Evangelism: Our Highest Priority

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...

At the 2008 Synod Assembly, Evangelism was chosen as a top priority and greatest concern.

 

Recognizing this as a critical calling across the whole church, the ELCA made a decision to influence the missional reach of the church by providing each synod with a person serving as Director of Evangelical Mission (DEM). Central to the work of the DEM is bringing people together on missional tables for evangelism and stewardship, and resourcing congregations toward missional effectiveness.

Evangelism: Making the Holy Connection

Evangelism is Jesus calling "Follow me" to Matthew the tax collector and Matthew leaves his table behind. It is a blind man with new eyes telling his Pharisee inquisitors, "One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." It is Ananias following the Spirit's prompting to go to the home of Judas to pray over Saul, the man who set out to persecute the church but then met Jesus on the road.

 

Evangelism is what happens when God's people follow the command of the Great Commission to GO into the world, outside the church building, to carry the message, to embody the love of God, to make disciples.

 

Evangelism in our context is to help people move from a wishy-washy, individualistic, immature understanding of Christianity that is disconnected from Christian community to a new place in their relationship with God and God's people. A new place where they know Who they belong to, where they are gathered into a community of faith, equipped and sent for the good of the world.

 

Evangelism is a Congregational Calling

 

Making that relational connection with new people is a calling to the entire congregation. It isn't the "job" of the pastor or the Evangelism Committee but a holy calling shared by all. It is more about leadership and congregational culture than it is about techniques and marketing. It is work that happens in the world as much as it influences what we do within our congregations.

 

Download the synod evangelism strategy, "Making Disciples"

 

When you download and read the "Making Disciples" document you will notice the two key areas of attention for effective evangelism within our congregations - the Core Values and the Best Practices. These are designed to spark conversation and adaptation within our congregations and among congregational leaders.

 

As you design your missional plan with attention to adding the best practices to the life of your congregation, you will find yourselves taking proactive steps that will help you in the holy work of making new connections with new people. Evangelism!