Extracted from sessions prepared by Capt.
Gordon Banks C.A. and used in other similar
consultations. Gordon represents the Diocese
of Chichester within the Rural Evangelism
Network.
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Special Information
This presentation was designed and written by Capt. Gordon
Banks C.A. It is hoped that many will find it helpful.
Should you make use of the presentation we ask that you
include the contact information towards the end of the
presentation.
Much of the clipart is in the public domain.
Should you wish to use any of the material in the presentation
please obtain permission stating what you wish to use and
how you intend to use it.
A presentation transcription can be made available.
Thank you.
Copyright©Barry Osborne 2013
Captain Gordon Banks CA
Diocesan Evangelist Chichester
Church Army Rural Link Officer
Committee member
Rural Evangelism Network
Chaplain to FCN Sussex/Surrey
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Ministry…
Community Evangelist Marsh Farm
Luton 1986 – 1989
Parish Evangelist St Mary’s Prudhoe
Northumberland 1989 – 1996
East Wivelshire Deanery Evangelist
Cornwall 1996 – 2001
Diocesan Evangelist – Truro 2001 – 2005
Diocesan Evangelist – Chichester 2005…
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
and previous
employment before...
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Journey To Faith:
a local church training course
Most of this ‘material’ is based on this
downloadable resource available from the
Arthur Rank Centre.
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Rural Evangelism Network
Bringing together Churches and Mission Agencies
www.ruralevangelism.net
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
evangelism and mission
Mission
Totality of God’s activity to restore his
order (Kingdom) to the whole of creation ~
Missio Dei
Evangelism
That part which restores God’s
relationship with humans as the Good
News of Jesus is both told and lived
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
1998 Lambeth Conference
The aim of God’s mission…
‘the transformation of the life not only of
individuals but also society, the nations
and the whole created order.’
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
The Five Marks of Mission
•To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
•To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
•To respond to human need by loving service
•To seek to transform unjust structures of society
•To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain
and renew the earth
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
•To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
Digging deeper…
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Evangelism as
engagement
church
earth
heaven
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
For God so
loved the
world…
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Out & Back – community engagement
•Reaping
Third Agents
Particularizing the Gospel when
local sensibilities make it
difficult to do so – a very rural
specific!
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Seasons & Cycles ~ Rhythms & Patterns
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Creating a map for the year ahead…
1. Secular celebrations,
anniversaries, events, etc. taking
place in 2014 in your local area,
the region or nationally or even
internationally?
2014 – commemoration of the start of World War 1
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Secular seasonal events…
•Winter – New Year Celebrations
•Spring – Easter weekend break
•Summer – holidays
•Autumn – new school term, Halloween, Bonfire night
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Creating a map for the year ahead…
2. What ‘seasonal’ events take place in
the life of the Church? Some of these
may have a local peculiarity or be rural
specific.
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Creating a map for the year ahead…
Main Church seasonal events …
•Epiphany (Methodist Covenant Service)
•Candlemass
•Shrove Tuesday/Ash Wednesday
•Lent
•Holy Week ~ Easter
•Pentecost
•Harvest
•Advent
•Christmass
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Creating a map for the year ahead…
Remember we are thinking of
these as opportunities for
evangelism, sharing faith through
words and actions…
“We should do things more
evangelistically rather than do more
evangelistic things!”
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Creating a map for the year ahead…
Some rural specifics…
•Lammas
•Plough Sunday
•Clypping Service
•Crying the neck
•Rogation
•Beating the bounds
•Blessing the Milk Parlour
•Blessing an Equine Event
•Opening Worship for County Show
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Bringing it together…
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
KEY: Green – the world’s view of the year
Purple - Church seasons
Red Blobs – opportunities for engagement
CHRISTMAS
Dec
Jan
Nov
Feb
 



Oct
Mar

Sep
EASTER

Yearly cycle of
community
engagement

Apr



May
Aug
Jul
Jun
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
 New school year – begin
Alpha or other initiation
courses
 Back to Church Sunday &
Harvest – Stewardship
 All Saints / Remembrance –
Legacies
 Christmas – hospitality and
welcome
 “Welcome to St Wilberts”
course – meet the local teams
 Candlemas – just completed
tax returns – another
Stewardship opportunity
 Lent courses – deepening
discipleship AND/OR Alpha (if
not done in Sept)
 Easter – baptisms and
confirmations
 Church check-up time – are
we effective?
 Summer term – serving the
community
 Go to summer festivals –
New Wine, Soul Survivor,
Greenbelt, Walsingham
•Foster a level of expectancy…
•Always ask ‘what next?’…
•Offer various ways to explore and engage with
the Faith Community & in particular ensure you
use electronic communication…
•Facebook, twitter, web page, blogs, Q.R. reader…
•Ensure something like Christianity Enquiry
Agency is on your web site and all hard copy
material you produce including Pew/Service
Sheets and especially Carol Services…
•www.christianity.org.uk
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Let me tell you a story
Let me tell you my story
A framework for forming our unique
faith story…
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Meet Ben…
Before
Encounter
Now
Most often conversion Christians…
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Meet Ann…
Always known God
Needed to develop owned faith
Now
Most often cradle Christians…
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
The pilgrims story…
Journey to Faith
Ben – from little or no faith/knowledge of God to
becoming a disciple of Jesus
Ann – from vicarious faith to owned faith
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Journey to faith –
from process to crisis
We need to meet
people where they
are on their
journey and help
them take the next
step…
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Journey of faith…
Blessing
Behaving
Believing
Belonging
Befriending
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
In conclusion…
•The hope for all our villages, towns and cities is to
develop Christian Communities rather than church
congregations.
•These Faith Communities will be committed at the
core and open at the edges.
•They will know their individual stories, their church
story, the story of their context and culture and
God’s overarching story for the redemption of the
cosmos of which they are a part.
•They will be both an evangelized and an
evangelizing community drawing people into the life
of the Faith Community and into the heart and love
of God.
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013
Contact Information:
Captain Gordon Banks CA
Diocesan Evangelist
Church House
211 New Church Road
Hove
East Sussex
BN3 4ED
01273 425686
gordon.banks@chichester.anglican.org
Copyright©Gordon Banks 2013