We take seriously the commission which Jesus gave to the church to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). This, of course, begins with actively proclaiming the gospel to unbelievers in our community (evangelism). It is a priority at IBC to continue to equip and encourage our members through the ministry of the Word for the task of personal evangelism. However, we have also attempted to establish programs to help facilitate evangelism at a corporate level.

The church has established a relationship with the Panera franchise in Roseville in which we receive a weekly donation of bread to distribute to the needy in city. We have four teams which take turns going out to targeted communities in the city after the morning worship service every Sunday. They visit people door to door handing out bread to those in need of some extra food. This has allowed us to meet and establish relationships with many people in our community. Often these personal contacts provide opportunities to hand out Christian literature and speak the gospel to people in need of salvation.

We recently began hosting an evangelistic bible study called “Christianity Explored.” This class is a 10 week course based on the gospel of Mark put together by Rico Tice from All Souls Church in London. It is designed to be a tool for churches to teach the basic message of the gospel to groups of unbelievers and new believers without assuming that they know anything about the Bible at all. Through the course participants are given opportunities to ask questions and interact with Christians from the church. By the end, those who have gone through the study should have a clear understanding of the basic gospel message and have heard it’s call upon their life. This study will be offered on an ongoing basis as God brings us interested participants.

In December we send teams of people every Saturday to distribute free packets from IBC to the people living in the community around the church. These packets include a calendar for the new year as well as a letter from the pastors. The letter explains who we are, invites the person to attend our church services, and makes a clear presentation of the basics of the gospel.

Every year at the state fair we set up a booth during the week representing the church. The booth is attended by various members who make themselves available to talk to those attending the fair. We answer questions, hand out literature, and seek opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with any who will listen.