The E word 1910 The World Missionary Conference

The E word

1910 The World Missionary Conference “ the most notable gathering in the interest of the world wide expansion of Christianity ever held……. ”

1954 Billy Graham at Wembley Stadium

2009 Baptism of Jade Goody and her sons

Christine had been raised Anglican. . Religious People of any serious kind made her nervous: They were like men in rain coats who might or might not be flashers. You would be going along with them in a normal way, and then there would could be a swift movement and you would look down to find the coat wide open & nothing on under it. Scarlet Ibis by Margaret Atwood.

. I know I should be doing evangelism, but I just don’t want to but I feel guilty about that.

Connecting with our own stories Very briefly explain how you came to Christian faith ? What were the most important factors in this?

“evangelism is that dimension and activity of the church’s mission which seeks to offer every person, everywhere, a valid opportunity to be directly challenged by the gospel of explicit faith in Jesus Christ, with a view to embracing him as Saviour, becoming a loving member of his community and being enlisted in his service of reconciliation, peace and justice on earth. ” David Bosch

The Church exists for nothing else but to draw people into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, fresh expressions, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. C. S. Lewis

• Danger of reductionism • Separate justification from sanctification • Information rather than transformation • Participation in God’s mission not consumers of gospel • Danger of functional atheism

The Three Stories Of Evangelism

The big story

The particular to the universal • One place to every place • One person/people to many • One time into an ever new future

“These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also. ” Acts 17 ; 7

70% of all Christians have come to faith since 1900. 1940 1/32 world population were Christian 1994 1/10 world population were Christian

‘We live in a culture so saturated with self, in which humans have placed themselves in the centre for so long, that our natural tendency , even as Christians , is to focus on the human aspects of evangelism and not the divine. Yet it is God who takes the initiative to pursue seekers, it is his Spirit who converts, it is his gospel that saves. Evangelism is God’s business from start to finish. ’

Our story

‘Transformed leaders have a clear conviction that God can and will work through their congregation to change lives and that their congregation of people can be used by God to help change the world. Such vision begins with the clear vision of the evangelising community and what that community might look like in its particular setting and circumstances

The responsive story

• outsiders become insiders • forgetters become rememberers • beloved children become believeful adults

• gradual • relational • communal • formational • transforming

‘beauty of life. . . causes strangers to join the ranks. . . we do not talk about great things; we live them. ’ (Minucius Felix c 160 ad)

Evangelism is no safe church activity that will sustain a conventional church, nor a routine enterprise that will support a societal status quo. The news that God has triumphed means that a transformed life , i. e. one changed by the hearing of the good news, works to bring more and more of life, personal and public, under the rule of this world transforming, slave liberating, covenant making, promise keeping , justice –commanding God. ’

The Purposes of God’s Mission • to deal with the guilt of human sin • to defeat the powers of evil • to destroy death • to remove the barriers of alienation • to heal and reconcile his whole creation Chris Wright. The Mission of God

“ By God’s incredible grace we have a gospel big enough to redeem all that sin and evil has touched. And every dimension of that good news is good news utterly and only because of the blood of Christ on the cross. ”

Evangelism • is the heart of mission • seeks to bring people into the visible community of believers • involves witnessing to what God has done, is doing and will do. • is invitation • is verbal • requires a Christian community that demonstrates faith • takes risks • is a calling to give life not just receive it. • is not offering individual bliss but a place in God’s mission

A Prayer • Colossians 4 v 2 -4 • The link between prayer & evangelism • Keeping watch

A Look Out • A sentry on the city wall • Alert and alive to God • Simeon and Anna

A Steward • Eph 3 v 7 or Col 1 v 23 • Diakonos • A go between • Jesus in John 13

‘ As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully. 2 Timothy 4 v 5.

• Envision • Encourage • Equip • Example • Expectancy

• Envision

‘How does the church become the evangelising centre it was meant to be? Before we think of programmes or techniques, we need to be renewed in our vision of who Christ is and what God’s purposes are for the world. ’ Rebecca Manley Pippert.

• Envision • Encourage • Equip • Example • Expectancy

“ The Christian movement was not initiated by a band of professional evangelists eager to sign up a PR firm and get the show on the road. Rather the gospel spread and the church grew because the sovereign hand of God was in the midst of this community that found itself surrounded by people who were puzzled & intrigued by what they saw happening. ” William Abrahams

The relationship between community and discipleship

Love Relate Create

The marks of a leader in evangelism

A called leader

A praying leader

A leader who does the basics well

An outwardly focused leader

A passionate leader

A bold leader

A persistent leader

An enabling leader

An multiplying leader

A leader who lives mission locally & globally