Resurrecting the "E" word; evangelism and the CBF

[Jim]

In my personal theology, I devoted over 16,000 words to the subject of hell. I devoted a third that many to the subjects of salvation & reconciliation. I am posting this essay not for the purpose of claiming that it's spot-on, but simply to elicit thought, in the believer-priesthood concept:

[Mrs Haruo]

There's a Kingdom Hall not far from where we live. They seem to like to send people over to the bus stop shelter near our house where people are waiting for a bus that takes them to Downtown Seattle. There is no door to slam in the face of someone who interrupts your book reading to press you to take her Watchtower. It's a captive audience because if we miss the next bus it could be at least a 30 minute wait or more for the next one. One woman made the mistake of pushing her views on a grizzled old Viet Nam combat veteran with scars down the side of his face and an impressive collection of tattoos. "But aren't you afraid of HELL? " she asked him, He growled "I have no fear of HELL. I have already been there!"

[Dave Roberts]

All reasoning in scripture about both heaven and hell is by analogy. Writers used the most glorious and most terrifying images they could envision to describe the indescribable. To be overly literal is to miss the point. For example, I recently had a man envisioning the cubist heaven portrayed in Revelation calculating how many stories could be built into the perfect cube. Allowing 10 feet per floor, it comes out above 200,000. Then he wondered how those in heaven negotiated from floor to floor. I think his literalism had run amuck.

[Sandy]

I'd agree with that, Dave. I think you can overanalyze the text. Each writer brought a personal perspective, and used a unique literary style to convey the message that God was inspiring. The concept of hell is being separated from God. I don't believe that there is a whole long series of things that you have to get lined up to believe to understand the concept. Jim developed a rather lengthy and detailed perspective from a concept that is discussed in scripture in less than an eighth of the words he used to expound on it. I read most of it. And I don't think any differently about hell than I did before I read it.

[Tim Bonney]

[Dave Roberts]

[Tim Bonney]

[Sandy]

So, just an informal survey here, but what kind of evangelism activity do you see in your churches? Frankly, I don't see much. Our congregation is small, about 80 people, mostly middle aged (40's to 60's) with a few families, maybe a dozen youth and a dozen kids, with 5-6 in the nursery on Sunday. We don't do things like Baptists, when it comes to offering an evangelistic invitation after every service, and we only have a baptism service once a quarter, if necessary. Right now, we have four baptisms scheduled, all kids who made a profession of faith during VBS this summer. Our Wednesday night kids and youth program draws about 25-30 kids and youth whose families don't attend church, and that's where the majority of our baptisms have come from in the six years I've been a member there.

So what happens in your congregations?

[Ed Pettibone]

[Mrs Haruo]

ED: You mention sending kids home with papers for parents to help them with. The wildest time I had teaching Sunday School was when I volunteered to teach the first time I attended Sunday Protestant chapel at a small Navy base I was assigned to. Sunday school was a very popular way of getting rid of your kids for an hour or two every Sunday morning because there was a bus that went around base picking up the kids. The chaplain said they were very short handed and anyone who was willing to teach was needed. I ended up with 6 very energetic 4th and 5th graders. I think one of the best ways to attract adults is through their kids. I have helped at VBS programs at several churches in the various places I have lived over the years, and often it is the parents who show up for the closing program and see that the church is a friendly place where they are made to feel welcome that come back later.

[Sandy]

[Tim Bonney]

I guess it depends on your definition of evangelism Sandy. We are on the radio and regularly use that as a tool to invite people to the church. We also have an outreach to the college as our next door neighbor and seek to encourage students to be a part of our fellowship. We have a yearly confirmation class in which junior high age students are led to make public professions of faith in Christ following a 9 month study in Christian faith and the beliefs of our Church. Every year we do have several adopts who profess faith in Christ for the first time and are baptized into the faith. And I hold adult new member classes at least twice a year.

Methodists in this part of the world don't have altar calls as an evangelistic practice. If people visit the church or want to know more about the Christian faith our practice is that they have a conversation with me about faith and I share the meaning of belief in Christ an church membership with them.

[Ed Pettibone]

[Tim Bonney]

Yes, adults.