EVANGELISM
•  An Invitation
•  Make My Table Ready
•  Don't Wait, Bring a Friend
•  We Need You

Hospitality - An Invitation 

I have been in this community as your Associate Rector for over two years now. I have gone through many stages of assimilating into the community, and have come to feel both at home with you all, and within myself. Here, I felt welcomed and even loved, right from the beginning. Such a welcome has much to do with the friendly openness that is St. Bart’s way, and something to do with my being a public figure.  

It is in my capacity as a public figure that I also get to hear from those who have come to worship with us, but have not experienced the same welcome; they have not received help as they work their way through the service, or a greeting as they stood with their coffee. St. Bart’s has a committed group of formal welcomers, the Shepherd Staff, plus Charlie Gearing, and an enthusiastic evangelism committee, but none of this helps visitors experience Christ’s presence if we the people (the Body of Christ) do not show a genuine desire to get to know our guests and make our circles wider so as to include them.  

As I am one who needs to remind myself of the importance of welcoming the stranger, for I was once a stranger, I have committed myself to writing a little each month on the powerful Christian practice of hospitality and welcome. I hope you will share your hospitality stories with me. Recently I participated in a word study on the Greek word for guest, zenos. This word also means stranger or enemy, and we are lead to ponder that the who one is a threat can also be a friend. This suggests that that in the Christian practice of hospitality, the role between the guest (stranger) and the host, can swap around; that they are not fixed roles. When we go up to greet a stranger at church, we may be the host for a moment, offering the gift of a welcome, but we may also find ourselves suddenly the guest, as we receive a gift–perhaps literally or perhaps in the form of a story that meets us where we are, or an exchange of culture or knowledge. The Greeks thought so highly of hospitality that they called people who did not exercise it "barbarians."   

I invite you to develop a spirit of curiosity and wonder when you see someone you do not know at church. Do not be concerned if you are new yourself, for you bear gifts that you have no idea of.  Anticipate a blessing as you extend a hand to welcome or assist another through worship. 

In good faith,
Beverley  

Dear Lord, Make my table ready for those who are hungry
Evangelism.  In today’s society this word conjures up many different understandings and feelings. In simple terms, Evangelism is the sharing of the good news of Christ and His finished work.

I have had the privilege to experience many different types of worship in my life.  Born Catholic, my journey with God has taken me down a path through Southern Baptist, Independent Baptist, Charismatic, and Seeker Friendly and finally, where I find my home now in the Episcopal Church.  The moment I walked in to St. Bart’s I felt as if I had arrived home.  Through all of these relationships in the church, there is one common thread that has touched and moved my soul continually.  This common experience is grounded in evangelism.

“Everyone, no matter who you are or where you are on your journey with God is welcome at this table”.   From the first moment I heard our Rector make this statement; I knew that this truth was foundational to our experience as the Body of Christ in the earth.  However we find to convey this truth; that all are welcome at God’s table, we must do so.

Now….  I have asked some people at church, work and family members what was the first thought when I said the word evangelism.  It was really interesting…..  TV Evangelist with all the glitz and glamour, door to door visitation, as well as street corner preachers fully equipped with load speakers are just to name a few of the answers.  Many of the people I talked to concerning evangelism had negative feelings toward the subject, or admitted that evangelism was something that other people needed to be concerned about; for example the TV preachers, or door to door visitors.   

In a recent sermon, Beverly shared with us that communion gave us an example of what we can ultimately experience because of our relationship in Christ.  

  1. We receive the bread and wine.
  2. We give thanks.
  3. We break the bread.
  4. We give away to anyone who will come to receive.

Evangelism works the same way…..  how simple.  

  1. We receive life.  Our lives are all different.  Our experiences allow us to view life from an individual perspective.
  2. We give thanks for our life, for who we are, and for our experiences.
  3. We are broken.  Whether we are broken through our life experiences or take time in our busy lives to go on a spiritual journey that breaks away things that have built up in our life.
  4. We give our self away.  We accomplish this through relationships. 

When we are at a place to “give away” the good news of Christ and our experience with God and life, there will be those who come into our lives to receive.

Evangelism through relationship. 
So…..  does this mean we will need to go door to door?  I hope not.  I would much rather share my experience with a friend over dinner, or a conversation that is of mutual interest.  I have discovered that we do not need to necessarily seek out those who have a need to hear the good news, but rather these people will come into our lives when we are at a place to share the good news.

It is my hope that we will all be more aware of those around us everyday.  Our task is to continue this cycle:   Receive life.  Give thanks.  Be broken.  Give away. 

Evangelism, sharing of the good news, will remain alive and vibrant as we continue this cycle in our life.

Don’t wait, bring a friend
There’s a good line about Andrew: “He brought his brother to Christ.” And that’s what he did, at least according to St. John’s Gospel. Andrew had just had a surprising encounter with Jesus, and he ran home and grabbed Simon Peter, his brother, and said, Come with me right now; you’ve got to meet this guy!

Usually every year at St. Bartholomew’s, we have a “Bring a Friend Sunday,” when we are encouraged to invite someone we know, perhaps a neighbor or a co-worker, even a relative, to come to church with us. On that day, the service booklet, the sermon and (it is hoped) the congregation are especially geared to welcoming the stranger in our midst. It’s our annual official

opportunity to commit evangelism. I am suggesting, however, that just maybe we don’t need to wait for that special Sunday to bring someone to church. It could be a spur-of-the-moment invitation. Maybe Andrew could have waited a year to bring his brother to Jesus, but it’s probably a good thing he didn’t. Let’s not wait either. Let’s bring a friend any Sunday we can.

 

WE NEED YOU!!!
By Alan S. Clarke, Chair, Evangelism

When I attended the ordination of Josh Thomas at St. Bartholomew’s, a story told by Bishop Eugene Robinson in his homily really touched me, and has remained with me since that time. The story concerned a woman meeting her future daughter-in-law. When some questioned her about her son’s choice of a wife, the woman replied, “I’m not the Selection Committee, I’m the  Welcoming Committee.”

Since hearing that story, I added a byline to the top of each of our agendas for our monthly Evangelism Committee meetings: “Not the Selection Committee, but the Welcoming Committee” (and yes, I credit Bishop Robinson!). Our responsibility as faithful members of Christ’s church is not to decide who is called to our Parish, but to welcome those who are called, and let them know that we are a caring, accepting community.

This summer, we have all been treated to articles by members of the Evangelism Committee. First, our co-chair, Doug Perkins, wrote about why we continue to use the term “Evangelism” in our Parish, when the word comes loaded down with some negative baggage for many. Next, Cathy Agel, Chair of our amazing Shepherd’s Staff, discussed the ministry of the Shepherd’s Staff and Greeters as they make visitors and new members feel welcome to our Parish. Last month, John York reminded us that it is all of our responsibility to make the newcomer welcome – not just the job of a select few.

This month, I would like to invite you to take a step in your walk of faith that you may never have thought of: joining us on the Evangelism Committee. Part of our job description is as follows: “St. Bartholomew’s strives to reach out to the community with hospitality, especially to people who, for various reasons, have felt unwelcomed or alienated by the church. We endeavor, through advertising, letters to people moving into the community, the World Wide Web – and most importantly, through individual members’ hospitality – to send forth our message of inclusivity in Christ at St. Bartholomew’s.”

The Evangelism Committee is the committee specifically charged with the oversight of one of St. Bartholomew's Strategic Goals for 2008: being a hospitable community focusing on the welcoming and incorporation of new members. To accomplish this goal, we are involved in the oversight of numerous special events: new member receptions, Bring a Friend Sunday, Gay Pride, St. Bartholomew's Ministry Fair, etc. We are also responsible to make sure that our church is a place where newcomers will feel welcome: where members greet visitors and provide information about the Parish, where signage around our property is appropriate and clear, and where the community may find out about us through our website, newsletter and advertising.

At some point, someone made you feel welcome to St. Bartholomew's – or you would have continued your search for a church home elsewhere. Won’t you consider helping us as we continue that work? Our committee meets once a month (and usually takes a couple of months off in the summer). If you have the “gift of hospitality,” we are the place for you; and even if you don’t feel so gifted, we can certainly use your help! Please contact me as we begin a new season of hospitality at St. Bartholomew's to let me know. You can reach me at alansclarke@yahoo.com or call 770-934-0303. We look forward to having you join us in September!

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