“Strategy….is not a substitute for Spirit. Simularly Spirit is not a substitute for strategy” (Robin Gamble).

Thank you for all your interest and support in the evangelism work I have been doing. The need to help churches with evangelism seems to be there – which is no surprise to many of us who so often struggle with it. As I look to grow the work in quality and quantity please continue to pray that I will use the right balance of Spirit and strategy as Paul does in the book of Acts and that the churches I work with will do too.

Last month included…

Facilitating Q & A evening with St Michaels at Fox and Hounds pub – some great discussions, testimony sharing and relationship building.

Promoting Community week at CGC with ideas and video blogs. Working with youth group inc handing out lollipops with meaningful messages in local area and reflecting on it with them.

Meeting with St Luke’s evangelism team to plan Family mornings to follow up summer event, encouraging the church’s involvement and thinking about some longer term issues.

Being part of St Michaels Storytelling festival weekend; focusing on the Christian content and follow up. Played Goliath at the service inc dying and falling down pulpit steps (on purpose…).

Training leaders at CGC in personal evangelism inc put God at the centre of it not our feelings, words and fears.

This month includes…

4th October Part of the team for St Lukes family event
5th October Visitng new Cafe Church at Chelmsford Community Church to give some ideas
9th October Meeting with Tile Kiln elder re evangelism
13th October Meeting with Great Leighs Free church leadership re evangelism strategy
18th October Attending evangelism conference with Chelmsford diocese for church evangelists
28th October Meeting with Broomfield Road elder re evangelism

Please pray for these people and churches to keep focused on seeking and saving the lost.
Please pray for wisdom for me as I seek God’s will in developing the work.

Listen first

So often when we think of evangelism we think first of talking. Of course evangelism is the verbal communication of the gospel. But increasingly we should listen first so we can be like the man of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12 v 32 who “understood the times and knew what Israel should do”. How can we listen to understand the times and so know what to do?

Read and watch blogs, youtube clips and trends on Twitter to find out what people generally are reading and watching. What are they saying about people’s interests in life?

Watch some TV programmes and films people around you like to watch that you don’t. It might be uncomfortable but ask questions like what values of life are being communicated in this?

Walk around shops you don’t normally go to see what is being promoted, what is selling out and who the target market is. What messages are people getting? (remember if advertising did not work why do companies spen billions of pounds on it?)

Listen to people talking around you (without being creepy) in coffee shops, gyms, on trains and in buses. What are the concerns and issues on peoples’ minds?

Then use the information to inform you and your church about what to do in your evangelism.

Recommended read: Ambiguous Evangelism (Bob Mayo) makes the case for a more open approach to evangelism in today’s times rather than the more traditional formulaic approach. Just like in Jesus’ parables not all the answers are given at once and there is space for thinking and discussion. This can be in the form of conversations, stories and relationships to move people from ignorance to awareness.

If you would like regular evangelism ideas for you and your church, please sign up to receive the monthly update.