And Now, A Word on Evangelism

One of the reasons growing churches (and church movements such as AC-NA) are growing is they have completely understood the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations. To them, evangelism is not a mystery or a dirty word. Evangelism is something in which all Christians are to be engaged. Conversely, churches which are not growing (and denominations such as TEC) have turned the Great Commission into something completely mystifying or even worse, something to be avoided. As a result, most Christians in New England have neither the desire nor the capability of truly being or making a disciple for Christ. If we at All Saints Anglican are to avoid this trap, and if we are to become a part of a vital and growing church, we must thoroughly understand and engage in true discipleship, and true disciple-making. So allow me to offer to you a definition for evangelism so glaringly simple, so astoundingly clear, it will forever cut through the complex mess we have made of it.

I have never understood what everyone means by Evangelism

Evangelism is quite simply this: participating in personal and corporate worship, participating in personal and corporate study of the Word of God and engaging in apostolic action. What happens when a church adopts and understands this model of true evangelism? Here is a witness from The Rev. Phil Ashey of AC-NA:

Looky here: An evening service at St. Mark's, Battersea (England)

I have never seen so many 25-35 year olds gathered together for an Anglican service. The church was packed stem to stern with young professionals, young families and infants in tow. The worship was anointed, the prayers and Holy Communion were from the heart, and the preaching was clear, challenging and relevant, with an appeal to become salt and light through a month of community clean-up projects, adoption of whole neighborhoods, concerts, recreational events, and all of it leading to a summertime ALPHA. Salt and light, word and deed.

So?

Good question. Let’s take a look. First, you have to be struck by first two lines describing the congregants attending this Anglican service. Clearly this church must be doing something right if they are able to reach out to and include within the congregation one of the hardest to reach people groups in a community. I’m talking about the 25-35 year old members, among whom were both young professionals and couples with children. This group is among the hardest to reach because of the failure of previous generations to instill within them knowledge for and a love of the true meaning of Christianity. Yet here we see them gathered together along with the faithful core of any living church.

What in the world is going on here?

Another good question. The answer is nothing less than true evangelism, and it begins with corporate worship. The Rev Phil Ashey observes the “worship was anointed, and the prayers and Holy Communion were from the heart, and the preaching was clear.” Every vital church must strive for such a description of their own worship service, a worship within which the Word and the Sacraments are offered in the power of the Holy Spirit. That modern buzzword “relevancy” need not apply here, except in the context of the service and the challenges issued to live out the Christian message. There is here, and we too must seek, a thorough blend of contemporary language and music (along with a few of our good old Anglican traditional components) coupled with a lively offering of God’s Word and Sacraments. All church evangelism begins here: in prayer, in worship, providing an opportunity for all to encounter the Risen Christ.

But Notice Where this Leads

The Rev Ashley tells us the entire service led to “an appeal to become salt and light through a month of community clean-up projects, adoption of whole neighborhoods, concerts, recreational events, and all of it leading to a summertime ALPHA. Salt and light, word and deed.”

Salt and light. Word and deed. Apostolic action within the community for the love of Christ and our fellow man (and woman, and child). Perhaps their size allowed them to undertake a larger vision of outreach than can be achieved by smaller congregations; nevertheless the example set here is a modern application of the kind of evangelism opportunities practiced by Christians throughout the centuries.

It does not matter if a Christian group is digging a well in Somalia or adopting a whole neighborhood for clean-up projects, the outcome is the same. Nor does a congregation need to be very large to offer concerts, recreational events and summer activities for children. But notice these are done not for the sake of the event itself. Rather the outreach programs are designed as an opportunity to offer a summertime ALPHA program. ALPHA is a program designed for those who are either non-Christian or are questioning Christianity. Other such programs exist as well. The program is not the issue but rather that such a program is the target objective for each outreach activity. Presumably those who are engaged in outreach are at the same time encouraging others to attend the summertime evangelism program.

I told you it was simple

See? I told you there is no mystery to evangelism. Nor is it difficult. We as church leaders are responsible for providing you as congregational members a worship service that is both spirit-filled and thoroughly Anglican. Context may vary but the content remains faithful to our roots. Clearly this is no barrier to “the younger generation.” In fact research indicates this is precisely what attracts young people. It is only among us aging “baby boomers” we find a reluctance to enthusiastically embrace the traditions of our truest history.

Study of God’s Word is both corporate and personal. The sermon must be delivered in a clear and faithful rendering of the Word of God. It must provide contemporary application while honoring its contextual meaning. Who said or wrote this book, or passage? To whom was this written, and at what time? Are there any words used which seem to be clear to us but in fact carried a completely different meaning? How would those first hearing these words have received them and understood them? Only when we have answered these questions can we move on to the question, what does this mean for us today? Such personal and corporate study of the Word of God will lead to a vital relationship with God through the Scriptures.

If we have learned anything about the “younger generation” it is they want to be engaged and connected. They want to make a difference in a world they see as increasingly dangerous and dark. Such programs as mentioned previously do just that: they connect workers with neighbors in need and with one another. There is less desire to fly to Africa than to teach neighborhood children to sing, play an instrument, participate in sports or learn how to express themselves through acting. These are engaging outreach programs which allow the offer: why not come and see what ALPHA is all about? I’ll go with you. When that is said, evangelism has begun.

Again, so what?

Great! Glad you asked! Really.

• First, go back and read this article from beginning to end.
• Second, because you are going to say to yourself “I don’t have time to do that,” you won’t have time to take the words seriously and apply them to yourself.
• So third, ask yourself this: if I can find the time to do the other things I want to do, but I can’t find or make the time to be an active Christian through prayer and worship, by reading and studying the Word of God, and by participating in a vital ministry reaching out to God’s people, then in what way am I a biblical Christian at all?
• Fourth, remember we are not simply here to try and make the world a better place. We may or may not accomplish that by what we do. Chances are we will not and that is not why we do these things anyway. We are here to rejoice in the salvation we have received in Christ. We are here to share our story of salvation with others. We are here to be obedient to God’s word and plan for the church and for our lives. That’s why we do what we do.
• Fifth, also remember it is all about where you and others will spend eternity: with Jesus in heaven, or with Satan in hell. It’s all about salvation.

The Bottom Line: if you are a Christian, act like one

I guess there is always a bottom line so here is mine. I want you to say to yourself:

I will faithfully engage God in prayer through personal and corporate worship that brings me closer to God the Father who gave His only Son that I might have eternal life.

I will read and study the Word of God, personally and with other Christians, in such a way that I understand clearly and apply what has been caused to be written throughout the centuries for my sake.

I will seek to do those things I can through my own gifts and talents which will bring relief or just a smile to those who need Christ so badly.

And when the opportunity arises,

I will invite those who do not know Jesus Christ to come with me and learn how to find God through payer and worship, or through reading and studying the Word of God, or by doing good things at all times for the sake of Christ our Lord.

Hey, look at you! You’re an evangelist!