Having been privileged during the past several years to work with a number of churches in the conduct of gospel meetings, I’ve occasionally run into a brother or sister who said to me, “Oh, I attended your meeting at (church location goes here).”

Of course, it’s always good to renew acquaintances with Christians I’ve met in places where I’ve preached. But I’m uncomfortable with the notion that any meeting in which I’ve been the visiting evangelist was “my” meeting. I have the same discomfort with someone referring to the congregation where I’m the local preacher as “brother Rankins’ church.” Just as the church isn’t “mine” — I’m a member of it, and one of its servants, but I hold no proprietary right to it — I never think of any gospel meeting as “my” meeting.

Ultimately, a gospel meeting is the Lord’s meeting — assuming it’s conducted according to His plan and purpose. Under His oversight, it’s a work of the local congregation. The invited evangelist contributes an important component, but it is the church itself whose work it is to evangelize its community. A congregation may use the services of one or more evangelists — as the first century church in Antioch used Barnabas and Saul, as the church in Ephesus at various times used Paul, Apollos and Timothy, and as the churches of Crete used Titus — but the responsibility for the work rests with the church and its members. So any evangelistic effort by the church is the church’s meeting.

Beginning Thursday of this week, the church at Penngrove will conduct a gospel meeting. As we’ve noted above, this is our work. We’re blessed to have an outstanding preacher working with us this week. But it’s our meeting. Its effectiveness will depend less on what the preacher does (though I’m confident that the preaching will be both enlightening and enriching) than on what we do — each of us, as members of this local assembly of saints.

But what can I do? you wonder. I’m not going to be preaching. I’m glad you asked! Here are a few things you can do to make this week’s meeting a successful evangelistic effort.

Get people here. Have you really invited everyone you know? I’m sure each of us can come up with one or two more folks we could still ask. Follow up before Thursday with all the people you’ve already asked to come — even the ones who said they couldn’t make it. (Plans change.) Offer to pick people up and drive them to the meeting. Give everyone you asked a new flyer as a reminder, and hand it to them with a smile and a friendly “I’ll see you there!”

Make people welcome. You could start by cleaning up your usual seating area, so it looks like a place where people worship God. You can continue by making it your business to individually greet every person in attendance who is not a member here. Tell them you’re glad they came, and you look forward to seeing them again. And sound like you mean it.

Participate. Be here on time for every service during the meeting. Better yet, be here early to greet visitors. Walk in like you’re glad to be here. Sing with the spirit and the understanding, making melody in your heart to God. Pray fervently that those present will benefit from the study, and that those you invited but don’t see will come the next night. Listen carefully to the lessons. Take notes. Meditate upon the truths presented from God’s word. Share at least one point from every lesson with someone before the week is over.

We’re going to have a great meeting. It’s our job to make it great. Let’s go to work!