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Dr. Winfield Arn, of the Institute for American Church Growth, has interviewed or polled some four thousand converts, primarily on the American west coast. Arn wanted to know, What engages people? What are the doors of entry? His conclusions are instructive:
6% to 8% - just walked in
2% to 3% - through the church’s programs
8% to 12% - the pastor attracted them
3% to 4% - came out of a special need
1% to 2% - were visited by church members
3% to 4% - came through a Sunday school class
70% to 80% - invited by relatives and friends
Arns adds, parenthetically, that less than one-tenth of 1 percent say they came to church membership as a direct result of any kind of city-wide evangelistic campaign.
Creative Leadership Series, Lyle E. Schaller, page 34