Where is your neighbor? Evangelism Event Wisconsin Conference UCC David Schoen Congregational Vitality and Discipleship United Church of Christ.

Where is your Where is your neighbor?neighbor?

Evangelism Event Evangelism Event Wisconsin Conference Wisconsin Conference

UCCUCC

David SchoenDavid SchoenCongregational Vitality and Congregational Vitality and

DiscipleshipDiscipleshipUnited Church of ChristUnited Church of Christ

Meeting your neighborsMeeting your neighborsReclaiming a focus on Reclaiming a focus on

neighborsneighbors

Missional in purposeMissional in purpose Get the church outside of itselfGet the church outside of itself

Relational in outreachRelational in outreach It’s all about relationshipsIt’s all about relationships

Conversational in witnessConversational in witness Talking about faith and lifeTalking about faith and life

Change or OpportunityChange or Opportunity

Meeting your neighbor will mean Meeting your neighbor will mean changing your program but just changing your program but just program change is not answerprogram change is not answer

Meeting your neighbor will call for Meeting your neighbor will call for change of mindset and understanding change of mindset and understanding of churchof church

Importance of MessageImportance of Message

Change = OpportunityChange = Opportunity

Missional in PurposeMissional in Purpose

Missional congregations Missional congregations clear sense of purpose clear sense of purpose

Missional congregations Missional congregations are sent churchesare sent churches

Missional congregations Missional congregations reach out beyond themselvesreach out beyond themselves

Missional congregationsMissional congregations birth new ministries and birth new ministries and

congregationscongregations

Missional ChurchMissional Church

““The Church exists to serve God’s The Church exists to serve God’s Mission” Mission” Mission as Missio Dei,Mission as Missio Dei, UCC Committee UCC Committee on Structure, 1992on Structure, 1992

The church of Jesus Christ is the The church of Jesus Christ is the instrument and sign of God’s mission instrument and sign of God’s mission and realm.and realm.

God’s mission is calling and God’s mission is calling and sending us, sending us, the church of Jesus Christ, the church of Jesus Christ, to be a missionary church to be a missionary church in our own societies, in the cultures in our own societies, in the cultures in which we find ourselves. in which we find ourselves.

Missional in PurposeMissional in PurposeRelational in OutreachRelational in Outreach

Ministry in 21Ministry in 21stst Century is Relational Century is Relational

Build community with those outside the Build community with those outside the churchchurch

Get to know your neighbors Get to know your neighbors and neighborhood and neighborhood

This means This means Get out of the church! Get out of the church!

Vital congregations Vital congregations discern God’s call and discern God’s call and

missionmission The greatest characteristic of a The greatest characteristic of a vital congregation is the ability to vital congregation is the ability to articulate and live God’s purpose. articulate and live God’s purpose.

What is God calling this church to What is God calling this church to be and do at this time, in this be and do at this time, in this place, with the gifts we have on place, with the gifts we have on this corner of God’s realm that we this corner of God’s realm that we are placed?are placed?

Does your church love your Does your church love your neighbor (as it loves itself) ?neighbor (as it loves itself) ?

Relational in OutreachRelational in Outreach

Bridge the gap by building Bridge the gap by building relationshipsrelationships

The days of waiting for people to The days of waiting for people to come to church to welcome them come to church to welcome them are over.are over.

Instead of waiting inside, we go Instead of waiting inside, we go outsideoutside

Meeting your NeighborsMeeting your Neighbors

Walk or Drive your neighborhoodWalk or Drive your neighborhood Watch for where God is at workWatch for where God is at work Take notes, make a map, collect contact Take notes, make a map, collect contact

datadata Who lives whereWho lives where What are community needsWhat are community needs Who are allies and good neighborsWho are allies and good neighbors

Do this again and againDo this again and again Talk to your neighborsTalk to your neighbors

What are the hopes and challenges of neighborsWhat are the hopes and challenges of neighbors How can the church be a good neighbor?How can the church be a good neighbor?

Meeting your NeighborsMeeting your Neighbors

‘‘Hang out’ with your neighborsHang out’ with your neighbors Meet neighbors where they gatherMeet neighbors where they gather

Spend Sunday morning with your neighborsSpend Sunday morning with your neighbors Soccer matches, Lowes, Coffee Shop, ExerciseSoccer matches, Lowes, Coffee Shop, Exercise

Pastors ‘office’ in a coffee shop, fast food, Pastors ‘office’ in a coffee shop, fast food, bookstore.bookstore.

Have meetings outside the church.Have meetings outside the church. Bible/book studies in coffee shop, book storeBible/book studies in coffee shop, book store Council meetings in neighborhood contextCouncil meetings in neighborhood context

Engage in conversation, build relationships, Engage in conversation, build relationships, collect data of names/addresses/e-mailscollect data of names/addresses/e-mails

Getting to know your Getting to know your neighbors and neighbors and neighborhoodneighborhood

Invite Neighbors to focus group Invite Neighbors to focus group discussiondiscussion

Invite civic leaders, neighborhood Invite civic leaders, neighborhood plannersplanners What is happening in neighborhood?What is happening in neighborhood? What are future trends and plans?What are future trends and plans? What are physical/spiritual needs?What are physical/spiritual needs? How can church be good neighbor?How can church be good neighbor?

Meeting Your NeighborsMeeting Your Neighbors Random Acts of KindnessRandom Acts of Kindness

Clean the streets in neighborhoodClean the streets in neighborhood Block or neighborhood parties, picnicsBlock or neighborhood parties, picnics Free car washes, free ‘bake sales’Free car washes, free ‘bake sales’

Frazzled parent dinnersFrazzled parent dinners College student dinnersCollege student dinners Senior Dance eveningsSenior Dance evenings

Charity or Accompaniment?Charity or Accompaniment? Not ‘we are here to serve you because you Not ‘we are here to serve you because you

need us’need us’ We are here to accompany, walk with you and We are here to accompany, walk with you and

this neighborhood seeking to as good of this neighborhood seeking to as good of neighbors and community as we can be.neighbors and community as we can be.

Going where Your Going where Your Neighbors AreNeighbors Are

Go to the unlikely placesGo to the unlikely places Tattoo parlorsTattoo parlors Bars and TavernsBars and Taverns

““I stopped wondering about how to draw I stopped wondering about how to draw younger folks into my church and started younger folks into my church and started focusing on how to draw my focusing on how to draw my congregation out of its building and into congregation out of its building and into relationship with the world outside its relationship with the world outside its doors.”doors.”

Building Building RelationshipsRelationships

Celtic EvangelismCeltic EvangelismInIn The Celtic Way of The Celtic Way of

Evangelism: How Christianity Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West . . . Again, Can Reach the West . . . Again, George Hunter writes about George Hunter writes about

the difference between what he the difference between what he describes as the evangelism describes as the evangelism

approach in Roman and Celtic approach in Roman and Celtic Christianity.Christianity.

Celtic EvangelismCeltic Evangelism

Roman ModelRoman Model Celtic Model Celtic Model PresentationPresentation Fellowship Fellowship DecisionDecision Ministry and Ministry and ConversationConversation FellowshipFellowship Belief, Belief, Invitation Invitation to to CommitmentCommitment

Belonging and Belonging and BelievingBelieving

Christianity is more caught than Christianity is more caught than taught! taught!

As Professor Robin Gill observes, As Professor Robin Gill observes, belonging comes before belonging comes before

believing. For this reason, believing. For this reason, evangelism is now helping people evangelism is now helping people belong so that they can believe.belong so that they can believe.

No Matter Who You Are or Where No Matter Who You Are or Where You Are on Life’s Journey, You You Are on Life’s Journey, You

Are Welcome Here!Are Welcome Here!

Relational in OutreachRelational in OutreachConversational in WitnessConversational in Witness

Conversational ministry is central to Conversational ministry is central to the future of the church in 21the future of the church in 21stst CenturyCentury

Count conversations, not Count conversations, not conversionsconversions Brian McLaren, Brian McLaren, More Ready than You More Ready than You

ThinkThink

Conversational MinistryConversational Ministry

The postmodern world calls for disciples The postmodern world calls for disciples who reach out to a world that is who reach out to a world that is hungering for good conversation about hungering for good conversation about faith, values, hope, meaning, purpose, faith, values, hope, meaning, purpose, goodness, beauty, truth, life after death, goodness, beauty, truth, life after death, life before death and God. Engaging in life before death and God. Engaging in everyday faith conversations will not everyday faith conversations will not only help only help othersothers become Christians, it become Christians, it will help will help usus become better Christians, become better Christians, who know and love the still speaking who know and love the still speaking God more than ever.God more than ever.

Conversational about Faith Conversational about Faith and Lifeand Life

Spiritual Seekers want to talk.Spiritual Seekers want to talk. Holy Conversations – Richard PeaceHoly Conversations – Richard Peace

We are the ones not talking.We are the ones not talking. Reverence for God – silence and Reverence for God – silence and

service.service. Tell it Like it is: Reclaiming the Practice of Tell it Like it is: Reclaiming the Practice of

TestimonyTestimony - Lillian Daniel - Lillian Daniel

Your neighbor doesn’t know Your neighbor doesn’t know why you do what you do. why you do what you do.

Conversational in Conversational in WitnessWitness

Buzz MarketingBuzz Marketing

EvangelismEvangelismOne beggar telling another where there One beggar telling another where there

is foodis food

Come and See!Come and See!

Love Your God and Love Your God and NeighborNeighbor

The Evangelistic Love of God and The Evangelistic Love of God and Neighbor: A Theology of Witness and Neighbor: A Theology of Witness and DiscipleshipDiscipleship, Scott. J. Jones, , Scott. J. Jones, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2003Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2003

If we love our neighbor and our GodIf we love our neighbor and our God We will share our still speaking faith and We will share our still speaking faith and

community with them.community with them. We will find appropriate ways and time to do We will find appropriate ways and time to do

so.so.

Are You Ready to Are You Ready to Talk?Talk?

Why do you love your church?Why do you love your church?

What impact has believing in What impact has believing in God and following Jesus made God and following Jesus made

in your life?in your life?

What Bible text has made a What Bible text has made a difference in your life? difference in your life?

Still Speaking Conversation Still Speaking Conversation and Invitation with and Invitation with

NeighborsNeighbors Informal moments at work, shopping or….Informal moments at work, shopping or….

Be attentive for moments for a still speaking Be attentive for moments for a still speaking word word

Become a Still Speaking VoiceBecome a Still Speaking Voice Wear your still speaking witnessWear your still speaking witness

Home dinners with neighborsHome dinners with neighbors First Welcomers First Welcomers

New NeighborsNew Neighbors Public Worship Public Worship

Ashes to GoAshes to Go

E. Word - ElbowE. Word - Elbow

““The e.word today is elbow.” The e.word today is elbow.” Jim GriffithJim Griffith 2010 Wisconson Conference 2010 Wisconson Conference

Still today the way most folks find a Still today the way most folks find a community of faith is when they are community of faith is when they are invited to come by a friend or invited to come by a friend or neighbor.neighbor.

Friend–Raising WeekendFriend–Raising Weekend 315 Congregations315 Congregations 4,200 visiting guests4,200 visiting guests 6.2% increase in 6.2% increase in

worshipworship St. Stephen’s UCC St. Stephen’s UCC

35 guests from 79 35 guests from 79 invitations invitations

Journey UCC Journey UCC 33 members - 36 guests33 members - 36 guests

St. John’s UCCSt. John’s UCC 52 Guests 15 Youth52 Guests 15 Youth

Go Forth….Go Forth….Into the Virtual World.Into the Virtual World.

In Asia, Europe and North America—an In Asia, Europe and North America—an entire generation has experienced the entire generation has experienced the Internet as a means for maintaining Internet as a means for maintaining relationships with family and friends.relationships with family and friends.

The Internet is a lifeline for users The Internet is a lifeline for users whose mobility is limited by disability, whose mobility is limited by disability, chronic illness or advanced age.chronic illness or advanced age.

The Internet is where we can find and The Internet is where we can find and engage our neighbors.engage our neighbors.

Costs are nominal or FREE!Costs are nominal or FREE!

Meeting your Neighbor Meeting your Neighbor on-lineon-line

Connecting with neighbors on-lineConnecting with neighbors on-line Church WebsiteChurch Website

InvitationalInvitational Interactive Interactive MessagingMessaging E.newsletterE.newsletter LinksLinks

FacebookFacebook Church fanpageChurch fanpage Your ownYour own LinksLinks Advertising Advertising

Meeting your Neighbors Meeting your Neighbors with new Technologywith new Technology

E-mail BlastsE-mail Blasts KYEPKYEP Cong. VitalityCong. Vitality Daily DevotionalDaily Devotional

TwitterTwitter You TubeYou Tube WebinarsWebinars Go To MeetingsGo To Meetings AppsApps

God is still God is still speaking,speaking,

Through you Through you and me!and me!

Meeting your neighborsMeeting your neighborsReclaiming a focus on Reclaiming a focus on

neighborsneighbors

Missional in purposeMissional in purpose Get the church outside of itselfGet the church outside of itself

Relational in outreachRelational in outreach It’s all about relationshipsIt’s all about relationships

Conversational in witnessConversational in witness Talking about faith and lifeTalking about faith and life

Where is Your Neighbor?Where is Your Neighbor? What are you taking home?What are you taking home? Pray, Pray for your neighbors and Pray, Pray for your neighbors and

congregationcongregation This takes time, strategy and work.This takes time, strategy and work. Get a team of ‘bright-eyed’ people togetherGet a team of ‘bright-eyed’ people together Study and conversation with congregationStudy and conversation with congregation Takes support of congregational leadersTakes support of congregational leaders Just get started. Just get started. Do one thing. Start with strengthDo one thing. Start with strength

Where is Your Neighbor?Where is Your Neighbor?

Thank you for your vital LeadershipThank you for your vital Leadership Blessings as you discover where Blessings as you discover where

your neighbor isyour neighbor is

Thank you for Your Support of Thank you for Your Support of Changing Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Wider Changing Lives: That’s Our Churches’ Wider

MissionMission