A Community Of Nobodies Of The Modern World

The Art of Personal Evangelism: Sharing Jesus in a changing culture By Will McRaney, Jr. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Academic, 2003, 268 pp., $19.99 paper.

Luke’s Gospel is a portrayal of Jesus as a model of social justice. Hence, the reader is empowered and influenced by the Gospel to be actively involved in social justice issues. The Catholic Church has sought to reach out to those in need, and Luke’s Gospel demonstrates this through injustices that Jesus challenged. In addition, mental illness, which is a current social justice issue reflects and appeals to problems that Jesus faced and reacted to in his time.

Galindo analyzes that the fundamental “mission” of a congregation is the same as any other congregation that exists in any part of the world. He argues that though every congregation has a mission and a vision, at the same time, it shares a basic common mission. (43) This reminds me of my home church The First Church of Evanston and my Field Site, The Evanston Vineyard Church. Both churches have a common mission of welcoming people to the church, irrespective of their ethnic, cultural, racial, and economic and, gender backgrounds. The mission is to help people be received in the house of God with due and deserved Christian love so that they feel loved and welcomed. Both these churches encourage church attendees to attend the service and receive the Eucharist.

In his book Share Jesus Without Fear, William Fay lays out an easy and attainable way for one to reach people for Christ. A former mobster, and prostitution house owner, Fay says that if “God can take somebody like me and change him, he can take anybody in your life and change him as well.”1 In an easy to understand, comprehensive way, Fay shows how to overcome your fears and witness to those who are lost. By breaking down the six most common excuses one uses not

These are the issue that the modern African American pastor must address currently. His/Her preaching must speak true, authentic words for the oppressed, the down-trodden, the deprived, the captives, the poor, the rich, the illiterate, as well as to the intellect. Presently, the hostile moment of worldliness is a belief that life is to be realized at any cost to self. Thus, here lies the Christian paradox: through the Gospel we have to see Jesus as a truth relevant to humanity’s need to rise higher. The Gospel is to be preached to all. It is a Gospel to save the humanity of African American people but the gospel is beneficial for all. Therefore, the African American preacher’s message must have within its content something more than that which causes the people to enter in a foot-patting, hand-clapping, highly emotional, ecstatic worldly experience, but also a content which serves to balance the life of God’s people on earth.

In a world that does not know the Gospel anymore, we must indulge in it, and love our fellow community though they may not share similar values, but find balancing in still remaining in our own values. Though many of times we find ourselves in opposition of the majority of the world, we must exude Christ love onto others as He does to us unconditionally. The author addresses ways in which we are able to live out our faith and still find a place within our community though they may not share similar values.

We don’t need to look very far to find hurting people, they are everywhere. In fact, we intersect with people every day who, similarly to the lame man at the temple gate, need for us to interrupt our daily pursuits to show value to them, give them reason to hope, introduce them to Jesus as the answer, help meet real needs, be a part of allowing God to write a new life script so they can testify to all that God has done in their life.

Henri J. Nouwen had just begun working at Daybreak, a community for mentally handicapped people, when his friend Murray McDonnel asked him to speak at the fifteen year anniversary of the Center for Human Development. Upon agreeing to speak, Nouwen realized how little he really knew of the twenty- first century Christian leader. He began to doubt his abilities to reach the people in the audience, after all, they were pastors, priests, or people who have been involved in ministry for several years. What could he teach them? He began to do some self-reflection on how much his life had changed since coming to Daybreak to work as the priest. Nouwen shared a verse that is often hard for people to truly adhere to. Matthew 6:34, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” Jesus said. “Tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Relational. The ministry of Jesus was focused on people and meeting their needs. Spending time with others, both individually and through corporate gatherings, is modeled throughout the Bible. Fellowship with other believers in small groups allows individuals to forge relationships and develop accountability at some level. These deeper bonds demonstrate to others their love for God and others by loving God’s Law, obeying it by God’s grace, and allowing it to lead to Jesus Christ for transformation into His image.

I.1. Background: I serve as a pastoral intern at the Vineyard Christian church of Evanston. This marks my second year of internship at this church. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of becoming familiar with the culture of a non-denominational setting of the church. The Evanston Vineyard comprises of 57 nations of the world. The church is not only unique because of this particular diversity but also because of the Spanish speaking congregation that gathers together in the LaVina auditorium, every Sunday, in one of the auditoriums in the same building of this church.

Because mankind was made in God’s image, Christians aspire to follow the footsteps of Jesus as he leads the pathway to the Kingdom of God. So just as Jesus, “healed the leper, the paralyzed, the blind, the deaf, and many who suffer from many diseases,” followers of the gospel are called to “pass through this world doing good.” Not only did Jesus heal, but he turned it around and allowed the once sick to heal. They became “agents of healing and invited to be agents of their own destiny” (Saying and Showing, pg. 31). And as Christians, the gospel calls them to do the same, focusing their attention to the “most abandoned and mistreated” and help bring them to be a part of society.

Jesus exemplary demonstrated and validated inclusivity in his lifetime and ministry. Jesus practiced a radical and scandalous hospitality to all. With Jesus, everyone is welcome at the table. May it be women, children, sinners, lepers and tax collectors. The church and its ministry must be patterned and molded after Jesus’s teaching of inclusivity. My understanding of an inclusive church is a church that acknowledges and committed to the rights of both men, women, LGBT community; children and adults; people with disabilities; and recognizes the dignity of all.

Over the years, many models have been developed and implemented to endeavor to make disciples. Some of the models have been effective and others have not. Among some of the most biblical and efficient models are the ones that involve small groups. Within the small groups models, they can be broken down into further detail, such as pastoral involvement, the church’s goal, missions mindedness, etc. In this paper, I will explain my philosophy of small groups in a church and the importance of the relational group in authentic disciple making. I will also explain how missional groups can help the body of Christ move out into the community. Finally, I will summarize my status in regards to living in community with other believers and being missional with that community.

In his book In the Name of Jesus, Nouwen points out that love is one way to overcome these temptations. He also reminds us of the most important teaching of Jesus: “We love him because he first loved us” (1 John4:19). This is an important message. Because Jesus loved us first, we first have to give our love to others. Nouwen confesses his own experiences in similar conditions. He probably was acknowledged as successful in other people’s views, but he recognized that his academic background and spiritual experiences were not attractive to handicapped people. He learned that these handicapped people led him “to receive and give love regardless of any accomplishments” (p. 28). Nouwen’s statement shows that he is learning to be loved and give love for people who are with Christ.

This course has had a great impact on my walk with Christ as well as my witness for Christ. I pastor a church and teach two classes and for me I thought that I was doing plenty. However this course has helped rekindle my passion for sharing Jesus Christ with people through personal evangelism. This paper will demonstrate what I have learned throughout this course.