United Free Church of Scotland
United Free Church of Scotland
|Home| General Assembly | Congregations on line| Church Directory| History| Press Releases| Special Features| Statement of Faith| Stedfast Magazine| Email|
|
COMMITTEE ON EVANGELISM AND YOUTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2003 INTRODUCTION 'Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
EVANGELISM
For people to become disciples of Jesus Christ they have to give their lives to Him. For this to happen they have to hear about the 'Good News' of Jesus Christ and they have to see its relevance for their life. We could give various reasons why the United Free Church is not seeing people come to faith in Christ today but one of the main reasons must be that conversions are rare because there is little outreach taking place. And this is primarily because evangelism is still considered the domain of a few people. If the Church is to fulfill the commission given by Jesus then we have to get every follower of Christ to understand that they have the responsibility for evangelism. Equipping and mobilizing every Christian as a witness to Jesus Christ has to move further up our agenda. Certainly, there are some within the Church who have the spiritual gift of evangelism, but the work of evangelism is something that encompasses and involves the whole Church.
Too often our outreach is based upon people 'coming' to us. At times our message is to be separate from the world; but we need to be with lost people. Jesus spent time with lost people and He told his followers to 'GO!' We are to be separated from lost people's ways and habits but we are to be with them where they are. The responsibility for evangelism therefore rests with us to go and form relationships with non-Christian people and by our lifestyles, actions and witness (and that includes our verbal sharing of our faith), to reach them for Christ and make them his disciples. Of course, that is easy to say, the reality is much more difficult. So how can we make a difference?
Two representatives of the Committee visited Willow Creek Community Church in October 2002 to attend two conferences, the Contagious Evangelism Conference named 'The Adventure Of A Lifetime', and 'The Prevailing Church Conference.'
Acknowledging that Willow Creek is set within a different culture, the intention was to explore the values and principles of Willow Creek that are transferable to our Scottish culture. It was a challenging and stimulating visit that we hope will benefit the work of the United Free Church.
Representatives of the Committee also attended the National School of Evangelism which was held at the University of Stirling in January. The aim of the School was to deepen our passion for souls and sharpen skills in sharing the undying message of God's love through Christ. The message from both these conferences is that, for the Church of today, our aim must be to make disciples who can reach their community for Christ and so we might ask the question: How could Leaders and Kirk Sessions help congregations grow in Evangelism?
1. LEADERS need to OWN and MODEL evangelistic values.
a) Reading scripture, especially those passages that show evangelism at work. b) Relating to other Christians who are evangelistically minded. c) Reaching out to non-Christians by building relationships with them.
2. LEADERS then need to INSTILL the value of evangelism in the PEOPLE around them.
a) Lead it. Evangelism is not something that can simply be preached or taught, it has to be lived. b) Plan for it. Evangelism rarely just happens in our churches. Churches have to give a higher priority to the work of Evangelism. Make it a major item in leadership meetings. As a Kirk Session, study about and plan for evangelism. Learn to share stories so that evangelism is caught and not merely taught. c) Pray for it. Pray that evangelism would be a primary value within the church and encourage people to pray for a non-Christian they know. d) Fund it. Set aside funds for evangelism. Be willing to invest in evangelism so people can be trained, resources purchased, programmes and events funded etc. e) Read all you can about evangelism. Pool information, gather illustrations, etc. The ultimate aim must be to create a culture of evangelism.
3. IDENTIFY and EMPOWER someone to be RESPONSIBLE for Evangelism.
4. AIM to EQUIP every believer for EVANGELISM.
5. DEVELOP a diversified evangelistic TEAM.
6. ORGANISE outreach MINISTRIES and EVENTS.
Organise an event that would be of interest to others. It may be a social event or outing to which Christians can invite their non-church friends, providing an opportunity for folks to mix together and form further friendships. Offer services to community such as offering to do people's ironing, wash cars, help in the garden, give away ice-lollies at bus stop/station in summer. Involve section of the community in events such as running a football competition, holding a flower festival, running a lunch club, coffee mornings, having a barbecue.
Plan To Have Something To Invite People To: A service designed specifically for non-church people. Perhaps a quarterly or monthly morning or evening service Run an Alpha or Christianity Explored course. Invite people to participate in a small group where the group sets the agenda. e.g. Ask people what questions they would like answers to. These will often be boiled down to certain main questions covering areas such as 'Why does evil exist?' 'Why does God allow Suffering?' 'Do all religions lead to God?' 'Does God still heal today?' 'Can I know God personally?' 'Can science and Christianity co-exist?' 'What about the Church's history of oppression?' 'What about sex before marriage?' 'What about homosexuality?' These questions can then be discussed and through the interaction of the group friendships formed and Christian Faith expressed.
REMEMBER: This is a process. It will take time and effort. And it will demand perseverance. But then the end result demands our commitment to Evangelism.
Keep in Mind that Leaders need: a vision of what they are seeking to create an unquenchable passion for the vision to which they are committed a team of competent people to share the vision and motivate, mobilise and resource others to fulfil the vision a strategy for implementing the vision
Leaders can study evangelism pray about evangelism communicate the importance of evangelism and teach evangelism engage in long term planning which offers a varied menu of evangelistic activities
EFFECTIVE SMALL GROUPS COURSE
The weekend, which took place at Maranatha Centre, Biggar from 7th - 9th February 2003 was led by Mr. Chris Hollies of Evangelical Ministries and attended by eight people from three congregations. One of the advantages of being small in number was that the teaching took place within a small group. The training itself was intensive and yet stimulating, and the friendship and fellowship among participants added to the time spent together. Feedback from a course evaluation was generally positive and revealed the course had both challenged and helped people to think through the whole aspect of how small groups can be effective in discipling people.
PRAYER AND CHURCH GROWTH
A Day Conference was arranged for Saturday 10th May 2003 in Stirling Baptist Church. The Speaker was the Rev. Jim Martin from Wester Hales Baptist Church, Edinburgh. It was the Committee's aim that this conference would aid both individuals and congregations in prayer by providing a framework for developing a prayer strategy, identifying strongholds that need to be attacked in prayer, praying with expectancy, and bearing fruit in prayer.
REVIEW
Having reviewed recent events such as the Effective Small Groups Course, which was held over a weekend, and the Prayer and Church Growth Day Conference, the Committee concluded that it might be more beneficial for future events to be arranged within presbyteries rather than on a national scale. Consideration was given to the fact that: a) Many of those who attend national events are perhaps already very committed and involved in various areas of Church life at local, presbytery and even national level. b) The restructuring of our denominational youth camps has proven the effectiveness of planning and working in consultation with presbyteries. c) With the appointment of a National Coordinator and three Presbytery Coordinators there is a structure in place for arranging and publicizing training and other events. d) There are areas where the Elder Trainers expertise could be well used in the work of discipleship and evangelism by working with groups other than elders alone. e) Responses to the Questionnaire that went out to all Kirk Sessions from the Coordinators would highlight those immediate concerns that Congregations face in the work of evangelism. As a result of the review, plans are in hand for a Friday Evening/Saturday event at Carronvale House in June for members of the Committee, Co-coordinators, and Elder Trainers to explore the future work of the Committee and how we can effectively work together with the Coordinators and Elder trainers.
SCHOOL OF EVANGELISM
Due to the review of the Committee's work, plans for events covering the use of 'The Network Course' and 'Styles of Evangelism' are being placed further down the agenda. The Committee would however encourage congregations to make use of 'The Network Course.' This course is designed to enable people to discover where they are best suited to serve in the Body of Christ by helping them to:
The Course can be used in large or small groups and addresses three major questions: Where should I serve? What will I do when I serve? How will I serve? It explores these questions by identifying the participant's God-given passion, spiritual gifts and personal style. By discovering where we fit into the body of Christ we can find greater fulfillment and use our gifts to their best potential.
The 'Becoming A Contagious Christian Course' can also be used by various sized groups and helps to equip people to share their faith in everyday situations. Exploring the Biblical Basis for Relational Evangelism the course identifies six different evangelism styles and highlights that every person has a style that suits them. (See earlier in the report).
The 'Alpha Course' is another tool which has benefitted a number of our congregations.
RESOURCES
The Committee would like to remind congregations of the resources available to them which can be booked through Church Office. We hope that these resources can help churches with limited budgets or those aiming to have a large event. To ensure their availability we request that they be collected from and returned to the office on agreed dates. The resources are:
DRUMCHAPEL
Following a request from our Drumchapel congregation for help in employing an evangelist for two days per week, the Committee is working in consultation with the Ministry and Home Affairs Committee and the Drumchapel congregation to assist Drumchapel in the appointment of a part time Evangelist. Consideration was given to the fact that Drumchapel is a location with particular needs and that a suitable person with the ability to get alongside folks in that area could well add to the work of our Drumchapel congregation in their desire to reach their community for Christ.
LEADERS FORUM
The Rev David Currie is the Senior Adviser in Mission and Evangelism for the Church of Scotland. Prior to this David was Minister in East Kilbride, West Kirk for 17 years during which time the church 'bucked the trend' and achieved growth. We are pleased that David has agreed to speak at our Forum on the subject of Church Growth and how to mobilize congregations for evangelism. The Committee would encourage commissioners and others in church leadership to attend this Forum.
DAY OF PRAYER
The Day of Prayer for 2003 took place on Sunday 6th April with the theme of 'Salt and Light'. The material was intended as a resource in preparing for the day rather than being a 'ready made service.' In response to feedback regarding the date of the Day of Prayer and the concern that it has tended to move around in recent years the Committee propose the date to be fixed on the second Sunday in January commencing in 2004.
CHRISTIAN ENQUIRY AGENCY
The Christian Enquiry Agency provides opportunities for people to enquire about Jesus Christ and, in confidence, supplies information about the Christian faith. Links to local churches are offered to all enquirers. The Agency works on behalf of all the major churches in England and in association with Evangelical Alliance, Bible Society and many Christian organizations. It is an agency of Churches together in England and a registered charity.
Enquiries come through a freepost address on postcards, response coupons in the press and evangelistic literature, or an invitation to request information promoted on videos, radio and TV and increasingly on the Web. Enquirers are sent free of charge, high quality relevant information about Jesus Christ and the Christian faith, whether with printed, audio or video. The Agency also offers further information including details of local Alpha courses and the opportunity of a link with local churches. Thousands of people have contacted Christian Enquiry Agency. Around 20% of enquirers ask for more information or contact with a local church. Many of these are in the 20-40 age group, who are difficult for the church to reach. Significantly more men than women contact the agency.
The Agency is now exploring the possibility of working in partnership with Scottish Churches and agencies. We are involved in the discussions and look forward to the possibility of this work being established within Scotland taking care to note the particular needs of the Scottish context.
YOUTH
CAMPS
The Committee continues to be encouraged by the numbers of young people attending camps. Throughout 2002, 122 young people attended the five camps and 26 young adults attended the Youth Assembly. Numbers were as follows: East camp 30, West 17, two North camps 56, and the 14 -16 camp 19. Again the programme and teaching was lively, stimulating and fun and feedback from the presbyteries has been very encouraging. The Committee gladly acknowledges our appreciation of the enthusiasm and ability of the teaching teams who helped make all these camps so attractive and successful. Reunions have been arranged at various times within presbyteries and these have also been well received and enjoyed by our young people.
The 2003 dates and venues of the 8-14 Camps are:
The teaching team for 2003 is Laura Hubbert, Diane Ledingham, Sarah Meredith, Gordon MacKenzie, Aileen Prior, Ian Robertson, and David Shering.
A new venture during 2002 was the running of a 14 -16 Camp. 19 young people attended this and once again the teaching was of a very high standard. This camp fills the void between the 8-14 camps and the Youth Assembly and the Committee now considers our youth policy regarding Camps and the Youth Assembly to be comprehensive and able to meet the different age requirements. It has been exciting to see the work developing so well. In 2003 The 14-16 camp will take place from 14th -16th November at Carronvale House, Larbert.
The Committee is indebted to the teaching teams for their commitment and hard work, and to Rev. Ian Robertson for his passion to see the young people of our denomination well catered for in this valuable work. Our appreciation also goes to the various Presbytery personnel responsible for arranging venues and cost and participating in the running of the camps.
YOUTH LEADERS TRAINING
To help encourage and equip Youth Leaders who are working in our churches in various ways, a training event has been arranged at Carronvale House, Larbert from 12th -13th September 2003. On the Friday evening there will be an opportunity for leaders to stay overnight for an informal get together with the opportunity of sharing their stories and needs as youth leaders. The main programme will run on Saturday from 10am - 6.30pm finishing after an evening meal. The programme will cover Pre-school work, Sunday school work and Youth work and will be run by Staff and students from International Christian College. Details of cost, registration and programme will be available before the event.
YOUTH ASSEMBLY
Carronvale House, Larbert was the venue, from 2nd - 4th May, for 'Revolting Christians'. No, this was not a group of obnoxious young people, but a plea for our young people to develop a Christian mindset and lifestyle rather than that of the world. Once again Neil Pratt of International Christian College, Glasgow, was our main speaker and with a team from ICC, using a mix of teaching, video presentations and workshops, explored the need for revolution and the tools required for a personal revolution and how that can impact on church life.
The Assembly was opened on the Friday evening by the Moderator of General Assembly, Rev Colin Brown, and Mrs. Rita Jackson Convener of the Women's Home and Overseas Committee brought greetings from the Committee who continue to be generous supporters of the Youth Assembly, for which once again the Committee express grateful thanks. It is an added encouragement to the young people attending to know that the Women of the Church take such an active and supportive interest in the Youth Assembly.
The Saturday morning looked at the need for the revolution and what the revolution is about - changing self or changing others? Saturday afternoon included workshops and presentations about the tools required for a personal life-changing revolution and how that can and will impact on our church life. Saturday evening was an opportunity to test one's skill at ten-pin bowling before a late night debate led by Rev Archie Ford.
Sunday explored the concept that the revolting Christian is one who has a desire and willingness to tell and involve others in their personal belief in Jesus Christ in a non-passive yet loving manner.
The Committee is aware that the format of the Youth Assembly has altered and that commissioners may be wondering why. The original objectives stated in the General Assembly report of 1999, were to have an Assembly where our Young People who were in regular and active attendance in the Church would have the opportunity to: Explore the issues of Church work at a national level. Bring spirituality and life issues together in a meaningful way. Provide a forum for constructive interaction between leaders of today and potential future leaders. Facilitate a deeper appreciation of the challenges and opportunities in the service of God. Provide an opportunity for young people to comment on and thereby influence the thinking of General Assembly. Prepare future leaders by equipping them to be agents of change.
The Committee believes the Youth Assembly is fulfilling many of these objectives through the changes which have taken place. We do however recognize two main difficulties. Firstly that not all of those attending Youth Assembly are in regular or active attendance within the church, and secondly many of our young people are not at the stage of being able to discuss some of the matters arising from the various committees. There is at present a greater need for discipling our young people and fulfilling the greater part of our objectives in the hope that in time all the objectives will be covered. The whole reason for, and nature of, the Youth Assembly will therefore be under continual assessment.
YOUTH NIGHT
During the last two years, the format of the youth night has changed quite considerably. This has been due to the Committee listening to the Young Adults who attend Youth Assembly voicing their desire to interact and discuss issues with older adults. While this has cut down the age spread and number of young people and adults attending the Youth Night, the Committee does believe that the benefits have outweighed any possible drawbacks. The interaction between the ages has clearly been positive and stimulating for all concerned. As a result the Youth Night will follow the same format this year with Neil Pratt presenting a topic from the Youth Assembly to be discussed. It is the Committee's hope that Commissioners will continue to support the Youth Night and take the opportunity to hear and learn from our Young People as well as contribute to the evening.
ICC STUDENT
With Rev. Archie Ford undertaking his role as National Cooordinator consisting of one day per week, the congregation at Lochwinnoch had the opportunity to appoint a part time Youth Worker to assist at Lochwinnoch for this day. The Committee entered into a partnership with Lochwinnoch UF Church to employ Laura Hubbert, a final year student at ICC, on a placement basis for 20 hours per week until the end of June. This has consisted of Laura working with the Youth Leaders at Lochwinnoch for 10 hours per week and working with the Committee for 10 hours per week. For the Committee, Laura has been involved in the teaching team for camps, attending the planning meetings, producing programmes for the 8-11 and 12-14 age groups, and producing teaching material. She has also been involved with the Youth Assembly and the planning for the Summer Mission. The Committee is grateful to Laura for her contributions.
PART TIME YOUTH WORKER
With the progress made in recent years in Youth Work within the denomination, the Committee is of the mind that there is a requirement for a suitable person to be appointed who would have time to take responsibility for coordinating and organising a number of events such as Camps, Youth Assembly, Summer Mission, and Training Days and for further developing the work.
It is envisaged that someone be appointed initially on a two day per week basis on a one year contract. There may be the possibility of this person also being involved in a congregation on a one day per week basis. The person would be responsible to this Committee through the Convener and would also work with the National & Presbytery Development Coordinators.
As regards cost, using the 2003 figure for a part-time Pastor, the salary for the two day per week appointment would be £6,108. There would also be NI and expenses.
EASTER SCHEME
In 2002 the sum of £4,518 was raised for the Bongani Orphan Care project, Zimbabwe. The Easter Scheme for 2003 was for the Disabled Trust for Scotland. The trust was established in 1997 to provide for people who found difficulty in obtaining equipment from the NHS or could not afford to buy their own. Recently the DTFS has been forced to concentrate most of its resources on wheelchairs, largely due to the substantial waiting lists for NHS patients. As well as supplying wheelchairs to individuals, they also provide them for churches and other public premises including stores and supermarkets. Each wheelchair costs £90 and the Committee are sure that once again the young people of our churches will rise to the challenge and through the collecting boxes will raise enough to help supply wheelchairs to this worthy cause. The Committee is pleased to announce that Easter scheme 2004 will be for the work of Amazon Hope.
SUMMER MISSION
Following on from the success of the Youth Assembly the Committee have been exploring the possibility of running a Summer Mission in August, staffed by young people from the Youth Assembly who would like to be part of such a team. At the time of writing this report, several congregations had responded positively to the concept of hosting a Children's Mission in August and we are anticipating having a team ready for running a Summer Mission this year. Consideration will be given to all churches that apply but certain criteria would require to be met. Such as being able to house and feed the team, having people willing to work with the team during the Mission, and most important of all would be having some form of structure in place to continue the work after the team has left.
ORBIT
Each year at Assembly commissioners wait to discover the results of the Orbit league and who will be the shield and trophy winners. The Committee is encouraged to see that the Orbit League still captures people's attention and involves our young people in Biblical discovery. The Committee is grateful to the planning team for their work and especially to Catriona and Andrew Brown for their part in producing Orbit during the past two years. With their retirement from this position, the Committee are looking to appoint a replacement editor. It is our hope to be able to announce the new editor during our report at General Assembly. During the intervening time the Committee is again taking this opportunity to review Orbit based on the comments and feedback we have received. Our aim being to make it as user friendly as possible. Our continued appreciation also goes to Mrs. Rosemary Sandell for her faithful marking of Orbit entries.
CONCLUSION
The Convener would like to express his thanks to the Vice-conveners and Committee for their work and the support they have shown. We are grateful to the General Secretary, Office Staff and General Treasurer for all their help and guidance throughout the last year.
In the name of the Committee
GARY J. A. BARCLAY Convener RALPH DUNN Vice-Convener IAN N. ROBERTSON Vice-Convener JOHN O. FULTON Secretary
|
© United Free Church of Scotland 2003