Evangelism Ministry
Evangelism Ministry Our Members Are:
Ralph Agavino
Natalie Bonshire
Doug Coyner
Nancy House
Melinda Jud
Mike Kimmel
Verna Rose
Irene Sleath
Marvin Zeuhlke
Making Christ Known
“Jesus
came and told his disciples, ‘I have been
given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and
make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples
to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this:
I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”
Matt 28:18-20
This ministry of our congregation is tasked with providing leadership in
encouraging and equipping our congregation to share the good news of
God’s love in Christ. Our work falls into four areas:
1. Hospitality (Welcome Them In!) to members and visitors to help
them experience God’s welcome in our community of faith.
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Guests worship in our church. Our building, our people, our worship reflects our welcome to guests.
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Guests are followed-up with after worship services. A member of the Evangelism Ministry calls the guest within 24-48 hours. Pastor Lance calls each guest within one week of their visit.
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Guests express an interest in joining our congregation. Pastor Lance and a member of the committee visit with the new person/family. The family is invited to participate in the fullness of life in the congregation. A Fellowship Friend is assigned to answer questions and help make connections.
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Guests go through a new member process. Guests are invited to a new member brunch to meet those who are joining and their Fellowship Friend, then attend new member classes.
2. Inreach (Build Them Up!) to members through fellowship, care,
and support to build them up in their faith.
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Members are invited to participate fully into the life of the congregation and to live out their discipleship. This includes worship, sharing, study, service, encouraging, and inviting.
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When members are absent or become inactive, Pastor Lance and members of the Evangelism Ministry make calls and send cards to those who are missed.
3. Outreach (Send Them Out!) to the community to tell the story of
our congregation to those beyond our walls and to invite others into
life with God.
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Tell the story of our ministry and mission
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Invite a Friend Sunday
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Evangelism presence at the Craft Sale and Vacation Bible School
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Participate in the Warrenton Spring Festival in May by having a booth and spreading the Good News
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Host the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
4. Communications (Reflect the Light!) internally and externally
to share the story of our congregation’s mission and ministry.
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Continue to enhance the OSLC website.
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Create a CD that highlights the mission of OSLC.
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Distribute flyers to neighborhoods inviting them to the Saturday service.
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Get better signage for service times in the parking lot.
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Look at greater coverage in the newspapers.
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Create other marketing strategies appropriate to the Gospel of Christ.
What is the big E? Evangelism
To those of us that have grown up with televangelists and other
denominations that go door to door asking
if we believe, there may be barriers or obstacles in the way of our
mission. The Great Commission.. Go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy
spirit, 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
28:19-20 NIV) The questions remain: How can we do this today? Do I have
to go on a crusade? Go door to door? Step out of my comfort zone of my
brain? Before we can answer these questions maybe we should look at who
we are. We are children of a gracious heavenly father who loves us,
wants us to know it and to tell others of His unconditional love. It is
my belief that God wants us to love him, to be a part of his family, to
become like him, to serve him, and to tell others about him. It is the
last part, tell others about him, that is E. Whatever the images that
come to mind when we hear the word evangelism it really is about telling
the good news. It is good. God is good. The good is our hope. The woman
at the well could barely contain herself when speaking of this man,
Jesus, to her friends, telling them all that she had heard. It was a
fire rather than a pilot light in her heart. Most of us will probably
never go on mission trips or stand on street corners, but we can tell
others that Jesus loves me and we can tell others that He loves them
too! How do we do this? There are as many ways as there are different
people. I have heard it said, Grow where you are planted and that means
no matter who, where or how broken we are God will never waste an
opportunity or resource. God is good at using all and he will and can
use the cracked. The cracked pots. It is the pots that are full of holes
that can become the best watering vessels for the garden. The real
question is, will we let him use us? E is a smile, a handshake, a come
into my home to share, a piece of cake, a cup of coffee, or a cup of
cool water from the well. We are all thirsty, thirsty for friendships
and a loving welcome. Let us open our hearts it can start with a smile
and it begins with each and every one of us. [1] Rick Warren.
The Great Commission
“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given complete
authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the
commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with
you always, even to the end of the age.’” Matt 28:18-20
The above passage is often referred to as The Great Commission, and ends
the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. When someone is dying or leaving
us, his or her last words are very important. Jesus left the
disciples with these last words of instruction: They were under
his authority; they were to make more disciples; they were to baptize
and teach these new disciples to obey Christ; Christ would be with them
always.
John 20:21 says “He spoke to them again and said, ‘Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’” The challenge is
clear. We, the disciples of Jesus are to take over Jesus’ work.
Jesus did the Father’s will? Now we are to do our Father’s will.
Jesus brought life to the world? Now we are to bring his new life
to the world. Jesus portrayed the Father by his works and his
words? Now we are to portray the Father by our works and
words. Every condition of his mission is a condition to our
mission. The way Jesus carried out the will of our Father is the
way we are to carry out his will. The responsibility is ours.
Jesus was a window into God, and now God wants to fill the world with
millions of windows: the followers of Jesus. Fortunately,
Jesus doesn’t just send us, he also sends the Holy Spirit to help us do
what would otherwise be impossible.
So, we have been given our instructions, and by example, how to follow
them. But how, in this day and age, in our culture, do we really
become effective evangelists? There are several types of
evangelism, two of which are Individual and Congregational.
Individual evangelism is sharing your faith through daily life, at work,
at home, in social situations. Leading others to Christ by
imitating Christ, and living a Christ-filled life.
Congregational evangelism is the church going out into the communities
to proclaim Christ. There are four general areas of congregational
evangelism, so it is easy for each member of the congregation to find a
niche in making Christ known. The four areas are:
Hospitality and Response, Discipleship and Incorporation, Intentional
Outreach, and Communications and Public Relations.
The Hospitality and Response area of evangelism is concerned with issues
of welcome. For most, this is the easiest area of evangelism to
participate in, as the visitor has already taken the initiative by
coming to worship, but first impressions are so important. Take
the time to greet visitors, help them, if necessary, with following the
service, or what to do at communion. Ask them if they have any
questions. Direct them to one of the pastors, and to the
Hospitality Table in the narthex. Listen to what they have to say,
invite them to return soon, and let them know that their presence was
appreciated.
The emphasis of the Discipleship and Incorporation area of evangelism is concerned with all that a congregation does to incorporate, involve, and strengthen the faith of members. It focuses on nurturing new disciples of Christ in their faith and embracing them into the life of the congregation as well as on deepening the faith and commitment of every present member. Ways to participate in this area are to be a new member fellowship friend. Attend new member receptions. Attend small-group gatherings that are focused on discipleship, prayer, Bible study and daily life, like the Men’s Group, Laura Barr, or Rebekah circles. Become active in ministries of care, like Social Ministry, or Care-Giving. Take part in Sunday School. Invite new members or returning members to attend these activities with you. Build yourself up, so that you are ready to make Christ known when God calls upon you.
The third area of evangelism, Intentional Outreach to nonmembers, is focused on the questions “Who are the unchurched and unbaptized in our community?” and “How can we reach them with an invitation to faith and discipleship?” This is where we really embrace the Great Commission given to us by Jesus, where we focus on what is outside the walls of our church building. It represents a link between that Great Commission and the Great Commandment (“Love one another” John 13:34). If you know of someone who is looking for a church, invite them to come with you. If you know of someone who recently moved into the area, ask if they’ve found a church home, and if not, invite them. Take an active part of the ministries of the church and community that go into the community, like Social Ministry, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, and volunteering at the homeless shelter. Encourage friends of your children (or encourage your children to encourage their friends!) to participate in youth meetings. T
he Communications and Public Relations area of evangelism concerns
itself with all that a congregation does to promote its image and
ministry to the community, as well as keeping members informed and
motivated in their participation in the evangelism ministry. Ways
to participate in this area include helping with the newsletter, keeping
the website up to date, keeping members up to date with activities via
the bulletin and newsletter, placing information about your group or
ministry team in the Fellowship hall, or keeping the Communications Task
Group informed of local advertising opportunities.
In all areas, the Evangelism Ministry team welcomes any and all who wish
to volunteer.
I will end with a reiteration of the Great Commission. We are to go – whether it is next door or to another country – and make disciples. It is not an option, but a command to all who call Jesus “Lord”. We are not all evangelists in the formal sense, but we have all received gifts that we can use to help fulfill the Great Commission. As we obey, we have comfort in the knowledge that Jesus is always with us.
