I liked the viewpoint of gathering people together who seem to have the gift/talent of evangelism and encouraging them in as many ways as a pastor and congregation can think of to support their ministry. By reaching out into the non-churched community of unbelievers, we run the risk of attracting others who are not like us and subsequently making them feel not as good as, not important as, and not valued as much as the regular members. Part of the evangelism mission and ministry has to be internalized within the church family that all, everyone, is a child of God and is important, valued and valuable. How do we do this? How do we overcome the them vs us syndrome in our churches? How do we overcome the vertical hierarchy of goodness and good works which leads to judging and categorizing others as better than us or worse that us, instead of a horizontal hierarchy where we are all sinners and lost without out Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and are all on the same level? I liked Teter’s ending staement: “Every pastor guides a mission. Every Christian tells a story.”
Psalm 66:16 puts this so eloquently for me: “Come and listen all you who fear the Lord and I will tell you what wonderful things He has done for me.” Each of us as believers can tell his own wonderful, passionate story about what wonderful things God has done for him. Can we get our pastors on board with this mission, internal and external, and realize the importance of encouragement and togetherness for the evangelistic mission and ministry? I pray that God will show us and them the way. Thank you, Pastor Teter, for your commitment to the lost and your commitment to those called to reach out to the lost.
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I liked the viewpoint of gathering people together who seem to have the gift/talent of evangelism and encouraging them in as many ways as a pastor and congregation can think of to support their ministry. By reaching out into the non-churched community of unbelievers, we run the risk of attracting others who are not like us and subsequently making them feel not as good as, not important as, and not valued as much as the regular members. Part of the evangelism mission and ministry has to be internalized within the church family that all, everyone, is a child of God and is important, valued and valuable. How do we do this? How do we overcome the them vs us syndrome in our churches? How do we overcome the vertical hierarchy of goodness and good works which leads to judging and categorizing others as better than us or worse that us, instead of a horizontal hierarchy where we are all sinners and lost without out Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and are all on the same level? I liked Teter’s ending staement: “Every pastor guides a mission. Every Christian tells a story.”
Psalm 66:16 puts this so eloquently for me: “Come and listen all you who fear the Lord and I will tell you what wonderful things He has done for me.” Each of us as believers can tell his own wonderful, passionate story about what wonderful things God has done for him. Can we get our pastors on board with this mission, internal and external, and realize the importance of encouragement and togetherness for the evangelistic mission and ministry? I pray that God will show us and them the way. Thank you, Pastor Teter, for your commitment to the lost and your commitment to those called to reach out to the lost.