The living parable of the seed and the sower is happening in front of you. God through us is planting the seed. Attendance on decline Servant evangelism comes at a time when churches are struggling to figure out how to attract more people. Church and synagogue attendance has been flat since the 1940s, with two in five people attending each week, according to a 1998 Gallup Poll. At the same time, a little more than half of Americans believe religion is losing influence.
Church members pass out free sandwiches as part of the evangelism program.
Church members, jaded by scandals, traditionally view evangelism with skepticism, says the Rev. Brad Rosenberg of Tricounty Assembly of God in Fairfield. In the past, missions and evangelism has been formulaic, a matter of telling people to memorize Scripture, he says. The Rev. Sjogren says churches should look at new ways to attract people. That sometimes means picking up cigarette butts along a block of storefronts and wrapping Christmas presents at the mall. Every Saturday, a group of 150 or so Vineyard members head out into area neighborhoods to practice servant evangelism, sometimes giving light bulbs and offering car washes.