Archive for the ‘church evangelism’ Category
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I recently rubbed shoulders with several people interested in Evangelism at the PC USA’s consultation on Evangelism at Stony Point NY.
The person overseeing Evangelism for the Denomination Eric Hoey has encouraged me greatly.
He has become a fan of this website and even has written an endorsement of it on his.
I agree with him on many occasion and share a lot of the same passion to help people find faith in Christ.
I find his passion to communicate his faith to be contagious.
I’ve gotten to meet him on several occasions and pray for him and his family regularly. He has a vibrant faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and it is a joy to know Eric personally and professionally.
I look forward to continuing to work with Eric, helping train others in communicating their faith. I’ve asked him for a copy of the slides so hopefully I can get them here.
Pray for Eric
Regardless of your viewpoint on politics in the PCUSA and its struggle as a denomination, Eric deserves our prayers and encouragement. He is a man of God serving in a denomination he loves, with an unwavering commitment to Christ.
Eric’s thoughts as relayed by the various outlets.
Here are some of the reports about Eric’s talk with us at Stony Point.
From the PNS report on Eric’s talk the first night.
The Rev. Eric Hoey, director of evangelism and church growth for the PC(USA), told the consultation: “We must change the ethos of the church. People come to the faith in a variety of ways.”
He said the PC(USA) has a “humility” problem. “If it is not our way, the Reformed way, we throw the whole thing out. Shouldn’t we listen to a variety of ways” of doing evangelism?
“If an evangelism program is working in another tradition,” Hoey said, “should we not at least listen to that method?” He quoted the Apostle Paul, who said he became all things to all people that he might by all means save some. “We should have a variety of tools in our belts. We should have the tools and seek the training.”
Hoey said the biggest roadblock to effective evangelism is “the culture of me.”
“We need to see the world as God wants us to see it. If we just tune the world out, if we just get on the bus with our iPods and earphones and never connect with those around us,” he said, we miss our opportunities. “But if we get on the bus praying for God to use us, thoughts pop into our minds” about the evangelism possibilities all around us.
Hoey told about a family tour of Shaker Village in Kentucky. “Four hundred people came to this place and dedicated their lives to living simply. In their buildings you are going through a slice of history, and it is quite beautiful.” But he said they dedicated themselves to celibacy, “so only the remnants are there.”
“I hope that doesn’t happen to Presbyterians,” he said. “I believe we can make a difference and turn this church around. Let’s get moving.”
Over at the Outlook, in Same old, old story, Editor Jack Haberer recounts Eric’s talk that first night
In fact, Hoey overviewed conclusions drawn in a 1996 Presbyterian Panel study on evangelism in the denomination, repeatedly sounding the refrain, “Nothing has changed in 12 years.”
What did they say then that they’re saying now?
“Presbyterians are uncomfortable with street corner or stranger evangelism.”
He recounted to a laughing response, “I did a workshop in Chicago Presbytery. A woman told me, ‘I don’t even believe in evangelism.’ I asked her, ‘Then why are you at a conference on evangelism?’” She responded, “‘Because we have to learn how to do it.’”
However, rejecting stranger evangelism need not be the end of the discussion. He acknowledged that he got so frustrated with random evangelism on his college campus that he formed a new approach, organizing the Asian-American Christian Fellowship. Sure enough, “God blessed it with real growth.”
A second complaint voiced then and echoed today: pastors provide little help to those members who would like to evangelize, or, as Hoey said, “If the decline of the church is so important, why are we spending so much time not training in evangelism?””
A third, ironic complaint: pastors generally see evangelism as members’ responsibility, and members see evangelism as pastors’ responsibility. The right answer: it is every believer’s responsibility.
From the PNS report:
Hoey said, “I had never dreamed that this [consultation] would come out the way it did. I think each and every one of you can testify that we have seen the Spirit of God in our midst. You couldn’t program this, especially with this kind of outcome.
Hoey said, “It has been my heart’s desire ever since I took my position that somehow God would raise up a movement of people passionate about evangelism across this country. And it’s here. And I know that passion is in each and every one of your hearts, and I pray that God will continue to fan that flame so that we can move this across the country and change our denomination.”
Can there be a movement of pastors in the PCUSA (where my ordination is held) who are excited about evangelism? Can our denomination change?
Can we quit fighting among ourselves and call others to follow Jesus with all their heart soul, mind, and strength?
Comments (0) Posted on Thursday, November 20th, 2008
One of the blogs I read (Fierce Grace) decided to do something entirely different on a Sunday morning.
Cancel the service.
Serve the neighborhood.
Read about it at The Church Has Left the Building.
I have often mentioned that some churches can do this. I can’t imagine Mars Hill or Seacoast doing something like this. However smaller churches can easily take this idea and run with it.
Leading Preparation
Leading up to this Sunday off was a sermon series. The whole series is mapped out at “Beginning this Sunday” and the follow up posts in that series continues to map out the theology and the practice that led up to that Sunday.
One Sunday, Pastor pointed out:
The Samaritan took a risk, got personally involved, spent some time and some money to help the man in need - He put himself out to help someone else get through. That’s what we are called to do if we’re going to love our neighbor like we love ourselves.
The second Sunday focused on:
Jesus’ mission is our mandate (Luke 4:14-21) - and it’s people-centered, outwardly focused, and compassion driven. If we can see people as He saw them, sees them, we will overflow with ideas and discover dozens of practical ways to show them the love of Christ.
And on the third Sunday:
The third installment of our “Taking It to the Streets” message series focused on “Little Acts with Big Impact.” We looked at Jesus’ description of the Kingdom in Luke 13:18-21. There, Jesus said the Kingdom was like a small mustard seed that grows in to a bushy tree large enough for birds to build nests in. Then He said the Kingdom was like a lump of yeast that was worked into 50 pounds of dough to make bread for as many as 100 people!
It wasn’t a surprise to the congregation but rather a vision that had been cast and people rallied to it.
What do you think?
Have you tried this idea?
What did you find?
Comments (2) Posted on Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
One of the most popular things sought after here at Evangelism Coach is a letter to mail to first time visitors.
I have one, but would like to gather up a collection of them from my readers and then make a collection of them available for download here.
Help me get submissions.
- If you are not the person who writes the church’s first time visitor letter, would you be so kind as to forward this link onto your pastor or church secretary, requesting that they help me with this project.
- Post this link to your Facebook or Myspace profile with a personal note asking people to submit these.
Format for submission:
Word Document or PDF.
Block address or merge fields is fine.
cforms contact form by delicious:days
Those who submit this form will be automatically added to the Evangelism Coach Newsletter list to receive word of the finished product. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Comments (0) Posted on Sunday, October 26th, 2008
Today, I bring you another guest article, by Christian Dominic Boyd of www.celtichound.org.
Christian is also pastor of New Creation, a Presbyterian new church development in O’Fallon, Illinois, which is part of the St Louis metro area.
He and I were co-presenters at the Presbyterian Transformational Conference in Tampa last month. I’m glad to have him as a friend in ministry.
Article below:
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When we read through the Gospels, how many times do we find Jesus asking his disciples,
“How can we get more people to attended synagogue on Saturday morning?”
Or, “What kind of programs is First Synagogue of Galilee doing that we need to do to get more twenty and thirty year olds with kids to become members of our synagogue?”
When we dig into the Gospels we find Jesus and his disciples not in synagogue nor even worried about that institution. We find them out among the people, Jewish and Gentile, in their homeland and in the non-kosher lands of foreigners and enemies.
This unconventional way of teaching and being Jesus was modeling for his disciples of course rubbed the Pharisees and Sadducees the wrong way.
I hear them cry in Chapter 15 of the Gospel of Matthew, We have never done it this way!!!
When many of us in the mainline denominations think about evangelism, we cringe (See: Fears of Evangelism). We cringe many times because of what it may mean and the unconventional changes we will have to make in our life, and in our congregational life, both within which we have become very comfortable.
Like the Pharisees and Sadducees we hear from in Matthew 15 we have set up some self-defined walls which have become more life taking than life giving, and fly in the face of God’s desire of gathering all of creation into communion with God’s self.
Many of us have become more concerned about the marketability of our congregations to an overwhelmingly consumerist society than actually being and doing what Jesus teaches his disciples.
Consulting with a number of churches and church leaders these past five years as part of our work at www.celtichound.org, I have found across the board that many of us see evangelism and marketing as the same thing.
Heck, there are even books published with that inference (example: Church Marketing 101: Preparing Your Church for Greater Growth or Spend Less, Reach More: A Pastor’s Guide to Reaching the Most People for the Least Amount of Money).
Furthermore, with this quasi-business concept we have also redefined what success is for the Church. We will know we are successful by
- how many people we have in worship on Sunday morning,
- the size of our buildings, and
- the amount of money we collect to fund programs and good works,
all in Jesus’ name.
Yet, is this really evangelism and are we truly living out our God given nature as the Church?
What I understand from what Jesus teaches us, evangelism is not a program, it is not outreach, and it is not ticks of the trade that get people to fill the pews.
Evangelism is a way of being.
Furthermore, evangelism, mission, and apostolic all are key terms linked to the nature of Jesus’ mission and purpose, and thus our nature and purpose as his Church, his body.
This shared nature is rooted in God sending the Son, and then the Son sending the disciples to the edges of the world to participate in God’s mission within those diverse contexts.
The edge of the world
On the edges of the world disciples are participating in God’s work of creating, redeeming, and reconciling all things to God’s self. As disciples on the edge of the world, in the places where one traditionally wouldn’t think of finding good and proper Christians, God is doing awesome things. The Holy Spirit is at work transforming not only lives, but also civil society.
Theology on Tap
One of the ways I have discovered this is through New Creation’s Theology on Tap monthly gatherings.
New Creation is a Presbyterian new church development in O’Fallon, Illinois, which is part of the St Louis metro area.
Theology on Tap (ToT) is not a program, it is just an event scheduled to occur once a month at a local Irish pub.
Its purpose for being is to create and sustain relationships, which is one of New Creation’s mission directives, as well as provide an opportunity to reclaim the art of conversation.
At a ToT gathering, anything is fair game for conversation, including all of those things good Victorians don’t discuss in proper company (sex, politics, religion, money . . . and we added sports).
Conversation Rules:
However, to ensure we are practicing the art of conversation, there are Rules of Engagement; if broken, the trespasser has to buy the next round for everyone. The Rules simply are:
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Courtesy and respect will be shown at all times.
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Commitment will be made to listen and hear the perspectives of others.
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All statements that are not explicit facts must include the attitude of “it seems to me” or “I feel…”.
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All participants will work hard to increase their understanding of the issues between meetings.
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Bottom line, “love your neighbor as your self.”
Break the rule and you buy the next round.
After the past six months of gathering at the pub and just conversing, we have had serious relevant questions and discussions.
A Theology on Tap Discussion
My most remarkable memory was a discussion around the lost of a child in child birth, where God was within that whole experience, and where is God right now amidst the pain.
As a pastor I sat back and let the community that was gathered answer.
That night the Holy Spirit was present as healing and conversions occurred within the holiness of sincere relationships…just being without agendas or striving to be successful Christians.
Theology on Tap, I believe, is one contextual way of what the Church incarnated, evangelizing, being apostolic, and participating in God’s mission in the world looks like.
It has left me wondering,
Where else out in the community God has planted us is God sending us to just BE?
Where else are we being called to be in an unconventional way, and thus allowing God to work through us to make real the Kingdom that is at hand?
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Christian Dominic Boyd is the Executive Director of www.celtichound.org.
Celtic Hound Ministries (CHM) specializes in spiritual life coaching and congregational mission and leadership consultation.
The primary areas of expertise are in organizational development, structure evaluation, and strategic planning processes.
Comments (1) Posted on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008
This afternoon, I was preparing an email about the Tampa conference for Presbyterian pastors.
I’ve put an entire link summary here of related links, including downloadable slide shows I used for that conference.
We were at the Tradewinds Resort at St. Pete’s beach, and it was a great place to stay. Beautiful Sunsets. . . . .
Thanks to www.presbygrow.net, George Bullard (read: Searching for the Holy Grail of Church Transformation) for some of his insight, and my fellow presenters:
Christian Dominic Boyd of www.celtichound.org
Ann Phillbrick of www.heartwoodcct.com
If you would like more personalized evangelism training for your congregation or region, simply give me a call at 804/335-1445 and let’s see what you can do.
Comments (1) Posted on Thursday, October 16th, 2008
Today’s guest post is from Robert Shaw, Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Winfield Indiana. I’ve met Robert at the Evangelism Conference for the PCUSA last year, and ran into him again at the transformation pastors conference that just ended in St. Pete’s Beach in FL.
He shares with us some of the things that he does as pastor in a local church to help folks with evangelism.
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Breathing Exercises
by the Reverend Robert Shaw1
Sharing the gospel is as easy as breathing. But then I also find swimming just as easy.
For many mainline Christians being asked to share the good news of Jesus Christ is as scary as being thrown off the end of a pier without the benefit of swimming lessons. But like swimming, once one knows when and how to breath sharing the gospel is easy and the end of the pier becomes an a place to enjoy and dive into the water.
Blowing bubbles
I remember the lifeguard teaching my classmates and I to blow bubbles at my first swimming lesson. “Take a breath of air, put your face into the water, blow bubbles, turn your head to the side, take another breath, and repeat.” This is a lesson I mastered as a six year-old.
Similarly the first lesson when sharing the gospel is learning to blow bubbles. Take a deep breath of the Holy Spirit, then while out in the world slowly exhale. Return to the community of faith and take another deep breath of the Holy Spirit.
This lesson applies not only to sharing the gospel, but to life itself. During the week we face numerous challenges and make our share of mistakes. Some of these feel like getting punched and having your breath knocked out. Knowing where to get a refreshing and life restoring breath of the Holy Spirit helps Christians flourish from one Sunday to the next.
Practice Blowing Bubbles
To help Presbyterian congregations “provide opportunities for evangelism2,” I have, as part of morning worship, encouraged those present to talk about why they come to church in small groups. During the passing of the peace, which in my order for worship comes before the Scripture readings and the sermon, I ask those present to re-seat themselves into groups of three. I encourage people from the same household, or usual circle of friends, to sit in different groups.
After a brief introduction, as illustrated in above paragraphs, the sermon is presented as three segments. Each segment is comprised of a Scripture reading, a minute or two of exposition, then three minutes for participants to answer the related question within their triad. I have found using a verse of a hymn an effective and necessary transition between segments. Typically I have had the three questions (the section headings below) printed in the bulletin.
Time with Young Disciples
Before the introduction to the sermon, I invite all of the children to come forward for an object lesson. I hand each child a paper cup saying pretend this is your heart. Then I place a chocolate Kiss® in each cup saying that love is like having a kiss in your heart. Then while pouring more candies from an opaque pitcher into their hands, I say, “But God’s love is heaped up, tamped down, and over flowing.” After the children finish scrambling for the chocolates that have spilled onto the floor, I tell them that with so much love they can could give one to everyone in the congregation and still have more than enough. If pressed for time, the sermon introduction could begin while the children distribute the candy.
hat is God doing in your life that excites you?
Scripture Lesson: Psalm 96.
The psalmist was excited about what God had done in creation. He wanted everyone to sing God’s praises with him. Consider the glorious creation that God has placed us in; the majestic beauty of the Grand Canyon, the scent of spring flowers, the song of a wren. Breath deeply to shout about what God is doing now!
What brings you spiritual calm when things are chaotic?
Scripture Lesson: John 20.
The disciples had retreated to the upper room following the Crucifixion. Stain glass windows help separate a congregation from the noise of life, creating a place for quiet reflection. Even the white spaces between the words of Scripture is sacred, for they help us to see the words more clearly. Teach others where to find rest from the storm, to breathe in the Spirit, and receive grace.
How do you contribute to building the Kingdom of Heaven?
The Apostle Paul recorded several ways that people contribute to being church together. In addition to teaching, preaching, and healing, we contribute to bringing God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, and loose the bonds of injustice. Invite people outside the church to work alongside us so we might see God’s future together.
Concluding Remarks
While gathering joys and concerns in preparation for the Pastoral Prayer, following the Sermon, I ask people to name one thing heard in their triad, that someone outside the church should know.
Before the charge and benediction I ask if participants had enough time to discuss each question. I have always received a resounding “NO!” Then I charge everyone to continue the conversation during the coffee hour with people from other groups, over lunch with family, and during the week with co-workers and neighbors.
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1 Robert Shaw received a Masters in Divinity from the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has served as the chair of church development committees for the Synod of Trinity and for the Synod of Lincoln Trails.
Currently he is the Designated Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church, Winfield, Indiana, which is in the midst of a Transformation project. This article is refined by experiences with six congregations including rural, suburban, and urban settings.
2 The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): Part II, The Book of Order, G-10.0102a.
Comments (0) Posted on Monday, October 6th, 2008
Comments (0) Posted on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008
The person overseeing Evangelism for the Denomination Eric Hoey has encouraged me greatly. 
