5 surprises for a truly Evangelistic Church

Transcription

1 5 surprises for a truly Evangelistic Church

2 Sharing Christ with others is a joyful, encouraging and empowering feature of being a Christian disciple. Ours is the privilege of pointing others to the glory of God in Christ. Most of us only know Jesus because someone took the trouble to bear witness to God s love revealed in Him. Now that we know ourselves to be so loved by God, we are called to bear witness to this love. ++Justin Cantuar ++ Sentamu Ebor 2

3 Defining Reality 1989: 19,500 (USA) 2014: 13,100 (USA) 2014: 1.4% of the population attending church 0.5% age rd youngest city in UK outside London 3

4 What do you think would have most surprised the first disciples in the days after Pentecost? One year in what do you think they will have marvelled at the most? 4

5 5 ½ Spirit-filled surprises 1. They were never lost for words 5

6 We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. Acts 4:22 6

7 We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it. Madeleine L-Engel 7

8 The primary reason for evangelizing is the love of Jesus we have received, the experience of salvation which urges us to ever greater love of him. What kind of love would not feel the need to speak of the beloved, to point him out, to make him known? If we do not feel an intense desire to share his love, we need to pray insistently that he will once more touch our hearts. 8

9 The best incentive for sharing the Gospel comes from contemplating it with love, lingering over its pages and reading it with the heart. If we approach it in this way its beauty will amaze and constantly excite us. There is then nothing more precious which we can give to others. Pope Francis, Evangeli Gaudium 9

10 5 ½ Spirit-filled surprises 1. They were never lost for words 2. Momentum increases learning how to slow down 10

11 evangelisation is always an overflow of something else the disciple s journey to maturity in Christ, a journey not organised by the ambitious ego but the result of the prompting and drawing of the Spirit in us. In our considerations of how we are once again to make the Gospel of Christ compellingly attractive to men and women of our age, I hope we never lose sight of what makes it compelling to ourselves, to each one of us in our diverse ministries. Rowan Williams, Address to the Synod of Bishops in Rome, October

12 5 ½ Spirit-filled surprises 1. They were never lost for words 2. Momentum increases learning how to slow down 3. The church grows from the outside in 12

13 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4:31 13

14 5 ½ Spirit-filled surprises 1. They were never lost for words 2. Momentum increases learning how to slow down 3. The church grows from the outside in 4. More joy counting them in than counting up 14

15 the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:47 more and more men and women believed and were added to their number. Acts 5:14 15

16 5 ½ Spirit-filled surprises 1. They were never lost for words 2. Momentum increases learning how to slow down 3. The church grows from the outside in 4. More joy counting them in than counting up 5. Holy wonders put the spotlight on the real Jesus - with a holy new economy 16

17 there were no needy persons among them no one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. Acts 4:34, 32 17

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19 Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will inherit the nations and settle in their desolate cities. Do not be afraid Isaiah 54:2 19

20 Compelled by the love of Christ we will seek to Welcome XXXX new disciples into the fellowship of Christ and his church Commission XXXX younger leaders equipped and inspired to serve the purposes of God in the church and society Establish X missional prayer communities of younger disciples in houses across the diocese 20

21 Develop XX hub/resource churches in every part of the county, growing to give themselves away Plant or graft XX new worshipping and missional communities to increase our reach in telling the story of Jesus to all, with a special focus on the young and the poor Serve together as 1 Church contending for the gospel in every community and sphere of public life in our city, county and region 21

22 This is the question I am asking myself as I participate in a vision for growing disciples wider, younger and deeper What in your experience has been most powerful in taking the gospel wider? What has been most effective in growing younger disciples? What has been most thrilling in growing deeper? 22