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What Is Evangelism?
Dwight Zscheile
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What Comes to Mind?
 What
words, phrases, or images come to
mind when you think of “evangelism”?
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Roots
 Greek
euangelizomai= to proclaim (good news)
 Common
 In



in NT; eclipsed in Middle Ages
European Christendom:
“mission”=activity outside geographical bounds
“evangelism”=activity within (calling back to faith)
Modern missions movement: “Evangelization of the
world in this generation”
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Definitions
“Evangelism is the proclamation of salvation in
Christ to those who do not believe in him, calling
them to repentance and conversion, announcing
forgiveness of sin, and inviting them to become
living members of Christ’s earthly community and to
begin a life of service to others in the power of the
Holy Spirit.”
--David Bosch, Transforming Mission, p. 11
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Evangelism…
 Is
the heart of mission (though mission is bigger
than evangelism)
 Seeks
to bring people into visible community of
believers
 Involves
witnessing to what God has done, is doing
and will do
 Is
invitation, not coaxing or threat (evangelist is
witness, not judge!)
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Evangelism, cont.…
 Is
possible only when community that evangelizes
is radiant manifestation of Christian faith/lifestyle
 Involves
risk taking
 Primary
purpose is not imparting assurance of
eternal bliss
 Is
calling people to discipleship.
--David Bosch, “Evangelism: Theological Currents and CrossCurrents Today”
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Initiation into Reign of God
 “Evangelism
is that set of intentional activities
which is governed by the goal of initiating people
in the Kingdom of God for the first time.”
--William Abraham, The Logic of Evangelism, p. 95.
 “Evangelism
is simply the initial formation of
genuine disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
--William Abraham, “A Theology of Evangelism: The
Heart of the Matter”
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To Bring Good News of Salvation…
 Implies
bearing witness to a liberating and a
searching God
 Is
to interpret Christ’s saving work in the light of
the struggles of humankind
 Is
to call for a commitment to Jesus Christ.
--Orlando Costas, “Evangelism and the Gospel of Salvation”
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Lutheran Laryngitis?
 Stumbling
blocks: an aversion
to conversion?
 Whose
work?
 Repentance
(metanoia) and faith
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A Personal Story
Capitola, California
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Religious Adherence,
Santa Cruz County, CA
Mainline
2%
Catholic
7%
Evangelical
4%
Other
2%
Unclaimed
85%
Year 2009
Source: Social Explorer
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Inhabiting a Predominant Story
 You
 It’s
are what you earn/achieve
all up to us
 We’re
on our own to
create meaning, identity,
purpose
 Community
must be
constructed but is
unreliable
 Forgiveness?
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Turning Point: Encountering Christ
Outside ‘Church’
 Lived
witness: ‘little Christ’
 “I
am the resurrection and the
life… Do you believe this?”
 An
alternative story
 They
came to me
 Discovering
community
Christian
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Embodied Witness
 We
are commissioned “to bring the
forgiveness of God to actual men and
women in their concrete situations in
the only way that it can be done so
long as we are in the flesh—by the
word and act and gesture of another
human being.”
--Lesslie Newbigin, The Open Secret, p. 48
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Discussion