DE Ponderings
by Kevin Kessler, District Executive
An email article from The Alban Institute, recently, referenced a ministry initiated by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts called the Relational Evangelism Pilot Project. I was intrigued by the article because of its emphasis on relationships, especially with young adults, as being the key to church vitality. Tom Brackett, a church planting specialist for the Episcopal Church says, “One of the reasons churches don’t do evangelism well is that their motivation is self-serving.” In other words, in Brackett’s view, churches are more interested in strategies to grow than finding evidence that God is with us. He suggests that a more positive approach to evangelism lies “in pointing out the ways that God is already active, transforming lives, and connecting us to each other.”
Arrington Chambliss, the director of the Relational Evangelism Pilot Project, sees the project more in terms of engagement than conversion. She says, “It is God who does the converting. Relational evangelism is about us having a deep enough relationship that others want to join with us.” She continues, “Not only does evangelism mean sharing the good news of the gospel, but it also means sharing the good news of people's lives and what we can do together in the world to demonstrate the power of our faith. We are viewing evangelism as a spiritual practice emanating from our deep gratitude for God's presence in our lives. It is my hope that the young adults involved in this ministry will see the good news in each other, find the community they are searching for, and embark on a spiritual path that will engage them more deeply with God, each other, and the world."
The closing paragraph of the article summarizes in this way: Relational evangelism is crucial in an age of religious pluralism. Rather than deny religious difference, relational evangelism equips young adults to be secure enough in talking about their own faith to engage actively and authentically in inter-religious dialogue and community action for the common good. In fact, the spirit of mutuality and intentional listening characteristic of relational evangelism opens up the follower of Jesus to God's love in a way that seeks deeper relationship with all of creation and responds to the suffering of the world. In a religiously pluralistic world, relational evangelism contributes to the creation of healthy environments in which young adults listen to God at work in their lives and discern ways their gifts can contribute to the reign of God for all humankind. While the project referred to in this article focuses on young adults, I think it has a message relevant for all adults. Making relationships a priority rather than church growth aligns so much better with the example of Jesus in my estimation. As Jesus approached people at every intersection of life, entering into relationship with them was evidently important. As a result of the relationship the kingdom of heaven increased. Relationships were key.
As I practice ministry, building relationships is vitally important. Only after a relationship has been built is there enough trust to move into conversation and discussion about matters of faith. With deeper trust, there is less fear about the differences among us as well. Relationships ARE key for helping us “discern ways [our] gifts can contribute to the reign of God for all humankind.”
An email article from The Alban Institute, recently, referenced a ministry initiated by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts called the Relational Evangelism Pilot Project. I was intrigued by the article because of its emphasis on relationships, especially with young adults, as being the key to church vitality. Tom Brackett, a church planting specialist for the Episcopal Church says, “One of the reasons churches don’t do evangelism well is that their motivation is self-serving.” In other words, in Brackett’s view, churches are more interested in strategies to grow than finding evidence that God is with us. He suggests that a more positive approach to evangelism lies “in pointing out the ways that God is already active, transforming lives, and connecting us to each other.”Arrington Chambliss, the director of the Relational Evangelism Pilot Project, sees the project more in terms of engagement than conversion. She says, “It is God who does the converting. Relational evangelism is about us having a deep enough relationship that others want to join with us.” She continues, “Not only does evangelism mean sharing the good news of the gospel, but it also means sharing the good news of people's lives and what we can do together in the world to demonstrate the power of our faith. We are viewing evangelism as a spiritual practice emanating from our deep gratitude for God's presence in our lives. It is my hope that the young adults involved in this ministry will see the good news in each other, find the community they are searching for, and embark on a spiritual path that will engage them more deeply with God, each other, and the world."
The closing paragraph of the article summarizes in this way: Relational evangelism is crucial in an age of religious pluralism. Rather than deny religious difference, relational evangelism equips young adults to be secure enough in talking about their own faith to engage actively and authentically in inter-religious dialogue and community action for the common good. In fact, the spirit of mutuality and intentional listening characteristic of relational evangelism opens up the follower of Jesus to God's love in a way that seeks deeper relationship with all of creation and responds to the suffering of the world. In a religiously pluralistic world, relational evangelism contributes to the creation of healthy environments in which young adults listen to God at work in their lives and discern ways their gifts can contribute to the reign of God for all humankind. While the project referred to in this article focuses on young adults, I think it has a message relevant for all adults. Making relationships a priority rather than church growth aligns so much better with the example of Jesus in my estimation. As Jesus approached people at every intersection of life, entering into relationship with them was evidently important. As a result of the relationship the kingdom of heaven increased. Relationships were key.
As I practice ministry, building relationships is vitally important. Only after a relationship has been built is there enough trust to move into conversation and discussion about matters of faith. With deeper trust, there is less fear about the differences among us as well. Relationships ARE key for helping us “discern ways [our] gifts can contribute to the reign of God for all humankind.”
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