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BLESSINGS FROM THE NORTHWESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA SYNOD’S COMMITTEE ON EVANGELICAL OUTREACH:
We
declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may
have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the
Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things
so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:3-4)
We write
this message on the NWPA Synod website to invite all in our midst
to pray and reflect about our Christian calling to share the good
news of Jesus Christ and to consider using the Committee on
Evangelical Outreach as a resource in your congregations,
clusters, or other gatherings.
A Lutheran Understanding
of Evangelism
Before
describing how the Committee on Evangelical Outreach might be of
assistance to congregations, clusters, or other gatherings, we
share with you an understanding of evangelism which is grounded in
our Lutheran identity.
l
As the
Greek word euangelion suggests, evangelism is the sharing
of the “good news” of Jesus Christ. Evangelism, then, deserves
our energy and excitement.
l
Unlike some
Christian traditions that spread their message through fear,
Lutheran evangelism is welcoming. We are guided and inspired by
Jesus’ words of invitation: “Come and see” (John 1:39).
l
During a
time of decline for many mainline Protestant denominations, our
temptation as congregants may be to regard the central task of
evangelism as the attraction of new members. Although we are
called to extend genuine hospitality to perspective members
and are not prohibited from hoping that our congregational
membership might grow, Lutherans must not confuse evangelism with
recruitment. Our motivation in evangelizing is to share the hope
of Jesus Christ that is within us, to “declare . . . what we have
seen and heard.”
l
Although
we might speak with the best intentions of “doing evangelism,”
it's more helpful to speak of “being evangelists.” The
task of telling others about Jesus Christ and inviting them to
embrace the faith is not a part-time effort, but a full-time
posture of Christian disciples toward the world. Evangelism,
then, is a way of being in creation.
l
Faithful
evangelism is grounded in our Lutheran identity. At the center of
this identity is what Luther called the “theology of the cross,”
which holds that Christ is revealed most deeply in his sacrifice.
This theology is unpalatable in contemporary culture, perhaps
because it resists easy answers to life’s mysteries and
questions. We acknowledge, therefore, that the life of faith
holds for us not quick fixes, but an ever-deepening relationship
with Jesus Christ.
l
Finally,
Lutherans realize that faithful evangelism is relational. While
websites, church signs, television commercials, and newspaper
advertisements have their place in spreading the good news,
life-changing and life-healing evangelism tends to happen the
context of human relationships—one person sharing faith with
another person. And because evangelism is relational, being
evangelists means that we genuinely care about those with whom we
share, listen as intentionally as we speak, and welcome others to
evangelize to us.
The Committee on
Evangelical Outreach as a Resource
The
Committee on Evangelical Outreach is available to congregations,
clusters, and other groups that want to pray about and reflect on
how best to reach out with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Since
we believe that evangelism is relational at its heart, the most
important resource we have to offer is ourselves. We don’t have
evangelism “packages” to share or step-by-step “programs” that
will make reserved Lutherans suddenly comfortable sharing their
faith with others. Instead, we would like to lead conversations
about evangelism that invite us all to consider who we are and who
God calls us to be as “little Christs” to those around us.
Being
a “little Christ” is a more challenging task that the phrase
connotes. “How do I find the right words to express the love of
Christ that is within me?” “How do I overcome the fear of being
rejected for sharing my faith?” “Am I really listening to others
as they speak of their beliefs?” “Can I find within me the love
of Christ for those who are hostile to Christianity and the
Church?” “Is it easier for me to ‘go . . . and make disciples
of all nations’ than it is for me to go next door?” Such are
some of the questions we offer if you invite us to be among you to
talk about evangelism.
Perhaps you would like one of us to lead your church council in an
hour’s reflection on evangelism. Or maybe your cluster would like
to have a Saturday morning evangelism retreat. Whatever your
vision for using the Committee on Evangelical Outreach as a
resource, please know we will be glad to collaborate with you to
“share what we have seen and heard” in the most effective and
meaningful way possible.
If you
would like to use the Committee on Evangelical Outreach as a
resource, please call Pastor John Coleman at 814-868-8685 or
e-mail him at
abidinghopelutheran@hotmail.com.
In
Christ’s service,
Pastor
John Coleman
Pastor Mark Fischer
Pastor Don Hake
Don Rhodes
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