Evangelism in the church

Promote the Promise

Posted on by Betsy

What are the causes that you promote? Are you an animal rights supporter, an active member of your school’s PTO, an ardent football team fan, or someone who believes very strongly in a political position or person? If you watch for signs in your neighborhood, you can spot the things people promote. From flags to bumper stickers to social media posts, it is easy to determine who promotes what in your circle of influence.

I have always loved how Paul promoted Jesus with a laser-sharp focus. His entire existence was for the single cause of bringing the Good News of the messiah’s salvation, hope, healing, and resurrection to the world. He literally went throughout the known world with the message of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus:

2 Timothy (Common English Bible)

1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, to promote the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.

2 To Timothy, my dear child.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 I’m grateful to God, whom I serve with a good conscience as my ancestors did. I constantly remember you in my prayers day and night. 4 When I remember your tears, I long to see you so that I can be filled with happiness.5 I’m reminded of your authentic faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I’m sure that this faith is also inside you.6 Because of this, I’m reminding you to revive God’s gift that is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled.

When you elect to share your love of Christ with others, you will need this spirit of power, love, and self-control that can only come from God. Not everyone wants to hear about Jesus. Not everyone wants to hear from you about your faith. I remember one such conversation decades ago when I attended my mother’s retirement dinner. She had served for 30 years as the school business administrator for a large high school, and a lovely banquet was held in her honor. I was invited to give the blessing. When I sat down, a brand new and very young assistant something-or-other said to me, “Are you really a minister?” I said yes and added that I was an ordained United Methodist minister, lest he think I was from some small, rogue denomination. “I don’t believe in women ministers,” he continued. “I think the Bible is very clear that women shouldn’t preach. After all, Jesus only chose men to be disciples.”

You can imagine the amount of self-control the Holy Spirit had to put on me in that moment. It seemed absurd to me that he started with “I don’t believe in women ministers” when one was sitting right next to him. Open your eyes, Dude! But God’s cooler head prevailed, and I focused on his last sentence. “So, I’m assuming that your pastor is a man,” I said. “Of course!” he replied. “And I’m assuming your pastor is a Jew,” I continued. He was shocked. “Well of course not! He’s a Baptist.” “Oh,” I continued. “I thought he must be a Jew, because Jesus only chose Jews to be disciples, so I figured that Biblical standard must be applied to your pastor as well.” He stuttered a bit and tried to bring up the old argument of women not speaking in church. I asked him if he knew who the very first preacher was, and he said he couldn’t name him.

His name was Mary, and she was the first one to preach the good news of the empty tomb on that first Easter morning.

People shouldn’t mess with me during the appetizers.

8 So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about the Lord or of me, his prisoner. Instead, share the suffering for the good news, depending on God’s power. 9 God is the one who saved and called us with a holy calling. This wasn’t based on what we have done, but it was based on his own purpose and grace that he gave us in Christ Jesus before time began.10 Now his grace is revealed through the appearance of our savior, Christ Jesus. He destroyed death and brought life and immortality into clear focus through the good news. 11 I was appointed a messenger, apostle, and teacher of this good news.

Let me be very clear about this: you, too have been appointed a messenger, apostle, and teacher of this good news. If you have accepted Christ as your savior, you are called to share it!

 12 This is also why I’m suffering the way I do, but I’m not ashamed. I know the one in whom I’ve placed my trust. I’m convinced that God is powerful enough to protect what he has placed in my trust until that day. 13 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you heard from me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Protect this good thing that has been placed in your trust through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Don’t be shy. Don’t be ashamed. Don’t hesitate. Don’t use words if you can’t think of any but show by your actions and your love whose cause you promote. Promoting the promise of the life that is in Christ is a lifelong endeavor.

Let’s get started.

It is good to share.

For the Called

Posted on by Betsy

I belong to a United Methodist Clergy Women’s Facebook page, and it is a revelation to hear from others what is happening in their churches. Most of it is uplifting and inspiring. Some of it makes me want to rise from my chair and throttle someone. Ministry is hard, folks. Be kind to your pastor…you have no idea what they are up against. Church is made up of many different individuals, all of whom have an opinion, and all who believe in their right to express it. This often results in the pastor taking the brunt of conflicting opinions while trying to maintain a fellowship of believers who have been called together to be the body of Christ for the world. Sometimes we all lose sight of that.

Any believer who actively practices and shares their faith can tell the same story. The truth is, we are ALL called through our baptisms to go and make disciples for the transformation of the world. This is everyone’s calling, whether you put on the robe or not. And many of you have taken the brunt of conversations with family and friends that did not go smoothly.

In our passage from Isaiah today, the great prophet describes his own process of being called by God to minister to God’s people. He lifts up the blessing of this calling, reveling in the fact that God “gave him an educated tongue to know how to respond to the weary.” YES! This is why we respond to our callings. But then again, he also mentions beard-plucking, which makes me glad I’m a girl:

Isaiah 50 (Common English Bible)

God’s faithful servant

4 The Lord God gave me an educated tongue
    to know how to respond to the weary
    with a word that will awaken them in the morning.
    God awakens my ear in the morning to listen,
    as educated people do. 5 The Lord God opened my ear; I didn’t rebel; I didn’t turn my back.

6 Instead, I gave my body to attackers,
    and my cheeks to beard pluckers.
I didn’t hide my face
    from insults and spitting.

7 The Lord God will help me;
    therefore, I haven’t been insulted.
Therefore, I set my face like flint,
    and knew I wouldn’t be ashamed.

8 The one who will declare me innocent is near.
    Who will argue with me?
Let’s stand up together.
    Who will bring judgment against me?
    Let him approach me.
9 Look! The Lord God will help me.
    Who will condemn me?
Look, they will wear out like clothing;
    the moth will eat them.

I love Isaiah’s attitude, and wish I had a gallon of it for times when I need it. These words apply to everyone. Anytime we have to defend our beliefs and articulate our faith to someone who is insulting and resisting our message, we need to set our faces like flint. What a great visual!

Who will argue with the Lord’s servants? Who will condemn us when we speak God’s truth? The Lord our God will help us, so let’s stand up together.

So the next time you are dealing with someone who condemns you, remember Isaiah’s words of wisdom: “Look! They will wear out like clothing; and the moth will eat them.” We need to remember that when we speak, we need only be concerned with the reactions of the Audience of One. If God is pleased, nothing else matters.

I guess that means I can stop wanting to throttle people, and let the moths take care of it. Thanks be to God!

Stay the Course by Michelle Robertson

Welcome?

Posted on by Betsy

How many of you are familiar with the British actor known as Mr. Bean? Played by Rowan Atkinson, Mr. Bean is a rubber-faced physical comedy master in the vein of Jim Carry or the Three Stooges. I stumbled upon a skit called Mr. Bean Goes to Church that I found to be both hilarious and distressingly true.

Mr. Bean visits a country church for the first time and struggles with how to do things “properly” because he is new. He can’t figure out the liturgy, sings off tempo, makes too much noise opening a cough drop, and eventually falls asleep during the sermon with his head bobbing on the shoulder and chest of the VERY visibly disgruntled church member sitting next to him.

Watching the reactions of the disapproving church member is where the story of hospitality in the church is told. He is very inconvenienced with this newbie next to him, is reluctant to share his pew and his hymnal, rolls his eyes when Mr. Bean sings at the wrong time, and does everything in his power to say “You’re not welcome here.” Mr. Bean doesn’t fit in.

Have you ever felt that way in a church? I have. My worst experience was in a church in New Orleans where we were spotted as “new” and made by the pastor to stand and not only introduce ourselves but tell “a little something about us.” We were just trying out all the Methodist churches in the area and simply wanted to worship. I am sure that pastor thought he had a very strong hospitality game by doing this. He was wrong. We never went back.

I have used this clip as an ice-breaker when training churches on how to be more welcoming. Hospitality in the church is the most vital part of our evangelism ministry yet we have no idea how we are perceived.

In Paul’s letter to the new church at Thessalonica, he praises them for their outreach efforts. Note that none of it has to do with brochures, a committee, calling out visitors in worship, or any of the things churches do in the name of “hospitality.”

1 Thessalonians (The Message)

7-10 Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you? The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t even have to say anything anymore—you’re the message!

All of us are in the “Evangelism Ministry.” True outreach happens when we authentically walk the talk and live out the Good News of Jesus in front of people with the simple example of our lives. When a fellowship of people truly love the Lord and ALL of his people, the word gets out.

People come up and tell us how you received us with open arms, how you deserted the dead idols of your old life so you could embrace and serve God, the true God. They marvel at how expectantly you await the arrival of his Son, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescued us from certain doom.

This actually has nothing to do with church and everything to do with you. When you put away the dead idols of your preconceived notion of who is included in “God’s people,” it is only then that you can embrace and serve God, the true God.

So be the message. Receive strangers with open arms in the name of Jesus. Jesus rescued us from certain doom! Find a way today to tell this Good News to someone who hasn’t heard it yet. YOU are an evangelist when your life echoes the Master’s Word. Go and tell!

Need a laugh? Watch this.

Go and Tell by Michelle Robertson