TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW March 20, 2009
Articles is this special Evangelism Issue of THE REVIEW
1. Commentary: Knowing the “Why,” a personal commentary by Loyd Mabry
2. Some Basic Principles for Evangelism, by Charles Whittle, Executive Evangelist, National Association of United Methodist Evangelists
3. Pray For Laborers, by singer and evangelist Cinde Lucas, Overflow Ministries.
4. Kairos Prison Ministry, by Boyd Adkins, Tennessee Representative, Kairos Prison Ministry Board of Directors
5. What is an Evangelist by Mike Rayson, Australian born singer and evangelist
6. Evangelism and Missions
7. On the Go Evangelism—Wendy Sellers is concerned that lately she hadn’t done much about leading people to Christ.
8. .Fire wood evangelism – group of men in a small town find new way to share Christ
9. South of the Border down Alabama Way – the story of Brandon Minstry Center in Northern, Alabama
10. “People need to know about the bread of life . . .and that their lives matter,” a quote from the Rev. Adam Hamilton
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Commentary: Knowing the “Why”
By Loyd Mabry*
In Matthew 28: 19 & 20 Jesus commanded his disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” These words are the marching orders for followers of Jesus. These are words we have heard all of our life and they are words that probably make us uncomfortable. This is one passage of scripture that makes it very clear that we are called to action. Jesus is counting on us to continue his ministry. We are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ. In the United Methodist Church we define our mission as “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
Loyd Mabry with Conference Council on Connectional Ministries chairperson Opal Ransom.
Do you ever wonder why this seems so hard for us? Jesus entering my life and making me whole is the most important event in my life. Nothing else I have done has eternal consequences. Accepting the love and forgiveness of Jesus changed me forever. At first, I was not sure what all of that meant. I knew I was loved so much that I had to love Jesus back. I can say without question that Jesus is the best friend I have. He is the only one who is with me all the time. He knows my joys and my sorrows. He knows my strengths and weaknesses. He knows me.
My dilemma is this: If I love Jesus so much and I know he loves me, why do I not talk about him more?
D. T Niles once said that evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. This is one of many descriptions or definitions of the call to share our faith, witness, evangelize, etc. The bottom line is that God is calling us to be active. The Great Commission does not say wait until someone comes to you. It says go!
For those of us who are introverts this is a challenge. Psychology teaches that we talk about what is important to us. Listen to your conversations with others. Is your relationship with God, activities at church, etc. included in your conversations? Remember, we talk about what is important to us. If Jesus changed your life shouldn’t we be telling others?
I want others to know the peace that comes from seeking to walk with Jesus daily. As the Bible tells us, it is a peace that passes all understanding. I am not sure how it all works, but I am sure I want others to have this peace and assurance in their lives. I am writing this article to encourage you to share your best friend and Savior with others. God is convicting me that I need to do this more. I simply ask one question. Will you join me?
*Loyd Mabry is the Tennessee Conference Director of Connectional Ministries and Congregational Development
Some Basic Principles for Evangelism
By Charles Whittle*
Sometime it helps, in knowing where to go, to know where you have been and where you are.
Looking at history it seems that God raised up denominations to emphasize a central truth neglected at the time -- that each denomination has had one central focus.
The Roman Catholics - the sacraments.
The Lutherans - the authority of the Bible.
The Presbyterians - the sovereignty of God.
The Episcopalians - the stateliness of the Church.
The Baptists - autonomy of the local Church.
The Methodists - a warm heart and holy life.
The Church of the Nazarene - sanctification.
The ‘Church of Christ’ - baptismal salvation and works.
The Pentecostals -- the Holy Spirit.
Along the way there have been denominational splits and now a proliferation of independent Churches - Bible fundamental and charismatic. Para-Church groups have risen --
Campus Crusade, Inter-Varsity, Young Life, Promise Keepers, etc.
Charles Whittle
More changes have occurred in the 20th century than all the previous years combined.. But there are some things that have not changed: Our need for God, God’s love for us and the Christian’s mandate to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission. The time has come to make the ‘main business our main business.’
And what is the main business? Jesus said: “Full authority has been given me, Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and The Holy Spirit, and, remember I am always with you, to the very end.” (Matthew 28:18-20.
1. Evangelism in the 21st century must be Christ Centered.
We have a tendency to make the ‘means’ the end. Without diminishing the importance of the means we must say :
“God’s idea about Himself is Christ. Jesus is God breaking through to us. The important things are two: What is your center? And what is your circumference” Christ must be the center. From Him we work out to God, and life, and human problems. He is our Starting Point.” (E. Stanley Jones, The Way, Abingdon, pp 68ff)
E. Stanley Jones said, “Christianity has its doctrines, but it’s not a doctrine; has its creeds but it’s not a creed; has its rites and ceremonies, but it’s not a rite or ceremony; has its institutions, but it’s not an institution; at the center it’s a Person. Christianity is Christ and Christians are people who believe in God, man, life, through Christ.” (Adult Teacher, 1964)
The Church is the only institution specializing in Jesus Christ. You can find ritual in the lodge, service in the club, fellowship in community groups, excitement at the game, but it is the Church that offers Christ.
2. Evangelism in the 21st century must be based in local Churches with strong Sunday Services.
Worship must be styled to meet the needs of the worshippers. We have been through a period of competing rather than complimenting styles. We must recognize the ‘appropriateness of many styles’ - designed to meet the needs of the worshippers.
We must sing more - and read less. Singing must include hymns with content. Music opens us emotionally to receive the Gospel and express our faith. We learn much of our theology from music.
Just as today’s teens are influenced by lyrics of contemporary music, so can they (and we) be influenced by Christian music.
Sunday services must include strong, Christ-centered, Biblically based preaching - aimed beyond instruction and inspiration to challenge. We need to interpret social currents in light of Scripture.
The late Methodist Bishop Gerald Ensley wrote, “One theme ... resounds from Genesis to Revelation...the message of redemption: that we need to be saved, that we are worth saving, that we have a Savior, and, therefore, can be saved. Every book in the Bible proclaims our folly and sinfulness...Yet, God wants to save us...” (p 14, John Wesley, Evangelist, Discipleship Resources.) The Gospel is a Gospel of change - not accommodation.
We must take the Gospel into the inner world of the human heart before we can take it into all the outer worlds of entertainment, politics, education, news media, economics, etc.
3. Evangelism in the 21st century must recognize that laity are the main carriers of the Gospel.
Rev. Leslie Ross used to tell his congregation, “You may leave this building but you can never leave this Church - for where you are,. there the Church is.”
Polls indicate that people are more influenced by laity than by clergy. Laity are in every home, community, school, business, in politics, entertainment, news media. We are agents on mission. God has one great word for the Church and that word is ‘go!” He gives us one word for the world and that word is ‘come.’
Laity reinforce their witness most effectively through lifestyle. Jesus said “You shall be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8). People can refute your theology but few can refute a Christian lifestyle.
Evangelism in the 21st century will continue to face a rapidly changing world but our mission is the same - to make Christ known, loved, trusted, obeyed.
*Charles Whittle is Executive Evangelist, National Association of United Methodist Evangelists
Pray For Laborers
By Cinde Lucas*
“Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. “
Jesus was a busy man. The Bible makes it clear that He took advantage of every opportunity to share the Good News of God’s love with every person that He encountered. He did not limit His preaching to Sunday services or Wednesday night Bible Studies. He did not set up food banks for people to come and receive handouts. Jesus preached the Gospel of Good News of the Kingdom in every city, village, and synagogue that He went to. He proclaimed the message that the Kingdom of God was near. He healed the sick, cast out demons, opened the eyes of the blind and went about every where doing good, healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
“The harvest is indeed great but the laborers are few; pray that the Lord send out laborers into His harvest.”
In Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus looked out among the people and His heart was filled with sadness. I believe that He saw not only those that were presently in front of Him, but the eyes of His Spirit saw the multitudes of people in the future who would be desperate to hear the Good News of God’s love and grace for them. He saw them wandering aimlessly, like sheep without shepherds and He said, “The harvest is indeed great but the laborers are few; pray that the Lord send out laborers into His harvest.”
Over the last few years, I have met and encountered several of those that Jesus saw that day. Many of them look and act like their lives are all together; but inside they are empty, tired and desperate for God’s Good News. Some of them sit inside our church buildings, longing to hear the message that Jesus died for them to hear; “I have come that you might have and enjoy your life to the full in abundance until it overflows. I have come to set you free from the power of sin and death. I have come to destroy the works of the enemy and to deliver you from his evil works.” Others are wondering the streets, leery of the church programs and scared of not being able to follow the rules and meet the standards that the church demands they follow.
Many inside are empty, tired and desperate for God’s Good News
Not long ago I happened to meet a lady that was as aimless as anyone could be. She had lived in an abusive environment all of her life, enduring verbal, mental and sexual abuse from countless people. The first day that I met her, she was only a shadow of woman. She was scared and very much aware that her life did not align with the way a Christian should be. Over the course of the next few weeks, I began to contact her. We went for coffee, talked on the phone, and even went to a Bible study. Little by little, as she heard me tell her over and over again, about how much God loves her, she began to realize that her life was not over and that God really did have good plans for her. But her life was far from being whole.
Very few resources are focused on working to share the Good News of the Kingdom with the lost and the least
One Saturday night her husband viciously attacked her. Like the many times before, he verbally slandered her and beat her badly. She was in desperate need of medical attention, but her husband refused to take her to the hospital. She devised a plan that she thought was fool proof. Since she lived across the street from a church (and by the way it was Methodist) she decided to wait until the service was letting out and go for help. She went to three different people, crying and asking for help. Each one made their way to their car; one even went so far as to lock the door. Not one person offered any kind of assistance. They didn’t even bother to get the pastor!
Now I realize that not every church would have been so closed to her, but I have to say that there are large number of churches and people who have closed their doors to those that Jesus prayed for that day in Matthew 9. I’m not sure what we’re waiting for, but I can tell you this; all of our religious activities will count for nothing if we aren’t about doing the work that Jesus commissioned us to do. The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few.
We’ve lost sight of the Great Commission. Our building programs, our music programs, and even our Sunday School programs are more important to us than Evangelism. Like Jesus, I am saddened when I read the budgets for most churches. Thousands of dollars are spent every year to pay for all the things that we want to hear and do at church, but very little is focused on working to share the Good News of the Kingdom with the lost and the least. Even those called to be Evangelists in the church are left to their own efforts of raising funds to cover their expenses to do the work that God has ordained them to do.
We need to wake up and open our eyes. God is waiting for us to bring in HIS HARVEST. He has commissioned us to help those who are helpless and to proclaim God’s grace for their lives. How can they know unless someone tells them! I fear that we will stand before the Lord and tell Him about all the stuff we did, only to hear Him say; I NEVER KNEW YOU!
Jesus said to His Disciples (that would include US),”the harvest is ripe and ready to be gathered in.” Evangelism (telling of the Good News) MUST begin or the harvest will be lost. Jesus died to empower the church to come against the gates of hell and to rescue those who are caught in its grip. The church is called to shine the light of God’s love so that those in darkness can see. Let us not forsake the work of evangelism for it is the hands of the church to bring in God’s Harvest.
*Cinde Lucas, Overflow Ministries. Cinde, singer and evangelist, is also chairperson of the Tennessee Conference Evangelism Committee, and is on the board of the National Association of United Methodist Evangelists.
Kairos Prison Ministries
By Boyd Adkins*
There are 2 Greek words for time….Kronos, which is Man’s time such as the calendar or hourly time, and Kairos, which is God’s special time such as Jesus’ birth. In the prison ministry, it is a special time for the incarcerated to experience a relationship with God and with volunteers from the outside. For that reason, we refer to Kairos as “God’s Special Time.”
Presentation of poster made by residents during weekend
Kairos Prison Ministry International, Inc., the parent organization headquartered in Orlando, Florida, started in Florida in 1976 and has grown to serving in 31 states in the US and in Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Honduras, and Costa Rica. There are approximately 35,000 volunteers serving in over 358 prisons. The ministry is a Lay ministry whose lay members, along with Clergy, come together in an interdenominational body to proclaim the love of Jesus to men, women, and youth in prisons, and to female family members on the outside of prisons. Kairos embodies 3 ministries, Kairos Inside for incarcerated adults, Kairos Torch for incarcerated youth, and Kairos Outside for the female family members of the incarcerated. The ministry has been active in Tennessee since the late 1990’s. Kairos sprang from the Cursillo movement and is supported by volunteers from Cursillo and the other movements that consider Cursillo as their root. Although a separate ministry, Kairos has received the blessing and encourgement of 4th day movements such as Cursillo, National Episcopal Cursillo, Presbyterian Cursillo, Lutheran Via de Cristo, the Upper Room’s Walk to Emmaus and independently ecumenical Tres Dias. Kairos is a ministry rather than a movement.
Prayer before lunch
Kairos Prison Ministries in Tennessee
Kairos Inside Prison Ministries in Tennessee serves in West Tennessee State Penitentiary (WTSP) in Henning, Mark Luttrell Correctional Complex (MLCC) in Memphis, Morgan County Correctional Complex (MLCC) in Wartburg, and Northeast Correctional Complex (NECX) in Mountain City. This year, Kairos is starting at Southeastern Tennessee Regional Correctional Facility (SETRCF) in Pikeville and at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution (RSMI) in Nashville. In the future, Tennessee Prison for Women in Nashville may be added.
Kairos Torch is presently serving in Mountain View Development Center in Dandridge and will be starting this year in Wilder Youth Development Center in Somerville. One of our goals is to prevent many of these youth from becoming a part of the adult prison system.
Kairos Outside is active in the West Tennessee, Middle and East Tennessee, and is starting this year in Northeast Tennessee. Inmates families that attend a Kairos Outside weekend are asked to participate in this ministry on future weekends.
Group photo of residents and team.
The ministry in each prison forms “teams” of volunteers from the nearby area, all from denominational or non-denominational backgrounds. The teams will be 25 to 50 volunteers, depending on the prison, along with up to 20 support members who work outside. Team members attend up to 36 hours of team meetings and training prior to going into the prison. They worship, share, pray together, and praise the Lord in song while building team unity. The outside team prepares to cook meals, keep prayer vigils, and support the team in whatever way they can.
The prison Chaplain selects up to 42 residents of the prison from all levels of security and from all beliefs to come to the weekend. The weekend starts on a Thursday afternoon and ends on Sunday afternoon. If the prison allows us, we serve 2 home cooked meals per day and we keep an endless supply of homemade cookies on hand. The weekend is filled with talks and sharing of life and of walking in faith and individual commitments and experiences. In addition, some of the team will return to the prisons once each month for a reunion with the “graduates” of the program. These graduates are asked to have their wives, mothers and sisters participate in the Kairos Outside program.
There are 16 adult prisons with over 19,000 inmates and 5 youth detention centers with almost 600 incarcerated youth in Tennessee. The Kairos ministry is active in 7 of the 21 institutions. We hope to grow at a steady rate over the next few years. We also have a pilot program of Transition Aftercare that is being developed in Maryland and Texas that we hope to bring to the prisons in Tennessee in the near future. We presently experience a recidivism rate of approximately 28% now and hope to lower that figure with the additional programs.
Kairos Prison Ministry’s motto is “Love, Love, Listen, Listen.” Our mission is to bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals, their families, and those who work with them, and to assist in the transition of becoming a productive citizen. I believe the most rewarding statement about the ministry was made by an inmate after attending a Kairos weekend. He wrote, “My life was one of broken pieces. I did not have a family. My Mother died of an overdose when I was eight years old. I never knew my father. During the weekend I spent with Kairos, I felt God reached out to me and said, ‘James, this is your time. It is time for you to know your family, this family…one that will not abandon you.’ God touched me, moved me, and turned my loneliness into never being alone in Him. James went on to say his new feelings have led him to forgive, as he himself wants to be forgiven, and adds this, “My broken pieces got mended.”
Additional information may be obtained at our state website www.kairosoftennessee.org or the international ministry www.kairosprisonministry.org. Anyone interested in participating in Kairos is encouraged to contact us.
*Boyd Adkins is Tennessee Representative, Kairos Prison Ministry Board of Directors, Badkins36@comcast.net
What is an Evangelist
By Mike Rayson*
Evangelist. One mere mention of it is enough to send shivers up and down our collective spine. Images of failed TV preachers and shady financial dealings and hellfire and brimstone invade our consciousness, and leave a bad taste in our mouths.
And we are all the poorer for it!
Mike Rayson
Evangelist’s, in the truest sense of ‘euangelion’ are supposed to be truth tellers of good news – gospel proclaimers. People charged by God to proclaim the life saving and changing message of grace.
John Wesley was an evangelist – not afraid to stand in the fields, on the street corners, and wherever he could draw a crowd to proclaim the gospel, and the power of Christ to save souls and ‘warm’ hearts.
Yet, we don’t value the work of evangelist’s within our United Methodist system. A General Evangelist – appointed by a Bishop, accountable to an Annual Conference – receives no health insurance, no stipend, no parsonage and no expense account. Sure, we want the message proclaimed, but as long as it costs us nothing in return.
Often through the year, our churches host and hold revivals or renewals – a time to call people back to their first love. But how often do we neglect to invite someone with the distinct skills and giftings of an Evangelist, instead preferring to ask our friend up the road in the next church. That’s not to say a fellow colleague from a neighboring church won’t preach a sound message and do a good job, but the calling of a pastor and an evangelist, though sometimes congruent, are also vastly different vocations.
For several years, I have ministered as an evangelist – available to the local church here, and abroad in many different countries – to preach the gospel of grace to all those who will listen, and to many who will not.
What opportunities do we then provide for the spiritual formation of those the church has recognized, formally or informally, as Evangelists?
Spiritual formation is not necessarily formal education, or a once a year course - it is more often than not what happens when iron sharpens iron. The deepening of one’s spiritual life is directly connected to the support structures that exist around about them, and of course, the presence of Christ in, around and about us.
I have been very fortunate to share in a covenant group of pastor’s here in the Tennessee Conference. We meet each Tuesday for coffee, mutual support, accountability, and to discuss the texts of the week and how we will go about preaching them. I am the only member of the group who preaches from a different pulpit each week. This group of clergy, local and student pastors have held me accountable, encouraged me in prayer, and given me deep insight into God's 'ground of being'.
One of the greatest promises in scripture is found in Psalm 23 – ‘Thou art with me’. Just to experience the ‘Thou art with me’ of Jesus, and the ‘Thou art with me’ of colleagues along the journey goes a long way to deepen the journey. Both the journey of being in community with each other, and in community/relationship with God.
Sharing time with my colleagues is sharing time with Jesus. And the more 'time' invested, the deeper the sense of spiritual formation.
So the next time you plan a clergy gathering, a pastors lunch, or start a covenant group, invite the evangelist’s among you to join. You may be surprised at what God will do for you, and for them.
*Mike Rayson is an Australian born evangelist and Christian musician. In 2000 he started Mike Rayson International Ministries. In 2005 he, wife Amy and their children, relocated their ministry to the other side of the world—Pleasant View, Tennessee.
Evangelism and Missions
By Cinde Lucas*
One of the ways that the United Methodist Church excels in is in the area and work of missions. Countless mission projects can be found in every conference and in almost every church; we feed the hungry, help the poor, send workers to clean up and rebuild disaster areas. We provide shelter for the homeless and we extend our hand to the poor. But when it comes to doing the work of evangelism, we seem to be lagging behind.
Cinde Lucas
Part of the problem comes because we don’t really understand what evangelism is. The word evangelism comes from the same word that means gospel, or good news. It is a word that pertains to speaking. Now I know that speaking can be done with more than just words, but when it comes to evangelism, speaking is the primary way that we share the good news with others.
The Bible says that Faith comes by HEARING and hearing by the word of God. The primary way in which evangelism takes place is by sharing a spoken word and/or testimony with someone. This doesn’t mean that you need to have a seminary degree in Biblical studies. In fact, I’m convinced that all of our church lingo does very little to entice people to join our ranks. What people really need and want is someone to be REAL with them. They are desperate to hear the TRUTH of God’s love for them.
This world we live in is cluttered with good works. The Rotary Club, The Kiwanis, even the school Beta Clubs do lots of good works. But the CHURCH has been anointed by God to bring a message of GOOD NEWS that will set captives free and open the eyes of the blind. Jesus said that His Church would be POWERFUL enough that not even the gates of hell would be able to prevail against her. He said that WE, His Church, would do GREATER THINGS than Him.
People desperately need to hear the Good News of God’s Kingdom, especially in the season that we are living in. Proverbs 29:18 says that without a prophetic declaration people perish. The Amplified Bible reads “a redemptive revelation” of God’s work. The Church is the only means by which God’s redemptive, revelation for mankind through Jesus Christ can come forth. It is important for the Church to feed the hungry and help the orphans, but along with that we are called to speak forth the GOOD NEWS of God’s grace and love for those who have not yet heard. Otherwise, they will remain in darkness.
Jesus commissioned us to make disciples of all (and women). Before they can begin to learn, they must first hear God’s heart for them. When we go out to work on a house or open our church doors to feed the hungry, we also need to have people available to share the gospel and to pray for and with them. After we’ve had our block party and potato drop, we need to begin getting to know those people that we’ve been a blessing to. How can they hear unless someone tells them?
My heart’s desire is to see the church do more than just hand out food, fill pews, and have VBS once a year... We have been empowered by God, through the Holy Spirit to show forth the Glory of Lord. We must be willing to extend our hands and our hearts to people of all walks of life and make a place for them to be welcomed into the Body of Christ. We must stop being afraid of offending people and instead be more concerned with their eternal well being.
Evangelism is the work and responsibility of every Christian. There is no such thing as a “private faith.” Most of us will never preach to thousands or even hundreds. But each one can reach one. Every Christian knows someone that needs to hear about the Good News of Jesus. God has positioned us in lots of places to insure that His message will have opportunity to be heard. Let us not be guilty of being silent. Let the voice of God’s love be heard through you so that the work of evangelism can be done through the church.
*Cinde Lucas, Overflow Ministries; Tennessee Conference Evangelism Committee Chair.
On the Go Evangelism
By Wendy Sellers
Easter at Brandon New Vision United Methodist Church
Years ago I was privileged to learn how to present the gospel through an Evangelism Explosion course conducted by First United Methodist Church, Tuscumbia, Alabama. The pastors introducing this program to our church were Rev. Alton Parish and Associate Pastor Walter Cash. I was in this program for about two years, and what I learned was invaluable. Learning key gospel scriptures, knowing what questions to ask, and having a genuine interest in the person to whom you are witnessing were all fundamental parts of the training needed to present the gospel.
Lately I have been concerned that I haven’t done much about leading people to Christ. My focus has been more on making disciples. While the Great Commission tells us to “go and make disciples” (Matt 28:19), evangelizing is the first step in growing Christians.
People coming forward at the end of a service to indicate their desire to become a member of Brandon New Vision Church.
I have been drawn by the Holy Spirit to Brandon New Vision New United Methodist Church located in Florence, Alabama. Through the process of sharing with one another how we came to know the Lord Jesus, people are being evangelized and are in turn producing other Christians. We don’t have a “scheduled time” to present the Gospel to people. Instead, we are being led by the Holy Spirit and lives are being touched.
Monday was just such an example. I was entering the bank with my daughter who wanted to open a checking account and needed information on requirements. A man followed us in and held the door for us as we entered. The Holy Spirit prompted me to ask him to church. Before I could do so, he walked away from us to another part of the bank. I immediately positioned myself in a chair by the door which he would have to pass when he left the bank. I wrote on the back of my business card the name of our church and its address and times of worship. As he approached the door, I stopped him and told him I would like to invite him to our church. He immediately stopped and dropped down in front of me where I was sitting.
He said, “Who told you to ask me to come to church.”
I replied, “God did, as we were coming into the bank.”
He told me he had been feeling like he needed to get back in church and from there on, he progressed telling me how he had recently lost his dad to cancer, but there had been reconciliation between him and his dad. He told me he had lived a life that had gotten him in prison and that he had a message for young people.
He assured me he would visit our church. I plan to contact him again before next Sunday. Will he come to visit Brandon New Vision? I don’t know, but I do know I was obedient to the Holy Spirit and the possibilities of the Holy Spirit using this man to reach people I can never reach myself are wide open.
If we will each do our part as the Holy Spirit directs us moment by moment, we can win the lost and hasten the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fire wood evangelism
By Steven Ellis*
Fire wood evangelism
When some people think of evangelism they think of a person yelling “repent, the end is near” on a street corner. However I have experienced it in a very different way. I have heard it said “tell someone about the love of Jesus and if you have to, use words."
I have had the pleasure of getting to know a small group of men who have taken this seriously. They found that they enjoy chopping wood. Yes, they actually enjoy chopping wood and splitting it up into firewood. I must admit that at first I didn’t see how working like that would be much fun but it is. We cut the wood with chain saws and then split it up into smaller pieces to be burned in fireplaces and wood burning stoves. After loading up a few pickup trucks we take the wood to people who need it the most.
We live in a small rural community in southern Indiana where many people still use wood to heat their homes. Some of those people are getting older, and it is difficult for them to get enough wood to heat their homes through the winter and that is where we come in. Its fun to give them something we know they can really use, and it’s our way of showing them the love of Jesus Christ. It’s funny but most people don’t know what to say when we show up with a truck load of wood, but they show up for Church the next Sunday. That’s thanks enough for us.
Evangelism for us is doing what we like to serve others. Yes, we could stand on a street corner and yell but we prefer the sound of a chain saw and the smell of fresh cut wood.
*Steve Ellis, Lighthouse United Methodist Church, Elizabeth, Indiana
South of the Border down Alabama Way
By Wendy Sellers*
Changing sign greets visitors to Brandon Ministry Center
Just across the Tennessee border in the Northwest District of the North Alabama Conference lies Brandon Ministry Center. Brandon Center is located on the site of what once was Brandon Elementary school in the city of Florence. However, a couple of years ago the United Methodist Church had an opportunity to purchase this then vacant property and institute an unusual partnership with service organizations in the city of Florence. The United Methodist Church’s vision for the property was to offer a church for the marginalized community surrounding the property. Various service groups who were dealing with these economically depressed people were invited to move into Brandon Center which would provide a central location and make their services easily accessed by the people. Today some fourteen service agencies such as Big Brother & Big Sister, The United Way, Attention Homes, The Healing Place, etc. have their offices located in Brandon Center.
New Vision United Methodist Church hosts Vacation Bible School for Neighborhood Children.
There is also a catering service operating out of the old Brandon School kitchen and cafeteria. The caterer provides jobs for people in the community. In process is the Presbyterian project of providing a daycare center for people with Alzheimer’s to give care-takers a break and give the patients some structure. This organization is called Westminster Interfaith Caring Place (WICP). Plans also include putting a City of Florence Police Station branch in the building. The gymnasium has been rented to a softball coach who helps students improve their playing skills.
The building also houses the Shoals Office of the Northwest District of the North Alabama United Methodist Conference which is the headquarters for 113 United Methodist Churches.
Last, but perhaps the most viable for impacting lives, is Brandon New Vision United Methodist Church whose slogan is “Where Everybody is Somebody.”
This church has been different beginning with the first service! There is a contemporary worship team with keyboard, guitars, and drums. There are people dressed in blue jeans or cut off shorts or dress shirts and ties. The dress is casual, but the love is intentional. At Brandon New Vision, they never know how many kids will show up to eat Sunday Brunch and attend Sunday School or participate in the Wednesday night supper and children’s, youth, and adult programs; but somehow, there is always enough food for everyone.
Pastor Greg Reynolds of New Vision United Methodist Church takes advantage of the nearby Tennessee River to perform a Baptism.
Everyone is welcome, and they are met with love wherever they are on their spiritual journey. If they have money or don’t, it doesn’t matter. If they are highly educated or have problems reading, they are still encircled with love. If they have had a bath that day or haven’t had one in days, it’s okay; they are still welcome.
The pastor, Greg Reynolds, regularly tells the people that he was a kid from the projects. He always points to what God has done in his life and tells everyone if with God’s grace, he could make it, with God’s grace anyone else can make it too. God is drawing a group of people together who have the same vision and want to make a difference in the lives of all who come. The work is demanding, the problems sometimes heart-breaking, but it’s always rewarding.
Brandon Center offers conference rooms in several sizes. Whether persons are scheduling a meeting with 10-12 people, 20 people, or 70 people, there are conference rooms that can be rented to accommodate the group. The Center also has a banquet hall which seats 150 people. With the catering service close by, it is easy to set up buffets or have meals served right in the meeting rooms. (For further information on the conference rooms contact Mark Bourn at the Northwest District office 256-766-4513)
At Brandon Center, the welcome mat is always out. So come South--at least as far as North Alabama!
*Wendy Sellers has attended Brandon New Vision United Methodist Church since the first service, and presently teaches the adult Sunday School class.
“People need to know about the bread of life . . .and that thei
r lives matter”
The Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan., says when evangelism and social justice merge, that is the "sweet spot. Sometimes evangelists forget about social justice and sometimes justice seekers forget to tell people about Jesus," he said. "People need to know about the bread of life, but they also need to know their lives matter." Hamilton spoke at "Living Faith, Seeking Justice," an international conference sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society Nov. 1-4, 2007 in Fort Worth, Texas. A UMNS photo by Kathy L. Gilbert.
1. Commentary: Knowing the “Why,” a personal commentary by Loyd Mabry
2. Some Basic Principles for Evangelism, by Charles Whittle, Executive Evangelist, National Association of United Methodist Evangelists
3. Pray For Laborers, by singer and evangelist Cinde Lucas, Overflow Ministries.
4. Kairos Prison Ministry, by Boyd Adkins, Tennessee Representative, Kairos Prison Ministry Board of Directors
5. What is an Evangelist by Mike Rayson, Australian born singer and evangelist
6. Evangelism and Missions
7. On the Go Evangelism—Wendy Sellers is concerned that lately she hadn’t done much about leading people to Christ.
8. .Fire wood evangelism – group of men in a small town find new way to share Christ
9. South of the Border down Alabama Way – the story of Brandon Minstry Center in Northern, Alabama
10. “People need to know about the bread of life . . .and that their lives matter,” a quote from the Rev. Adam Hamilton
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Commentary: Knowing the “Why”
By Loyd Mabry*
In Matthew 28: 19 & 20 Jesus commanded his disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” These words are the marching orders for followers of Jesus. These are words we have heard all of our life and they are words that probably make us uncomfortable. This is one passage of scripture that makes it very clear that we are called to action. Jesus is counting on us to continue his ministry. We are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ. In the United Methodist Church we define our mission as “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
Loyd Mabry with Conference Council on Connectional Ministries chairperson Opal Ransom.Do you ever wonder why this seems so hard for us? Jesus entering my life and making me whole is the most important event in my life. Nothing else I have done has eternal consequences. Accepting the love and forgiveness of Jesus changed me forever. At first, I was not sure what all of that meant. I knew I was loved so much that I had to love Jesus back. I can say without question that Jesus is the best friend I have. He is the only one who is with me all the time. He knows my joys and my sorrows. He knows my strengths and weaknesses. He knows me.
My dilemma is this: If I love Jesus so much and I know he loves me, why do I not talk about him more?
D. T Niles once said that evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. This is one of many descriptions or definitions of the call to share our faith, witness, evangelize, etc. The bottom line is that God is calling us to be active. The Great Commission does not say wait until someone comes to you. It says go!
For those of us who are introverts this is a challenge. Psychology teaches that we talk about what is important to us. Listen to your conversations with others. Is your relationship with God, activities at church, etc. included in your conversations? Remember, we talk about what is important to us. If Jesus changed your life shouldn’t we be telling others?
I want others to know the peace that comes from seeking to walk with Jesus daily. As the Bible tells us, it is a peace that passes all understanding. I am not sure how it all works, but I am sure I want others to have this peace and assurance in their lives. I am writing this article to encourage you to share your best friend and Savior with others. God is convicting me that I need to do this more. I simply ask one question. Will you join me?
*Loyd Mabry is the Tennessee Conference Director of Connectional Ministries and Congregational Development
Some Basic Principles for Evangelism
By Charles Whittle*
Sometime it helps, in knowing where to go, to know where you have been and where you are.
Looking at history it seems that God raised up denominations to emphasize a central truth neglected at the time -- that each denomination has had one central focus.
The Roman Catholics - the sacraments.
The Lutherans - the authority of the Bible.
The Presbyterians - the sovereignty of God.
The Episcopalians - the stateliness of the Church.
The Baptists - autonomy of the local Church.
The Methodists - a warm heart and holy life.
The Church of the Nazarene - sanctification.
The ‘Church of Christ’ - baptismal salvation and works.
The Pentecostals -- the Holy Spirit.
Along the way there have been denominational splits and now a proliferation of independent Churches - Bible fundamental and charismatic. Para-Church groups have risen --
Campus Crusade, Inter-Varsity, Young Life, Promise Keepers, etc.
Charles Whittle
More changes have occurred in the 20th century than all the previous years combined.. But there are some things that have not changed: Our need for God, God’s love for us and the Christian’s mandate to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission. The time has come to make the ‘main business our main business.’
And what is the main business? Jesus said: “Full authority has been given me, Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and The Holy Spirit, and, remember I am always with you, to the very end.” (Matthew 28:18-20.
1. Evangelism in the 21st century must be Christ Centered.
We have a tendency to make the ‘means’ the end. Without diminishing the importance of the means we must say :
“God’s idea about Himself is Christ. Jesus is God breaking through to us. The important things are two: What is your center? And what is your circumference” Christ must be the center. From Him we work out to God, and life, and human problems. He is our Starting Point.” (E. Stanley Jones, The Way, Abingdon, pp 68ff)
E. Stanley Jones said, “Christianity has its doctrines, but it’s not a doctrine; has its creeds but it’s not a creed; has its rites and ceremonies, but it’s not a rite or ceremony; has its institutions, but it’s not an institution; at the center it’s a Person. Christianity is Christ and Christians are people who believe in God, man, life, through Christ.” (Adult Teacher, 1964)
The Church is the only institution specializing in Jesus Christ. You can find ritual in the lodge, service in the club, fellowship in community groups, excitement at the game, but it is the Church that offers Christ.
2. Evangelism in the 21st century must be based in local Churches with strong Sunday Services.
Worship must be styled to meet the needs of the worshippers. We have been through a period of competing rather than complimenting styles. We must recognize the ‘appropriateness of many styles’ - designed to meet the needs of the worshippers.
We must sing more - and read less. Singing must include hymns with content. Music opens us emotionally to receive the Gospel and express our faith. We learn much of our theology from music.
Just as today’s teens are influenced by lyrics of contemporary music, so can they (and we) be influenced by Christian music.
Sunday services must include strong, Christ-centered, Biblically based preaching - aimed beyond instruction and inspiration to challenge. We need to interpret social currents in light of Scripture.
The late Methodist Bishop Gerald Ensley wrote, “One theme ... resounds from Genesis to Revelation...the message of redemption: that we need to be saved, that we are worth saving, that we have a Savior, and, therefore, can be saved. Every book in the Bible proclaims our folly and sinfulness...Yet, God wants to save us...” (p 14, John Wesley, Evangelist, Discipleship Resources.) The Gospel is a Gospel of change - not accommodation.
We must take the Gospel into the inner world of the human heart before we can take it into all the outer worlds of entertainment, politics, education, news media, economics, etc.
3. Evangelism in the 21st century must recognize that laity are the main carriers of the Gospel.
Rev. Leslie Ross used to tell his congregation, “You may leave this building but you can never leave this Church - for where you are,. there the Church is.”
Polls indicate that people are more influenced by laity than by clergy. Laity are in every home, community, school, business, in politics, entertainment, news media. We are agents on mission. God has one great word for the Church and that word is ‘go!” He gives us one word for the world and that word is ‘come.’
Laity reinforce their witness most effectively through lifestyle. Jesus said “You shall be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8). People can refute your theology but few can refute a Christian lifestyle.
Evangelism in the 21st century will continue to face a rapidly changing world but our mission is the same - to make Christ known, loved, trusted, obeyed.
*Charles Whittle is Executive Evangelist, National Association of United Methodist Evangelists
Pray For Laborers
By Cinde Lucas*
“Matthew 9:37-38 Jesus said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. “
Jesus was a busy man. The Bible makes it clear that He took advantage of every opportunity to share the Good News of God’s love with every person that He encountered. He did not limit His preaching to Sunday services or Wednesday night Bible Studies. He did not set up food banks for people to come and receive handouts. Jesus preached the Gospel of Good News of the Kingdom in every city, village, and synagogue that He went to. He proclaimed the message that the Kingdom of God was near. He healed the sick, cast out demons, opened the eyes of the blind and went about every where doing good, healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
“The harvest is indeed great but the laborers are few; pray that the Lord send out laborers into His harvest.”In Matthew 9:35-38 Jesus looked out among the people and His heart was filled with sadness. I believe that He saw not only those that were presently in front of Him, but the eyes of His Spirit saw the multitudes of people in the future who would be desperate to hear the Good News of God’s love and grace for them. He saw them wandering aimlessly, like sheep without shepherds and He said, “The harvest is indeed great but the laborers are few; pray that the Lord send out laborers into His harvest.”
Over the last few years, I have met and encountered several of those that Jesus saw that day. Many of them look and act like their lives are all together; but inside they are empty, tired and desperate for God’s Good News. Some of them sit inside our church buildings, longing to hear the message that Jesus died for them to hear; “I have come that you might have and enjoy your life to the full in abundance until it overflows. I have come to set you free from the power of sin and death. I have come to destroy the works of the enemy and to deliver you from his evil works.” Others are wondering the streets, leery of the church programs and scared of not being able to follow the rules and meet the standards that the church demands they follow.
Many inside are empty, tired and desperate for God’s Good News
Not long ago I happened to meet a lady that was as aimless as anyone could be. She had lived in an abusive environment all of her life, enduring verbal, mental and sexual abuse from countless people. The first day that I met her, she was only a shadow of woman. She was scared and very much aware that her life did not align with the way a Christian should be. Over the course of the next few weeks, I began to contact her. We went for coffee, talked on the phone, and even went to a Bible study. Little by little, as she heard me tell her over and over again, about how much God loves her, she began to realize that her life was not over and that God really did have good plans for her. But her life was far from being whole.
Very few resources are focused on working to share the Good News of the Kingdom with the lost and the least
One Saturday night her husband viciously attacked her. Like the many times before, he verbally slandered her and beat her badly. She was in desperate need of medical attention, but her husband refused to take her to the hospital. She devised a plan that she thought was fool proof. Since she lived across the street from a church (and by the way it was Methodist) she decided to wait until the service was letting out and go for help. She went to three different people, crying and asking for help. Each one made their way to their car; one even went so far as to lock the door. Not one person offered any kind of assistance. They didn’t even bother to get the pastor!
Now I realize that not every church would have been so closed to her, but I have to say that there are large number of churches and people who have closed their doors to those that Jesus prayed for that day in Matthew 9. I’m not sure what we’re waiting for, but I can tell you this; all of our religious activities will count for nothing if we aren’t about doing the work that Jesus commissioned us to do. The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few.
We’ve lost sight of the Great Commission. Our building programs, our music programs, and even our Sunday School programs are more important to us than Evangelism. Like Jesus, I am saddened when I read the budgets for most churches. Thousands of dollars are spent every year to pay for all the things that we want to hear and do at church, but very little is focused on working to share the Good News of the Kingdom with the lost and the least. Even those called to be Evangelists in the church are left to their own efforts of raising funds to cover their expenses to do the work that God has ordained them to do.
We need to wake up and open our eyes. God is waiting for us to bring in HIS HARVEST. He has commissioned us to help those who are helpless and to proclaim God’s grace for their lives. How can they know unless someone tells them! I fear that we will stand before the Lord and tell Him about all the stuff we did, only to hear Him say; I NEVER KNEW YOU!
Jesus said to His Disciples (that would include US),”the harvest is ripe and ready to be gathered in.” Evangelism (telling of the Good News) MUST begin or the harvest will be lost. Jesus died to empower the church to come against the gates of hell and to rescue those who are caught in its grip. The church is called to shine the light of God’s love so that those in darkness can see. Let us not forsake the work of evangelism for it is the hands of the church to bring in God’s Harvest.
*Cinde Lucas, Overflow Ministries. Cinde, singer and evangelist, is also chairperson of the Tennessee Conference Evangelism Committee, and is on the board of the National Association of United Methodist Evangelists.
Kairos Prison Ministries
By Boyd Adkins*
There are 2 Greek words for time….Kronos, which is Man’s time such as the calendar or hourly time, and Kairos, which is God’s special time such as Jesus’ birth. In the prison ministry, it is a special time for the incarcerated to experience a relationship with God and with volunteers from the outside. For that reason, we refer to Kairos as “God’s Special Time.”
Presentation of poster made by residents during weekendKairos Prison Ministry International, Inc., the parent organization headquartered in Orlando, Florida, started in Florida in 1976 and has grown to serving in 31 states in the US and in Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Honduras, and Costa Rica. There are approximately 35,000 volunteers serving in over 358 prisons. The ministry is a Lay ministry whose lay members, along with Clergy, come together in an interdenominational body to proclaim the love of Jesus to men, women, and youth in prisons, and to female family members on the outside of prisons. Kairos embodies 3 ministries, Kairos Inside for incarcerated adults, Kairos Torch for incarcerated youth, and Kairos Outside for the female family members of the incarcerated. The ministry has been active in Tennessee since the late 1990’s. Kairos sprang from the Cursillo movement and is supported by volunteers from Cursillo and the other movements that consider Cursillo as their root. Although a separate ministry, Kairos has received the blessing and encourgement of 4th day movements such as Cursillo, National Episcopal Cursillo, Presbyterian Cursillo, Lutheran Via de Cristo, the Upper Room’s Walk to Emmaus and independently ecumenical Tres Dias. Kairos is a ministry rather than a movement.
Prayer before lunch
Kairos Prison Ministries in Tennessee
Kairos Inside Prison Ministries in Tennessee serves in West Tennessee State Penitentiary (WTSP) in Henning, Mark Luttrell Correctional Complex (MLCC) in Memphis, Morgan County Correctional Complex (MLCC) in Wartburg, and Northeast Correctional Complex (NECX) in Mountain City. This year, Kairos is starting at Southeastern Tennessee Regional Correctional Facility (SETRCF) in Pikeville and at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution (RSMI) in Nashville. In the future, Tennessee Prison for Women in Nashville may be added.
Kairos Torch is presently serving in Mountain View Development Center in Dandridge and will be starting this year in Wilder Youth Development Center in Somerville. One of our goals is to prevent many of these youth from becoming a part of the adult prison system.
Kairos Outside is active in the West Tennessee, Middle and East Tennessee, and is starting this year in Northeast Tennessee. Inmates families that attend a Kairos Outside weekend are asked to participate in this ministry on future weekends.
Group photo of residents and team.
The ministry in each prison forms “teams” of volunteers from the nearby area, all from denominational or non-denominational backgrounds. The teams will be 25 to 50 volunteers, depending on the prison, along with up to 20 support members who work outside. Team members attend up to 36 hours of team meetings and training prior to going into the prison. They worship, share, pray together, and praise the Lord in song while building team unity. The outside team prepares to cook meals, keep prayer vigils, and support the team in whatever way they can.
The prison Chaplain selects up to 42 residents of the prison from all levels of security and from all beliefs to come to the weekend. The weekend starts on a Thursday afternoon and ends on Sunday afternoon. If the prison allows us, we serve 2 home cooked meals per day and we keep an endless supply of homemade cookies on hand. The weekend is filled with talks and sharing of life and of walking in faith and individual commitments and experiences. In addition, some of the team will return to the prisons once each month for a reunion with the “graduates” of the program. These graduates are asked to have their wives, mothers and sisters participate in the Kairos Outside program.
There are 16 adult prisons with over 19,000 inmates and 5 youth detention centers with almost 600 incarcerated youth in Tennessee. The Kairos ministry is active in 7 of the 21 institutions. We hope to grow at a steady rate over the next few years. We also have a pilot program of Transition Aftercare that is being developed in Maryland and Texas that we hope to bring to the prisons in Tennessee in the near future. We presently experience a recidivism rate of approximately 28% now and hope to lower that figure with the additional programs.
Kairos Prison Ministry’s motto is “Love, Love, Listen, Listen.” Our mission is to bring Christ’s love and forgiveness to all incarcerated individuals, their families, and those who work with them, and to assist in the transition of becoming a productive citizen. I believe the most rewarding statement about the ministry was made by an inmate after attending a Kairos weekend. He wrote, “My life was one of broken pieces. I did not have a family. My Mother died of an overdose when I was eight years old. I never knew my father. During the weekend I spent with Kairos, I felt God reached out to me and said, ‘James, this is your time. It is time for you to know your family, this family…one that will not abandon you.’ God touched me, moved me, and turned my loneliness into never being alone in Him. James went on to say his new feelings have led him to forgive, as he himself wants to be forgiven, and adds this, “My broken pieces got mended.”
Additional information may be obtained at our state website www.kairosoftennessee.org or the international ministry www.kairosprisonministry.org. Anyone interested in participating in Kairos is encouraged to contact us.
*Boyd Adkins is Tennessee Representative, Kairos Prison Ministry Board of Directors, Badkins36@comcast.net
What is an Evangelist
By Mike Rayson*
Evangelist. One mere mention of it is enough to send shivers up and down our collective spine. Images of failed TV preachers and shady financial dealings and hellfire and brimstone invade our consciousness, and leave a bad taste in our mouths.
And we are all the poorer for it!
Mike Rayson
Evangelist’s, in the truest sense of ‘euangelion’ are supposed to be truth tellers of good news – gospel proclaimers. People charged by God to proclaim the life saving and changing message of grace.
John Wesley was an evangelist – not afraid to stand in the fields, on the street corners, and wherever he could draw a crowd to proclaim the gospel, and the power of Christ to save souls and ‘warm’ hearts.
Yet, we don’t value the work of evangelist’s within our United Methodist system. A General Evangelist – appointed by a Bishop, accountable to an Annual Conference – receives no health insurance, no stipend, no parsonage and no expense account. Sure, we want the message proclaimed, but as long as it costs us nothing in return.
Often through the year, our churches host and hold revivals or renewals – a time to call people back to their first love. But how often do we neglect to invite someone with the distinct skills and giftings of an Evangelist, instead preferring to ask our friend up the road in the next church. That’s not to say a fellow colleague from a neighboring church won’t preach a sound message and do a good job, but the calling of a pastor and an evangelist, though sometimes congruent, are also vastly different vocations.
For several years, I have ministered as an evangelist – available to the local church here, and abroad in many different countries – to preach the gospel of grace to all those who will listen, and to many who will not.
What opportunities do we then provide for the spiritual formation of those the church has recognized, formally or informally, as Evangelists?
Spiritual formation is not necessarily formal education, or a once a year course - it is more often than not what happens when iron sharpens iron. The deepening of one’s spiritual life is directly connected to the support structures that exist around about them, and of course, the presence of Christ in, around and about us.
I have been very fortunate to share in a covenant group of pastor’s here in the Tennessee Conference. We meet each Tuesday for coffee, mutual support, accountability, and to discuss the texts of the week and how we will go about preaching them. I am the only member of the group who preaches from a different pulpit each week. This group of clergy, local and student pastors have held me accountable, encouraged me in prayer, and given me deep insight into God's 'ground of being'.
One of the greatest promises in scripture is found in Psalm 23 – ‘Thou art with me’. Just to experience the ‘Thou art with me’ of Jesus, and the ‘Thou art with me’ of colleagues along the journey goes a long way to deepen the journey. Both the journey of being in community with each other, and in community/relationship with God.
Sharing time with my colleagues is sharing time with Jesus. And the more 'time' invested, the deeper the sense of spiritual formation.
So the next time you plan a clergy gathering, a pastors lunch, or start a covenant group, invite the evangelist’s among you to join. You may be surprised at what God will do for you, and for them.
*Mike Rayson is an Australian born evangelist and Christian musician. In 2000 he started Mike Rayson International Ministries. In 2005 he, wife Amy and their children, relocated their ministry to the other side of the world—Pleasant View, Tennessee.
Evangelism and Missions
By Cinde Lucas*
One of the ways that the United Methodist Church excels in is in the area and work of missions. Countless mission projects can be found in every conference and in almost every church; we feed the hungry, help the poor, send workers to clean up and rebuild disaster areas. We provide shelter for the homeless and we extend our hand to the poor. But when it comes to doing the work of evangelism, we seem to be lagging behind.
Cinde Lucas Part of the problem comes because we don’t really understand what evangelism is. The word evangelism comes from the same word that means gospel, or good news. It is a word that pertains to speaking. Now I know that speaking can be done with more than just words, but when it comes to evangelism, speaking is the primary way that we share the good news with others.
The Bible says that Faith comes by HEARING and hearing by the word of God. The primary way in which evangelism takes place is by sharing a spoken word and/or testimony with someone. This doesn’t mean that you need to have a seminary degree in Biblical studies. In fact, I’m convinced that all of our church lingo does very little to entice people to join our ranks. What people really need and want is someone to be REAL with them. They are desperate to hear the TRUTH of God’s love for them.
This world we live in is cluttered with good works. The Rotary Club, The Kiwanis, even the school Beta Clubs do lots of good works. But the CHURCH has been anointed by God to bring a message of GOOD NEWS that will set captives free and open the eyes of the blind. Jesus said that His Church would be POWERFUL enough that not even the gates of hell would be able to prevail against her. He said that WE, His Church, would do GREATER THINGS than Him.
People desperately need to hear the Good News of God’s Kingdom, especially in the season that we are living in. Proverbs 29:18 says that without a prophetic declaration people perish. The Amplified Bible reads “a redemptive revelation” of God’s work. The Church is the only means by which God’s redemptive, revelation for mankind through Jesus Christ can come forth. It is important for the Church to feed the hungry and help the orphans, but along with that we are called to speak forth the GOOD NEWS of God’s grace and love for those who have not yet heard. Otherwise, they will remain in darkness.
Jesus commissioned us to make disciples of all (and women). Before they can begin to learn, they must first hear God’s heart for them. When we go out to work on a house or open our church doors to feed the hungry, we also need to have people available to share the gospel and to pray for and with them. After we’ve had our block party and potato drop, we need to begin getting to know those people that we’ve been a blessing to. How can they hear unless someone tells them?
My heart’s desire is to see the church do more than just hand out food, fill pews, and have VBS once a year... We have been empowered by God, through the Holy Spirit to show forth the Glory of Lord. We must be willing to extend our hands and our hearts to people of all walks of life and make a place for them to be welcomed into the Body of Christ. We must stop being afraid of offending people and instead be more concerned with their eternal well being.
Evangelism is the work and responsibility of every Christian. There is no such thing as a “private faith.” Most of us will never preach to thousands or even hundreds. But each one can reach one. Every Christian knows someone that needs to hear about the Good News of Jesus. God has positioned us in lots of places to insure that His message will have opportunity to be heard. Let us not be guilty of being silent. Let the voice of God’s love be heard through you so that the work of evangelism can be done through the church.
*Cinde Lucas, Overflow Ministries; Tennessee Conference Evangelism Committee Chair.
On the Go Evangelism
By Wendy Sellers
Easter at Brandon New Vision United Methodist Church
Years ago I was privileged to learn how to present the gospel through an Evangelism Explosion course conducted by First United Methodist Church, Tuscumbia, Alabama. The pastors introducing this program to our church were Rev. Alton Parish and Associate Pastor Walter Cash. I was in this program for about two years, and what I learned was invaluable. Learning key gospel scriptures, knowing what questions to ask, and having a genuine interest in the person to whom you are witnessing were all fundamental parts of the training needed to present the gospel.
Lately I have been concerned that I haven’t done much about leading people to Christ. My focus has been more on making disciples. While the Great Commission tells us to “go and make disciples” (Matt 28:19), evangelizing is the first step in growing Christians.
People coming forward at the end of a service to indicate their desire to become a member of Brandon New Vision Church.I have been drawn by the Holy Spirit to Brandon New Vision New United Methodist Church located in Florence, Alabama. Through the process of sharing with one another how we came to know the Lord Jesus, people are being evangelized and are in turn producing other Christians. We don’t have a “scheduled time” to present the Gospel to people. Instead, we are being led by the Holy Spirit and lives are being touched.
Monday was just such an example. I was entering the bank with my daughter who wanted to open a checking account and needed information on requirements. A man followed us in and held the door for us as we entered. The Holy Spirit prompted me to ask him to church. Before I could do so, he walked away from us to another part of the bank. I immediately positioned myself in a chair by the door which he would have to pass when he left the bank. I wrote on the back of my business card the name of our church and its address and times of worship. As he approached the door, I stopped him and told him I would like to invite him to our church. He immediately stopped and dropped down in front of me where I was sitting.
He said, “Who told you to ask me to come to church.”
I replied, “God did, as we were coming into the bank.”
He told me he had been feeling like he needed to get back in church and from there on, he progressed telling me how he had recently lost his dad to cancer, but there had been reconciliation between him and his dad. He told me he had lived a life that had gotten him in prison and that he had a message for young people.
He assured me he would visit our church. I plan to contact him again before next Sunday. Will he come to visit Brandon New Vision? I don’t know, but I do know I was obedient to the Holy Spirit and the possibilities of the Holy Spirit using this man to reach people I can never reach myself are wide open.
If we will each do our part as the Holy Spirit directs us moment by moment, we can win the lost and hasten the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fire wood evangelism
By Steven Ellis*
Fire wood evangelismWhen some people think of evangelism they think of a person yelling “repent, the end is near” on a street corner. However I have experienced it in a very different way. I have heard it said “tell someone about the love of Jesus and if you have to, use words."
I have had the pleasure of getting to know a small group of men who have taken this seriously. They found that they enjoy chopping wood. Yes, they actually enjoy chopping wood and splitting it up into firewood. I must admit that at first I didn’t see how working like that would be much fun but it is. We cut the wood with chain saws and then split it up into smaller pieces to be burned in fireplaces and wood burning stoves. After loading up a few pickup trucks we take the wood to people who need it the most.
We live in a small rural community in southern Indiana where many people still use wood to heat their homes. Some of those people are getting older, and it is difficult for them to get enough wood to heat their homes through the winter and that is where we come in. Its fun to give them something we know they can really use, and it’s our way of showing them the love of Jesus Christ. It’s funny but most people don’t know what to say when we show up with a truck load of wood, but they show up for Church the next Sunday. That’s thanks enough for us.
Evangelism for us is doing what we like to serve others. Yes, we could stand on a street corner and yell but we prefer the sound of a chain saw and the smell of fresh cut wood.
*Steve Ellis, Lighthouse United Methodist Church, Elizabeth, Indiana
South of the Border down Alabama Way
By Wendy Sellers*
Changing sign greets visitors to Brandon Ministry Center
Just across the Tennessee border in the Northwest District of the North Alabama Conference lies Brandon Ministry Center. Brandon Center is located on the site of what once was Brandon Elementary school in the city of Florence. However, a couple of years ago the United Methodist Church had an opportunity to purchase this then vacant property and institute an unusual partnership with service organizations in the city of Florence. The United Methodist Church’s vision for the property was to offer a church for the marginalized community surrounding the property. Various service groups who were dealing with these economically depressed people were invited to move into Brandon Center which would provide a central location and make their services easily accessed by the people. Today some fourteen service agencies such as Big Brother & Big Sister, The United Way, Attention Homes, The Healing Place, etc. have their offices located in Brandon Center.
New Vision United Methodist Church hosts Vacation Bible School for Neighborhood Children.There is also a catering service operating out of the old Brandon School kitchen and cafeteria. The caterer provides jobs for people in the community. In process is the Presbyterian project of providing a daycare center for people with Alzheimer’s to give care-takers a break and give the patients some structure. This organization is called Westminster Interfaith Caring Place (WICP). Plans also include putting a City of Florence Police Station branch in the building. The gymnasium has been rented to a softball coach who helps students improve their playing skills.
The building also houses the Shoals Office of the Northwest District of the North Alabama United Methodist Conference which is the headquarters for 113 United Methodist Churches.
Last, but perhaps the most viable for impacting lives, is Brandon New Vision United Methodist Church whose slogan is “Where Everybody is Somebody.”
This church has been different beginning with the first service! There is a contemporary worship team with keyboard, guitars, and drums. There are people dressed in blue jeans or cut off shorts or dress shirts and ties. The dress is casual, but the love is intentional. At Brandon New Vision, they never know how many kids will show up to eat Sunday Brunch and attend Sunday School or participate in the Wednesday night supper and children’s, youth, and adult programs; but somehow, there is always enough food for everyone.
Pastor Greg Reynolds of New Vision United Methodist Church takes advantage of the nearby Tennessee River to perform a Baptism.
Everyone is welcome, and they are met with love wherever they are on their spiritual journey. If they have money or don’t, it doesn’t matter. If they are highly educated or have problems reading, they are still encircled with love. If they have had a bath that day or haven’t had one in days, it’s okay; they are still welcome.
The pastor, Greg Reynolds, regularly tells the people that he was a kid from the projects. He always points to what God has done in his life and tells everyone if with God’s grace, he could make it, with God’s grace anyone else can make it too. God is drawing a group of people together who have the same vision and want to make a difference in the lives of all who come. The work is demanding, the problems sometimes heart-breaking, but it’s always rewarding.
Brandon Center offers conference rooms in several sizes. Whether persons are scheduling a meeting with 10-12 people, 20 people, or 70 people, there are conference rooms that can be rented to accommodate the group. The Center also has a banquet hall which seats 150 people. With the catering service close by, it is easy to set up buffets or have meals served right in the meeting rooms. (For further information on the conference rooms contact Mark Bourn at the Northwest District office 256-766-4513)
At Brandon Center, the welcome mat is always out. So come South--at least as far as North Alabama!
*Wendy Sellers has attended Brandon New Vision United Methodist Church since the first service, and presently teaches the adult Sunday School class.
“People need to know about the bread of life . . .and that thei
r lives matter”The Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan., says when evangelism and social justice merge, that is the "sweet spot. Sometimes evangelists forget about social justice and sometimes justice seekers forget to tell people about Jesus," he said. "People need to know about the bread of life, but they also need to know their lives matter." Hamilton spoke at "Living Faith, Seeking Justice," an international conference sponsored by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society Nov. 1-4, 2007 in Fort Worth, Texas. A UMNS photo by Kathy L. Gilbert.
posted by TN Conference UMC @ 3:44 PM
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