Dion Hunt of Chicago, Ill., was a Ministry Summer Service intern in 2000 and 2001. He is a member of the Tire Hill (Pa.) Church of the Brethren and a student of the Moody Bible Institute.

Introduction
by Dion Hunt

Have you ever wondered how your life would be different, if you didn't know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? What would you spend your money on? What would you do on the weekends? How would you treat your neighbors?

Some of us know the answers to these questions because we came to know the Lord at a later point in life. In contrast, some of us practically grew up "Christian" and cannot imagine what life would be like apart from God and the church. In either case, we must ask these kinds of questions because our answers may affect the way we view people outside of the faith community.

EVANGELISM AND CHURCH GROWTH

Before we explore the purpose and contents of this packet, we need to define two terms. Evangelism may be defined as a lifestyle committed to the good news of Jesus Christ. Church growth is defined as the result of evangelism.

The purpose of this resource packet is three-fold. It is intended to be a user-friendly evangelism resource that will encourage a broad range of Church of the Brethren congregations to . . .

1. develop their identity around the missional character of God,
2. redefine "Who is my neighbor?"
3. develop and engage in ministries based on expressed needs to and with communities of which they are a part.

THE PAST

The first unit of this packet focuses on the biblical and historical background of the Church of the Brethren, Brethren have always been willing to share the good news with nonbelievers, both in word and in deed. Our Pietist roots remind us of our commitment to God, while our Anabaptist roots remind us of our commitment to our neighbors.

THE PRESENT

The second unit of this packet focuses on current cultural understandings and how our understandings affect the way we view evangelism. The articles address a lot of our cultural questions, such as, "Why aren't people going to church anymore?" and "How can I reach out to the community that I live in?" Throughout the articles the word postmodern appears, describing the culture in which we live. In order for us to effectively reach out to others, we must know how others think, what they believe, and how they view themselves.

The third unit focuses on evangelism in the life of Brethren congregations. The articles challenge us to look at evangelism both personally and corporately. They also suggest practical ways of reaching out to our communities.

The final unit serves as a four-session study, referring to the first three units of this packet. It is a great tool for small groups to search God's calling in the area of evangelism. Each session can be used as they are or can be modified by a group leader. Have fun as you think, pray, and respond together!

THE FUTURE

What will the Church of the Brethren look like a hundred years from now? Will we still exist? Will we continue to hold onto the teachings of Jesus? Will we be willing to reach out to our neighbors with a helping hand and match our actions with our voices? I hope so. I hope and pray that we will become more burdened for those who are lost. I hope that we will find new ways to share Christ with others. Most of all, I hope that God will be patient with us and continue to shower blessings upon us.

SHARING CHRIST WITH OTHERS

If you never knew Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you would not be responsible for sharing the good news with others. However, since you do know him, God asks you to love him by loving your neighbors. The greatest love that we can show anyone is Christ. The greatest gift that we can give is Christ. The greatest hope and joy that we can give also comes through Christ!

May the Lord bless you and fill you with all the fullness of Christ, so that you will give to others out of the overflow of what God has given and continues to give you! Let it be so!