How the Church Brings People All the Way Home

This Independence Day weekend, we’re reminded of how blessed we are to live in a nation with the freedom to worship, speak, and share our faith openly. That freedom is a gift, and it carries a responsibility: to use it to fulfill the mission Christ gave His Church.

That mission is not complicated, though sometimes we make it so. Jesus told us to “Go and make disciples of all nations.” In other words: reach the lost, and then walk with them toward spiritual maturity. Evangelism and discipleship. Two sides of the same coin.

Why Do We Struggle With Evangelism?

Many believers feel a surge of anxiety when they hear the word “evangelism.” We fear not having all the answers, or being rejected, or not knowing what to say. But the heart of evangelism is love — a Christlike love that aches for the lost and refuses to stay silent. If you love someone, you don’t want to see them spiritually lost.

A practical step? Pray that God would give you one name this week — a neighbor, coworker, friend — to love intentionally, serve practically, and share your faith with naturally.

Why Do We Struggle With Discipleship?

Churches often celebrate when someone attends service, prays at an altar, or is baptized — as we should! But too many believers are left stranded at first base. Discipleship is more than a class; it is a relationship. It is helping someone grow in grace, learn the Scriptures, develop spiritual disciplines, and see their life transformed by Christ.

Ask yourself: Is there someone younger in faith you could walk alongside? You don’t have to be perfect; you simply have to be willing. Offer to read Scripture together, pray together, or talk through their questions about following Jesus.

Building a Culture of Both

Our mission at Hilltop Chapel is clear: “Speaking the truth in love, we welcome our neighbors into a Christ-centered fellowship, disciple believers toward biblical maturity, and joyfully serve our community across generations.”

That means evangelism is not optional, and neither is discipleship. 

Some churches lean so far into discipleship that they become an inward-focused club — content to build each other up but forgetting to reach the world. Other churches lean so far into evangelism that they gather large crowds, but without discipling those new believers, faith stays shallow and fragile.

And tragically, some churches neglect both, becoming little more than a spiritual museum — maintaining traditions but lacking the living, breathing mission of Jesus.

But when a church practices both, something beautiful happens. The church becomes a vibrant community where new believers come to faith, and then grow stronger through loving relationships and biblical truth. People are welcomed, taught, challenged, encouraged, and sent back out to reach others.

That is the picture of the early church in Acts:

“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)

It is a community that grows deeper and wider at the same time. That is the heartbeat of a healthy church — and of any follower of Jesus who wants to bring people all the way home.

Let’s Use Our Freedom Well

Around the world, many believers have no legal right to evangelize or gather in worship. We do. Let’s honor that freedom by using it — to reach one more soul, and to disciple one more follower, until the Lord comes again.

If no one had ever shared Christ with you or invested in your growth, where would you be?

Now ask: who is waiting for you to do the same for them?