Joel Kline of Fort Wayne, Ind., is the senior pastor of the Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren. He has also served in the pastorate in Pennsylvania.

Part Four: Four-Session Study
Sharing Our Faith with Others
by Joel Kline

How as a congregation and as committed Christian disciples might we let go of our uncertainties and inhibitions and share the good news of our faith authentically and compassionately with others?

SESSION ONE: INTRODUCTION

There's an old adage for Christians that asserts, "You may be the only Bible many people ever read." Throughout the history of the Church of the Brethren, we have taken that kind of sentiment to heart, believing that we are called to be models of Christian living. Indeed, for many of us, it has been more comfortable to model the faith through our lives than it has been to put our faith into words.

Consider your own faith journey: What did it mean for you to commit yourself to Christian discipleship? What people along the way have most influenced and encouraged you in your walk with Christ and the church? Can you remember particular conversations as well as specific interactions with these people? Given the appropriate opportunity, what aspects of your own faith experience would you like to share with those who are struggling to find greater meaning and purpose in life?

For many, evangelism conjures up images of coercion and browbeating. What images do you bring to this study of evangelism? Consider positive experiences you have had in sharing the faith with others. How open are you to exploring new and positive ways of sharing your faith with others?

Consider your own congregation in terms of its openness to evangelism and faith sharing. How does your community of faith understand its mission in the surrounding community and world? In what ways does your congregation demonstrate its willingness to reach out both in word and in deed?

Present an overview of the remaining three sessions with class members. Session Two explores past Annual Conference statements regarding evangelism, church growth, and mission, as well as biblical groundings. In the third session we will consider the question, Who is my neighbor? Individually and as congregations, to whom is God calling us to reach out and share the gospel of God's gracious love? In the final session, we will take a fresh look at some of the dimensions of a vital congregation and consider how our faith community stacks up. What are some practical areas for growth and renewal?

SESSION TWO: WHAT DO THE BRETHREN BELIEVE ABOUT EVANGELISM?

The 1972 statement on Evangelism for the Church of the Brethren concludes:

As part of the total Christian fellowship the Church of the Brethren has been entrusted with a message—the best news of God's love for all persons. We have also been enlisted in his ministry of reconciliation. But for too long we have allowed our uncertainties to inhibit our evangelism and we have been hesitant to share enthusiastically our convictions about God's love and grace. Surely we are called to be more positive in affirming our loyalty to Jesus Christ and more aggressive in seeking commitments to Christ, to Christ's church, and to Christ's kingdom. As persons, as congregations, as a denomination, we prayerfully anticipate the renewal of faith that will be reflected in a desire to grow, to be fruitful and multiply—both for the glory of God and for our neighbor's good.

To what extent have we heeded that challenge from three decades ago? What unique message does the Church of the Brethren have to offer, drawing upon both our Anabaptist heritage and our current ways of being the church? How might we let go of our uncertainties and inhibitions and share the good news authentically and compassionately?

The 1981 Annual Conference statement on World Mission Philosophy and Program defines world mission as "all God-motivated efforts to make Christ known, loved, and obeyed, so that the good news may result in discipleship in personal lives, in institutions, and in the whole range of human relationships. The ultimate objective is to redeem, heal, and lift all of life."

How do we move beyond mere lip service to this all-inclusive mandate, to a genuine willingness to live, speak, and act as God's people? From the Goals for the '90s Mission Statement comes this affirmation:

We are called to reach out to and receive our neighbors beside us and beyond us; to proclaim the gospel; to bear witness to our faith in word and deed; to strengthen congregational life; to develop new congregations, especially in urban areas; to invite and embrace persons of all ethnic backgrounds; to seek those who do not know Christ; and to be in world mission in Christ's way.

Identify ways you and your congregation, as well as our denomination, "reach out to and receive our neighbors beside us and beyond us." How might we more fully embrace the challenge set before us?

Consider the meaning and relevance of these key missional texts:

• The Great Commission, Matthew 28:16-20
  
• Ministry of reconciliation, 2 Cor. 5:16-21
  
• Christ's invitation, Matthew 11:28-30
  
• One new humanity, Ephesians 2:11-22
  
• Salt and light, Matthew 5:13-16

SESSION THREE: WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?

Read together Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, recorded in Luke 10:25-37. A lawyer questions Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?" That's the question we want to examine together in this session. In reality, Jesus turns the question around, encouraging his hearers to consider: What kind of neighbor am I? Am I willing to share the gift of God's love and grace with a diverse group of neighbors, or am I tempted to place limitations on the reach of God's love? In the parable, the Samaritan is willing to cast aside the powerful divisions between Jew and Samaritan and offer compassion to an "enemy."

Consider the neighborhood that surrounds your church building. How are your neighbors similar to you? In what ways are they different from you? Are there any who are wounded in body and/or spirit and who have been "left by the side of the road"? What "oil and wine" do you have to share? How might you and your congregation become bridge builders in an increasingly diverse world?

We live in a world of rapidly escalating urbanization. Yet the Church of the Brethren has seen itself largely as a rural community of believers. Nevertheless, whether urban or rural, all of us are affected by the changing face of the world around us. How should we respond to these changes? How do we work through our anxieties and fears regarding our changing world and therefore the changing context for the church's ministry?

Begin considering ways your congregation might reach out to its neighbors. What are the implications for your church's leadership style, level of openness to new people, worship style, and overall climate for growth?

SESSION FOUR: EVANGELISM IN THE LIFE OF OUR CONGREGATION

Consider the central role of worship in congregational life and ministry. In what ways are worship, evangelism, and faith-sharing connected? Manny Diaz begins his article entitled "Toward the Revitalization of Worship" by reminding us that you and I are called to be more than Sunday morning worshipers. To what extent are you—and fellow members of your congregation—worshiping with God every day? Share with one another the devotional practices and methods of spiritual discipline that are most meaningful for you. How does your sense of personal connectedness with God affect your daily living and relationships?

Manny Diaz asserts that "it is the knowledge of Christ's overwhelming love that produces the desire to share the good news with others." What do you think Manny has in mind when challenging us to "evangelize ourselves through worship"? List some specific ways your own faith has grown through times of personal and corporate worship. How does that kind of renewal or "self-evangelism" prepare us to share our faith with the surrounding community and world?

Manny writes further, "Our ability to love each other and our neighbors is key to experiencing the presence of God." In Evangelism in the Early Church, Michael Green says of the first Christians, "They made the grace of God credible by a society of love and mutual care which astonished the pagans and was recognized as something entirely new. It lent persuasiveness to their claim that the New Age had dawned in Christ" (120). Is there anything astonishing about the ways in which your church family expresses love and support for one another and for the surrounding community? Has it ever been said of your church community, "See how they love one another?" How are you making the love and light of Jesus visible in your community and world?

Prayer is integral to worship. In his article that asks "Why Did Jesus Pray?" Bob Krouse cites several answers: to know God's heart; to know God's will; to receive the Spirit's power; and to persevere in the mission set before him. What has been your experience of prayer? In what ways has prayer had an impact on your efforts at evangelism, service, and faith-sharing?

There is an old saying that reminds us that each individual alone cannot do everything, yet each of us can do something. What is that "something" God is asking of you and your congregation? How is God calling you to share and serve in the community and world around you?

In a time when many of us feel pulled in a host of competing directions, the singleminded determination of Jesus confronts us: "My food is to do the will of [God] who sent me and to complete his work" (John 4:34); "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God... I was sent for this purpose" (Luke 4:43). How clear are we about our purpose and our calling as a community of God's people? Has your congregation formulated a mission statement and specific goals that will lead you to more intentional ministry in your community and world? If not, what suggestions might you offer to your church board and other planning groups?

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