I just finished reading Becoming a Contagious Christian by Bill Hybels and Mark Mittleburg. Hybles being the most senior pastor at Willow Creek and Mittleburg (when it was written in '95) the pastor of evangelism wanted to share their vision and personal stories of how they have become Christians who've discovered that the most invigorating feeling of leading people to Christ. They are trying to help people realize that is fun and exciting, scary and intimidating to lead people to Christ, but at the same time necessary. At one point they actually say that no one is excused when it comes to sharing the gospel.
When I was in Junior High because of our Sunday School curriculum we had a lesson on Evangelism. I remember asking the teacher whether or not they had the experience and if they could tell us about it. The teacher looked at their notes and then looked to the class and that they hadn't ever led anyone to Christ and that wasn't there goal. Their goal was to be a seed-planter. They meant that they didn't believe that all were called to be an "evangelizer" and that some people are and some aren't. They weren't doing what they were preaching. I knew then that they were wrong and I know now that we are all called to evangelize.
Showing posts with label Evangelism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evangelism. Show all posts
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
The Missional Church: From Atrophy to Emerging...
I have been perusing the site Friend of Missional for some time now. The articles, definitions and discussions have been quite interesting to me. About half-way down the homepage there is a section explaining the missional church movement that was taken from the book Breaking the Missional Code by Ed Stetzer and David Putman (which is in my ever growing stack of books to read). This is an interesting piece of work that I would like to share with you and also maybe add to the conversation just a little. Apparently they argue that the missional church movement is a shift in thinking here are their categories:
From programs to processes
From demographics to discernment
From models to missions
From attractional to incarnational
From uniformity to diversity
From professional to passionate
From seating to sending
From decisions to disciples
From additional to exponential
From monuments to movements
A lot of this isn't new information. Many of us have been preaching these shifts for years what I would like to argue is another shift in thinking:
From atrophic to emerging
When I use the word emerging I am not talking about the emergent conversation - I'm talking about life itself. Please understand that in the beginning God created everything very good. This word good is interesting - I find it interesting that God didn't make everything perfect. The word perfect implies an ultimate end; something that is perfect can get no better. It is the ultimate. Many people may argue that God did make everything perfect (in fact I used to teach this), but when you read the first two chapters of the bible and you read the last two chapters of the bible you will skip all of sin and repercussions and - I believe - get a good look at what God had in mind all along. God moves from untouched creation to global city. Some how this city is completely unlike cities as we know them today. Somehow this city is the unique combination of creation and massive amounts of people. Therefore, Creation can become better than it was originally.
Since Genesis 3 the world has atrophied, so bad in fact that not two chapters later God decides to destroy it with water - save one family. From that day there has been glimmers of hope and light, but ultimately creation has been depleting. It is as if creation is on a collision course with destruction!
Then something interesting happens - Jesus. He is the second Adam - and doesn't fall to temptation. He defeats death - creation's ultimate end of atrophy. He becomes the goal for humanity to follow and become. He is the light to follow and through him Christianity emerges. Christianity becomes a group of people who are passionately pursuing the life of Jesus Christ. They realize quickly that he is a better way to live. They also realize that following Jesus can somehow stop the collision course.
Christianity has always been about moving from an atrophic to an emerging creation. We strive to see God's kingdom come "on earth as it is in heaven." The original creation didn't know death or destruction. It didn't know starving children, or AIDS. It is the church's responsibility to show Christ to this atrophied creation. A missional church helps other understand and be a part of that mission. A missional church stands in the way of creation's atrophy. A missional church strives to become more and more the way God originally created life to be.
From programs to processes
From demographics to discernment
From models to missions
From attractional to incarnational
From uniformity to diversity
From professional to passionate
From seating to sending
From decisions to disciples
From additional to exponential
From monuments to movements
A lot of this isn't new information. Many of us have been preaching these shifts for years what I would like to argue is another shift in thinking:
From atrophic to emerging
When I use the word emerging I am not talking about the emergent conversation - I'm talking about life itself. Please understand that in the beginning God created everything very good. This word good is interesting - I find it interesting that God didn't make everything perfect. The word perfect implies an ultimate end; something that is perfect can get no better. It is the ultimate. Many people may argue that God did make everything perfect (in fact I used to teach this), but when you read the first two chapters of the bible and you read the last two chapters of the bible you will skip all of sin and repercussions and - I believe - get a good look at what God had in mind all along. God moves from untouched creation to global city. Some how this city is completely unlike cities as we know them today. Somehow this city is the unique combination of creation and massive amounts of people. Therefore, Creation can become better than it was originally.
Since Genesis 3 the world has atrophied, so bad in fact that not two chapters later God decides to destroy it with water - save one family. From that day there has been glimmers of hope and light, but ultimately creation has been depleting. It is as if creation is on a collision course with destruction!
Then something interesting happens - Jesus. He is the second Adam - and doesn't fall to temptation. He defeats death - creation's ultimate end of atrophy. He becomes the goal for humanity to follow and become. He is the light to follow and through him Christianity emerges. Christianity becomes a group of people who are passionately pursuing the life of Jesus Christ. They realize quickly that he is a better way to live. They also realize that following Jesus can somehow stop the collision course.
Christianity has always been about moving from an atrophic to an emerging creation. We strive to see God's kingdom come "on earth as it is in heaven." The original creation didn't know death or destruction. It didn't know starving children, or AIDS. It is the church's responsibility to show Christ to this atrophied creation. A missional church helps other understand and be a part of that mission. A missional church stands in the way of creation's atrophy. A missional church strives to become more and more the way God originally created life to be.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
They Like Jesus But Not The Church
I just finished They Like Jesus But Not The Church by Dan Kimball. Thanks Robb for the recommendation. This book adds so much to my internal conversation about evangelism. How do we share Jesus with people today? Is it different for just a few years ago? What do people think about the church, and why? These are all valid questions, that most pastors and church leaders - myself included - have neglected.After reading this book I have to ask myself two questions, how many non-Christians do I know? and how many of them am I developing relationships with? I am challenged with these questions because I ask students and lay people of the church to constantly be a missionary in our community and I wont or haven't done it myself. I have led by example.
This book opened my eyes to understanding our culture as a mission field all the time. We need to be prepared to have conversations with non-Christians in order to just build relationships with them even if they never come to Christ. It's not about notches in our evangelism belt, but about loving others the way that Christ loves us.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The Missional Church
I have been confronted with this phrase many times since coming back from Poland. This concept isn't new in fact I've been taught it in every church that I've been associated with. I've heard it said, but I really don't know that I've seen it lived out in the hearts and minds of the people. In fact many times I've heard statements completely opposite of the missio dei and it is frightening to me. I found this blog post today and it really got me thinking about how things have got in the way of the missio dei. Here are ten things that we should not expect in a truly missional church.
TEN THINGS ANYONE WHO JOINS IN A TWENTY FIRST CENTURY MISSIONAL CHURCH PLANT SHOULD NOT EXPECT
1.) Should not expect to regularly come to church for just one hour, get what you need for your own personal growth and development, and your kidss needs, and then leave til next Sunday. Expect mission to change your life. Expect however a richer life than you could have ever imagined.
2.) Should not expect that Jesus will fit in with every consumerist capitalist assumption, lifestyle, schedule or accoutrement you may have adopted before coming here. Expect to be freed from a lot of crap you will find out you never needed.
3.) Should not expect to be anonymous, unknown or be able to disappear in this church Body. Expect to be known and loved, supported in a glorious journey.
4.) Should not expect production style excellence all the time on Sunday worship gatherings. Expect organic, simple and authentic beauty.
5.) Should not expect a raucous "light out" youth program that entertains the teenagers, puts on a show that gets the kids "pumped up," all without parental involvement. Instead as the years go by, with our children as part of our life, worship and mission (and when the light shows dim and the cool youth pastor with the spiked hair burns out) expect our youth to have an authentic relationship with God thru Christ that carries them through a lifetime of journey with God.
6.) Should not expect to always "feel good,"or ecstatic on Sunday mornings. Expect that there will ALSO be times of confession, lament, self-examination and just plain silence.
7.) Should not expect a lot of sermons that promise you God will prosper you with "the life you've always wanted" if you'll just believe Him and step out on faith and give some more money for a bigger sanctuary. Expect sustenance for the journey.
8.) Should not expect rapid growth whereby we grow this church from 10 to a thousand in three years. Expect slower organic inefficient growth that engages people's lives where they are at and sees troubled people who would have nothing to do with the gospel marvelously saved.
9.) Should not expect all the meetings to happen in a church building. Expect a lot of the gatherings will be in homes, or sites of mission.
10.) Should not expect arguments over style of music, color of carpet, or even doctrinal outlier issues like dispensationalism. Expect mission to drive the conversation.
O AND BY THE WAY¦ Should not expect that community comes to you. I am sorry but true community in Christ will take some "effort" and a reshuffling of priorities for both you and your kids. Yes I know you want people to come to you and reach out to you and you're hurting and busy. But assuming you are a follower of Christ (this message is not for strangers to the gospel) you must learn that the answer to all those things is to enter into the practices of "being the Body" in Christ, including sitting, eating, sharing and praying together.
TEN THINGS ANYONE WHO JOINS IN A TWENTY FIRST CENTURY MISSIONAL CHURCH PLANT SHOULD NOT EXPECT
1.) Should not expect to regularly come to church for just one hour, get what you need for your own personal growth and development, and your kidss needs, and then leave til next Sunday. Expect mission to change your life. Expect however a richer life than you could have ever imagined.
2.) Should not expect that Jesus will fit in with every consumerist capitalist assumption, lifestyle, schedule or accoutrement you may have adopted before coming here. Expect to be freed from a lot of crap you will find out you never needed.
3.) Should not expect to be anonymous, unknown or be able to disappear in this church Body. Expect to be known and loved, supported in a glorious journey.
4.) Should not expect production style excellence all the time on Sunday worship gatherings. Expect organic, simple and authentic beauty.
5.) Should not expect a raucous "light out" youth program that entertains the teenagers, puts on a show that gets the kids "pumped up," all without parental involvement. Instead as the years go by, with our children as part of our life, worship and mission (and when the light shows dim and the cool youth pastor with the spiked hair burns out) expect our youth to have an authentic relationship with God thru Christ that carries them through a lifetime of journey with God.
6.) Should not expect to always "feel good,"or ecstatic on Sunday mornings. Expect that there will ALSO be times of confession, lament, self-examination and just plain silence.
7.) Should not expect a lot of sermons that promise you God will prosper you with "the life you've always wanted" if you'll just believe Him and step out on faith and give some more money for a bigger sanctuary. Expect sustenance for the journey.
8.) Should not expect rapid growth whereby we grow this church from 10 to a thousand in three years. Expect slower organic inefficient growth that engages people's lives where they are at and sees troubled people who would have nothing to do with the gospel marvelously saved.
9.) Should not expect all the meetings to happen in a church building. Expect a lot of the gatherings will be in homes, or sites of mission.
10.) Should not expect arguments over style of music, color of carpet, or even doctrinal outlier issues like dispensationalism. Expect mission to drive the conversation.
O AND BY THE WAY¦ Should not expect that community comes to you. I am sorry but true community in Christ will take some "effort" and a reshuffling of priorities for both you and your kids. Yes I know you want people to come to you and reach out to you and you're hurting and busy. But assuming you are a follower of Christ (this message is not for strangers to the gospel) you must learn that the answer to all those things is to enter into the practices of "being the Body" in Christ, including sitting, eating, sharing and praying together.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Reculturing Evangelism
So, it's nice to get some affirmation about what I've been saying. I've started a new book, A New Kind of Youth Ministry. Its interesting because the author, Chris Flomsbee, is the director of Sonlife ministries, Sonlife is natorious for holding large evangelistic events that don't produce disciples just converts.
In the first chapter of the book he calls for youth pastors to stop doing big event evangelism and to start doing relationship evangelism. Just get to know students as much as possible. He calls it a move to friendship evangelism. You meet friends and share with them how Christ has worked in your life by just living it. It's amazing to see what happens!
This fall we are starting a Friendship Evangelism program. We are getting teens together and teaching them the skills necessary to help their friends get to know Christ. Chris talks about how if all we do is large event evangelism how is one-on-one evangelism modelled for today's teen.
Growing up I was very close to my youth pastor. I watched him like a hawk! I don't know that he even knew it. But I was amazed at his ability to build relationships. It seemed as though every other year or so another family or person would start coming to church because of the relationship that he had built with them. I saw him do it, so now that I am in the position I have been challenged to do the same.
I am praying that many of the students that I come into contact with will live missionally. That everyone they come into contact with will understand that they are a follower of Christ and that their friends may understand that that it a better way to live!
In the first chapter of the book he calls for youth pastors to stop doing big event evangelism and to start doing relationship evangelism. Just get to know students as much as possible. He calls it a move to friendship evangelism. You meet friends and share with them how Christ has worked in your life by just living it. It's amazing to see what happens!
This fall we are starting a Friendship Evangelism program. We are getting teens together and teaching them the skills necessary to help their friends get to know Christ. Chris talks about how if all we do is large event evangelism how is one-on-one evangelism modelled for today's teen.
Growing up I was very close to my youth pastor. I watched him like a hawk! I don't know that he even knew it. But I was amazed at his ability to build relationships. It seemed as though every other year or so another family or person would start coming to church because of the relationship that he had built with them. I saw him do it, so now that I am in the position I have been challenged to do the same.
I am praying that many of the students that I come into contact with will live missionally. That everyone they come into contact with will understand that they are a follower of Christ and that their friends may understand that that it a better way to live!
Monday, August 06, 2007
Bridge Walking
When I was younger my family would take vacations to Mackinac City and we would have to cross the bridge at least once per day. It was thrilling! We loved it! My brothers and I would beg my dad to drive on the green part just to drive my Mom crazy! It was awesome. I don't remember when I heard that you could walk across the bridge on Labor Day, but I do remember my reaction. "I'm going to do it one day!"
Fast forward 6 years.
One day in youth group our youth pastor announced that we would be taking a trip to the bridge and walking across it to hand out tracts. I was the first to sign up on the list! I wanted to go more than anyone. The only problem was that I was supposed to hand out tracts. Well, I went I was given a large amount of tracts and a matching T-shirt and we went across. We were supposed to walk a little faster or slower with the crowd so that we were able to walk with several different people in order to share the gospel with them. The tracts we were given had a few tidbits of information in them about the Mackinac Bridge. So when we would come up to people we would ask "Do you want some free information about the bridge?" Most of them would say yes, and keep and we would keep moving. Well, the first person I came to I asked her if she wanted any information about the bridge and she quickly said that one of us had already gotten her. She was a little snippy and was probably upset after being deceived. I was a little thrown off by her and went further ahead and went to hand a father pushing a baby carriage 'some free information' when he stopped me told me that he didn't want it and that he was upset that he had been deceived already. He then asked me a question that I've never forgotten, Why do you feel as though you had to hide your message behind bridge facts? I didn't know what to say, so I asked him if I could tell him my message. He quickly said no, and I ran on ahead. After that confrontation I couldn't give out another tract, half scared and half thinking that we had evangelism all wrong, I just couldn't do it. Right near the end I just wanted to get off of the bridge so I ran the last 100 years or so and I tripped and fell on one of the bridge extension points I fell hard! 100 or so tracts flew into the air and went everywhere. People of all ages started laughing heavily out loud and in my direction. No one helped me up, no one helped me pick up my tracts. It was absolutely miserable. I think what I realized is that these people had all been deceived by our group by given them information on the bridge that they were happy that something had happened to one of us.
The problem is I think that they had the right to laugh. They had been deceived by Christians.
There was no relationship. I didn't work on a relationship with anybody on that walk. I just wanted to talk about how Jesus died and rose again, but I didn't want to act out how he lived. I just finished reading the book of Matthew and I was absolutely amazed at how Jesus lived, and how that is a part of the GOSPEL of Matthew. We neglect that Jesus spent years with people building relationships with those around him.
Evangelism is hard, because it involves relationships.
Fast forward 6 years.
One day in youth group our youth pastor announced that we would be taking a trip to the bridge and walking across it to hand out tracts. I was the first to sign up on the list! I wanted to go more than anyone. The only problem was that I was supposed to hand out tracts. Well, I went I was given a large amount of tracts and a matching T-shirt and we went across. We were supposed to walk a little faster or slower with the crowd so that we were able to walk with several different people in order to share the gospel with them. The tracts we were given had a few tidbits of information in them about the Mackinac Bridge. So when we would come up to people we would ask "Do you want some free information about the bridge?" Most of them would say yes, and keep and we would keep moving. Well, the first person I came to I asked her if she wanted any information about the bridge and she quickly said that one of us had already gotten her. She was a little snippy and was probably upset after being deceived. I was a little thrown off by her and went further ahead and went to hand a father pushing a baby carriage 'some free information' when he stopped me told me that he didn't want it and that he was upset that he had been deceived already. He then asked me a question that I've never forgotten, Why do you feel as though you had to hide your message behind bridge facts? I didn't know what to say, so I asked him if I could tell him my message. He quickly said no, and I ran on ahead. After that confrontation I couldn't give out another tract, half scared and half thinking that we had evangelism all wrong, I just couldn't do it. Right near the end I just wanted to get off of the bridge so I ran the last 100 years or so and I tripped and fell on one of the bridge extension points I fell hard! 100 or so tracts flew into the air and went everywhere. People of all ages started laughing heavily out loud and in my direction. No one helped me up, no one helped me pick up my tracts. It was absolutely miserable. I think what I realized is that these people had all been deceived by our group by given them information on the bridge that they were happy that something had happened to one of us.
The problem is I think that they had the right to laugh. They had been deceived by Christians.
There was no relationship. I didn't work on a relationship with anybody on that walk. I just wanted to talk about how Jesus died and rose again, but I didn't want to act out how he lived. I just finished reading the book of Matthew and I was absolutely amazed at how Jesus lived, and how that is a part of the GOSPEL of Matthew. We neglect that Jesus spent years with people building relationships with those around him.
Evangelism is hard, because it involves relationships.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Evangelism...
So, working in VBS has me thinking about the church and how it should evangelize. I'm going to write some thoughts here and I invite discussion.
First let me define Evangelism. Evangelism is the process in which a person is challenged about and brought into the Christian faith.
1. Evangelism should be hard!
It shouldn't be so easy that we can 'accidentally' find ourselves in this situation. This decision isn't something that we choose it is something that we are given. In that respect we should make it hard - cloud it in mystery. Tell someone who is about ready to accept this life about the trials. Jesus didn't beat around the bush. He told the good and the bad. People left him because of it. Why should we be any different.
2. Evangelism is for everyone!
I remember during a 7th grade Sunday School class on Evangelism and how our teacher told us flat out that she didn't need to Evangelize because she was a seed-planter and it wasn't her spiritual gift. We are all called to share the Good News of Jesus. We need to leave their decision to accept it to the Sovereignty of God.
3. Evangelism is relational!
Every 4th of July, Parade, County Fair, or for that matter any large public event I attend I can assure you that I will be stopped by someone with a very large bible who is handing out black and white tracts. They will talk very fast and I won't get a word in edge wise (to tell them I am a pastor) before they are at the end of their gospel presentation that may or may not condemn me to hell if I don't turn. It makes me sick. This person doesn't care about me; I hate to say this but its as if they only care about the number of people they 'bring with them into heaven.' Evangelism is a relationship that matures, and I assure you that this can be so much more valuable than large numbers (it can also be larger numbers of people - but that is another post). I remember a professor of mine telling those of us in his class about how a family moved into the house next door and he developed a relationship with the husband and it took 3 years of relationship building before he accepted Christ.
4. Evangelism should be small!
I really don't think that large evangelistic events aren't very profitable; at least not in today's society. We have several people accept Christ as savior at our VBS every year, but the fact is that none of them, unless their family attended our church prior to the program, start attending our church. In fact we lose contact with them until they show up next summer. Don't get me wrong I don't think we should stop doing these types of programs. I think that these programs would serve the church family better if they were an invitation to start attending a particular program or weekly event through the church. Thus beginning a relationship with them.
Those are just a few thoughts... I'm curious to know what you think
First let me define Evangelism. Evangelism is the process in which a person is challenged about and brought into the Christian faith.
1. Evangelism should be hard!
It shouldn't be so easy that we can 'accidentally' find ourselves in this situation. This decision isn't something that we choose it is something that we are given. In that respect we should make it hard - cloud it in mystery. Tell someone who is about ready to accept this life about the trials. Jesus didn't beat around the bush. He told the good and the bad. People left him because of it. Why should we be any different.
2. Evangelism is for everyone!
I remember during a 7th grade Sunday School class on Evangelism and how our teacher told us flat out that she didn't need to Evangelize because she was a seed-planter and it wasn't her spiritual gift. We are all called to share the Good News of Jesus. We need to leave their decision to accept it to the Sovereignty of God.
3. Evangelism is relational!
Every 4th of July, Parade, County Fair, or for that matter any large public event I attend I can assure you that I will be stopped by someone with a very large bible who is handing out black and white tracts. They will talk very fast and I won't get a word in edge wise (to tell them I am a pastor) before they are at the end of their gospel presentation that may or may not condemn me to hell if I don't turn. It makes me sick. This person doesn't care about me; I hate to say this but its as if they only care about the number of people they 'bring with them into heaven.' Evangelism is a relationship that matures, and I assure you that this can be so much more valuable than large numbers (it can also be larger numbers of people - but that is another post). I remember a professor of mine telling those of us in his class about how a family moved into the house next door and he developed a relationship with the husband and it took 3 years of relationship building before he accepted Christ.
4. Evangelism should be small!
I really don't think that large evangelistic events aren't very profitable; at least not in today's society. We have several people accept Christ as savior at our VBS every year, but the fact is that none of them, unless their family attended our church prior to the program, start attending our church. In fact we lose contact with them until they show up next summer. Don't get me wrong I don't think we should stop doing these types of programs. I think that these programs would serve the church family better if they were an invitation to start attending a particular program or weekly event through the church. Thus beginning a relationship with them.
Those are just a few thoughts... I'm curious to know what you think
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