EvangeLectionary
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Since returning from the Worship Symposium of Calvin College at Grand Rapids, Michigan, I have been doing a lot of thinking about worship in the church. Worship is and will remain the key element of Christian expression. We remember that worship was vital to the life of the early church and that Jesus regularly went to the synagogue. If, for the average church member, Sunday morning worship is the main or primary experience of God, then it is important for us to consider carefully what we do in worship.
Every congregation I know at least says it wants to grow and share the good news. (We call this ‘doing evangelism’). I enter every congregation in which I serve with a mind for growth. After all, that is what we are called to do as a people of God, isn’t it? In addition to the vital aspects of our Christian ministry of offering care to the needy and justice to the oppressed, we are called by Christ to a ministry of evangelism, that is, to share the good news and make disciples of all the nations.
Unbinding Your Soul, Your Experiment in Prayer and Community, by Martha Grace Reese
Reviewed by Evan Gel
So here you are, pastor in a church content with things as they are, or a brand new church, or a good church that could be a great church and you want to get them off first base and moving toward what’s next. Where do you start, what do you do, how do you do it, and what do you use to get there? If it were I (I’m retired after four decades of ministry in four congregations in four states and a dozen years as my denomination’s minister of evangelism) I’d start with this book. The author provides all kinds of helps on how and what to do, and all the materials you’ll need to begin to move your faith community from here to there gradually, spiritually, and thoroughly!
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The church is working hard trying to live out its mission: “The Church that Loves Their Neighbors.” Most recently the idea of an “after-school” ministry to children in the neighborhood is underway. The program is called “After the Bell.” The principal of the nearby elementary school and the Sunburst Elementary School program director were consulted and gave their blessing. Less than a dozen students currently attend, but it is very early in the program, and, if enthusiasm can count for as much as experience the casual observer can’t help but “catch the spirit” of the children, the leaders and volunteers.
Despite the snowfall, 57 persons gathered in the warmth of a Vermont church hall for a two-day training conference offered in February 2008. The conference on Community Conflict Transformation (CCT) attracted a diverse group of participants, with only a few coming from religious communities. Most attendees came from area social service agencies, the local court system, the area health-care system and business and nonprofit sectors. Why did this workshop, sponsored at an American Baptist church and endorsed by the area’s interfaith council, attract so many persons from differing, yet primarily secular contexts? |
Written by Kwasi Kena |
“There a lot of things I could say to you today. I could tell you about the times I did drugs and nearly died. I could tell you about things that should have landed me in jail. I could tell you about running away and living on the streets at fourteen.” He paused dramatically and continued. “I could tell you all those things… but they would not be true.” Then he and the audience burst out into laughter. He continued saying, “I grew up in a Christian home and never experienced any of those things. God blessed me to avoid many of the pitfalls that my friends experienced.”
Written by Jonathan Shively |
 Dear Sisters and Brothers:Greetings in Jesus’ name! If you were given five minutes to tell your story right now about how Jesus’ love has impacted your life, could you do it? If I were to spend the next five minutes telling you about the love of Jesus in my life, would you recognize God’s work and could you be patient enough to listen? If we encountered one another on the street or in the store or over the phone today, would you be ready to express Jesus’ love for you, and for me, in meaningful ways? Evangelism is not a program or a project. Evangelism is a way of moving about in the world. In my humble understanding the word evangelism means that as we join in God’s work in the world we help others recognize the power and presence of God. We want to be equipped with eyes to see, ears to hear, lips to tell, hands to serve, and hearts to compel us into such loving relationships with the world. We want to recognize God’s reconciling and redeeming work, made flesh in Jesus Christ, in our daily lives! Sharing in the Good News is risky business because it means not only that the lives of others might be changed, but also that our lives might be transformed. God’s witness may show up in us to impact others, or in others to impact us. We can never be sure, but we endeavor to be ready. |
What happens when the school bell rings at the end of the day and children can’t just go home because Mom and Dad aren’t there? Is there a safe haven for the kids where they can go to an environment of safe play and homework time? A Phoenix church has come up with an answer that seems to be working. 
Over two decades ago I was sitting in a chapel service at a Christian university. A young man, barely twenty, walked tentatively to a microphone and stared out at the gathered crowd of 5,000 students and faculty. He cleared his throat and began to speak.“I started inviting people to church and they became Christians. Now nine of my friends who weren't attending church before are in my church. I love these people! I can't tell you what it means to me to have had a part in helping them move into faith.”
- Worship As Evangelism
"A worship service gives us a wonderful opportunit...
16.02.10 14:02
By Bridget Crowe - Worship As Evangelism
Hey EC readers! We've just added in a commenting c...
09.02.10 10:12
By Michael Bradley
| May 2010: Plant Generously, Reap Bountifully |
| The Church of the Brethren is hosting a church planting conference in May, 2010. Click here for details. |
- Becoming a 21st Century Congregation!
- Spiritual Formation: Shaping the Wellspring of Life
- How Our Church Is Connecting With Our Community
- An ELCA Movement—Calling the Church to Prayer and Renewal
- Hospitality: How We Do It…and How Your Church Can Do It, Too.
- Scripture Passages on Evangelism
- I Stand at the Door
- Friendly, Yes; Welcoming and Hospitable, No
- The Lighter Side of Evangelism
- 1. Hospitality: A Primary Value for God's People
- Characteristics of a Missional Church
- The Basics - First Impressions
- Hospitality Checklist
- 2. Ruth: Foreigner with an Inheritance from God
- Digital Stained Glass
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