Some interesting thoughts/discussions on Nerotribe this week around the area of faith sharing...
(issues from emerging churches...)
- Effective Mission/Faithsharing
- Sustainability (in terms of employment, paying the bills etc)
- Sustainability in terms of spirituality.
- Discipleship in a po-mo consumer based context (including a consumer based Christian context).
- Community building and development.
- Theologising.
- Thinking/Imagination
- Relating to the traditional/conventional church
One reflection is the sharing bit - this implies a two way conversation and I wonder therefore where in this list is there any reference to listening, affirming and learning from the spiritual stories, the unknown god moments of those we are seeking to "reach"? How do we hear, really hear what people are saying about themselves/God/spirituality...
From my comment on "what is evangelism?"...
I tend to think of evangelism in the context of the great parable of salvation - the prodigal son...
All of us are somewhere between the pig pen, the embrace and the party... Often evangelism is seen as a process of convincing the people they need to get out of the pen - leading them along the road - teaching them to knock on the door in the correct way (prayer the prayer at the end of the tract/meeting) and leading them in through the door. I just don't think this "model"either truly reflects the story nor is it that sustainable... I prefer to see my role as meeting with people in the pig pen and giving them a chance to reflect on and tell their stories - to encourgae them to stand and take another step on the journey - onto the road ... then walking with them in expectation that I do not need to lead them to the door becuse the Father will have run out and met them way before then! Personally I am somewhere between the embrace and the party - still don't know what to expect... still a bit overawed by the embrace and willing to take whatever God gives me. In this way as an evangelist I am also an Anam Chara (Soul friend), who is also journeying and also able to hear and learn from others (even those newer to the journey than me).
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