A Letter from Bishop Chris (September 2023A)

Friends,

Is evangelism a thing of the past?

That was the title of an article I read some time ago in Relevant Magazine. The article stated that according to a Barna study, 83 percent of American churchgoers aren’t clear about the Great Commission. Of those, roughly half indicated they had no idea what it is, while the others said they’d heard of the Great Commission but weren't sure of its exact meaning. The article also said that this lack of knowledge about the Great Commission increases among younger generations.

Just in case you find yourself among the 83 percent of churchgoers, the Great Commission is found in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus said, “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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” I hope you will commit these verses to your memory, if you haven’t done so already. Even more importantly, I hope you’ll learn to obey them.

I believe that in a culture where the Church has become increasingly marginalized there are several things we can no longer assume. First, we can’t assume that everyone is already a Christian. Even in small towns where there are church buildings all around; the fact is that many people don’t know Jesus Christ, and this is increasingly so. Second, we can no longer assume that “they” will come to us if we just offer a good program, have good children’s ministry, have good preaching, and provide “beautiful” traditional or “powerful” contemporary music. I’m all for these things but we must move away from the mindset of, “If we build it, they will come.” Friends, they won’t and they aren’t, and the numbers increasingly show this. Programs and music may help keep people, but in and of themselves, they only draw the insiders or the church consumer crowd.

So what’s needed?

First, I think it’s important that we actively seek relationships, not only with each other, but also with the non-churched and non-Christian. Prayerfully engaging in caring relationships with “outsiders” is crucial. My pastoral mentor taught me, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” If that’s true inside the church, it’s even more true outside the church. To help provide you with biblical understanding and practical tools you can use, we will offer The Art of Neighboring as our pre-Synod workshop this year. You don’t have to be a Synod delegate to participate in this workshop but you’ll need to register to participate.  Details on our website here. (I will be writing more about The Art of Neighboring in subsequent e-newsletters.)

Second, I believe we must become willing to get out of our comfort zones. Let’s face it, it’s easy to get comfortable in our faith lives. Perhaps this is especially true for us Anglicans who tend to like routine and structure and predictability. Engaging with outsiders will require us to be uncomfortable. And of course, this will take time and that means we’ll have to evaluate our priorities. It is a profound spiritual exercise to prayerfully explore our calendars (and our checkbooks but that’s a different article). Doing this kind of practical heart work will show you your real theology based on your actual priorities and could lead you toward repentance.

Let me share one simple thing I have learned to do: be more intentionally evangelistic and to go beyond my comfort zone.

The next time you’re at a restaurant be sure to learn the name of your server and then after the meal thank and encourage them specifically. Show genuine care for them. And then ask them if you can ask a blessing for them. If they say no, let it pass and pray for them silently. But, and this is my experience more often then not, many will awkwardly say, “Ok sure.” Ask them if they have any particular needs and say a short prayer (out loud), and using normal, every-day, not-churchy language. Ask Jesus to provide for those needs.

When you are done, let them go back to their work. Leave them a really good tip. You’ll make their day and plant some seeds for the gospel. Remember, not every encounter has to be a “come-to-Jesus-for-salvation” moment. Your role might be to help them take a step toward Jesus and the life saving Gospel. As practice, you’ll grow in faith and gain confidence in the process. You might even end up enjoying it.

I’ll share some more ideas in the weeks to come. For now, I hope you’ll begin to agree that it’s time for us to try some new things… both for the world’s sake and also for Christ’s great glory.

Blessings!
The Rt. Rev. Chris Warner