After his resurrection and just before he ascended into heaven, Jesus met the disciples in Galilee. There he said to them, “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.” (Matthew 28:19) His charge to those first disciples is commonly called the Great Commission, and we remain under that same charge today.
Jesus calls us to make disciples.
Evangelism has not been one of the traditional strengths of the Episcopal Church. Contrary to some misperceptions of us outside our denomination, we are neither cold nor unwelcoming. Here at St. Mark’s, we are warm and caring. When people find their way here, they experience rich worship and loving, dedicated Christians. But the Great Commission directs us to do more than to wait for people to find their way here. It directs us to seek them out and invite them.
Before I say more about inviting others to church, let’s think briefly about why we would do that. Of course, obeying Jesus is at the top the list. But there is great joy in sharing the joy that we know in Christ. Sharing joy has a multiplying effect. There is even more joy to go around. In fact, when God gives us a blessing (as he surely has in this wonderful community), he gives it to us so that we can enjoy it but also so that we in turn can be a blessing. As the beloved children of God in Christ, we are blessed to be a blessing.
The ministry of evangelism has many dimensions. The Evangelism and Membership Committee headed by Herschel Richard will be increasingly involved in these various dimensions and I will say more about that in future articles. Right now I want you to be a part of their ministry by doing two things.
Wear your nametags (to appear soon) and develop the habit of inviting people to worship at St. Mark’s.
The first of these requests is relatively easy. If you don’t have a nametag, we’ll help you get one. The second request makes some of us a little uncomfortable. Maybe you’re imagining a door-to-door campaign in which we race Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses from house to house. Don’t worry, that’s not our approach. Besides, studies show that this method is not particularly effective.
However, personal invitation remains the most highly effective evangelism method. It starts with simply being a friend to the people you meet. This comes naturally to us. Get to know them. Care about them. Talk with them about their spiritual life and about what Christ has done in your life. Tell them how much St. Mark’s means to you, how good the music is, what you’ve learned in classes, and how wonderful the people are.
If someone is unchurched, invite them to attend a worship service with you. You can act as shepherd for them while on their first visit: show them around, introduce them to your friends, help them get their children to the nursery, and so on. By “unchurched” most people in evangelism circles mean people who have not attended any church in the last six months. Evangelism is not sheep stealing from another congregation.
In the end, evangelism is a caring ministry. We care enough about the unchurched to help them find a faith community where they can experience the love of Christ.
