Transcript Where is your neighbor? Evangelism Event Wisconsin Conference UCC David Schoen Congregational Vitality and Discipleship United Church of Christ.

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
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Missional in purpose
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Relational in outreach
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Get the church outside of itself
It’s all about relationships
Conversational in witness
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Talking about faith and life
Change or Opportunity
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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
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Change = Opportunity
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Missional in Purpose
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Missional congregations
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Missional congregations
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are sent churches
Missional congregations
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clear sense of purpose
reach out beyond themselves
Missional congregations
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birth new ministries and congregations
Missional Church
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“The Church exists to serve God’s Mission”
Mission as Missio Dei, UCC Committee on Structure, 1992
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The church of Jesus Christ is the instrument
and sign of God’s mission and realm.
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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.
Missional in Purpose
Relational in Outreach
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Ministry in 21st Century is Relational
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Build community with those outside the church
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Get to know your neighbors
and neighborhood
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This means
Get out of the church!
Vital congregations discern God’s
call and mission
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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) ?
Relational in Outreach
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Bridge the gap by building relationships
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The days of waiting for people to come to
church to welcome them are over.
Instead of waiting inside, we go outside
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Meeting your Neighbors
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Walk or Drive your neighborhood
Watch for where God is at work
 Take notes, make a map, collect contact data
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Who lives where
 What are community needs
 Who are allies and good neighbors
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Do this again and again
 Talk to your neighbors
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What are the hopes and challenges of neighbors
 How can the church be a good neighbor?
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Meeting your Neighbors
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‘Hang out’ with your neighbors
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Meet neighbors where they gather
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Spend Sunday morning with your neighbors
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Pastors ‘office’ in a coffee shop, fast food, bookstore.
Have meetings outside the church.
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Soccer matches, Lowes, Coffee Shop, Exercise
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
Getting to know your neighbors and
neighborhood
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Invite Neighbors to focus group discussion
Invite civic leaders, neighborhood planners
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What is happening in neighborhood?
What are future trends and plans?
What are physical/spiritual needs?
How can church be good neighbor?
Meeting Your Neighbors
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Random Acts of Kindness
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Clean the streets in neighborhood
Block or neighborhood parties, picnics
Free car washes, free ‘bake sales’
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Frazzled parent dinners
College student dinners
Senior Dance evenings
Charity or Accompaniment?
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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.
Going where Your Neighbors Are
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Go to the unlikely places
Tattoo parlors
 Bars and Taverns
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“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.”
Building Relationships
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.
Celtic Evangelism
Roman Model
Presentation
Decision
Fellowship
Celtic Model
Fellowship
Ministry and
Conversation
Belief, Invitation
to Commitment
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!
Relational in Outreach
Conversational in Witness
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Conversational ministry is central to the future
of the church in 21st Century
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Count conversations, not conversions
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Brian McLaren, More Ready than You Think
Conversational Ministry
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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.
Conversational about Faith and Life
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Spiritual Seekers want to talk.
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We are the ones not talking.
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Reverence for God – silence and service.
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Holy Conversations – Richard Peace
Tell it Like it is: Reclaiming the Practice of Testimony - Lillian
Daniel
Your neighbor doesn’t know
you do what you do.
why
Conversational in Witness
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Buzz Marketing
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Evangelism
One beggar telling another where there is food
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Come and See!
Love Your God and Neighbor
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The Evangelistic Love of God and Neighbor: A
Theology of Witness and Discipleship,
Scott. J. Jones, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2003
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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.
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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?
Still Speaking Conversation and
Invitation with Neighbors
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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
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Home dinners with neighbors
First Welcomers
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New Neighbors
Public Worship
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Ashes to Go
E. Word - Elbow
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“The e.word today is elbow.”
Jim Griffith
 2010 Wisconson Conference
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Still today the way most folks find a community
of faith is when they are invited to come by a
friend or neighbor.
Friend–Raising Weekend
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315 Congregations
4,200 visiting guests
6.2% increase in worship
St. Stephen’s UCC
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Journey UCC
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35 guests from 79
invitations
33 members - 36 guests
St. John’s UCC
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52 Guests 15 Youth
Go Forth….
Into the Virtual World.
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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.
Costs are nominal or FREE!
Meeting your Neighbor on-line
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Connecting with neighbors on-line
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Church Website
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Invitational
Interactive
Messaging
E.newsletter
Links
Facebook
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Church fanpage
Your own
Links
Advertising
Meeting your Neighbors with new
Technology
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E-mail Blasts
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KYEP
Cong. Vitality
Daily Devotional
Twitter
You Tube
Webinars
Go To Meetings
Apps
God is still speaking,
Through you and
me!
Meeting your neighbors
Reclaiming a focus on neighbors
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Missional in purpose
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Relational in outreach
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
Get the church outside of itself
It’s all about relationships
Conversational in witness

Talking about faith and life
Where is Your Neighbor?
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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
Where is Your Neighbor?
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Thank you for your vital Leadership
Blessings as you discover where your neighbor is
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Thank you for Your Support of
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Changing Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Wider Mission