To Seek and to Save: Winning and Building Committed Followers of Jesus Christ

This manual has been refined from the heart of one of AmericaÂ’s dynamic soul-winning churches. In 1986, Paul Chappell accepted the call to be the pastor of the Lancaster Baptist Church of Lancaster, California. His prayer was that God would allow them to establish by His grace a balanced, aggressive, soul-winning ministry in Southern California. His vision for equipping Christians to win souls began during the first week of ministry in Lancaster when the first soul-winning training meeting was held. There was one person in attendance.

Twelve years later, in 1998, hundreds of soul winners have been trained and actively participate in the weekly soul-winning ministries of the church. In just over a decade Lancaster Baptist has exploded in growth to become one of AmericaÂ’s leading soul-winning churches. The church is a thriving, dynamic, balanced ministry in which leading a person to Christ is the starting point of a victorious Christian life. From there, the church family begins to reach out to the new Christian in an effort to inspire a greater heart for God, include him in a loving church family, instruct him from GodÂ’s Word, involve him in the ministry, and then help impact his world with the Gospel of Christ. Lancaster Baptist Church has discovered that God still blesses those who take the Great Commission full circle. Committed followers of Christ reproducing themselves through genuine ministry is GodÂ’s plan for the church.

These pages represent the Bible-based training principles that are taught annually to the new soul winners at Lancaster Baptist Church. Inside you will find a step-by-step process to help you communicate your faith to others.

These chapters of Biblical direction, practical suggestions, and organizational philosophy will help you to be more effective and balanced in fulfilling the entire Great Commission – to win souls, to baptize them, and to disciple them to become fully committed to Jesus Christ. Whether you use this manual to revive and better equip your own personal soul-winning heart, or as a textbook to train a team of soul winners within your church, you will find that these Christ-honoring, time-tested principles still work on the cutting edge of Christianity into the 21st century. May God bless you as you follow Christ in reaching out "to seek and to save."