Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

    At several points in my life I spent time actively trying to
    evangelize. Walking up to people on the streets or even in their
    college dorm. Obviously "go" was step one. Now a days I try and
    evangelize mostly by living my life so that people will ask me
    why I'm different but there are times one is called to "go". That
    call should be answered.

    During every point in my life when I have been actively witnessing
    to someone I've found the process to work best when I listen more then
    I speak. One should understand the other person and listen to their
    concerns and opinions. If you don't listen to others you can't expect
    them to listen to you. Nor can you really know what to say to them.
    (More on that later.) Lastly if you care about people you listen to
    them. Even at a subconscious level people are more likely to believe
    you care if you listen and believe you don't care if you don't listen.
    If we truly care about a person not only do we what them to come to
    know Christ but we must care enough to listen.

    Tell. This is both the hardest and easiest part of evangelism. If we
    try to do it on our own it's hard. We can and do say the wrong things.
    We bother people. Bothering can be both bad and good of course but I
    refer to bother in it's bad forms when we do it on our own. When we
    let God speak through us, a practice that comes easier after long
    periods of prayer for me, several things happen. One is that the right
    words come out. The other is that fewer words are needed giving us
    more time to listen. Preaching and teaching are for growth and
    instruction of the faithful. To me at least. Telling is simple sharing.
    *We* don't convert people. *We* don't move peoples hearts. The Holy
    Spirit does those things. If someone doesn't believe that's not our
    fault and we can't make them see things our way. Attempts at that are
    doomed to failure. Plant the seed, tell someone what you believe. The
    rest is between them and God.

    			Alfred

    I'll have a GLT on whole-grain.
    
    DR

    Ev - angel - ism
    ----------------
    "Ev" meaning: Good News
    
    "Angel" meaning: Messenger
    
    "Ism" means: ism ;+}
    
    An evangelist, it seems, should be a Messenger with some Good News to
    deliver.
    
    Richard

		The Spirit of God is upon us,
		for God has annointed us.
		God has sent us to bring
		good news to the poor,
		to bind up the broken-hearted,
		to proclaim liberty to the captives,
		freedom to those who are oppressed...
		to comfort all those who mourn
		and to give them for ashes a garland.

						(Isaiah 61:1-3)

    re: .4 - What a delightful first note to read at 7:50 AM!

    Nancy, the only thing I EVER delight in at 7:50 AM is the sight of the
    inside of my eyelids as I snuggle under the covers. You day-shifters
    are a different breed.

			The Lord is my light and my
			  salvation;
			I shall fear no one.

			The Lord is my protection;
			  I shall never be afraid.

					    (Psalm 27:1)

    For me the 1st and most important part of soul winning is to fight the
    good fight aganist my own sin nature.  To actually be working out my
    own holiness before God each day.  When people see that you are working
    out your own sins they will ask questions or at least say something
    that will give you the chance to witness by mouth the hope that is in
    you.  Holiness is the key to living the abundant life in Christ.  It
    seems to me that the Christians of this day do not place living a holy
    life as important.  I say to God right here that from now on I will
    work out holiness in my life by His Spirit.  Please, pray for me in
    this hard if not imposible work?
    
    
                                    In Christ, Marshall
    
    
                                   

"Happy are those who know they are
    spiritually poor;
the Kingdom of heaven belongs to
    them!
"Happy are those who mourn;
    God will comfort them!
"Happy are those who are humble;
  they will receive what God has
    promised!
"Happy are those who greatest desire is
    to what God requires;
  God will satisfy them fully!
"Happy are those who are merciful to
    others;
  God will be merciful to them!
"Happy are the pure in heart;
   they will see God!
"Happy are those who work for peace;
   God will call them his children!
"Happy are those who are persecuted
    because they do what God requires;
  the Kingdom of heaven belongs to
    them!
  "Happy are you when people insult you and persecute
you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because
you are my followers.  Be happy and glad, for a great
reward is kept for you in heaven.  This is how the prophets
who lived before you were persecuted."

				Matthew 5.3-12 [TEV]

    Open forum questions:
    
    	In what way were you evangelized?  In what ways do you evangelize?
    What is to you the most desirable way to evangelize others?
    
    Peace,
    Richard

        
    |	In what way were you evangelized?  
    
    	Door to door.  Some one came to my house and said 'you need to get
    saved' and I said 'Yes I do.'
    
    |	In what ways do you evangelize?
    
    	Mostly lifestyle (but I personally believe that this is a cop-out
    	I've yet to have somebody fall at my feet and say what must I do 
    	to be saved because of my lifestyle).  True evangelism MUST include
    	some amount of dialog.
    
    |	What is to you the most desirable way to evangelize others?
    
    	When you say desirable do you mean comfortable or effective.?
    Peace,
    Richard

    By "discipling" them?

Note 183.11

> What is to you the most desirable way to evangelize others?

Well, I've noticed a very high turn-over, or drop-away, rate of folks
who've been evangelized.  How to you make it 'stick'?

Peace,
Richard

re: Note 183.10 by Richard "Uncomplacent Peace"

>    	In what way were you evangelized?  In what ways do you evangelize?
>    What is to you the most desirable way to evangelize others?

I was evangelized by people who were willing to love me at a time when I 
desperately needed it.  Many of those folks were Christian, but there was 
no overt push to "accept Jesus into your life!"  Simply people loving others 
as they had been loved.

Some of those people were not Christians.  They had exactly the same drive to 
simply love me as they had been loved.  There was no overt push to "accept 
this or that or the other thing".

As I said in the base note, they were there when I needed them (Go), they 
Listened to me, they Told of their experiences, sharing their pain, their joy, 
letting me know that we all have a unique, but common lot in being human.

And having the deeply personal relationship with God that I find in Christ, I 
still love these people in my life and they still love me.  We love, and 
share, and learn from each other, in a common spirit of Love.
    
re: Note 183.12 by Richard (again!) "Uncomplacent Peace" 

>                           -< Let's talk permanence >-

I've often pondered the difference between breadth and depth.  I've seen many
of the televised crusades and such and they have tremendous breadth of 
coverage, reaching millions of people at a time.

I know that many of them also have hundreds (maybe even thousands) of
volunteers manning phones to lend depth (and not simply asking for money,
either!).  I think it's a laudable effort, but my impression is still one of 
breadth.

I find depth when you get down to simple one on one relationships, and that is 
where I think the seeds of permanence lay.  I don't think you can "make it 
stick", rather, one must stick with people, through thick and thin, lovingly, 
willing to celebrate or grieve, as needs arise, to reach out and touch, or be 
touched.

I think all levels are important, from the Billy Grahams who can reach 
thousands or millions of people at a time, to parish priests who reach tens or 
hundreds, to individuals who reach a handful.  Jesus himself spoke to very 
large crowds at times, and to moderate gatherings in people's homes and such, 
and to individuals.

But it's interesting, it is much easier for a person to TELL one hundred 
thousand, than it is to LISTEN to one hundred thousand.  Given that the order 
of evangelism as I see it is to tell only after having listened, I would 
surmise that for an evangelist to effectively tell such a number, one would 
first have to go and listen a great deal, and realize that there is a great 
commonality in the human condition.

Peace,

Jim

    Re: .14
    
    Jim, I liked that.  Thanks.
    
    As for me, I think I was evangelized by love, or through love.  And
    I don't mean a superficial love.  I mean love that abides.
    
    Richard

    
    	re. .11
    
    	Richard,
    		Like I said I think that the most desirable way would be
    	the way the Bible suggests to be 'instant in season (when it is
    	convenient or deemed appropriate) and out of season (when it is not
    	convenient or might be regarded as inappropriate).  As far as
    	making it stick... I can't, that's the job of the Holy Spirit.  I
    	can be a friend and be available for those that have been
    	evangelized.  But making it 'stick', that's between them & God.
    
    	_ed-

Note 183.16

>       As far as
>    	making it stick... I can't, that's the job of the Holy Spirit.  I
>    	can be a friend and be available for those that have been
>    	evangelized.  But making it 'stick', that's between them & God.

Certainly, I agree with this.  At the same time, I suspect there is a great
ministry waiting to be explored among the inactives of our churches.  When
an individual or a family becomes inactive, is it God who has let them
down?  I doubt it.

Richard

.0

Thanks, Jim, for starting this topic, and the others for your contributions.
I volunteered to be an evangelism coordinator for my congregation.  Maybe 
because I have always been a little suspicious of evangelistic efforts as 
portrayed in (and by) the media.

But the Episcopal Church's approach, "Go, Listen, Tell" is about as non-
threatening as it could be, I think.  So, in response to a request from
the Vestry, I prepared a presentation.  It was given at Vestry last June, and
to the whole congregation two weeks ago.  People seemed genuinely interested,
and a little bit curious.

I made a set of overheads  based on material from the Office of Evangelism 
Ministries, Episcopal Church Center, 815 Second Ave, New York, NY 10017.  I 
used both the manual "Proclamation as Offering Story and 
Choice" and materials known as "E-share", which are the stories of various
parishes as they worked out the meaning of the theme.

There are 8 slides plus an introductory slide on which I wrote the
responses to the question, "What is Evangelism?".  Copies are available
on LBDUCK::.  The PostScript file EVANGELISM2.PS contains the whole set.  
DOCUMENT and RAGS sources are also available in the saveset EVANGELISM.SAV.
Feel free to edit and adapt as you see fit.

As I told the congregation, this is an introduction; in fact, only a beginning.
I intend to use other materials, especially "Anglican Evangelism" by
A.Wayne Schwab, the coordinator of the Office of Evangelism of the Episcopal
Church, (Forward Movement), and "Come With Me, Come and See" by Clyde Samuel
Angel, (Canterbury Book Shop, Richmond, VA) to create one or two more
presentations.

After that, I suppose we will develop some kind of training for those who
are interested in "going ..."

I'd love to hear from others who have responded to the Great Commission in
Matthew's Gospel.

In His love,
Joan

Note 361.17

>    For example, once in Colorado
>    Springs I had some proselytizers come to the door; one of the questions
>    they asked me was whether I knew if I was going to heaven when I died. 
>    They told me that they "knew" that they were going to heaven, and
>    seemed to be a major selling point of their religion as far as they
>    were concerned.

These two showed up at your door, too?  ;-}

Richard

    I think it's a rule.  When you live in Colorado Springs, they
    eventually show up at your door.  Maybe it's a city ordinance or
    something.  :-)
    
    -- Mike

    So THAT'S it!  They showed up at MY house too!
    
    ;-)
    
    Nanci