Evangelism is a practice with which most of us as Presbyterians are not overly comfortable. In my former congregation we even jokingly referred to it as the "E" word because so few people wanted to talk about it. My impression is that evangelism is not kindly thought of because of the images it evokes. The images can run the gamut from street corner preachers, to strangers who ask if we have been saved, to revivals where guys in white suits make the threat of hell so real that you can feel your clothes being singed. These images make us nervous for a number of reasons: we don't like people invading our personal space; we have a more expansive view of God's love and grace; or perhaps we are actually Presbyterians who believe that salvation is the work of God and cannot be accomplished by manipulating the hearts and minds of others. For these and perhaps many other reasons, we as modern Presbyterians tend to shy away from the whole idea of evangelism.
The problem with this view of evangelism is that Jesus said the following, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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." (Matthew 28:18-20) In other words Jesus asked his followers to go and tell the world about his life, death and resurrection; to make people part of the community through baptism; and to teach them about following his commandments, which can be summed up as love God and love neighbor. The early church was more than willing to do this because it understood that in Jesus the very Kingdom of God had come into the world and that God wanted everyone to be a part of it. This was good news. This is the Good News. This was the message that Peter, Paul and early Jesus followers proclaimed to the world; Jesus died, rose again and in him there is life and life abundant in the in-breaking Kingdom of God.
Within the New Testament the Book of Acts is the story of this Good News telling within the Roman Empire. Though we read mainly about Paul's missionary journeys, there are numerous others who traveled with him (Timothy, Luke, Barnabas among them) in order to invite people into the Kingdom. In Paul's letters we are made aware of churches that were founded by unknown Jesus' followers who had heard the Good News and shared it with others. As I pointed out in some previous articles this Good News was good news because the Kingdom of God was a wonderful alternative to the Kingdom of Rome. In the Kingdom of God there was equity and equality; compassion and care; and love and hope. Women and slaves were particularly attracted to the church because the church made it clear that they were as loved by God as was any other person. This is why today in places like India the church is growing the fastest among the lowest castes that have been oppressed for thousands of years. The good news for them is that they are valued in the eyes of God in Christ.
So how do we share the Good News? For some people the answer is to tell family and friends about what Christ has done in their lives. Good News telling is a one-on-one event. For most of us that have not received the spiritual gift of one on one Good news telling (and the Apostle Paul makes it clear that Good News telling is a gift that not everyone has) the easiest way is to invite people to visit Everybody's Church. For if they choose to come, they will hear the Good News read and proclaimed, and they will see the Good News being lived out through mission, inclusion and community. The church family becomes the incubator in which the Good News comes alive as people experience Christ through the love and compassion of the community. The bottom line then? There is no need for white suits, threats or revivals. All that is required is for us to invite others to experience the love and grace of God in Jesus Christ, which we have already come to know.
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