How To Develop Congregational Outreach Culture: An Analysis Of The Everyone Outreach Program

Abstract

The Everyone Outreach program is a resource developed by the WELS Commission on Evangelism to assist congregations in recognizing their own culture and developing an intentional outreach culture. This study examined the program, particularly its structure, goals, and methods, to research the program’s effectiveness at initiating long-term impacts in a congregation’s culture. The program relies upon specific psychological and theological principles concerning intentional outreach and the interaction between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Rather than prescribing specific methods of evangelism, Everyone Outreach leads participants to realize their own thought habits before encouraging them to personally apply outreach principles in their unique settings. Following this analysis of the program, this study considers the long-term impacts through survey data and case studies from participating congregations. Survey responses suggest mostly moderate to strong perceived impact, especially in mindsets of change and intentionality. Case studies indicate that congregational commitment and repeated reinforcement after the workshop are needed to enact long-term change. The findings suggest that Everyone Outreach effectively initiates awareness and motivates initial change, especially by guiding participants towards self-reflection and personal application. However, cultural development requires ongoing effort beyond the workshop itself. Overall, the program serves as a valuable catalyst for change, while highlighting the importance of intentional implementation to achieve lasting results.