Evangelism Today
“And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.” Matthew 22:10 ESV
Recently, I have been reading on how we at Peace Lutheran can do evangelize better. I am halfway through a stack of resources.
There are various forms of the word “evangelize”: evangelize, evangelism, and evangelical. The word comes from the Greek New Testament and simply means “gospel.” Our last denomination boldly wore the name evangelical but forgot what it meant. Sociologist will define evangelicalism as a broad movement within Protestantism that emphasize individualistic faith, the Bible, and personal conversion, and service to others. But strictly speaking, the evangelical is the Gospel.
The Rev. Mark Wood notes that “Effective outreach helps people move from having a connection with the congregation to becoming a disciple of Jesus.” He charts three stages in effective outreach: creating connections, building relationships, and making disciples. How do we at Peace bring those about us to the God who saves? How do you? Do you assume someone else will tell about Jesus? The goal of evangelism is to integrate new people into Word and Sacrament ministry. New people may be the unchurched, the dechurched, or simply people between church homes.
While the goal of evangelism is for others to believe the gospel and participate in a church, maybe even Peace Lutheran, it doesn’t begin there. Evangelism needs to engage others, share life together, and eventually bring them alongside the Church, where they can hear the Word, receive the gifts, and live under Christ. But this is not easy work. People do not come running to the Gospel. The message of Jesus crucified confronts the sinner. It calls for repentance. It lays us bare and puts our hope outside of ourselves.
That’s why God sends His Church. That’s why He sends you. You may be the one who invites, who listens, who walks with someone long enough for them to hear. So look around. Who might God be putting near you? A neighbor, a co-worker, a friend? Someone who needs more than comfort—someone who needs Christ? God may be sending you, not to fix them, but to bring them close enough to hear. And when they do, the King will do the rest.
© Patrick K Welton