHIP TRAINING

 

Breakout Churches

by Thom S. Rainer (Zondervan)

 

Recently named president of LifeWay Christian Resources, Rainer had a breakout year in 2005. His wife Nellie Joe survived cancer, he dissolved the Rainer Group research team and—in addition to his new work at LifeWay—he became a columnist for Outreach magazine. It was a year of changes, but one thing came as no surprise: Our readers loved this book.

Breakout Churches is Rainer’s second title to win our award in the Leadership Training category—The Unchurched Next Door (Zondervan) took the honor in 2003. But unlike the 2003 award-winner, Breakout Churches focused on those inside the church, examining the ministries and practices of pastors and churches that have rebounded from difficulty.

Says panelist Mark Mittelberg: “No mere theories here; Rainer and his team of researchers did the hard work of narrowing their study from 400,000 churches down to just 13. Ultimately, though, it’s not about their churches, but yours, as Rainer draws out highly valuable and transferable lessons from each of these exciting breakout churches.”

Unique to the churches studied was breakthrough growth that did not happen under new leadership, but under the constant care of the same pastor who led the church through the difficulties. This came as welcome news to discouraged church leaders everywhere. Change is possible without changing pastors—talk about a breakthrough!

FINALISTS

LeadershipNext by Eddie Gibbs (InterVarsity)

Reach by Scott G. Wilkins (Baker)

Simply Strategic Growth by Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan (Group)

 

EQUIPPING CONGREGATIONS

 

Friendship First: Church-Wide Kit (Group)

When an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter asked Pastor Jim Dixon why his church (Abundant Grace Church of Rogers, Ark.) was using the Friendship First kit, his response came easily: “We wanted to do something that would bring everybody together and strengthen some relationships.”

Which is exactly what the Church-Wide Friendship-Builder Kit—based on the book Friendship First by Thom and Joani Schultz, Group Publishing’s CEO and chief creative officer, respectively—is designed to do. The tool makes small group time more effective and helps newcomers to small groups feel more at home. How? The answer is simple: Food.

The kit takes seriously the idea of breaking bread together in fellowship. The Schultzes have found that eating together puts people at ease, making small groups gathered around mealtime ideal for outreach.

With the kit, meals also become object lessons—a cake, for example, isn’t what it appears to be, but in fact is a meatloaf frosted with mashed potatoes. The edible illustration provides a lesson in the difference between appearances and the truth about each of us.

And with specialized Friendship First kits for children, youth and church leadership, it is, as panelist Garry Poole points out, “a comprehensive, creative and powerful church-wide experience. The interactive, fun-filled get-togethers are designed to equip people of all ages with principles for building deeper friendships naturally and easily.”

FINALISTS

"8 Life Shaking Moments With Jesus" (Integrity Films)

Go Fish by Andy Stanley (Multnomah)

Operation Inasmuch by David W. Crocker (Lake Hickory)

 

GLOBAL OUTREACH

The Changing Face of World Missions
by Michael Pocock, Gailyn Van Rheenen, Douglas McConnell; editor A. Scott Moreau (Baker)

 

The Changing Face of World Missions is the second title in the “Encountering Mission” series, and every bit as excellent as the first, which was a finalist in our second annual Year’s Best Outreach Resources. Seminaries across the nation have already snatched up The Changing Face ... for missions classes, and churches are discovering its usefulness for short-term mission trips and global outreach projects.

Fran Blomberg, adjunct professor of intercultural ministries at Denver Seminary, found the book so helpful for her missiology students, she requested it be featured at the recent Connection regional missions conference in Denver.

Our panelist Lynne Ellis describes the book as an excellent resource on the changing realities of our world and the mission movement. “A must-read for any pastor, mission leader or group wanting to evaluate the effectiveness of their current mission activities.”

Most notable are the book’s passages on the changing motivations for missions (“From ‘Fear of Hell’ to ‘the Glory of God’ ”) and on the strategies of global outreach (“Beyond Individual Efforts to Networks of Collaboration”).

The case studies in The Changing Face ... are discussion starters for small groups serious about reaching out globally.

FINALISTS

Dr. Frenchy’s Bible ABCs (Asian) by Dr. Karen Lea French, illustrated by Ron Wheeler (Winepress)

"Go Global With Jesus Reality Missions Kit" (Urban Ministries Inc./Wycliffe)

Meet Me In Managua by Wendy Murray Zoba; photos by Steve Sonheim (Kregel)

Religions A to Z by James A. Beverley (Nelson)

 

EVANGELISTIC TESTIMONY

Too Small to Ignore
by Dr. Wess Stafford (WaterBrook)

Dr. Wess Stafford’s passion for the poor and disenfranchised children of the world has never been in doubt. After 16 years at Compassion International, he became its president and CEO in 1993, boldly leading the ministry that currently serves more than 700,000 children in over 20 countries. So it came as no surprise that he—alongside writer Dean Merrill—would publish a book calling the Church to remember the little ones.

What did come as a surprise? The secrets laid bare within. We discover the real reason for Stafford’s passion and his ministry calling: his own childhood, in which he experienced both the pain of abuse and the joy of belonging to a loving Third World community.

Our panelist Thelma Wells was moved by Stafford’s life story. “His powerful testimony of abuse and cruelty has qualified him to resound the plea for respect and dignity for children … and spread this information in many parts of the world. His amazing story is sprinkled with the Word of God as his justification for his humble compassion.”

Publisher WaterBrook knew Too Small to Ignore would have a big impact when it received a record number of endorsements before the manuscript even reached the public. Says Wells, “Stafford’s heart is so genuine for God and so passionate for the cause of children. He brings attention to those who, for the most part, cannot bring attention to themselves.” Increasing the impact of this book, all royalties go directly into the ministry of Compassion International.

FINALISTS

God’s Golden Acre by Dale le Vack (Monarch)

Walking With Arthur by James O’Donnell (Northfield)

 

PERSONAL EVANGELISM

Like Your Neighbor?
by Stephen W. Sorenson (InterVarsity)

Too many believers would sooner drive three hours to hand a free meal to a stranger than go across the street and ask their neighbor to lunch. So when we included Stephen Sorenson’s Like Your Neighbor? in our May/June 2005 Media Cue, we were impressed by his themes: Care for your neighbors, get to know your neighbors, let your neighbors care for you.

Sorenson is known for his collaborative works: The Life God Blesses (with Jim Cymbala, Zondervan), numerous Groupware curricula with wife Amanda and God Is Closer Than You Think with John Ortberg. But with Like Your Neighbor? Sorenson has stepped out on his own, sharing the wisdom and experiences of his own life and of his family’s friendships with non-Christians.

As you’d expect from someone so experienced with small group curriculum, Sorenson wrote the book with discussion in mind. Each chapter ends with questions, and a guide for leading these discussion times can be found at the back of the book. Most noteworthy is the practicality of Sorenson’s challenges: Get to know the parents of your kids’ friends; offer to take care of your neighbor’s lawn when he leaves town; join a local environmental group; start a book club. All of his challenges have one goal—cultivating a sincere love for others and sharing Christ within the natural outpouring of friendship.

Says panelist R. York Moore, “Sorenson’s understanding of conversion as a journey is very helpful, particularly in light of the postmodern milieu we minister in. His thoughts on widening our circles of influence is right on!”

FINALISTS

Dinner With a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory (WaterBrook)

God Is in the Hard Stuff by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz (Barbour)

Sharing Your Faith With Friends and Family by Michael Green (Baker)

The Two Doors of Heaven by John Bolin (Multnomah)

 

ELECTRONIC MEDIA OUTREACH

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
(Walt Disney Studios/Walden Media)

At this year’s Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized this blockbuster film for its excellence, nominating it three times and awarding it the Oscar for Best Achievement in Makeup. But the outreach quotient for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe stems from the sheer number of people who have seen (or will see) the film and might make the connection between Aslan’s sacrifice and Jesus’ death on the cross. Churches that wanted to be sure the biblical overtones weren’t missed invited their communities to Narnia-themed sermons, small groups and theater events.

Though many initially feared that the churches’ Narnia campaign might ruin the film’s success—repelling those who might believe it to be just another Christian tract on the big screen—the movie was, in fact, a huge success in the box office. Only the Harry Potter and Star Wars movies fared better in 2005.

“For global impact,” says panelist Craig Detweiler, “nothing surpasses the reach of the Hollywood studio system … and Narnia is a genuine worldwide phenomenon.” He adds that with many sequels ahead, the impact of Narnia has just begun. (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is in pre-production and expected to release Christmas 2007.

FINALISTS

"Beyond the Gates of Splendor" Bearing Fruit Communications, 20th Century Fox and Word Entertainment

"Lump NOOMA 010" Flannel/Zondervan

"Small Enough" DVD by Coast Hills Community Church; music by Nichole Nordeman

 

-Outreach magazine, "Features," May/June 2006

 

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