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Where is your neighbor? Evangelism Event Wisconsin Conference UCC

Where is your neighbor? Evangelism Event Wisconsin Conference UCC. David Schoen Congregational Vitality and Discipleship United Church of Christ. Meeting your neighbors Reclaiming a focus on neighbors. Missional in purpose Get the church outside of itself Relational in outreach

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Where is your neighbor? Evangelism Event Wisconsin Conference UCC

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  1. Where is your neighbor? Evangelism Event Wisconsin Conference UCC David Schoen Congregational Vitality and DiscipleshipUnited Church of Christ

  2. Meeting your neighborsReclaiming a focus on neighbors • Missional in purpose • Get the church outside of itself • Relational in outreach • It’s all about relationships • Conversational in witness • Talking about faith and life

  3. Change or Opportunity • Meeting your neighbor will mean changing your program but just program change is not answer • Meeting your neighbor will call for change of mindset and understanding of church • Importance of Message • Change = Opportunity

  4. Missional in Purpose • Missional congregations • clear sense of purpose • Missional congregations • are sent churches • Missional congregations • reach out beyond themselves • Missional congregations • birth new ministries and congregations

  5. Missional Church • “The Church exists to serve God’s Mission” Mission as Missio Dei, UCC Committee on Structure, 1992 • The church of Jesus Christ is the instrument and sign of God’s mission and realm. • God’s mission is calling and sending us, the church of Jesus Christ, to be a missionary church in our own societies, in the cultures in which we find ourselves.

  6. Missional in PurposeRelational in Outreach • Ministry in 21st Century is Relational • Build community with those outside the church • Get to know your neighbors and neighborhood • This means Get out of the church!

  7. Vital congregations discern God’s call and mission • The greatest characteristic of a vital congregation is the ability to articulate and live God’s purpose. • What is God calling this church to be and do at this time, in this place, with the gifts we have on this corner of God’s realm that we are placed? • Does your church love your neighbor (as it loves itself) ?

  8. Relational in Outreach • Bridge the gap by building relationships • The days of waiting for people to come to church to welcome them are over. • Instead of waiting inside, we go outside

  9. Meeting your Neighbors • Walk or Drive your neighborhood • Watch for where God is at work • Take notes, make a map, collect contact data • Who lives where • What are community needs • Who are allies and good neighbors • Do this again and again • Talk to your neighbors • What are the hopes and challenges of neighbors • How can the church be a good neighbor?

  10. Meeting your Neighbors • ‘Hang out’ with your neighbors • Meet neighbors where they gather • Spend Sunday morning with your neighbors • Soccer matches, Lowes, Coffee Shop, Exercise • Pastors ‘office’ in a coffee shop, fast food, bookstore. • Have meetings outside the church. • Bible/book studies in coffee shop, book store • Council meetings in neighborhood context • Engage in conversation, build relationships, • collect data of names/addresses/e-mails

  11. Getting to know your neighbors and neighborhood • Invite Neighbors to focus group discussion • Invite civic leaders, neighborhood planners • What is happening in neighborhood? • What are future trends and plans? • What are physical/spiritual needs? • How can church be good neighbor?

  12. Meeting Your Neighbors • Random Acts of Kindness • Clean the streets in neighborhood • Block or neighborhood parties, picnics • Free car washes, free ‘bake sales’ • Frazzled parent dinners • College student dinners • Senior Dance evenings • Charity or Accompaniment? • Not ‘we are here to serve you because you need us’ • We are here to accompany, walk with you and this neighborhood seeking to as good of neighbors and community as we can be.

  13. Going where Your Neighbors Are • Go to the unlikely places • Tattoo parlors • Bars and Taverns • “I stopped wondering about how to draw younger folks into my church and started focusing on how to draw my congregation out of its building and into relationship with the world outside its doors.”

  14. Building RelationshipsCeltic Evangelism In The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West . . . Again, George Hunter writes about the difference between what he describes as the evangelism approach in Roman and Celtic Christianity.

  15. Celtic Evangelism Roman Model Celtic Model Presentation Fellowship Decision Ministry and Conversation Fellowship Belief, Invitation to Commitment

  16. Belonging and Believing Christianity is more caught than taught! As Professor Robin Gill observes, belonging comes before believing. For this reason, evangelism is now helping people belong so that they can believe. No Matter Who You Are or Where You Are on Life’s Journey, You Are Welcome Here!

  17. Relational in OutreachConversational in Witness • Conversational ministry is central to the future of the church in 21st Century • Count conversations, not conversions • Brian McLaren, More Ready than You Think

  18. Conversational Ministry • The postmodern world calls for disciples who reach out to a world that is hungering for good conversation about faith, values, hope, meaning, purpose, goodness, beauty, truth, life after death, life before death and God. Engaging in everyday faith conversations will not only help others become Christians, it will help us become better Christians, who know and love the still speaking God more than ever.

  19. Conversational about Faith and Life • Spiritual Seekers want to talk. • Holy Conversations – Richard Peace • We are the ones not talking. • Reverence for God – silence and service. • Tell it Like it is: Reclaiming the Practice of Testimony - Lillian Daniel • Your neighbor doesn’t know why you do what you do.

  20. Conversational in Witness • Buzz Marketing • Evangelism One beggar telling another where there is food • Come and See!

  21. Love Your God and Neighbor • The Evangelistic Love of God and Neighbor: A Theology of Witness and Discipleship, Scott. J. Jones, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2003 • If we love our neighbor and our God • We will share our still speaking faith and community with them. • We will find appropriate ways and time to do so.

  22. Are You Ready to Talk? Why do you love your church? What impact has believing in God and following Jesus made in your life? What Bible text has made a difference in your life?

  23. Still Speaking Conversation and Invitation with Neighbors • Informal moments at work, shopping or…. • Be attentive for moments for a still speaking word • Become a Still Speaking Voice • Wear your still speaking witness • Home dinners with neighbors • First Welcomers • New Neighbors • Public Worship • Ashes to Go

  24. E. Word - Elbow • “The e.word today is elbow.” • Jim Griffith • 2010 Wisconson Conference • Still today the way most folks find a community of faith is when they are invited to come by a friend or neighbor.

  25. Friend–Raising Weekend • 315 Congregations • 4,200 visiting guests • 6.2% increase in worship • St. Stephen’s UCC • 35 guests from 79 invitations • Journey UCC • 33 members - 36 guests • St. John’s UCC • 52 Guests 15 Youth

  26. Go Forth…. Into the Virtual World. • In Asia, Europe and North America—an entire generation has experienced the Internet as a means for maintaining relationships with family and friends. • The Internet is a lifeline for users whose mobility is limited by disability, chronic illness or advanced age. • The Internet is where we can find and engage our neighbors.

  27. Costs are nominal or FREE!

  28. Meeting your Neighbor on-line • Connecting with neighbors on-line • Church Website • Invitational • Interactive • Messaging • E.newsletter • Links • Facebook • Church fanpage • Your own • Links • Advertising

  29. Meeting your Neighbors with new Technology • E-mail Blasts • KYEP • Cong. Vitality • Daily Devotional • Twitter • You Tube • Webinars • Go To Meetings • Apps

  30. God is still speaking, Through you and me!

  31. Meeting your neighborsReclaiming a focus on neighbors • Missional in purpose • Get the church outside of itself • Relational in outreach • It’s all about relationships • Conversational in witness • Talking about faith and life

  32. Where is Your Neighbor? • What are you taking home? • Pray, Pray for your neighbors and congregation • This takes time, strategy and work. • Get a team of ‘bright-eyed’ people together • Study and conversation with congregation • Takes support of congregational leaders • Just get started. • Do one thing. Start with strength

  33. Where is Your Neighbor? • Thank you for your vital Leadership • Blessings as you discover where your neighbor is • Thank you for Your Support of • Changing Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Wider Mission

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