In 2014 the Diocese of Chelmsford will celebrate 100 years of faithful service to Essex and East London. 2014 will be a great time to celebrate the hope which our churches have shared in the living Christ over our first 100 years and to commit to our next 100 years together. Also in 2014, by working in partnership with churches across London, Crossing London hopes to provide, during Autumn 2014, an opportunity for 10,000+ residents in London and the Home Counties to make a faith commitment and then to grow as disciples of Jesus.
Both initiatives encourage us to share our
faith with people on the fringe or outside of church. Bishop Stephen has
specifically asked that each Parish in the Diocese organise a Mission Weekend
during 2014 as part of the Diocesan Centenary Celebrations. A Mission Weekend
is a time set aside for specific events that share the gospel with people on
the fringe or outside the church. It is set in the context of understanding how
people grow and develop in faith, and of how we become a missionary church,
renewing our faith as we share it with others.
Evangelism
means sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. It is about telling the story of
our faith, witnessing to the difference Christian faith makes, and inviting
others to know Christ and be part of his church. Its aim is to make disciples
of Christ so that God’s kingdom may be established here on earth.
It
happens in many different ways. But all of us have a part to play. Some will
have a specific gift and calling to share the message of Christ. Others will
play their part just by being enabled to talk about their faith with
colleagues, friends and neighbours. Some will run groups to help people find
out about the Christian faith. Others will play a supportive role, offering
hospitality and friendship.
In the
diocese of Chelmsford we need a ministry of evangelism to be as normal a part
of parish life as worship on Sundays. For without an on-going ministry of
evangelism we will fail in our responsibility to answer the call that Jesus
gives us at the end of Matthew’s gospel “to make disciples.” And if we are not
making and growing disciples all the others things we long to do to make a
difference in the world will falter.
Bishop
Stephen has set out his recipe for evangelism. The main ingredients are: faith
in Jesus Christ; belief that his life, death and resurrection are good news for
all the world and for every person; desire to see God’s kingdom come on earth
by blessing and serving the local community; and readiness to face the cost of
change and growth.
Take one
church. Stir vigorously. But make
sure the ingredients do not separate. For this you will need leaders who share
responsibility and encourage others to use their gifts, and a laity who want to
be part of God’s mission. But there will never be any evangelism unless it
flows from a lived relationship with God.
Add
appropriate, sustainable, evangelistic events. These small scale do it yourself
events give people an opportunity to encounter the church and the gospel. They
give expression to the church’s task of sharing that gospel with everyone. They
act like yeast, activating all the other ministries and processes which make
for effective evangelism.
As you cook consider carefully who this recipe
is for. What are the tastes, cultures, passions, personalities, issues and
interests of the people you are seeking to feed? Adjust your ingredients
accordingly. But, remember, this is a meal many will not have come across
before and will inevitably taste a little strange at first.
Add the
following ingredients with care and precision. These are the things that will
carry the evangelism forward: a place of nurture for those who want to explore
faith; people to accompany them on the journey; the gentle challenge to respond
to the gospel; processes to enable people to grow up in their faith and
discover their own share in Christ’s ministry.
Finally,
encourage and equip every Christian to be a witness, helping them to articulate
and share their own faith. Without this there will not be enough evangelism to
go round. And there are lots of hungry people in the world. Place all this in
the warm oven of a loving Christian community and gradually turn up the
temperature. Pour on lashings of the Holy Spirit. Bring to the table blazing.
Serve with love.
Our Text
for 2014 also sets out an approach to mission and evangelism when it says:
“Be wise
in the way you act toward those who are not believers, making good use of every
opportunity you have. Your speech should always be pleasant and interesting,
and you should know how to give the right answer to everyone.” (Colossians 4. 5
– 6)
This
text says that mission and evangelism is about our actions and about our words.
To combine these two as our Text for 2014 suggests we just need to rediscover
something of our Lord Jesus. Krish Kandiah from the Evangelical Alliance has
written that: “Jesus demonstrated the good news of God in his actions centering
on his life, death and resurrection, but also in the way he touched lepers,
challenged hypocrisy, fed the hungry and healed the sick.
Jesus’
perfect actions spoke louder than our words ever could. But he didn’t stop
there – he explained his actions, finding the right words for the right people
and modelling for us the fact that, just as we push back the boundaries of
social action, equally we need to be pushing back the boundaries of our
conversations.
Sometimes
Jesus told a story, sometimes he engaged in discussion, sometimes he reminded
people of Old Testament ideas, sometimes preaching, sometimes provoking,
sometimes walking away with a punchline. He never used long words, he was never
patronising. He was always accessible, always loving, always gracious.
Evangelism
doesn’t have to mean arm-twisting our neighbours into attending church
meetings, or forcing our colleagues to come to terms with their own mortality
in their coffee break. Evangelism doesn’t have to be formulaic, middle class,
manipulative or misleading. Evangelism doesn’t have to be a war of words or
wills. Evangelism should not be a chore, a challenge – or a choice. Evangelism
Jesus-style is for all his disciples as we live authentic, humble lives.”
None of this is a criticism of what we are currently doing. Bishop Stephen has explicitly said that he wants to thank everyone in Chelmsford Diocese for the astonishing ministry done in our local parishes and communities. He sees this Sunday by Sunday and week by week as he travels around the diocese. All sorts of work undertaken, pastorally and evangelistically, which is demonstrating the love of God in beautiful and tangible ways. He wants to thank us and esteem us for this ministry.
But he also sincerely believes that we need to find new ways of
connecting with people and sharing with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not
because we're not doing it already, but because it is laid upon us to 'proclaim
the faith afresh in each generation'.
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Gungor - I Am Mountain.
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