1. Evangelism in the 21st Century
David Schoen
Eden Theological Seminary

2. Evangelism in the 21st Century
What do you think when you hear the word
Evangelism?

3. Evangelism in the 21st Century
Biblical Understanding of Evangelism
Evangel “eu” good “aggelion” tiding, news
gospel good news, good word, good tidings,
gospel of God’s realm, gospel of God, gospel of Christ, gospel of peace
Evangelize euaggelizio To preach, to declare
Bring glad tidings, preach the gospel
Evangelist euaggelistes, advocate of the good news, ambassador
aggel, angel, messenger
Evangelism - of the good news, embodiment (living out) of the evangel

4. Evangelism in the 21st Century
Biblical Understanding of Evangelism
Small Group Bible Study
John 2:35-51
Matthew 28:16-20
Acts 1:6-11
Jeremiah 1:6-9
Acts 8:26-35

5. Evangelism in the 21st Century
Biblical Perspectives on Evangelism
Walter Brueggemann
Group Discussion
What stood out to you as an “aha”?
What challenged you?
What questions would you ask?
How did Brueggemann define evangelism?

6. Evangelism in the 21st Century
Biblical Perspectives on Evangelism
Walter Brueggemann
Evangelism is doing the texts again.
evangelical task of the church to invite people into this daring drama and revolutionary conversation
Evangelism is no mere survival technique.
It is a world concern.
Evangel is Message of God’s alternative world.
Not just a question of good news, it’s what do we do with the good news.
We are ultimately the tellers, the hearers and the livers.

7. Evangelism in the 21st Century
Biblical Perspectives on Evangelism
Walter Brueggemann
Audience for Evangelism
Outsiders become Insiders
Forgetters Made Rememberers
Beloved Children become belief-ful adults
Main issue for the U.S. church is to recover the nerve (courage and freedom) to say boldy and straightforwardly that the embrace of the evangel is pervasively transformative.

8. Evangelism in the 21st Century
History and Theology of Evangelism
Small Group Discussion
Evangelism Definitions
What are the primary foci of definitions?
How do they vary?
Which definition speaks to you?
How will you define evangelism?

9. Evangelism in the 21st Century
History and Theology of Evangelism
Jesus’ ministry
Gospel was about the realm of God among us
New Testament/Apostolic/Early Church
Evangelism is act of obedience- “Go Forth”.
Focus on the world into which church was called
Church was called as sign and instrument of God’s realm
God’s reign recognized in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection
Jesus becomes the message

10. Evangelism in the 21st Century
History and Theology of Evangelism
Jesus’ ministry
Gospel was about the realm of God among us
New Testament/Apostolic/Early Church
Evangelism is act of obedience- “Go Forth”.
Focus on the world into which church was called
Church was called as sign and instrument of God’s realm
God’s reign recognized in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection
Jesus becomes the message

11. Evangelism in the 21st Century
History and Theology of Evangelism
Christendom (after Constantine)
From apostles to Priests (Early Church to Empire)
Church and culture are one,
Place and birth define Christian identity
Mission of church and kingdom was to ensure that every person within boundaries of the kingdom is part of a local congregation.
The task and authority of priests is the administration of sacraments and standing in church and culture
Church exists to serve the religious needs of members and kingdom
Evangelism became outreach to whatever place was out of kingdom/culture

12. Evangelism in the 21st Century
History and Theology of Evangelism
Celtic 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.

13. Evangelism in the 21st Century
History and Theology of Evangelism
Roman Model Celtic Model
Presentation Fellowship
Decision Ministry and Conversation
Fellowship Belief, Invitation to Commitment

14. Evangelism in the 21st Century
History and Theology of Evangelism
Celtic Evangelism
Christianity is more caught than taught! As Professor Robin Gill observes, belonging comes before believing. For this reason, evangelism is about helping people to belong so that they can believe.

15. Evangelism in the 21st Century
History and Theology of Evangelism
From Priests to Pedagogues (Reformation)
Church remained the static server of religious grace and power within Christian society
Reformers did challenged and reform the priestly understanding of ministry to create a more pedagogical identity for the clergy.
Teaching and preaching, the oversight of right doctrine and proper administration of the sacraments became the normative form of protestant leadership
Proclamation and teaching became the task of leadership and sign of authority
Some radical reformers and free church movements tried to create alternative organic communities based on neither the priestly or pastoral, but lay led leadership

16. Evangelism in the 21st Century
History and Theology of Evangelism
From Pedagogues to Professional
Enlightenment to Modernity
Scientific competence pressured church
Preachers became professionals The Leader as Counselor
The Leader as Manager
The Leader as Technician
The Leader as Evangelist

17. Evangelism in the 21st Century
History and Theology of Evangelism
From Pedagogues to Professional (Enlightenment to Modernity)
Religion became positive science,
a formula for making people and world better
Revivals
Great Awakening, Wesleyan, Finney, Moody, Sunday, Graham
Rule of God (good) realized in personal experience
Absent is idea of community
Eschatology (hope) is based on future not present
Social Gospel
Rule of God realized in social order
Rule of God (good) realized in social context
Absent is idea of individual
Eschatology (hope) is based in present context

18. Evangelism in the 21st Century
History and Theology of Evangelism
From Pedagogues to Professional
Enlightenment to Modernity
Evangelism becomes professionally and institutionally driven
Church growth movement
growth of church around the world
a church in every new community

19. Evangelism in the 21st Century
Post Modern World (A new worldview coming into being) currently a difficult mix
Maintenance of Christian tradition,
servicing churched people’s needs
perform the religious chaplaincy of culture
Missional movement/theology
Return to Missio Dei of apostolic age , gospel and culture movement
Return to go forth, because that’s who God calls us to be “sent” Communities shaped and excited by missional identity, church finds identity and joy in mission/outreach ministries
God’s called out, sent out people
Ecclesiology and missiology merge, purpose of the church is to serve God’s mission
Mission starts at front door, wraps around the world and come back
Evangelism is central to God’s mission
Critique of Missio Dei to much doing, not being
Church as sign and instrument of God’s reign

20. Evangelism in the 21st Century

21. Logic of Evangelism Evangelism raises very fundamental questions
What the essence of Christianity is concerning:
conversion, faith, and repentance;
the nature of the gospel,
the nature of the reign of God,
the place of the reign in the ministry of Jesus
the nature of baptism and of Christian initiation,
The relationship between the intellect and the emotions in Christian commitment
the faith of the early centuries expressed in the modern world
the place of Christianity in a multi-faith world

22. Logic of Evangelism
Abraham begin theological review with Ministry of Jesus and Gospel
Begins with Eschatology (hope) of Jesus’ Message
Jesus proclaims a Gospel of God’s Realm
The rule of God was present and still to come to fulfillment
God’s future hope is realized in the present in lives and in world
God’s rule is seen and known in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
God’s realm is still to come in fulfillment

23. Logic of Evangelism Message and Ministry of Evangelism
Proclamation is a message of the rule of God,
the present and still to come activity of God into the world
seen and known in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
Return to the message work of the apostles which he said was more than proclamation
Formation into the community of God’s reign
Nurture of new beings
Living in a new world where injustice is out of date

24. Logic of Evangelism Abrahams’ Definition of Evangelism
Evangelism is that set of intentional activities which is governed by the goal of initiating people into the kingdom (realm) of God for the first time.
A recovery of apostolic teaching and spirit, seeing evangelism as intimately related to the coming reign of God.
To be initiated into the rule of god is to encounter a transcendent reality that has entered history and to find oneself drawn up into the ultimate purposes of God for history and creation.

25. Logic of Evangelism
Evangelism includes but cannot be collapse into admittance into some religious institution,
It is distinct from psychological and social formation that takes place when one embrace a specific cosmic or historical narrative.
Cannot be reduced to acquisition of some creed or body of knowledge that is intellectually mastered
More than appropriation of a particular moral vision
Distinct from certain rites and ceremonies
Goes far beyond some spiritual or emotional experiences, even positive
Cannot drained into activism that seeks to change the world for the better

26. Logic of Evangelism Whose involved in evangelism
Triune God – primary agent
The church
Evangelist
The person evangelized
Evangelism calls for multiple agents, it is never a solo performance
It is more like farming and educating than raising one’s arms or blowing a kiss

27. Logic of Evangelism Abraham’s definition seeks to be response to:
Revival Movement
Proclamation with little idea of community
Individualization of Gospel
Eschatology (hope) is based on future not present
Justice witness absent

28. Logic of Evangelism Abraham’s definition seeks to be response to:
Church Growth Movement
Church growth about research not theology
Based on homogeneous demographics
Personal invitation instead of confrontation
Focus on numbers and institution survival
Focused on church membership not discipleship
Diminishes focus on Justice

29. Logic of Evangelism Evangelism involves: Proclamation
Basic instruction
Prayer
Ensuring that those who respond are brought to baptism or confirmation
Acts of mercy, patient conversation, stern rebuke, mass meetings
Sharing ones personal spiritual pilgrimage or an act of silence, listening
Ministering special rites of exorcism, catechesis, laying on hands
Mass media or small groups

30. Logic of Evangelism Evangelism involves: Proclamation
Basic instruction
Prayer
Ensuring that those who respond are brought to baptism or confirmation
Acts of mercy, patient conversation, stern rebuke, mass meetings
Sharing ones personal spiritual pilgrimage or an act of silence, listening
Ministering special rites of exorcism, catechesis, laying on hands
Mass media or small groups

31. Logic of Evangelism
What makes the actions of evangelism is that they are part of a process governed by the goal of initiating people into the realm of God.
Unless such acts are intimately related to a process of intentionally bringing people into the realm of God they are something other than or less than evangelism.

32. Logic of Evangelism Critiques of Abraham’s definition and work
Too much like Christian Education
Jones critique
Realm of God confined to Church
Evangelism can be harmful

33. Logic of Evangelism Abraham’s re-definition and work
Evangelism is that set of intentional activities governed by the goal of initiating persons into Christian discipleship in response to the reign of God for the first time.
Jones redefinition
Evangelism is that set of loving, intentional activities governed by the goal of initiating persons into Christian discipleship in response to the reign of God.

34. Evangelism Definitions
One beggar telling another beggar where there is food.
Evangelical task of the church to invite people into this daring drama and revolutionary conversation.
Evangelism is helping people belong so that they can believe.
Evangelism is that set of intentional activities governed by the goal of initiating persons into Christian discipleship in response to the reign of God for the first time.
Evangelism is that set of loving, intentional activities governed by the goal of initiating persons into Christian discipleship in response to the reign of God.

35. Evangelism in the 21st Century
How do you respond to the evangelism definitions?
What is your definition of evangelism for your ministry and discipleship?