Go Fish!: Summertime Outreach

If you’re church is anything like mine, you probably already enjoyed, or will soon enjoy, the annual church picnic. It’s that time the entire church family converges to share potluck potato salad and way too many cookies and bars from the dessert table.

Our church kicks off summer with the picnic, and ends the season with a three-day outdoor retreat over Labor Day weekend. Sometimes in between we share an outdoor dinner on Sundays after evening worship.

Those times of “family” are important to help us remain connected to one another. Breaking bread together is a crucial part of the Christian experience, and helps build the kind of community and connection God desires for the Church.

Yet it’s very important that we don’t get so caught up in “family” activities that we ignore others in our community who aren’t a part of our congregations.

Back in 2007 I attended The National Outreach Convention in San Diego. One of the workshop speakers, pastor John Angle, related how at one time he and his wife were so caught up in church family activities, they had no time to connect with people in their own neighborhood.

Angle vividly recalled one evening how as he and his wife pulled out of their driveway and drove out of the neighborhood for a church event they were obliged to attend, they passed by neighbors who were coming together on the street for an impromptu block party. They felt genuine pain that they weren’t going to be part of the party, and confided in one another that they really didn’t want to go to the church event.

That experience radically shifted Angle’s thinking about outreach and evangelism. He developed a whole new strategy for outreach based on neighborhood evangelism. His congregation went from planning everything at the church, to members hosting events in their own neighborhoods.

For example, Angle and his wife set up some food and drinks in their front yard on Halloween, so that neighborhood parents could drop by with their kids and hang out with each other before moving on for more Trick or Treating.

Their only agenda was to get to know their neighbors and build relationships. They did not force their faith on neighbors, but rather allowed room for spiritual conversations to emerge organically over time.

I’ve invested in getting to know my neighbors over the years. Several years ago, I decided I knew them well enough that I could bring up faith directly. My family braved inviting the neighbors to an Alpha Course introduction dinner at our house. A number of neighbors who never would have come to our church a few miles away came to the dinner on our street, and most came back for the 10-week course we hosted in our home. Even after the course ended, we continued with a Bible Study for several months.

It’s not too late. There’s still some summer left. If you haven’t already thought about how to connect with neighbors, consider planning a little summertime get together. It doesn’t have to be fancy or carefully produced. Maybe a few snacks and beverages, and the space to get to know one another.

On another note: Evangelism Sunday is coming up on Sept. 25. You can download the worship packet at http://www.pcusa.org/resource/2011-evangelism-sunday-worship-packet/.

Go Fish!: "Where are the churches?"

“Where are the churches?”

That was my question as several hundred people swirled around me at the recent 8^th annual Craigslist Foundation Boot Camp in San Francisco.

Boot Camp is a one-day conference for staff and volunteers from a wide variety of nonprofit organizations. It includes speakers and workshops designed to give nonprofits the tools and skills needed to help communities. It’s also a great place for like-minded people to network and collaborate.

One of the amazing things that struck me was that in the sessions I attended was that I heard a government official and leaders of secular community groups say they wanted to collaborate with churches. They encouraged their audiences to invite congregations into partnerships to bless (my word) surrounding neighborhoods.

Yet, as I met people and heard people introduce themselves in the workshops, I wasn’t hearing or seeing representatives of churches or faith-based groups. That’s not to say they weren’t there, because they might have been and I just didn’t see them.

About mid-afternoon I thought, my church should be here. Which led me to my question above: “Where are the churches?”

Here were secular folks, the ones we often think don’t want to work with us, and they were encouraging other secular folks to reach out to churches.

One reason given for why government, nonprofits, churches and businesses need to work together is that the problems we face right now are too big for any one entity to solve them. Only through partnership and collaboration can we make communities whole and healthy again.

Toward the end of the day we broke up into groups to reflect on what we had learned during the day. One woman shared that she experienced an epiphany.

“As a librarian I go to a lot of library conferences,” she said. “I realized today I’m sick of going to library conferences because we talk to each other and never grow.”

Whoa.

Her words hit me hard. I could have taken out the word “library” and inserted “church.”

I go to a lot of church conferences. We talk to each other and we never grow.

I’m not suggesting that we stop going to church conferences. We need to come together, worship together, learn from each other, and be encouragers of each other.

But I would say don’t only go to church conferences. Seek out the places local government, community groups and businesses are hanging out together. Start brainstorming how all of you can work together to bless your community.

Just before I went to Boot Camp, I reported on an amazing community event put together by a faith-based organization called Beautiful Day. It’s a prime example of how churches, local government, and nonprofits can work together. More than 2,400 volunteers worked on 17 projects to refurbish schools and homes, help the homeless, minister to disabled youth, and more.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can see the two stories I wrote. One is about the event itself. The other is focused on one project, in which two retired police officers commanded 600 volunteers to refurbish an entire neighborhood. The photo above is from that project.

Where are the churches? Let's answer that question out in our communities by saying "Here we are!"

Go Fish!: What Are We Known For?

“And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,

Yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

-- Peter Scholtes, “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love”

What am I known by? Do people know I’m a Christian? If they do, what face of Christianity am I projecting to others? The face of Christ? Or something different? Am I known for love? If not, what am I known for?

It’s scary to think about, because when it comes down to it, we may have to take responsibility for actions (or inactions) we aren’t always proud of. Of course we can’t completely control others’ perceptions of us, but we can control our own decisions and actions that can take a role in shaping perceptions.

I am a member of “The Media”, and I grow tired of people blaming “The Media” for a litany of woes. To me it often smacks of “killing” the messenger. Sometimes we (as the public) just don’t like what’s being reported, because it brings uncomfortable situations and truths to light. By blaming those who report those situations, we avoid having to take responsibility for our own actions.

While covering a local city council meeting recently, an official chastised “The Media” for focusing on a particular point he didn’t like. I knew he was referring to something I had written; I was in fact “The Media” he was referring to. But I didn’t make the point up; I was quoting directly from something another public official had said both in a public meeting, and an open letter. He didn’t like the fact I had reported it, because it cast his agency in an unflattering light. Rather than take responsibility for the issue, he was blaming "The Media" for bringing it into the light for the public to see.

Earlier this week I listened to a podcast by a national Christian leader I respect and admire very much, but I winced when he commented that “The Media” had given Christians a bad name. While I’ll admit there are those in “The Media” who have openly criticized and been disparaging of Christians, and portrayals of Christians on television and on film are not always flattering, I think we need to confess that Christians have in fact given media organizations some fodder over the years.

One of the most egregious recent news examples include the man who claims Judgment Day is tomorrow, May 21. To many of my Facebook friends and Tweeps, he comes off as completely nutty. Another tragic example is the church from Kansas that protests at military funerals in an utterly offensive way.

More subtly, the infighting that often goes on within and between denominations also paints an unflattering picture to the public, whether we realize it or not. Instead of projecting love, we project disharmony and disunity. Not attributes people would be attracted to.

We need to ask ourselves honestly: “What are we known for?” Or better yet, we need to ask nonbelievers and listen to what they say.

Some have already asked for us, like Dan Kimball, They Like Jesus, But Not the Church, or David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, Unchristian. They report a pretty good list of some unflattering things Christians are known for.

I can’t control how our larger denomination, or other denominations act and portray themselves to the public. I can only control my own actions of sharing God’s love with others, or help my church to share God’s love with the community.

This weekend in my area there’s a community organization, spearheaded by a church, which is sharing God’s love in a big way through numerous acts of service. From a blood drive, to fixing up local schools, to electronics recycling, to helping a homeless encampment, this group is helping thousands of local residents over the next few days. They are sharing Jesus’ love, his servant’s heart, with those who are in need of that love.

It would be great if “The Media” would report on all these actions the organization is doing, but even if it doesn’t get widely broadcast, thousands of folks in this area will still be touched, and on Sunday morning (if we’re all still here) hopefully those folks will have a better idea of who the followers of Jesus are.

“We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand


And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land


And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love


They will know we are Christians by our love”

Go Fish! This Easter be Hands, Feet and Ears

I’m going to be praying for the congregation of another church tomorrow morning. They won’t know it; they’re thousands of miles away and only a few people from there know me. I’m praying for them because they are doing something very brave that I wish my church would do.

They’re going door to door inviting their neighbors to church on Easter.

A couple of months ago I visited this church while on a trip. I filled out the guest book and gave them my email address, and now from time to time I receive the pastor’s updates to the congregation.

The other day I got an email about what’s happening at the church during Holy Week. One of the things that impressed me most about the schedule was that on Saturday – tomorrow – the congregation is walking the surrounding neighborhood to invite neighbors to Easter services.

At the end of the email the pastor included a script that walkers will use. It starts asking if the person is familiar with the church on the corner (the church is hard to miss, so I’m assuming most people will at least be familiar with the building). It includes a gracious invitation to Easter services.

My favorite part of the script is this question:

“We also want to be a good neighbor so today we are asking if there is anything you think we should know about the neighborhood?”

I love that question for a couple of reasons. One, it establishes and frames the relationship. “We’re neighbors, and not only that we want to be ‘good’ neighbors.”

Second, it asks an open-ended question that allows the neighbor talk, and requires the congregation member to listen.

I can see from the community activities this church is already involved in that the church leadership actually cares about the answers to this question. I don’t think this is an idle question that’s being asked for show. I think the church is actually interested in what neighbors will have to say.

So I will be holding them up in prayer tomorrow, celebrating their willingness to go out and meet the neighbors, as well as their willingness to listen to what their neighbors have to say.

And while most of us won’t be going door-to-door inviting neighbors to Easter services, some of our neighbors will find their way inside our sanctuaries on Easter. In preparation for guests we’re putting on our “Easter best”, getting the church cleaned up, hanging celebratory banners, displaying the Easer lilies, and preparing our best sermons and Alleluia choruses.

We obviously have something to say on Easter: “He is risen!” But are we ready to listen? Are we ready to hear what our neighbors have to say is what’s most important to them?

My encouragement to all of us would be to not just speak on Easter Sunday, but to also listen. If you have the opportunity, plainly ask: “What do you think is something we should know about this neighborhood? What’s important to you and your family?” And then really listen.

If that doesn’t feel natural, at least take the time to engage guests in conversations and listen for clues about who they are and what’s behind their decision to come on this Easter.

We like to talk a lot in the church about being Christ’s hands and feet. On this Easter, let’s be his ears, too.

Go Fish!: The Heart of the Matter

Missional author Reggie McNeal talks a lot about the need for churches to have an external focus, rather than an internal one. We as church folks need to turn our focus out into the communities around us.

The best reason we need to shift our focus: God cares about the people who live around us. What's on their hearts is on God's heart. And so it should be in ours.

Do you know what's on the hearts of your neighbors? Truly on their hearts. Are they worried about how to support their families? Stressed by caring for older parents? Struggling in relationships with loved ones? Passionate about education?

And this is key: are you guessing, or do you really know? Have you asked them?

You could ask your congregation what they think is on the hearts of their neighbors, but resist that temptation. Your results may come back skewed. We're on the inside looking out, our neighbors are on the outside looking in (if they're even looking inside of where we are in the church). We in the church need an outsider's opinion.

There are a number of ways to seek that opinion. Here's a few suggestions:

• Meet with the police chief, or some police officers in your community; what do they see as the main needs of the people they serve? What do they as officers care about? Is there any support the church could offer them?
• Sit down with some of the executive directors of your community's social service agencies and non-profits. What do they see happening in the lives of "the least of these"? Where could church members make the most difference?
• Talk to the principals of your local schools. What do kids and youth need most in your community? What's on the principals' wish lists for materials or services?
• Start frequenting your local shops and restaurants; get to know owners and workers and ask them what they've noticed in the community.

You could probably come up with more ideas. These information-gathering techniques needn't be formal or organized. Making it a priority to talk with people, asking them what's important to them, and then really listening to them, that's all that's needed. In fact, don't even get into problem solving mode with them; save that for another time.

Ask God to give you new eyes to see what he sees, and new ears to hear what he hears. Most of all, ask God to give you a new heart that opens wide to include the people who are on God's heart.

Go Fish!: Engaging Evangelism

Over the last few years the PCUSA folks in Louisville have been making an effort to get Presbyterians interested in evangelism. As you might imagine, this is not an easy task.

I attended the evangelism track of Big Tent in 2009, and found that some attendees seemed wary of how to proceed when it came to evangelism in their congregations. There were the usual (cringe-worthy, for me) comments about the “dreaded E-word”, followed by nervous laughter. And yet, I think we all understood that sharing the Good News with our communities is an imperative if our churches are to continue in the years to come.

Eric Hoey, Director of Evangelism and Church Growth, and Ray Jones, Coordinator for Evangelism, patiently made the case for evangelism, and introduced speakers from around the country to encourage and train us.

Since Jones and his colleagues have been hard at work on a new church resource they will unveil at this June’s Big Tent in Indianapolis, called, Engage. After talking to Jones, I find the upcoming initiative promising, because it links discipleship, social justice and evangelism. Jones himself said they are very excited about Engage.

Jones pointed out that discipleship is the necessary foundation to Christians engaging in evangelism. He told me that practicing evangelism “outside of disciple making is going to be a weird and wacky exercise.”

He also made the case that evangelism and social justice always linked in the New Testament, but that somehow in church history the two were separated.

“The main thing we’re hoping is that people will see that evangelism is essential to the church’s ministry, and that it’s closely tied to social justice,” he told me.

Engage is something he hopes will help churches produce people who will not only serve their communities, but will also share their faith with others.

The initiative has four main emphases, Jones said. Each aspect will:

• - Engage participants with the Gospel, starting with the story of Jesus, showing how God is on a mission to heal a broken world;
• - -Engage participants in their own faith stories, showing how each of us has a story of transformation to share with others;
• - -Engage the congregation in what it means to be a disciple making church; what shifts have to be made to encourage disciple making?
• - Engage the community by first finding out how congregations can serve the communities around them.

“The first thing that we really looked at was where do we begin? We have to begin with this notion that we’ve all got a story, and we’re part of a larger story,” Jones said of the first two emphases.

On the last emphasis, Jones said Engage would ask congregants to think about their spheres of influence in the community at large. Who do they regularly come into contact with? And if they aren’t coming into contact with non-Christians, how can they stop hanging out at church, and start hanging out with people who aren’t a part of church? Where is God already at work out in the community, and how can we get in on that work?

Jones said Engage is designed to start with a Session before it is introduced to the congregation. The idea would be for the elders to interact on the material for the first 45 minutes of a Session meeting, taking the place of a devotional time. Elders would engage with the Gospel, as well as with their own faith stories.

Once the Session had gone through the materials, other church leaders would participate. Jones said the recommendation would be that the leaders begin with a retreat that takes them through the same material as the Session went through.

The retreat would then be followed by gatherings one night a month. At the gatherings the leaders would break into small groups, with elders leading the groups. The main focus at these gatherings would help elders and leaders determine their spheres of influence outside of the church, and what it would look like to engage others in the community.

There would also be a chance for the leadership of the church to actually walk the community surrounding the church, and notice what’s happening. The exercise is designed to help leaders see where God is already at work, and to figure out how to partner with the community to get in on what God is doing.

The final piece of Engage is a six-week small group experience for the entire congregation, linked to the Sunday worship experience.

While it would be tempting to see Engage as a program to help congregations bring more people into church, Jones said that’s not the point.

“When you talk about evangelism, most churches think it means getting more people into church,” he said. “It’s more than that; it’s making Jesus real for people.”

Are you ready to Engage? How are you or your congregation already engaging the community around you?

Go Fish!: Tell Me a Story

Like most people, I love a good story, especially one that has great characters. Which is why I love the Christmas story in Luke so much, because the characters a so rich. They’re also great evangelists, which I always like to read about, because I know I fall down in that area often; I need good role models to look up to and try to emulate.

Here are some of those great characters, and what we can learn from them when it comes to evangelism.

Zechariah

I love the story of Zechariah at the start of Luke. What a great dramatic curtain raiser to the Gospel story. I’ve often imagined what it would be like to be sent into the most holy and sacred part of the temple (so holy I’ve heard they tied a rope to your foot so they could pull you out if you saw God and were struck dead), and there before me is a heavenly angel.

I always feel for the people in the Bible who do what I know I would do in those situations: I’d be completely incredulous. Here’s poor Zechariah, terrified, overwhelmed by fear, and every time I read about his reaction it feels to me like he gets dinged on a technicality. When the angel Gabriel tells him that he and his wife are going to have a son, Zechariah states the obvious.

“How will I know this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.”

I feel for you Zechariah; I probably would have responded the same way. But Gabriel is not amused. He tells Zechariah that because he questioned him, Zechariah will be mute until all that has been foretold actually happens.

Later, when John is born and then circumcised eight days later, the floodgates open and Zechariah pores forth with his story to the entire assembly. John will be a prophet who prepares the way before the Messiah.

The Shepherds

In Chapter 2 we witness the great story about those lowly shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. An angel comes again, this time with an entire angelic back-up choir, to tell of the birth of Jesus. The shepherds want to see this great thing that has happened in Bethlehem, and when they do see it for themselves, they tell anyone in the community who will listen. And then they continue praising God and retelling the story through worship.

Simeon and Anna

Next we hear from Simeon, a righteous and devout man who had already been tipped off by the Holy Spirit that he would get to see the Messiah before he died. Following another nudge by the Spirit, he shows up at the Temple just in time for Jesus’ circumcision. Before the entire community he declares that this baby is indeed the Messiah.

And then immediately we read of the faithful testimony of the prophet Anna, who is at the Temple at that time and “began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

We are Mute, but Can Learn From These Examples

How often have I been as mute as Zechariah? In his case, he wanted to tell the story, but was forced to be silent until the right time. I have to admit, I often don’t want to tell the story of Jesus. My muteness isn’t ordained it’s self-prescribed. And my fear isn’t because I’ve seen something heavenly; it’s because I fear what others in the culture will think of me. I fear rejection by my peers. I fear I will be discounted and perhaps even discriminated against.

I want to be more like those shepherds. I want to see the great thing that has happened – is happening in my life today – and then tell everyone who will listen. I want to keep telling the story through worship. Or I want to stand before the community like Zechariah, Simeon and Anna, and share the Good News, because it really is good news. I want to be faithful to those times the Holy Spirit nudges me into action to share with others that news.

It’s worth telling and retelling the Christmas story, because it’s such an important story. Not only because it tells of the time when a poor, vulnerable baby came into this world to be her King. But because it reminds us that the story of Jesus is something truly good and worthy of sharing, and it gives us concrete examples of how to do that.

This Christmas let us tell the world a story.

Go Fish!: ADVENT-ures in Christmas Outreach and Evangelism

In just nine days we will start Advent (or as I heard one radio DJ say, “the Christmas gift buying season.” Ouch!). What is your church doing to leverage opportunities for reaching out to non-believers in your community during the season? Do you have a plan? And does that plan look beyond Christmas into the next year?

Don’t panic. My questions aren’t meant to create angst for you as you head into the holidays. But I do hope that if your church does not have a plan, you will shift your thinking just enough to find a few ways to reach out.

I also hope that you’ll think about more than just Christmas. It’s great if guests come to your church for Christmas Eve candle lighting services, but it’s a missed opportunity if you’re not engaging those guests with an invitation to events in January and beyond.

Here are several ideas that might be of help to your church.

1) Is your “home” ready for guests?

If you’ve got houseguests coming next week for Thanksgiving, you’ve already made plans to clean the house, get the bed linens ready, buy extra food, etc. Have you done the same thing for your church home? Is everything spiffied up around the grounds and the sanctuary? Have all the brochures and fliers been updated? Bulletin boards refreshed? Is there a plan for providing fresh coffee and maybe some Christmas cookies? Could the church afford some sort of guest gift?

2) Are you showing off your best face to the community?

If you have a website, has it been updated for Advent? Is all information on the site current? Is there advice to guests about what to expect? Where to park? What the childcare arrangements are?

What does the front of the church and the parking lot look like? Any quick-fixes or weeding that needs to be done? Do you have a professional-looking banner inviting the community to Advent or Christmas services?

3) Do your members have tools to invite friends to services?

For a reasonable cost and in a short amount of time, you can have business cards or postcards made up so that members have an easy-to-carry invitation to holiday services at the ready. I have used an on-line printing service with great success. Encourage members to carry a few cards with them, and to be thinking and praying about people they could invite.

4) How is your congregation blessing the community during the holidays?

Could your congregation collect food for the local food pantry? Are members helping out at non-profits that distribute food and presents during the holidays? Those organizations would be thrilled if a team came from your church to work various shifts throughout the season. Is there an organization in your community in need that your church could adopt, one that wouldn’t normally get a lot of attention at this time of year? And, how could you partner with other organizations, churches, community members to serve? For example, could members invite friends and neighbors to donate food to the food drive, or sign-up to volunteer with the group at a non-profit?

5) Do you have something to invite guests to beyond the holidays when they visit on Christmas Eve?

Is there something happening in January, or in the next quarter, that might be of interest to them? A special event? An interesting class or a class that gives a beginning look at Christianity or discipleship? A meet-the-pastor event? New Members class? A get-together for young families? A luncheon for older adults? What about offering a way to accept prayer requests?

6) Do you have a way to collect information about your guests?

If you have guest pad, remember to ask people to fill it out during worship. Not everyone is going to want to identify themselves, but give them the opportunity and then follow up with a letter from the pastor, or some other kind of welcoming note.

7) Who is praying for the church and the community throughout Advent?

Do you have a prayer team, or small group, that could hold the church, the pastor(s), and most importantly, the surrounding community, in prayer?

One note: don’t get so caught up in the details of reaching out to the community and welcoming guests that you forget to focus on what Advent is all about. Take time to pray, to worship, to enjoy God’s presence. Invite the Holy Spirit into the planning and into all your church does this season. Your church and the community will be richly blessed.

What does your church do to reach out to the community/welcome guests during Advent? Share with us in the Comments section so we can learn new ideas from each other!

Go Fish!: Tell Us A Story

“You are one of the stories God wants to tell in the world.” - Donald Miller

Last month I had the great privilege to attend Donald Miller’s first-ever Storyline Conference in Portland, OR. If you don’t know who Donald Miller is, get yourself a copy of Blue Like Jazz, stat. Miller is speaking for a generation of young believers and seekers (as well as middle-aged ones like myself) through his blog and several books, and soon through the screen version of Blue. Nearly 500 people flew in from all over the continent to hear Miller explain why we can all live a better story with our lives.

The conference was based on Miller’s 2009 book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. The book chronicles how Miller decided to live a better life using the elements of story writing.

In Portland he laid out for attendees how to plot out both the negative and positive story turns of our lives and showed how those turns can be used by God to create good. He asked us to figure out who we are and what skill set God gave us. He also encouraged us to pay attention to our daydreams, because what’s on our heart is on God’s heart, and they may be the direction God wants us to head in our lives.

Miller used his gift of storytelling to share tales of people who are making a serious difference in the world. Through Miller’s career he has been blessed to meet many people who are telling stories of kindness and compassion through their actions. In addition, Miller interviewed guests on stage to share their stories of how they are helping others.

Storyline wasn’t about evangelism, but I couldn’t help but make the connection. After all, if God is telling a story through our lives, then he means for that story to be “read” by others around us. What story are we telling about God to others with our actions?

My next question is, are we prepared to tell others – not just show them - God’s part in our story?

Apparently about a billion of us were watching the 33 Chilean miners being rescued from the San Jose Mine this week (a great week for Kleenex!). What amazing stories those miners told, and will continue to tell.

I still tear up when I think of the one miner who said that there were 34 miners trapped because God was always with them. Another miner said he was with the devil and with God, and he chose God. Down in the mine the men worshipped and prayed together, led by one miner who served as their spiritual leader throughout the ordeal.

As each one emerged from the depths of the earth, the miners’ unabashedly told stories to all of us of how God made a difference in their lives going through a terrible calamity. They didn’t edit themselves worrying about what non-believers would think. They just told their stories of how God made a difference in their lives.

Near the conclusion of the Storyline conference, Miller used a quote from Robert McKee, famed Hollywood screenwriting guru. It’s aimed at writers, but it works for all of us as we “write” the stories God wants us to tell:

“Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour. Do this despite fear.”

Every day we get a chance to write a new and better story and share it with the world. And because of our faith, we can share that story without fear.

Miller sent us off with this benediction: “May you tell beautiful stories.”

The Storyline Conference is being repeated January 23 – 24, 2011, in Portland. Details aren’t up yet, but you can keep checking at thestorylineconference.com. And if you’re a fan of Blue Like Jazz, check out the amazing story that’s being told about how the movie is getting made at savebluelikejazz.com. It’s already the largest crowdsource-financed movie in history, and is on its way to collecting the most amount of donations for a creative project on kickstarter.com.

Go Fish!: First Things First

At a church I once belonged to in Southern California a committee designed an action plan in case there was an earthquake during worship. A card was created to sit in every pew rack with instructions on what to do if natural disaster struck. I chuckled every time I saw the card because the number one instruction was "Pray!"

It seems obvious, but I guess we all forget from time to time that the number one thing to do is to "Pray!" Prayer is the foundation of all work of the church. Prayer, is critical before, during, and after we engage in any work of the Church, including evangelism.

In Reimagining Evangelism, author Rick Richardson lays out his case of how we collaborate with God in prayer for the purpose of evangelism. In Chapter 2 of his book he reminds us of what he calls is the "startling promise" in John 14: 10-14:

"Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it."

Richardson comments: "Notice, the secret of the miracles and the power of the prayers was once again this dynamic of collaboration. Jesus did what he did because he and the Father were one. The Father was living in him and doing the works. In our case, the Father and the Son have made their home in us by the Spirit (John 14:23). Witness and prayer are not first of all our work; they are God's work in us and through us. In witness and prayer, Another lives in us, and we are the junior partners."

We have to take the time, however, to be receptive to God's desire to collaborate with us, which means, we have to take time to pray. Furthermore, during that prayer time we not only speak, we listen. Richardson says he gets "quiet and receptive for a moment" and then he asks God the following questions:

"Jesus, where are you already at work? Lord, lead me to people who are receptive."

"Is there someone you want me to talk to, care for or pray with?" Is there someone here who is hurting?"

He then waits for the "nudge" that tells him to speak to particular people, or take specific actions.

In Presbyterian pastor Glenn McDonald's book, The Disciple Making Church; from Dry Bones to Spiritual Vitality, he speaks of the "Six Marks of a Disciple." One of the marks is "A Voice to Speak the Good News." The mark immediately before that one? "Knees for Prayer." McDonald recommends people develop a list of about 10-12 individuals or concerns, and then spend 15 minutes each day prayer and journaling about who or what is on the list.

At the end of the book, McDonald lays out "The Habits of a Disciple-Making Church." Number one, "Stay Centered through Prayer and Discernment." He says, "Prayer must not be a perfunctory seeking of God's blessing on our work. Our work itself is prayer - sustained waiting, listening, and calling on the name of the Lord."

These blog posts about evangelism always have "Go Fish!" in the title. I like the idea of "going" out into the world, and I'm playing on Jesus' promise of making the disciples "fishers of people." Unspoken in that title however is this command: "(Pray! Then) Go Fish!".

Go Fish!: Do Not Be Afraid; Share a Little to Give A Lot

Last week I took my middle-aged self to surf camp. I - who had never surfed before in my life - spent a week at the ocean with 15 other adults learning how to surf. Was I afraid? Of course!

One of my son's reminded me of the (very slim) possibility of shark attacks. Just the idea of getting tossed in the surf, or caught in a rip tide, was cause for concern. But I overcame my fears and I got into the water and I surfed (with A LOT of help from my instructors).

One of the things we learned at surf camp is that as you stand up on the board, you have to throw your shoulders back and look ahead to where you're headed. If you remain hunched over, or look down or behind or to the sides, you will wipe out. Ironically, it was my fear of wiping out that kept me looking down at my feet to check their positions! I had to overcome that fear and obey my instructor's commands: shoulders back, look straight ahead and stand up. Only then could I ride the wave successfully onto the beach.

These days in the United States there is plenty to be fearful about. Just looking at this morning's paper I saw a few different stories about how bad the economy is. Cuts, home prices spiraling downward, more joblessness. We know that churches have not escaped the recession's effects.

It would be easy to want to hunker down and turn inward to focus on our own needs, instead of looking outward to the needs of our communities. We desperately cling to what little we have, and are fearful of giving that little bit away. But as Christians, we're called to a different way of operating. And when it comes to evangelism, looking outward and giving to others is exactly what we must do, even when our own human inclination is to do the opposite.

The story from the Bible that came to me as I thought about this was the story of Elijah and the widow, from 1 Kings, 17: 1-16. Elijah had prophesied that there would be a great drought for multiple years. God commanded Elijah to go hide out near a wadi, or stream bed, for awhile. When the stream dried up, God told him to head to Zarephath to live with a widow and her son. When Elijah arrived, he saw the widow and asked her to bring him some water, and then some bread.

"As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die," she said.

"Do not be afraid," Elijah told her. "Go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: the jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth."

The widow obeyed and just as Elijah said, the jar and the jug continued to provide enough to get them through the drought.

How can our churches - which have so little right now - deliver Good News to our communities in the midst of a huge economic drought? Why not demonstrate the Good News through service to our hurting neighborhoods? Is there a way your church could be of service right now? Does your church, or its members, have a little bit that could be shared with neighbors?

In our church we've been collecting school supplies the last several weeks to give them away in backpacks to needy children. Some churches have started job search support groups. I haven't seen this done, but what about hosting "recession potlucks", where people bring what they can and share a meal? Maybe church members could walk through neighborhoods beset by foreclosures and quietly pray for the families in turmoil.

As Elijah said, "Do not be afraid!" Let's not remain hunched over, looking at our own feet! Let us stand up, put our shoulders back and look ahead to where God is taking us. Let us not be afraid to share what little we have in God's name to bring a lot of the love of Christ to others.

If your church has done something creative during this recession to demonstrate God's love, share it here so we can learn from each other.

Go Fish!: "The PCUSA"?

I wish I was smarter, I really do. I would love to have the capacity to figure out the major problems of the world and fix what's wrong. I would relish being able to step into arguments between opposing sides and say, "here's the solution!" But I'm not that smart.

Without taking any sides, I would like to make an observation about the disagreements currently going on in our denomination. And I'd like to voice a fear of mine concerning the impact of those disagreements on the future of the denomination and the ability of all of us to spread the Good News.

Did you ever read the Dr. Seuss story, "The Zax"? I read that story to my kids countless times when they were little. It's about a North-Going Zax and and South-Going Zax who meet face to face in the prairie of Prax. Even though they are in a completely barren place with no barriers on either side, neither one of them will step aside to let the other continue on his journey. The North-Going Zax will only go North, and the South-Going Zax will only go South. Stepping to the East or the West is not an option for either of them.

A very vociferous argument ensues, but neither Zax will budge. Finally the South-Going Zax yells, "'I'll stay here not budging! I can and I will, if it makes you and me and the whole world stand still!'" You can guess what happened next. On the next page is a picture of an entire city and freeway system surrounding the two Zax standing face to face. The people driving by are completely ignoring the motionless creatures. The story ends, "In a couple of years, the new highway came through, and they build it right over those two stubborn Zax, and left them there, standing un-budged in their tracks."

My fear is that we are, or are becoming, those Zax, with non-believers in the culture whizzing by us. They're moving on. We're irrelevant. In Dr. Seuss' picture, there's no off-ramp to visit the Zax. The freeway goes around them and a bypass is built right over the top of them. The people are driving right by our churches, never coming in. Maybe, like in the picture, there's no off-ramp. We're not providing one, and the culture didn't see a need to build one.

If we are turned toward one another in debate, we are not turned toward the rest of the world. We are only interacting with one another, and not with the world. We cannot share the Good News of Jesus with others. The rest of the world will figure out how to move on with out us, and we'll be left behind like the Zax.

Go Fish!: Becoming a Good Detective for the Holy Spirit

My all-time favorite TV detective is Lt. Columbo, portrayed by Peter Falk. I love Columbo's rumpled personality, his razor-sharp powers of perception, his humor, and his ability to outwit even the cleverest of criminals. Actually, I like watching TV detectives in general, because I enjoy the whole process of looking for clues to solve mysteries.

It may be why one of my favorite parts of the book "Reimagning Evangelism; Inviting Friends on a Spiritual Journey" is when author Rick Richardson says we as Christians are all "junior partners" in the "Holy Spirit Detective Agency".

"We look for clues. We ask good questions of our lead detective, the Holy Spirit, and of people," he writes in Chapter 2, "Rediscovering the Holy Spirit". The purpose, he says, is to find out, "Where is God already at work?"

Detectives Not Sales People

Richardson's book is perhaps one of the best evangelism books for Presbyterians and other mainline Protestants I've read. It overcomes a couple of challenges for non-evangelical Christians. One I call the "Hit by the Bus" challenge, the other is the "Close the Deal" challenge.

The "Hit by the Bus" challenge comes when books by evangelical authors come to the "why" of evangelism. For evangelicals, there's a very real urgency. I think it was in a Bill Hybels book I read when he asked what would happen to a non-believer if they walked out the door and were hit by a bus tonight? People need to get saved as soon as possible, the reasoning goes, because they might die tonight and wind up in Hell for Eternity.

Many Presbyterians I've talked to don't spend a lot of time focusing on what might happen to a non-believer in Eternity. Which is why some evangelical books fall short for mainline Christians who don't feel that same urgency to convert people.

Actually, I have a feeling none or few of my non-Christian friends worry about Eternity. They either don't believe there is one, or they've adopted the theory that most everyone is going to get there, as long as they are basically good people on Earth. It makes using the "Hit by the Bus" reason a poor talking point. Most of my friends are more concerned about the here and now. As I said in an earlier post, there are plenty of reasons to share why following Jesus on Earth improves, enhances and enriches life.

The "Close the Deal" challenge has to do with the end-game of most evangelical books on evangelism: conversion. We as Christians should be able to help someone "cross the line of faith", readers are told. I absolutely believe that if given the opportunity, I should help someone step over the line of faith. However, many non-evangelical Christians I know are turned off by what they perceive are veiled sales pressure tactics. I've heard some folks say they worry they have to be like sales people getting customers to sign on the dotted line.

Richardson provides the perfect antidote to these worries. "Reimagining Evangelism" is more about working in collaboration with the Holy Spirit, and acting as one of many touch points along the way of a person's spiritual journey. The responsibility for a non-believer's conversion rests with the Holy Spirit, not with us. But we do have to cooperate!

Skills of a Good Detective

How can we be good junior detectives? According to Richardson there are three primary skills necessary:

1) Listening for the "whispers and nudges of the Holy Spirit to show us where God is at work in the lives of those around us."

2) Asking good questions of people "to find clues for where God is already at work in their lives."

3) Collaborating with God in prayer "for seekers and skeptics and with seekers and skeptics." (author's emphasis)

If you are looking for a book or curriculum - there is a DVD teaching series - to share with your Session or congregation, consider using "Reimagining Evangelism".

And as Lt. Columbo would say, "just one more thing": consider yourself deputized into the Holy Spirit Detective Agency.

Go Fish!: Are You "In" or "Out"?

One of my favorite TV reality shows is "Project Runway." I'm not a fashion maven myself, but I enjoy watching skilled and creative people having to come up with designs on the fly. Drama unfolds throughout the show, culminating in the ultimate question posed by host Heidi Klum: who is "in" as a designer, and who is "out"?

Who is in and who is out? That's a question that makes more than up-and-coming fashion designers nervous, it apparently makes some Presbyterians nervous as well. It's the ultimate question turned Ultimate Question when it comes to where someone is headed for Eternity. It brings up issues of exclusivity and judgement. And it can be crippling when it comes to the topic of evangelism.

After listening to and talking with other Presbyterians and mainline protestants over the years, I've found that some people do not want to evangelize themselves, and don't want the church to evangelize, out of fear that we will be preaching a negative Gospel of exclusiveness and judgement against others. They see some of the excesses of evangelical Christians who place a high emphasis on praying the prayer to avoid an eternity in hell and respond by saying "that's not for us."

But in trying to run away from the problem of an aggressive "in or out" policy, we've run too far in the direction of another problem: saying and doing nothing. We don't want to offend anyone, so we do nothing at all. How's that working for us?

Here's a WWJD question: was Jesus inoffensive? Of course he wasn't! It's doubtful powerful people would have nailed someone to the cross who was just trying to be polite.

So what's the answer? Could it be there is a middle way between completely offending people, and being so inoffensive that we disappear (maybe literally)? What would a middle way look like?

I remember a young woman I knew years ago who would break into tears as she wondered aloud if she was going to get into Heaven. Some Bible verses had her wondering if only a select few would be granted entrance. I was a young Christian myself, and had no answers for her. But I remember feeling uncomfortable listening to her, because I was pretty sure that Jesus had specifically told us not to spend time worrying in general. It also seemed to me that if Jesus said only God knows the time and hour of Jesus' return, maybe there are other facts that are left for only God to know.

Her tears and worries stuck with me for years, however, and the conclusion I came to was this: since we can't know if we are in or out, instead of spending valuable time worrying about it now, let's live like we're already there. In other words, let's live the life of abundance Jesus promised, a life of discipleship characterized by the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galations 5:22).

In Jesus' promise of a more fulfilling life lies the middle way. The Good News is not just for the hereafter, it's for the here and now! We can share the news with non-believers that life can be fuller, richer and more joyful as disciples of Jesus. That is not to say that life is not going to be hard. There are hardships and heartbreaks all along the way. But Paul offers us great hope in Philippians that we can experience contentment regardless of our circumstances (Philippians 4:11-12).

Furthermore, if we all behaved as if we're already headed to Heaven, the world would become a much better place. Maybe that's what the Lord's Prayer hints at, bringing God's Kingdom to the world right now, not just after Jesus' return.

As for the argument about the exclusivity of Christianity, I counter that if everyone is invited, it's not exclusive. There is choice involved; it's up to us to offer the choice without any pressure, manipulation or threats. And if someone says "no" we remain friends and treat all as Jesus would have treated them himself.

One more reality show reference to illustrate the point of living like we're already "in". "The Amazing Race" finished its season just a couple of weeks ago on Mother's Day. For those of you who are fans of the show, I'm guessing you were rooting for the sweet and funny cowboy brothers, Jet and Cord. Disappointingly, they came in second. But something Jet said at the end demonstrated that they ran that race as if they were already "in", and served as a powerful witness to millions of viewers.

"I'm not going to be ashamed of anybody watching our race. There's no point throughout the entire race that my wife, my parents, our congregation, anybody, that I couldn't sit down and watch it with them and be proud of Cord and I and the way - not just the race - but the way we ran the race. That was really a big goal for us coming into it, was to leave here knowing we have nothing to be ashamed of."

There is a middle way, and we as Christians need to adopt that way as an evangelism plan individually and corporately.

I'm in. Are you?

Conference Alert: if you've heard of The Alpha Course and have wondered if it might be a ministry of outreach for your church, do not miss the Alpha Americas Conference next month in Naperville, IL, near Chicago. I have been to several national Alpha conferences and have always found them to be valuable. And if you've never heard of The Alpha Course, check out the website at www.alphana.org. You can also contact me with questions about Alpha; I've been an Alpha Course administrator at my church for more than seven years, and a local Alpha advisor for at least two years.

Go Fish!: Easter Questions vs. Pentecost Questions

In a meeting recently the conversation started down the "how can we grow the church?" path. As a lot of questions were raised and ideas bandied about, I was feeling uncomfortable, but I couldn't figure out why. It wasn't until I was in the car (of course) that I realized what was making me uneasy: we were asking the wrong questions.

We were asking the "if we build it they will come" questions, or rather "if we make it better/more interesting to young people they will come" questions. Questions that worked 50 years ago, but in our new cultural environment don't work anymore.

Here's the hard truth: they aren't coming anymore and if we keep doing what we're doing now by asking the wrong questions they probably will never come.

Just a few days ago I saw Billie Joe Armstrong of the band Green Day say on Bill Maher's HBO show that all organized religion is bull-you-know-what. The audience cheered, Maher was delighted. Armstrong and his fans are never going to come to our churches no matter what we do to our worship/buildings and grounds/programs. They think they know what we offer and they are not interested.

We have to start asking new questions of ourselves if we're to find a way to share the Gospel with today's non-Christians. I've broken this down in two ways, Come and See vs. Go and Act. Another way of putting it would be Easter Questions vs. Pentecost Questions.

Come and See used to work for churches. And there are still times it's relevant, like Easter. My church did a lot of come and see a couple of weeks ago, and I fully support that. But Easter is over, and now we're living in the times after Pentecost. Our questions have to shift from Come and See to Go and Act. How can we go and act in a way that brings the Gospel to non-Christians in our communities?

There's a lot of Come and See in the Gospels. In John 1 Philip tells Nathanael that he's found the Messiah, son of Joseph from Nazareth. When Nathanael asks, (and don't you love this part) "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip responds, "Come and see." Throughout the Gospels there are times when people tell others, come and see this rabbi, come and see this man who heals, come and see this man who is saying new things about God.

Even after the tomb is found empty, there's Come and See. In Matthew 28 the two Marys go to the tomb, the earth quakes, the stone is rolled away, and an angel tells them Jesus is raised from the dead. Come and see the tomb is empty, he tells them. Then he tells them to go tell the disciples.

Toward the end of Jesus' time on Earth, there's a shift to Go and Act. In John 21 there's the famous fish breakfast on the beach when Peter gets to atone for previously denying Jesus three times by proclaiming his love three times. Jesus implores Peter to "feed my sheep," "tend my sheep," "feed my sheep." The time is coming for the disciples to act.

As he is about to ascend into heaven, Jesus gives his disciples - and us - The Great Commission: go and make disciples of all nations. And at the start of the book of Acts, he says he is leaving them, but he will send the Holy Spirit to be with them. Pentecost arrives, the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit, and their ministry of acts begins. Go and Act. And not just act only, act AND proclaim the Good News.

Let's start asking the Pentecost, or Go and Act, questions. How can we Go and Act in our communities? Can we go to where people are hanging out already? Here in the 21st Century that could be literal places, like physical places in our communities where people hang out, or it could be virtual places, like social networking sites. What sorts of acts can we perform for others? How can we be prepared to proclaim when people ask, "why are you doing this?"

A great resource I've mentioned before, but bears repeating is Reggie McNeal's The Present Future; Six Tough Questions for the Church. His latest book is also good: Missional Renaissance; Changing the Scorecard for the Church.

If you have a great Go and Act story from your church or your own life, share it with us. Let's learn from one another and encourage one another on this journey.

Go Fish!: What is Evangelism?

So what is this thing called "evangelism?" Last month I wrote about why we as mainline Christians should not fear the word, or the practice. It's what Jesus commanded us to do. It's one reason he gave us the Holy Spirit, to work in partnership with us as we go and make disciples of all nations. But what is it?

From the Greek "euangelion" comes "good news" or "gospel," making an evangelist one who shares the Good News to others. Some pastors I've talked to adhere to a narrow definition of evangelism: it's proclaiming the truth of the Gospel and helping non-believers cross over the line of faith to accept Jesus Christ as their lord and savior. Any other activities that don't include proclamation and invitation are not evangelism and should not be labeled as such.

In a world where the word "google" can become a verb almost overnight, we can open up the definition of evangelism a little wider for the 21st Century. Here's my short definition, followed by a breakdown:

Evangelism is partnering with the Holy Spirit to reach out in a relational way to non-believers around us, either in words or deeds, with the ultimate purpose of pointing them toward Jesus.

"Partnering with the Holy Spirit" - I accept a wide definition of evangelistic activities to include such things as praying silently for others, performing small acts of kindness, asking people I encounter throughout the day how they are doing and then really listening to their answers, etc. But since non-believers can do the same, it becomes evangelism when I ask the Holy Spirit to clue me in to opportunities and guide me in my interactions.

"Reach out in a relational way" - Author of the evangelism classic, Out of the Salt Shaker & Into the World, Becky Pippert, tells a great story of being pelted in the head with an evangelism tract while sitting in her car at a red light. A woman in the next car over was trying her darnedest to share the Gospel. As well-intentioned as the woman was, she missed the mark (but not Becky's head) because she had no relationship with her target! Reaching out in a relational way includes things like getting to know cashiers we see over and over again at the market, talking to neighbors, and so on. It's offering to listen, to help, to be a friend. It means not seeing people as "targets," but as actual people who God seeks to be in relationship with.

"In words or deeds" - A few of the deeds we can perform in our efforts to evangelize to others have already been mentioned. I've found my fellow congregation members are fine with deeds, it's the "words" part that makes them nervous. The reality is we have to be prepared to speak about Jesus if the opportunity arises. It doesn't have to be "The Conversation" where we seal the deal with a conversion. It can be a simple conversation about how faith impacts our own lives. Each of us may be one touchpoint along the journey for a non-believer whom God is pursuing.

"Ultimate purpose" - Day One of talking to the supermarket cashier is probably not the time to break out biblical truths. Again, it's one touchpoint. It may be Day 502 when you talk about Jesus with her. It may be Day Never, because your only job is to be the touchpoint, and it's someone else in the cashier's life to lead her into a life of faith in Jesus.

"Pointing toward Jesus" - Our lives can be signposts to non-believers. We're not the destination, Jesus is; we can use our words and deeds to point them toward that destination.

Now, "don't hear what I'm not saying," as one of my favorite authors and speakers, Reggie McNeal, would say. I'm not saying that we only seek to be nice to others with the purpose of evangelizing. If it's Day 503 and it's pretty clear the cashier is not interested, we don't switch stores to find a new "target" for our efforts. It's a way of living as disciples of Jesus.

Randy Siever, a pastor and Executive Director of Doable Evangelism, sums up the definition of evangelism nicely this way:

"Evangelism is the whole process by which people who are missing get found. It includes everything and anything that nudges someone in the direction of Jesus. It does include verbal proclamation, but also such small and invisible things as noticing someone, praying for people behind their backs, and listening to them. These things, which are simple and doable ways of paying attention to others, are like a cup of cold water in our culture (Matt. 10:42). They are not just some "pre-evangelism" tactic used to get to the real business of evangelism. They ARE evangelism. And ANYONE can do this." (Read the entire blog entry here)

For a thorough discussion of the definition of evangelism, see Chris Walker's blog at Evangelism Coach International. He has a great series on the subject here. An excellent book about evangelism for the 21st Century is Rick Richardson's Reimagining Evangelism; Inviting Friends on a Spiritual Journey.

What's your own definition of evangelism? What would "pointing toward Jesus" look like in your everyday life with the people you encounter?

Do We Have to Discuss the E-word?

"Please don't ever ask me to evangelize."

That was the one definitive statement I made to God, shortly after becoming a Christian as a young adult in 1988.

Turns out God has a sense of humor.

Within a couple of years, God let me know quite plainly that evangelizing was EXACTLY what he wanted me to do. Eventually I realized it was what he created me to do. It had been hardwired into my brain.

At that time, however, I had a misguided notion about evangelism. I had it in my head that evangelists were either people who knocked on doors, or those guys shouting on street corners, or a towering figure like Billy Graham, or my well-meaning Born Again friends and smarmy televangelists who had turned me off to Christianity as a teenager.

Over the 21 years I have been involved in Presbyterian churches, I've found I am not alone. Many of my fellow congregation members have shared that they have the same notions about evangelists. Partly because of this, they want nothing do with evangelizing. Faith is a private matter, after all, they say. "I can't ever bring THAT up at work." "It would be rude to discuss faith with my neighbors who come from other faith traditions." One member said of non-Christian parents at the church's preschool, "We might turn them off if we invite them to church." Another suggested we can't engage in evangelism because "we tried that once and it didn't work."

Questions, Questions

As an evangelism elder I get these ubiquitous questions:

"Do we have to call it 'evangelism?'" and "Do we have to discuss the e-word?"

Yes and Yes.

While we weren't looking, the secular business world has co-opted the word "evangelism." Business people bypassed the first part of the dictionary definition - specifically about converting people to the Christian faith - and latched onto what comes after: "a passionate advocate of something" (Compact Oxford English Dictionary). Business evangelists are passionate about their company or product, they share that passion and enthusiasm with others.

Don't we have something to be passionate and enthusiastic about?

Looking at the literal translation in Greek, an evangelist, is a "bringer of good news."

Don't we have good news - the best news - to bring to the world?

One of my goals over the last 10 years as a lay leader has been to convince my fellow congregation members that evangelism isn't that scary a word, and the act of evangelizing isn't as hard or as terrifying as they think. The good news for us is, the Holy Spirit does most of the heavy lifting. But we have to be willing to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to participate in the work of evangelizing, using whatever spiritual gifts of skills we were given. We each have a different style, and a different way of participating in the work of evangelism. We also have to trust God as we step out in obedience and faith by following the Great Commission in Matthew 28.

Loaded Questions

What is evangelism? And what is it not?

I'm going to leave that discussion for next time. I look forward to talking about evangelism in this space the third Friday of every month. In the meantime, what are your preconceived notions about evangelism? Why are you passionate about Jesus? Do you think the Holy Spirit wants you to be a partner in sharing the Good News?

A little about me: I am an elder of Outreach and Evangelism at a PC(USA) church in the Silicon Valley. For the past 10 years I have spent a lot of time thinking about evangelism, reading about it in books and blogs, learning about it at conferences, studying about it in the Bible, talking about it with other Christians, and practicing it to varying degrees of success and failure. I am by training a journalist. I ask questions, I research, I report. Ultimately, I hope to point to ideas that get us all thinking, discussing, and most importantly, taking action.

Evangelism Coach

The site I'm highlighting today isn't technically a member of the PCUSA web ring, but I think you might find this blog and website interesting.

Meet The Evangelism Coach, Presbyterian pastor Chris W, blogging about . . . you guessed it: evangelism!

Recent posts include:

• 31 days to Improve Your Pastor Blog or Church Website
  
• Training Church Greeters
  
• Simple Church Websites that Work

And more!