Ministries
and Resources
Evangelism Commission
“Holy God, your Son called us to wrap the
whole world in your saving embrace. By your Holy Spirit, give us
compassion, purpose and energy to invite into your Church those who
do not yet know the transforming power of your love. We ask this
through Him who has brought us from darkness to light, your Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Members of the Commission are:
The Rev. Canon Andrew T. Gerns, Chair, Trinity, Easton
The Rev. Jane Bender, All Saints, Lehighton
Dan Charney, Trinity, Easton
The Rev. Canon Ginny Rex Day, Trinity, Mt. Pocono
The Rev. John Francis, Christ Church, Reading
The Rev. Bill McGinty, Good Shepherd & St. John, Milford
Denise Robinson, St. Stephen's Whitehall
Torrey Salmon, Trinity, Mt. Pocono
The Rev. Terrence Wible, St. Luke's Lebanon
Robin Yedlock Grace, Kingston
The Rt. Rev. John Croneberger, Assisting Bishop, Diocesan Staff Liasion
The Rt. Rev. Paul V. Marshall
Annotated Resources for Evangelism
Compiled by the Evangelism Committee
Members
Upcoming and Current
From the Evangelism Committee
Episcopal Evangelism Resources
Video-Based Small Group Courses
Books
Articles
Journals and Magazines
Web
Sites
Church Websites
Blogs
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Upcoming and Current:
Might you be an Evangelism Consultant?
This is an invitation from the diocesan Evangelism Commission to consider prayerfully whether you would like to apply to receive training to be an evangelism consultant, to be able to assist local congregations plan and implement their evangelism ministry. The commission will train nine to twelve consultants on Saturday, April 19, (10:00 to 3:00) at Trinity Mount Pocono (lunch provided, no fee) and will then ask you to join with one of the current members of the commission to do a third round of Regional Evangelism Training Days on May 3, 10 or 17 at locations to be determined. From there, you would work with the commission and go out to parishes that request practical help in getting their evangelism ministry off the ground and help the commission plan future trainings and workshops. Donwload more information below.
Download 0801.Evangelism Consultants.Invitation.doc
Download 0801.Evangelism Consultants.Invitation.pdf
Download 0801.Evangelism Consultants.Letter to clergy.pdf
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From the Evangelism Committee:
Reports and Resolutions
2007 Evangelism Report to Convention
2006 Evangelism Report to Convention
2005 Evangelism Report to Convention
2005 Evangelism Resolution
2004 Evangelism Resolution
Worship
Evangelism Collects
Evangelism Litany
Poster and Post Card Program
2007-08 Poster Program Overview
2007-08 Poster Order Form
2007 Christmas Postcard Description (also describes how Postcard program works)
2007-08 Postcard-Flyer Quote
Bishop Paul on Evangelism, (in process)
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Episcopal Evangelism Resources:
Episcopal Fear Factor: A Webcast on Evangelism
Took place April 30, 2005 It is available
for on-demand viewing. For more information, please visit http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/resources/article.php?id=457.
Sponsored by the Diocese of Texas
and Trinity Church Wall Street, the event included a one-hour
webcast with a presentation by the Rev. James Nutter, rector of
Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church, Houston, TX and portions of the
Diocese of Texas award-winning video, The Discovery Series: A
Christian Journey.
Instructions, technical requirements and participant materials
are available at http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/news/article_457.shtml and www.epicenter.org.
Groundwork: Digging
Deep for Change
A
packet of resources designed to help increase local church hospitality
and evangelism in preparation for back-to-school national television
advertising, new teaching resources for use in Lent or Eastertide
2005 have been mailed to all congregations in the Episcopal Church.
Titled Groundwork: Digging Deep for Change and Growth, the
resources are also available on-line at www.episcopalchurch.org/groundwork.
Component pieces in the packet include:
- The Groundwork "Guide for Lenten Study
and Action (Year A)"
- "Communication and Advertising: A Guide for Congregations."
- "Welcoming the Visitor: A Guide for Congregations."
- "Competence in Cross-Cultural Ministry: A Guide for
Congregations."
- "Ministry with Young Adults and 'Next Generations,. " (two
guides)
- "Vestry Planning for Evangelism: the Groundwork of Leadership"
The materials precede the scheduled March 2005 preview of new
TV ads designed to reach "Generation X" viewers (often
defined as those born between 1962 and 1981) who are unaffiliated
with any church. The ads are being developed through the Episcopal
Church's Office of Communication pursuant to $750,000 allocated
for this purpose by General Convention in 2003.
For a free consultation regarding this advertising, congregations
are invited to contact the Episcopal Media Center in Atlanta, telephone:
800.229.3788, after reviewing their Groundwork packets.
Groundwork resources will also provide a thematic complement
to the Episcopal Church's new on-line visitors' center, http://www.comeandgrow.org/.
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Video-Based Small Group Courses:
Via Media - An
evangelism program for the Episcopal Church. It is designed for people
seeking faith, people who are new to Christianity and/or the Episcopal
Church. It provides an approach which is conversational in tone and
allows for people of a variety of views to learn, pray and talk together.
It includes a video, discussion and time for hospitality. It is designed
for small groups.
Alpha – The
Alpha Course consists of a series of talks addressing key issues
relating to the Christian faith. The course includes a light meal
at the beginning of each session which gives people a chance to
get to know each other; a talk followed by small groups to discuss
the topic of the evening, ask questions and express opinions. Alpha
is for those wanting to investigate Christianity, new Christians,
newcomers to the church, and those who want to brush up on the
basics.
The Discovery
Series –A video series, The Discovery Series: A Christian
Journey, is designed to help every Christian – new or
lifelong, young or old – discover their own path to a life
in Christ. The series places a remarkable resource into the hands
of all congregations, regardless of their size or available staff.
It is produced by the Diocese of Texas.
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Books:
Brian McLaren, More Ready than You Realize: Evangelism
as Dance in the Postmodern Matrix (Zondervan,
2002)
A helpful rethinking of evangelism that takes Christian
witness seriously while refusing to turn people into projects;
suggests we may need to trade in the term “evangelism” (now compromised
by triumphalism and manipulation) for the more descriptive term “disciple-making.”
Elizabeth
R. Geitz, Fireweed Evangelism: Christian Hospitality
in a Multi-Faith World
Geitz looks at evangelism
through the lens of hospitality. This book includes some very
practical resources: workshop outlines including “Gifts
Discernment Retreat,” “Visioning Workshop,” “Hospitality
Evangelism Workshop,” as well as forms and handouts including “Community
Needs Assessment Form,” “Newcomer Information Sheet” and “Introduction
to Covenant Groups.”
Brad Kallenberg, Live to Tell: Evangelism for a Postmodern
Age
An excellent introduction to evangelism
that provides meaty theology without being inaccessible to
the average reader. Kallenberg’s
focus is on stretching evangelicals out of a one dimensional view
of evangelism (e.g., getting individuals “saved”),
but his material is helpful even for those who do not come out
of this evangelical background.
Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Faith (Baker
Books, 1999)
The first in a series of “Ancient-Future” books
by Webber. He envisions the church’s postmodern future in terms
of a recovery of “classical” Christianity, especially
patristic theology and practice. Written primarily for evangelicals
but with material that will be of interest to mainline Christians
as well.
Spencer Burke, Making Sense of Church (Zondervan,
2003)
Burke is the creator of the website www.theooze.com.
This book is a collection of conversations from TheOoze
message boards about the church and postmodern culture. Burke adds
his own introductions and commentary to the excerpted web conversations.
This book can be read as a kind of sociological analysis of younger
generations and their thoughts about church.
Dan Kimball, The Emerging Church (Zondervan,
2003)
Kimball is the creator of the website www.vintagefaith.com and
founding pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz,
CA. Kimball provides the closest thing to a “how-to” book on the “emerging
church” movement. A good partner with Webber’s Ancient-Future
Faith though more practical and less theological.
This book is written for non-liturgical churches but
is full of innovative worship ideas, some of which could
find a home in Episcopal Church practice.
Alice Mann Incorporation
of New Members in the Episcopal Church: A Manual for Clergy and
Lay Leaders (Ascension
Press, 1988.)
A guide for parishes concerned
about attracting and involving new members. Theological
background and field-tested planning model "fit" the
life and heritage of the Episcopal Church, challenge
parishes to more faithful and effective evangelization.
Summarizes key research on church growth and the
experience of the newcomer. 75 pp. paperback.
Roy M. Oswald and Speed B. Leas, The
Inviting Church, A Study of New Member Assimilation (Alban
Institute, 1987)
Based on Alban Institute research, The Inviting
Church includes a self-study design for assessing
assimilation processes and analyzing visitors' perceptions. Ever
wonder why some people never return after their first visit? Why
some join but you rarely see them? Or why others become active participants
in your church family's life and worship? Discover
how your congregation can meet growth challenges. Paper; 113 pp.
Doug Pagitt, Reimagining Spiritual Formation: A Week
in the Life of an Experimental Church (Zondervan,
2003)
Through multiple voices (Pagitt writes
the main text while his fellow church members
add reflections in the margins) this book describes
the spiritual life of Solomon’s Porch, a
creative church “experiment” in
Minneapolis. Wanting to renew the church, Pagitt follows many next
generation leaders in rejecting the thin gruel of “church growth” talk
in favor of thick reflection on spiritual practices.
Church of England, Mission and Public Affairs Council, Mission-Shaped
Church (Church
House Publishing, 2004)
A report from a working
group of the Church of England’s Mission
and Public Affairs Council. Looks evenhandedly at “fresh expressions
of church” in the UK and makes suggestions
for renewal and evangelism that would be relevant
to mainline denominations in the US. Only available
from England (www.chpublishing.co.uk or www.amazon.co.uk).
Church of Scotland, Church Without Walls, a 2001 report
and mission initiative of the Church of Scotland, found at www.churchwithoutwalls.org.uk.
The website describes the movement this way:
At its heart, Church Without Walls is about changing
mindsets:
- From church focus to Christ focus - following Jesus to see
what church forms round him.
- From settled church to church as a movement - going where people
are rather than waiting for people to come.
- From a culture of guilt to a culture of grace - freeing people
to love and be loved while not counting the cost.
- From running congregations to building communities - working
towards a relational reformation.
- From isolation to interdependence - encouraging churches to
work together.
- From individualism to teamwork - seeing teamwork as essential
to all ministry.
- From top down church to upside down church - putting the local
church at the centre of the agenda.
- From centralised resources to development resources - releasing
funds to encourage local vision.
- From faith as security to faith as risk - looking for new courage
to break out of old routines.
On the website you will find a summary of the Church Without
Walls report, a link to the full report, stories of how churches
have enacted this new mindset, and resources for the transition.
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Articles
Dance of Evangelism
Evangelism as
Hospitality and Witness
By Scott Bader-Saye
Diocesan Life, May 2005
Robert Jenson, “How the World Lost Its Story,” First
Things 36
(October 1993): 19-24, online:
http://firstthings.com/ftissues/ft9310/articles/jenson.html.
Jenson gives a very accessible introduction to “postmodernism” in
relation to the church’s life and witness. He argues that
while the modernity viewed the world as having a story but no author,
postmodernity sees the world as having no story at all. What should
the church’s mission be in a world that has lost all sense
of story and thus has lost the ability to make and keep promises?
Scott Bader-Saye, “The Emergent Matrix: A New Kind of Church?,”
Christian
Century (Nov 30, 2004): 20-27, online:
http://www.christiancentury.org/feat_article.html?articleid=1.
Bader-Saye discusses the “emerging church” movement
and its implications for mainline renewal and evangelism. He challenges
mainline Christians to begin a conversation with these “post-evangelicals” who
are seeking to reconnect to tradition, ritual, and sacrament
while keeping one eye focused on cultural changes and the spiritual
longings of younger generations.
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Journals and Magazines:
Vestry Papers.
A national award winning newsletter designed to provide
vestries with information that is spiritually grounded, yet offers
practical illustrations and resources to assist them in their
job as the elected lay leadership in their congregations. The September/October,
2004 and November/December, 2004 issues are devoted to evangelism
and include useful self-assessment tools and ideas. Published
by the Episcopal Church Foundation for vestries, wardens and clergy.
By subscription,
although some issues are archived on
their website.
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Websites:
The Episcopal Church's new on-line visitors' center is http://www.comeandgrow.org/.
The Episcopal Network for Evangelism:
http://members.aol.com/ene2020 is
a site of limited use; it is rarely updated but has some helpful
information
Emerging Church, UK:
www.emergingchurch.info is
an excellent UK site that serves as a focus for conversation about
church transformation and renewal, contains thoughtful articles,
stories, and discussions.
Emerging Church, USA:
www.emergingchurch.org is
a helpful introduction to the “emergent” conversation
in the United States with extensive links to other sites and blogs.
The Ooze:
www.theooze.org is
a site to help church leaders converse, collaborate, and share resources
for the emerging church; includes articles, a blog, and online live
chat.
Vintage Faith:
www.vintagefaith.com is
a site created by Dan Kimball and Josh Fox, pastors of Vintage Faith
Church (www.vintagechurch.org),
an extension of Kimball’s work in The Emerging Church and Emerging
Worship.
Alternative Worship:
www.alternativeworship.org is
a UK site devoted to the theory and practice of the alternative worship
movement in England and beyond, good combination of reflection and “how-to.”
Practicing Congregations:
www.practicingcongregations.org grows
out of the Practicing Congregations Project which is concerned to
locate and examine mainline vitality, suggesting that “mainline
decline” is not everywhere and is not inevitable.
Practicing Our Faith:
www.practicingourfaith.org is
sponsored by the Valparaiso Project on the Education and Formation
of People in Faith and is a great place to get creative ideas about
what mainline congregations around the country are doing in the areas
of renewal and evangelism. Like the “Practicing Congregations” site,
the focus is on specific practices of the Christian faith including
honoring the body, hospitality, household economics, keeping Sabbath,
testimony, discernment, forgiveness, shaping communities, singing,
healing, and dying well. The project also gives grants to congregations
or individuals to strengthen specific practices in a given community
(a grant application is available at the site).
Ekklesia Project:
www.ekklesiaproject.org is
a movement that creates conversation about faithful Christian practice
in a world that tempts us to with the false gods of money, power,
nation, race, and ideology. This site is a complement to “Practicing
our Faith” and “Practicing Congregations” in that
it focuses on particular Christian practices but with a sharper edge
of cultural and political critique (don’t worry, the left and
the right are equally challenged!). The site includes an excellent
downloadable pamphlet series entitled Renewing Radical Discipleship that
includes discussions of friendship, marriage, professional life,
mission, evangelism, capital punishment, scripture, memory, authority,
and peacemaking.
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Church Websites:
Church of the Apostles, Seattle, WA:
www.apostleschurch.org
A joint Lutheran/Episcopal church plant pastored by Karen Ward,
a member of the Emergent Coordinating Group.
The Church at Matthews House, Oceanside, CA:
www.matthewshouse.com
An growing community of house churches in Southern California.
Cedar Ridge Community Church, Spencerville, MD:
www.crcc.org
Brian McLaren’s nondenominational church near Washington,
D.C.
House of Mercy, St. Paul, MN:
www.houseofmercy.org
An American Baptist church that reflects the ancient-future eclecticism
of the emergent conversation, though not consciously founded as
an “emerging
church.”
Solomon’s Porch, Minneapolis, MN:
http://solomonsporch.com
An experimental church pastored by Doug Pagitt, described in Reimagining
Spiritual Formation.
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Theological Weblogs (Theo-Blogs):
(from primarily Gen-X and Millenial Christian Leaders,
some Anglican, some not)
Karen Ward:
http://submerge.typepad.com
The pastor of Church of the Apostles in Seattle, WA, an innovative
Lutheran-Episcopal church plant.
Jonny Baker:
http://jonnybaker.blogs.com
The national youth co-ordinator for the Church Mission Society of
the Church of England and a leader in the alternative worship movement
in the UK.
Bob Carlton:
http://thecorner.typepad.com
An Episcopal seminarian at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific,
reflects on church, culture, and politics.
Andrew Jones:
http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com
A church planter and a leader in the emerging church conversation
in Europe.
Maggie Dawn:
http://maggiedawn.blogspot.com
Chaplain of Robinson College, Cambridge University, reflects on
the emerging church, worship, language, and culture.
Steve Taylor:
www.emergentkiwi.org.nz
Pastor of Opawa Baptist Church in New Zealand, author of Out-of-Bounds
Church? forthcoming from Zondervan.
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Please direct any questions
or comments to the webmaster@diobeth.org
