Rediscovering evangelism in the 21st century
by Richard Peace
The United Church of Christ has not been known for its evangelistic fervor, at least not within living memory. But I have come to believe that, as a denomination, we have turned the corner and are now hard at work seeking to recover the ministry of evangelism. One only has to look at the "God is still speaking" campaign to see what I mean. Here is a program that has been a very effective means of outreach. One aspect of the Stillspeaking campaign that caught my attention recently was a series of evangelistic booklets it produces. My favorite is "16 Reasons I Love Jesus." This booklet is real, funny, deeply true and challenging. I have given away a number of these and, without exception, they have been well received. Now, to be honest, most of these booklets have gone to friends from various churches who, after reading it, express amazement that "16 Reasons I Love Jesus" is being used by, of all denominations, the UCC. Yes, I know the booklets are meant for those outside the church, but I enjoy the reaction of my church friends and see it as a sign that in the UCC, we are busy getting on with recovering this lost ministry of evangelism.
What happened to the ministry of evangelism in the UCC? I think that this is a complex question but, apart from anything else, the fundamentalists spooked us. Along with other mainline denominations, we seemed to have made a deal. The fundamentalist would do evangelism and we would get on with social justice.
In post-World War II America, the split between these two ministries was deep and non-negotiable. I remember my own amazement when I moved to Africa in the 1960s to discover that the African church apparently had not heard about this deal: They happily went along caring for the needs of others (like feeding the hungry and protesting apartheid) while simultaneously calling people to
follow the way of Jesus (and so escape the power of evil spirits and find joy in life). And, of course, the African church got it right. Both ministries are a central part of the church of Jesus Christ. It is a both/and not an either/or. So in this 21st century climate of openness to the spiritual but suspicion of the religious, how do we recover the ministry of evangelism? How do we engage in outreach in ways that fit who we are as a denomination, as well as touching the real issues of those we seek to reach?
The first challenge in our churches is to deal with the "cringe factor" when we mention evangelism. Perhaps we do have to talk about outreach, faith sharing, being "good news" people, holy conversation or some other combination of words that get across the central idea that evangelism is all about sharing the amazing news about who Jesus is, what Jesus has done for us and our planet, and how we can experience new life (resurrection life) through Jesus. So on one level, evangelism is an invitation into relationship. Relationship stands at the core of Christianity: relationship with God, relationship with Jesus, relationship with the community of those seeking to follow Jesus, relationship with those we are called to love, relationship with ourselves.
The idea behind invitation is that when others connect with our Christian community, they begin to discover what the community is all about and, in particular, what binds the community together. "Belonging before believing" is the phrase often used to capture this perspective. Invitation to belong is one thing; invitation to believe is another. Evangelism is all about an invitation to believe the gospel. In the UCC, we are pretty good when it comes to discussing God but we need to learn what it means to talk about Jesus.
Conversion is another word that causes some discomfort in the UCC. But let us be clear: conversion is the goal of evangelism. Our longing is that people discover the Way of Jesus; that they decide to turn from their own way to this new Way; and that they start following Jesus by faith. We do not need to be embarrassed by this call to conversion. Conversion to Jesus can and does bring new life out of a destructive lifestyle, even as it brings new purpose out of an aimless lifestyle.
I am convinced that evangelism is not primarily a matter of individual witness. I believe that evangelism is primarily the calling of the community. It takes a community, not only to raise a child, but to reach a person with the gospel. The church is the primary context for conversion. One thing I have been talking about a lot these days is what I call "contemplative evangelism." The idea is pretty simple. If people are fascinated by spirituality, why not invite them to places and activities where they can explore the spiritual? Perhaps to a small group that is learning the art of spiritual journaling, then journaling together, and then talking about what they are journaling.
This isn’t just academic. Mainline churches have declined steadily for the past 40 years, losing 50 percent of their membership (members per capita). And nothing seems to abate this trend. The UCC is doing worse than most other denominations, losing 60 percent of our market share in this same time frame. The math is easy. If this keeps on there will be no such thing at the United Church of Christ by the year 2100. Now I do not want to make evangelism into a membership drive. To do so undercuts the whole meaning of the gospel. But I do want to note that without active outreach, we will die as a denomination.
We share the gospel because it is good news and when we do share the gospel — by how we live, by what we say, and by what we do both as individuals and communities — others see new life, come to Jesus, and experience the beginning of transformation. Conversion is like that. And so they join in our community. We share not to prevent ourselves from going out of business. We share because this is our business and when we do, we thrive. No, evangelism is not an academic exercise; it is what the church is all about. And the Stillspeaking witness and welcome is what the UCC is all about.
The Rev. Richard Peace is a UCC pastor and the Robert Boyd Munger Professor of Evangelism and Spiritual Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif.
How Race is Lived in America: Video and Discussion Groups
Living for the past 27 years in Vermont, l grew to view questions of race as theoretical issues for discussion by well-intentioned white people. I am not sure but I believe Vermont is the “whitest” state in the Union. Our three adopted Korean children were usually the only people of “color” wherever we went
The rest of the world is different. New Orleans is different. Race is everywhere and questions of race are constantly in front of each one of us. Particularly for the “odd couple” congregation known as Central St. Matthew race is a vital issue. I will probably never understand how and why the color of one’s skin became so important, but clearly it is and that will probably not change for a long time. So, the real question becomes, “How will race be lived in Central St. Matthew?” Put another way, how can we talk to each other and still talk about race? How can we work together and still work together in a highly racial context? How can we worship together as children of God in the full glory of our racial differences?
Several years ago I saw the video, “The Color of Fear”. It is the account of a racially mixed group of men gathered for a weekend on a ranch in California. It is the account of sudden and harsh realization of racial difference and racism in what appears to be the most innocent of attitudes and actions. This video was revelatory for me. It will be shown on August 23 after church and all of you are invited to attend. It is not easy watching, the language is certainly not all “churchy” and it is brutally honest. But the “Color of Fear” is significant and well worth the effort to watch and learn.
The video is the beginning of our discussions on the book How Race is Lived in America. I believe the video will be the perfect lens through which we can read and talk honestly about the six selected chapters in How Race is Lived in America.
At the viewing of the video we will take a moment to work out the book discussion schedule. Twenty five people have signed up for the discussion. This is enough for two groups if we decide to break up to make the discussion times convenient for as many as possible. I would suggest one time be Sunday after the service and if desired, a second time could be set during the week either evening or day time. The six chapters we will discuss will be available for pick up in the office by August 23rd. The discussions will begin in early September.
This should be an informative and productive time for Central St. Matthew. I know that I am looking forward to the rare opportunity to be in a group where race is lived and discussed openly, honestly and lovingly. That is the great advantage we have: We begin together bound by our love of God, of Christ and his church, and each other. We come together knowing that we are able to love each other because God first loved us.
Yours in Christ, Rev. Doug
General Synod 27 News: It’s a Wrap
Written by Synod 27 Newsroom Staff
The UCC's 27th General Synod came to a close Tuesday evening, June 30, with a celebration of five days of worship and work.
In her concluding sermon, the Rev. Patricia E. deJong recalled Matthew's Gospel story of Jesus and the disciples and the Sea of Galilee. While Jesus walked on water in the Sea of Galilee, it is Peter who provides the drama. Will he or won't he step out of the boat and walk with Jesus? "Are we ready to take the risk and step out of the boat? Are we willing to go where Jesus is standing?" she asked. The senior pastor of First Congregational UCC in Berkeley, Calif., deJong also reminded visitors and delegates that "anybody who rocks the boat takes a tremendous risk. Water is mighty powerful, and it can also be impersonal and downright mean." As General Synod ended, delegates and visitors had much boat-rocking to remember from their time together.
The Rev. Geoffrey Black, who has served for nearly a decade as minister of the UCC's New York Conference, was called by election Tuesday evening to succeed the Rev. John Thomas as General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. Thomas was ineligible for an additional term. The announcement of Black's election was greeted with a standing ovation. In brief remarks, the new general minister and president thanked the delegates and spoke of his high expectations of working with other members of the UCC's five-person Collegium of Officers. Echoing his remarks at the time of his nomination, Black affirmed, "We are in this together." The Executive Ministers of two covenanted ministries also were called by election to new terms. The Rev. M. Linda Jaramillo was re-elected as Executive Minister of Justice and Witness Ministries and the Rev. Stephen L. Sterner was chosen as Executive Minister of Local Church Ministries. All will serve four-year terms beginning Oct. 1, 2009.
Longtime health care reform advocate Rep. John Conyers of Michigan visited with UCC members and made the case for a single-payer health care system during a workshop on Saturday afternoon. Conyers, a 22-term U.S. Representative and a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, came over from Detroit for the day. During a brief meeting with a handful of church leaders, Conyers said he admires the UCC and has friends in the church. He expressed appreciation for the denomination's stands on civil and human rights issues.
Monday afternoon, 200 Synod-goers marched from DeVos Place to City Hall and gathered in the shadow of Grand Rapids' signature Calder stabile to demonstrate their commitment to universal health care. Leading the 15-minute walk was Mayor George Heartwell, a UCC pastor, and the demonstration organizers, the Rev. Bert Perry of the Florida Conference and the Rev. Peter Wells, an Associate Conference Minister from Massachusetts. Chanting "Health care now!" they wound their way through downtown streets on a path cleared by city police. Resolution actions called for solidarity with the people of Iran, support for Iraqi refugees, a continuation of "Sacred Conversations on Race" and advocacy regarding a single-payer health care solution - among many others.
Delegates also considered resolutions on restructuring the national setting of the UCC, approving a resolution written during Synod called "Toward Unified Governance for the National Setting of the United Church of Christ." The resolution asks the Executive Council and the Covenanted Ministry Boards to bring to General Synod 28 a proposal for a single governance board, along with necessary constitution and bylaw changes. That Synod is planned for Tampa, Fla., in 2011. Bylaw and constitution changes were approved allowing the creation of guidelines facilitating multiple paths to authorized ministry. Amendments emphasized authorization of all UCC ministers: ordained, commissioned, and licensed; the responsibility of Associations in determining fitness for ordination, discernment in the ordination process in all settings of the church and the importance of covenants of mutual responsibility.
A coverage archive of all resolutions, committee actions, worship services, pre-Synod gatherings, River City Saturday events and presentations is available at ucc.org/news.
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