Relational Evangelism Through the Local Church

1
Relational EvangelismThrough the Local Church

• A Workshop for the Congregations
• Evangelism/Mission Teams

George R. Estes General Assembly Board of Missions
Program advances automatically.
2
GOAL OF THE WORKSHOP

• To help church members and ministers consider
  afresh their calling to faith-sharing, and the
  networks of relationships that are the context
  for personal and corporate witness, with the goal
  of seeing unchurched and spiritually lost people
  become Christs disciples and responsible members
  of his church.

Go, therefore, and make disciples Matt.2919
3
Evangelism? Yikes!
What is evangelism to you?

• Your definition
• Your concerns
• Your expectations of your church in this regard
• Your involvement with unchurched folks

• How were WE reached?
• Impersonal
• Personal

4
Evangelism is
Many people think we need a new method of
evangelism. What we really need is integrity of
life-style, prayer, confidence in the gospel. We
need every-member missionaries. - Green

• Not a method, but
• A message...
• Not a program, but...
• A Person!
• JESUS CHRIST
• The Evangel
• The Word Incarnate
• The Living Lord
• Not what we do, but
• What Christ has done!

5
Evangelism is

• A dynamic word engages reflection on biblical
  understanding, differences in personality,
  cultural norms and methods, doctrinal
  perspectives, church life, etc.
• In the Greek NT euangellion is gospel, good news
• How can we get the good news back in
  evangelism?
• NT speaks of a gift of evangelists and doing
  the work of an evangelist

One of the most striking features in evangelism
in the early (church) was the people who engaged
in it. Communicating the faith was not regarded
as the preserve of the very zealous or the
officially designated evangelist. Evangelism was
the prerogative of every church member the
ordinary people of the church saw it as their
job Christianity was supremely a lay movement,
spread by informal missionaries. Michael Green

6
Some Typical Styles of Evangelism Multiple
Styles and Approaches-May Overlap and Provide
Synergy

• Confrontational (e.g., direct dialog about
  salvation)
• Conversational (e.g., listening, sharing)
• Intellectual (e.g., C.S. Lewis)
• Testimonial (e.g., How God changed my life)
• Interpersonal (e.g., seeker small groups)
• Invitational (e.g., to an outreach
  event/concert)
• Relational (e.g., networking with friends,
  relatives, co-workers, Lifestyle or
  Friendship evangelism)
• Presentational (e.g., crusade, evangelistic
  preaching, concert, drama, film)
• Incarnational (e.g., Servant Evangelism,
  intentional acts of kindness)

Sources Mittelberg, Towns, Arn, Hunter, Mead and
others.
7
Our Approach to Evangelism is...

• Evangelisms
• Golden Threads
• Being the Word
• Doing the Word
• Saying the Word

• Personal
• Genuine (its a heart thing)
• Foundational
• Biblical (back to basics John 316)
• Relational
• Person-centered ( seeing with
  eyes of Christ)
• Congregational
• Holistic (personal/social concern)

8
Typical Church Activities with Potential for
Evangelism
Intentionality is the key!

• Warmth, welcoming, witness
• Ushers, Greeters, Hosts
• Worship services, evangelistic services,
  recognition days
• Multiple styles, times for worship
• Christmas, Easter
• Visitor follow-up
• Baptism
• Infant (parents, guests)
• Profession (invitations)
• Wedding/Marriage
• Couple, party, family, guests
• Church use by unchurched
• Pre-marriage
• Marriage/family pastoral care

• Sunday School
• Pastors Class for New Members
• Small Group Bible Studies
• Wednesday Youth Club
• VBS, camps, retreats, mission trips
• Funerals
• Grief support
• Stephen Ministry, Support groups
• New Neighbors Club
• Community use of facilities
• Communion
• Concerts, dramas, musicals
• Community Visitation
• Crisis Ministry
• Equipping, budgeting, prioritizing
• Local, global support

Mouse click to continue
9
Four Stories for Faith-Sharing God created
people because God loves stories. Elie Wiesel

• Your story with God
• You are the authority on your relationship
• The difference Christ makes
• Gods story
• The Biblical message
• Spending time with the Word
• Your friends story
• Sensitive listening
• Folks dont care what you know till they know you
  care
• Your churchs story
• Church is not incidental
• A community of belonging, witness and service

10
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPSwith Non-Church People

• Since the Good News is a Person, not a method --
  and
• Most effective faith-sharing occurs in
  relationships
• Were called to widen our caring circle
• Christians often appear to know few unchurched
  people
• Our best model for relational evangelism is Jesus
  Christ
• Christ spent time with unbelievers, non-religious
  as well as with devout people
• Parable of Good Samaritan invites us to widen the
  caring circle

11
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPSA Matter for Prayer

• Who is God sending us to?
• Who is God sending to us?
• People we already know
• Family, friends, co-workers, neighbors
• Activities already doing
• Party with a purpose
• People we used to know
• Old classmates
• Previous work associates
• People we would like to know
• Strategic consumerism frequenting same stores,
  cafes, gas stations to develop relationships
• Arranging to meet community leaders

12
General Guidelinesfor Relational Witness

• Pray for other person and for oneself
• Listen genuine evidence of care
• Build on common interests
• Be yourself, i.e. - authentic
• Be ready to drop spiritual hints early e.g.,
  our daughter was at her church youth group last
  week and

13
Your Relationship Web

• Make a list of spiritually uninvolved folks you
  know
• Family, neighbors, associates, schoolmates, club
  members, doctors, repairmen, grocers, etc.
• Develop a Personal Profile for each of them
• Make your list a matter of disciplined prayer

14
Getting Started with aSpiritual
Conversation(Presuming a Relationship)

• Sense Gods opening
• Direct Method
• Indirect Transition, bridge, from casual to
  spiritual topic
• Weather, nature
• Hobby, mutual interest
• Holiday, birthday
• Sports
• Music
• Problem or difficulty
• Invitational Method 1 in 4 would come if invited

15
Some Tips

• Be willing to risk
• Be ready to make most of opportunity
• Keep it light
• Make it open-ended
• Invite continuing conversation later

• Four-part conversation-starter
• F -- Family
• O -- Occupation
• R -- Recreation
• E -- Experiences
• Focus on other persons interests.
• Better, discuss subject in which he or she has a
  personal emotional stake.
• Best, discuss a matter which involves a felt need
  in the other person.
• Find things in what the other person says to
  agree with or at least
• empathize with as a basis for more serious
  conversation.
• --- George Hunter