On September 17 Fulcrum is hosting its first Pivot^Point event on the theme of ‘Growing God’s Kingdom through Intentional Evangelism’ at St James the less, Pimlico (7.30-9.30). In anticipation Canon Chris Russell,the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Advisor for Evangelism and Witness, (a keynote speaker with Dr Elaine Storkey) provides a background article, first published in the Church Times of 6 June 2014. For further details and to register for the (free) event click on the Eventbrite icon on the right hand side of the site or visit this page Why evangelism is always non-neogtiable A friend told me recently of his new job title: "Evangelist for Microsoft 360 Azure". "They actually call you that?" I asked. "Yes, business cards and everything. You see, Microsoft Azure truly is good news because it transforms . . ." I will spare you the rest of the conversation. But why is it that Microsoft is happy to use the concept of evangelism corporately, but people in the Church shy away from it, as if they might come out in a rash? My guess is that there are many reasons for this - some fairly understandable. I would like to make the case for it to take its place front and centre in the Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury has three priorities for his ministry: prayer, and the renewal of the religious life; reconciliation; and evangelism and witness. When Archbishop Welby first talked about appointing an Adviser for Evangelism and Witness, he explained the reason for using the "e-word". It was not simply because the term "mission" has - wonderfully in many ways - become the watch-word for everything we do in the Church, and as a concept has grown so large as to be ungraspable as a priority. Nor was it to give privilege to one church tradition above another. Evangelism is not, and will not be allowed to be, the preserve of Evangelicals: it is far too important for that. No, the reason for using the word "evangelism" is because it is a particularly Christian word: Jesus, we are told, arrived proclaiming the Good News. It is a relief that the cliché "Preach the gospel at all times: where necessary, use words" has ceased to do the rounds. At least, I hope it has - not just because there is no record that St Francis ever said it, but because, even if he did, it is just wrong: to proclaim the gospel is to use words. As T. S. Eliot's character Sweeney says: "I've gotta use words when I talk to you." We see this reflected in the first of the Anglican Five Marks of Mission: "To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom". Of course, to be believed, our life, personally and corporately, has to bear faithful witness. As Lesslie Newbigin said: "The Church is the hermeneutic of the gospel": the church community is the context in which the gospel message is best understood. Yet a commitment to evangelism is to a deliberate setting forth, a holding out, and declaring of the good news of Jesus Christ. Of course, we desire a response - as every call of God does. But the gospel is proclaimed primarily as an announcement of the action and intention of God. In the first sermon in Acts, Peter proclaims what God has done in Christ Jesus. He finishes, and the question comes: "What shall we do?" It is then that he invites their response: "Repent and be baptised." Evangelism is the discipline of not keeping the good news to ourselves. There is no better news for anybody, anywhere, than who God is for us in Jesus Christ - in whom God has chosen to be for all people. In his life, his teaching, his death, and his resurrection, God has chosen to love, call, suffer, die, rise, and open the Kingdom of God for each person. God desires each one to live in the joy of this grace. So many people are living with no knowledge of what God has done for them. And yet the difference would be transformative if this "took"; if this was effectual in human lives. The beauty of this gospel captivates our lives and sets us free. Evangelism is not a recruitment drive. It is not done for fear that nobody will be in the Church in a generation's time, or as a solution to financing crumbling buildings or crumbling clergy. It is our response to what God has done. This message is about the person of Jesus Christ: so it is always personal, always loving, always gracious, and always particular. It is not some package to be delivered, like some dusty just-add-water powder. As it is Jesus Christ we are setting forth, the words always are spoken in a specific tongue, at a specific time, with a specific accent, and a particular dialect. Evangelism requires listening and proclamation, reception and gift, the theologian Luke Bretherton writes. "We cannot presume to know what needs to be said and done with these people, in this place, at this time, if they are to truly hear and dwell within the gospel." The setting forth is essential. People cannot know the glad tidings unless God's community shares them. The gospel is not something we already know: it is new knowledge that cannot be known unless it is borne witness to. To hear, respond, and follow Jesus Christ is the best thing that anyone can do with his or her life. The Church exists as the bearer and performer of this good news. The Holy Spirit forms us in, through, and for this. A diocesan bishop told me recently about a congregation that had decided that it was not "called" to evangelism at that particular time, but would reconsider it in five years. "Why do they think it's an option?" he asked. "If they had decided they weren't called to worship, they would have expected me to turn up on the door the next day insisting that, because they were a Christian church, this wasn't an option for them. Why do we not grasp that evangelism is a non-negotiable?" Like my business friend, I am an evangelist. But if Microsoft is out there proclaiming cloud computing's potential to improve our lives, imagine how transformative the good news of Jesus Christ would be, if each of us was sharing it with those we met - whatever that meant in each different encounter, and even if it was clunky, and the words did not come out perfectly - because we knew that sharing Jesus was at the very core of following him. The truth is that our news is too good to keep to ourselves - and the adventure of discovering how we most faithfully do that is an amazing one
Chris Russell is the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Advisor for Evangelism and Witness,
I have just enjoyed being evangelized on Facebook the negotiation is in the physical presence part. But I thought how apt for this thread, it was the UBC broadcasting team Word for Today The sentence that drew my ear to listen closer was when I share your faith that helps me and when I share my faith I that helps you, because in the sharing we are showing each other what faith is. So the negotiation is in the fact that no-one sees me sharing that faith, no-one hears me sharing that faith, but on this occasion that is how I shared, Also today I received a notification from Chester Cathedral wishing me a happy Sunday I thought that was thoughtful I have shared communion with them occasionally not that they knew it of course even though the person who served me was from St Johns I just flew in and out as you do. You see I think if we say Evangelism is always non negotiable, my ears hear rightly or wrongly I cannot explore the gospel with you, you are simply going to manipulate me to agreeing with you, that feels uncomfortable. I like exploring the gospel, I love it when something makes me sit up and listen and I feel inspired. Sometimes I think that we struggle with comfort, ie I must feel uncomfortable to be godly or loved by God. I am not sure we are meant to think that, especially if it makes us helpless and inactive rather than active as Christians. Opportunity for evangelism does not really need to be searched for , it presents itself usually. The negotiation listening is sometimes an act of evangelism because sometimes listening helps the person to find Jesus for themselves and grow I know this to be true. I talk a lot usually about nothing in particular but I also listen intently to God and those who share him in what ever way they do.
Yes Dave I agree I think!? Marketing Jesus comes in the sharing Jesus in the many ways that we do it. Evangelizing the unreached is the speakers corner in London or the market squares in our cities and it is in sharing the church halls or concerts my point was that clergy are selling that the logic being that well its cheaper than paying for a pop concert or for high tea else where. I honestly believe that is not evangelism that is sales, usually to raise funds for the church or the already converted,, when strangers walk in are they evangelized probably not they are spoken to possibly by the clergyman on the way in and on the way out but are they shared with most likely not. Inviting people to share the gospel is a bit heavy in the initial stages but sharing leisure activites is not usually unless people are ignored which I have experienced many times, and observed many times when I am the unknown stranger. It is a scary learning curve for all those training singing in the public square or sharing in public its like cold calling. People don’t normally like it unless they know the person doing it or they are a believer themselves. Yet where there is a presense usually eventually people respond to it and respect it, Nowadays it tends to be done more in the form of street pastors mopping up sick and finding shoes, But they are respected as being there at the point of need. It is after the initial point of need that there appears to my mind to be a gap. I will never forget the tim[e I sat down to lunch at st johns and discussed evangelism with the person next to me I told him how I thought evangelising the young on the streets was dangerous because if they could go off with an evangelist they could go off with anyone. He smiled and don’t remember what he said I discovered after that it was Graham Green as I stood next to Rosemary waiting to go into the morning prayers LoL I haven’t changed much.
We cannot sell Jesus as salvation is free. We can however market Jesus, The distinction I am making is that selling closing the deal whereas marketing is creating a presence in the public perception. The point, I remember from long ago, of University missions was to make Jesus news. This is not an alternative to personal evangelism. There are many Christians who are good at this. There are many Christians who can run good medium sized meetings. All of this tends to reach the same fringe of the church and just beyond the church, which has probably been approached many times already. As I see it, the point of intentional evangelism to go outside this circle. There is an old phrase which sums this up well “reaching the unreached” which I think originally referred to foreign missions.
I agree with everything Chris Russell says here about evangelism , his friend though was very clever in recognizing that the cognitive processes of positive thinking sells. Evangelism however does not usually use such language when “selling” Christ. I am not sure that selling Christ is either ethical or right or necessary .
Christ improves our lives? this is a speculative comment, most people are concerned about the “now” delayed gratification has become harder to” sell ” because lives are so much more at risk than they used to be in this country at least.
Evangelism is practical, it is the getting alongside, being with, and sharing with. It is individual rather than on mass. I feel as though Chris is sort of missing this point of evangelism. When I say missing this point I don’t mean he misses it personally but he misses the fact that it is going on everywhere. Evangelism at its best gives hope and encourages people , at worst it threatens and demoralises people. Evangelism can do both which is why it is always best on an individual basis. Because it is on an individual basis it is not recorded. Ironically though as a business model it is a good one people will buy what they need to understand, what it is God has to offer. I confess to being a little concerned at how “expensive” it is to be a Christian to stay informed. Some writers take this seriously and give their book away only for someone else to say well they will have to pay in some other way. To that end Christianity is more difficult for some to choose. Which is why practical evangelism is so important. In a sense as I have said before in relation to other posts the “human resources” exploited that it took the Evangelism model as seeing how important people were to each other and created paid employment from it. Some saw that as a good thing well people have employment, they can be paid as an evangelist. But I don’t and never have I have always seen it for what it is using God and Evangelism to make money .
Celebrating what we have been able to do because we believe in Christ is important and sharing it appropriately is important, there is a time and a place, telling people how wonderful God is when they have just buried someone is perhaps not the most appropriate , but sharing how you can be alongside and what may help you through the tears is, its the being alongside rather than using the megaphone approach which is real evangelism. It is not for sale it is freely given.” Freely freely you have received . Freely Freely give go in my name and because you believe others will know that I live. Finances are not always available but for people to know you care is the best evangelism ever.It draws people closer to God because it is God led.