The Doors of the Church Are Open Reviving African American Churches

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The Doors of the Church Are OpenReviving African
American Churches Faith Communities

• Tyrone D. Gordon, Senior Pastor
• St. Luke Community United Methodist Church
• Dallas, Texas

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--Dr. Zan W. Holmes, Pastor EmeritusSt. Luke
Community United Methodist Church

• There is a difference between growing and
  swelling.

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What is holistic Evangelism?

• --Its about moving persons from mere church
  membership to committed Christian discipleship

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What is it really about?

• Its about raising disciples . . .
• Its about bring them in and moving them out . .
  .
• Its about producing prophetic disciples
• Who are about going out and bring change and
  transformation to a world gone mad!

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Working Definition of Evangelism

• According to Gordon
• Holistic evangelism is the proclamation of the
  Gospel of Jesus Christ, through Word and deed!

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Our Membership Vows

• I will be loyal to the United Methodist Church by
  upholding it with our prayers, presence, gifts
  and service-- Membership producing (old
  membership vows)
• I will be loyal to Christ, through the United
  Methodist Church by upholding it with our
  prayers, presence, gifts, service and
  witness.--Disciple Making (new membership vows)

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The Great Expectation !

• 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All
  authority in heaven and on earth has been given
  to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of
  all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
  Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
  20 and teaching them to obey everything I have
  commanded you. And surely I am with you always,
  to the very end of the age."
• --Matthew 2818-20 (NIV)

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A Cyclical View of Evangelism Revitalization
The Maturing Christian
Pre-Christian
Developing Serving Christian
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What Are We Really Dealing With?

• This is Not Line Fishing! This is Net Fishing!
• (Are the doors of your church really open or
  merely cracked?)

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Reaching

• In order to make disciples, we have to go and
  get them!
• In order to make disciples, we have to capture
  their minds, hearts, trust and respect
• In order to make disciples, we must resist the
  temptation to choose which fish we want to catch

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The Worship Experience

• --and the preaching moment must comfort,
  confront, challenge and invite persons to come to
  Jesus.

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Teaching

• Good preaching, inspiring and celebratory worship
  can draw folks but teaching will grow people.
• Churches cannot grow disciples if opportunities
  to learn what the traits of a disciple are not
  being taught.

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Christian Education in the Mix

• The role of Christian Education does not simply
  impart information, but gives inspiration to go
  beyond the walls of the Sanctuary. The Word
  became flesh and dealt among us.

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Training

• The primary ministry of the staffboth clergy and
  laity is to equip and empower the saints for
  ministry.
• Great care should be given to how we train, not
  only new members, but also existing members and
  leadership team.
• We invest time and energy in raising and
  developing Spiritual Leaders.

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• There is a difference between church work and the
  work of the church.

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• The work of the church mainly is to proclaim
• Jesus Christ, invite others into relationship
• with him and send them out into the world
• to bring spiritual, social, political and
• economic change and transformation to all of
• our communities.

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Deploying

• Other disciples make the greatest impact upon the
  world, particularly in the lives of others.
• We must move from in-reach to outreach.
• We must move from being a come to church to a
  being a go out and do church.

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The Challenge is

• If youve got good religion, you ought to show
  some sign.
• African American Spiritual

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The Heart of the Community

• When folks in the community see that the church
  has the community at heartthe community will
  hold that church to heart.

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Acts 18

• 8 What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when
  the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to
  be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and
  Samaria, even to the ends of the world."
• (Msg Translation)

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What Happens When. . .

• The people are deployed?
• The people are released?
• The people of God themselves are transformed?
• The people of God take seriously the command to
  bear fruit for the up-building of the Kingdom?

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And the final word . . .

• And surely I am with you always, to the very end
  of the age."
• Matthew 2820 (NIV)

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The Final Results

• To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the
  transformation of the world!

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What then?

• We will turn the world upside down then turn it
  right-side up!