Get ideas for helping our church members overcome the blockades that tend to prevent us from following through on the promptings from our new life to bring Jesus into our conversations. Among the blockades dealt with are fear of rejection, being unsure what to say, lacking ability to make natural transitions, and trouble in dealing with common objections. Let’s ponder what would life be like if we believed Romans 1:16 and put it into action.

Jim Found has been on the teacher roster of synod since 1980. In that time he has served as a DCE, missionary to Taiwan, and teacher of outreach courses at Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota. Jim now lives in Loveland, Colorado, and travels from there to give his witness workshop called “Sharing Christ Naturally in Conversation.” His website is www.foundbytes.com

 A survey of Jim’s approach is at http://www.foundbytes.com/witness/HowToWit/HowToW_overv.htm

 

Reserve your Webinar seat now at: For October 8, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/332414603

Evangelism can be a huge umbrella encompassing many ministry opportunities and means for church members to be involved with reaching out to others.  As in many situations in life, one size does not fit all.  How can we provide varying approaches for people to be involved with outreach? Kent will share some ideas for organizing these efforts as well as creating new opportunities for member involvement in the process.  We want to be coordinated and organized to touch people with the Gospel and respond as the Holy Spirit leads.

 

Bio for Kent Stephens 

Kent is a 1981 graduate of Concordia University Irvine (CA), completing a Director of Christian Outreach program. He is married to Carmen and they have three teenage children.
Kent is involved with just about anything that has to do with outreach at Holy Cross in Wichita, Kansas including working with ministries that open a door to encourage people to visit Holy Cross and the church’s response to them once they have.  He provides leadership in helping people express their faith in comfortable, effective, caring and non-threatening ways.  Additionally he coordinates music for the church’s Saturday night contemporary service.
Ken has also served congregations and campus ministries in Nebraska, Colorado (Peace, Arvada), Wisconsin and Ohio.  He enjoys music, reading, camping and especially his family.

 Mr. Kevin Grein, Lutheran Church Extension Fund Vice President in the Rocky Mountain District, will present on how demographics can benefit your church. Beyond basic population data, demographics can give you a good picture of the people who live in your neighborhood. With demographics you can learn about the lifestyles of your neighbors – what their religious views are, what their interests are, how they spend their time, etc…

Learn how demographics has been used for:

-          Lutheran Schools

-          Senior Outreach

-          Vacation Bible Schools

-          Mission Plants

-          Open Arms

We post whatever faith sharing experiences are mentioned during our normal meetings.
S.R. – had privilege to counsel a woman who is LDS. She is stressed coming out of LDS. Now attending a sister congregation and working with a pastor. S. explained grace to her and gave her a Bible.
M.L. – has met a Mormon at 24 Hour Fitness and is building a relationship with him. Has been able to share the Gospel with him.
D.T. – had the Mariachi band at church and a carnival inviting neighborhood people. 50 people were visitors and 18 from the neighborhood with no prior church connection. The Gospel was shared. This Sunday church is having a “Conspiracy of Kindness” car wash – no donations will be accepted. Free just like Christ’s love is free.

July 9, 2009

Start: 9:30 Mountain, 10:30 Central

End: 11:00 Mountain, 12:00 Central

 Theme:  How NET Fishing will expand your reach

 

Rev. Dr. Phil Bickel, Missions Pastor at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, Bloomington, MN, will present an outreach strategy called NET Fishing.  NET stands for Network of Evangelistic Teams.  Because believers accomplish God’s mission more effectively when they work together, NET Fishing links believers and their God-given strengths and passions into a Network of Evangelistic Teams.  Christians witness more effectively when:

Individuals unite in teams.

Teams network together.

Congregations share their strengths.

Learn how churches in Minnesota are putting this concept into practice.

 

NET Fishing can also be called Stone-Soup Evangelism

We help each other succeed.

Each church shares what it has.  We touch people’s hearts with Christ’s love.

Not-yet Christians hear the Good News.

We build rapport in our community.

 Converts add new insights and strengths.

June 11, 2009

 Start: 9:30 Mountain, 10:30 Central

End: 11:00 Mountain, 12:00 Central

 Theme: Preparing and encouraging the congregation for faith sharing 

Phil Johnson, Executive Director of the Oswald Hoffman School of Christian Outreach, St. Paul, Minnesota. 

We are pleased to have Mr. Phil Johnson leading our next Web-meeting.  He graduated from the Director of Evangelism program as it began at Concordia, St. Paul.  Since then he has served congregations in Nebraska and Colorado as well as serving in various district and synodical capacities.  He now gives back to the profession by teaching outreach classes at Concordia, St. Paul and guiding students in their internship assignments.

He brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the area of evangelism.  He will share what he has learned on developing a culture of outreach within your congregation.

Sharing The Faith Moments in May 2009
We post whatever faith sharing experiences are mentioned during our normal meetings.

M- engaged a neighbor’s relative who was taking care of the neighbor’s property with questions about God. The relative was not interested.
D-recalled Bill Fay’s book Sharing Jesus without Fear and how often the Holy Spirit provided occasions for him to share his faith.
D- his mother who is in a nursing home often converses with her room mates sister who often tells about examples of undeserved grace.

Message from Lutheran Hour Ministries

Lutheran Hour Ministries Selects New Executive Director

St. Louis, MO, Jun. 17, 2009 – After prayerful consideration, the Board of Governors for the International Lutheran Laymen’s League has selected Bruce Wurdeman as the new Executive Director for Lutheran Hour Ministries. Wurdeman, who currently serves as LHM’s Director of United States Ministries, will take the reins beginning Aug. 1. He will replace Larry Lumpe, who will be retiring at the end of July following his second stint as Executive Director for the ministry.

“Bruce has a great vision for the ministry and high expectations for excellence,” says Mick Onnen, President of the Int’l LLL. “I praise God for Bruce and his willingness to accept the Executive Director position, and I pledge my full support for his work and service among us.”

“I am both honored and humbled to become the next Executive Director for Lutheran Hour Ministries,” says Wurdeman. “God is accomplishing tremendous things through this life-changing ministry, and I look forward to working with our staff to boldly proclaim the salvation story of Jesus Christ to ever-increasing numbers of people.”

In his current position, Wurdeman oversees the production of The Lutheran Hour®, Woman to Woman®, and Para el Camino radio programs, seasonal television specials, and print materials, as well as ministry fulfillment and referral services. Under his direction, the ministry also launched the LHM Men’s NetWork in January 2009, a program geared to help congregations reconnect with men and build local men’s ministries.

“In only its first six months of operation, the program has witnessed unprecedented growth and excitement,” says Onnen. More than 2,000 churches from the The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and other denominations have already signed up.

Wurdeman previously worked at Lutheran Hour Ministries from 1994 through 2002 in the Volunteer Opportunities department as an assistant director and manager, positions that allowed him to recruit and train more than 100,000 volunteers throughout North America. He most recently served as a mission and ministry facilitator for the Texas District of the LCMS, where he was a resource person for 100 congregations in West and South Texas.

Prior to his first stint at Lutheran Hour Ministries, Wurdeman filled a variety of roles throughout Lutheran circles, including principal and director of adult education at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Eureka, Missouri, director of campus ministry for the North Dakota District of the LCMS, director of youth ministry at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Fargo, North Dakota, and a math/science teacher and youth director at Zion Lutheran Church in Bethalto, Illinois.

Wurdeman has a bachelor’s degree in Education and School Administration from Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois, and a master’s degree in Exegetical Theology (Old Testament) from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He is a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Ellisville, Missouri. He and his wife, Marijane, have three grown children and one grandchild.

Lutheran Hour Ministries is a Christian outreach ministry supporting churches worldwide in its mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church. It is also a volunteer movement more than 100,000 people strong. LHM produces Christian radio and TV programming for broadcast, as well as Internet and print communications, dramas, music, and outreach materials, to reach the unchurched in more than 30 countries. LHM’s flagship program, The Lutheran Hour, is the world’s longest-running Christian outreach radio program. It airs weekly on more than 900 stations.

I expect to be posting faith sharing encounters that participants on this blog have shared with us recently. Most of the reports are brief and anonymous. All are real and without embellishments. They are intended to show how the Lord provides opportunities to us to share our faith in various ways, naturally and with grace. I hope they will encourage you to share your faith as occasions arise and for you to share them with us to His glory.

Sharing The Faith Moments - to April 2009

C.- An inquiry  about insurance coverage led to discussion of medical conditions and then how one deals with those challenges as a Christian.

M- attended Curves fitness facility, met attendant with a child there; “what do you do?” question led to invitation to attend church and interest in baptism for the child.

M.-had a meeting; one participant mentioned she is breast cancer patient and would  schedule an operation soon; this led to testimony of faith and hope.

x.- had the hearing checked at Dr. –conversation turned to God and prayer for treatment

D.- family friend had collision with deer on highway; saw it as a “close call” and caused him to try to” put his house in order” . D. referred to John 3:16; that was well received and the friend asked for more resources for ongoing exploration of faith.

D.- Mom is in nursing home; questions from others: “why is there suffering?” Opening to share grace of God.

S.- a prominent Lutheran Christian  who was recognized both as Christian  and helping refugees died unexpectedly. His funeral was attended by many others of other faiths (Muslim, Mormon) and became a testimony to the love of Christ because he professed and was recognized as a servant of the Lord God.

M.- a relative needs kidney transplant;  serious complications threaten.  M. asked her husband to pray with him and they did; perhaps a return to abandoned faith.

C.-Mother is home bound and depends on volunteer driver (unchurched volunteer). C. encourages mother to give Portals Of Prayer booklet to driver when she hears driver’s  sister is very ill. It was gratefully accepted.

M.- Youth in congregation canvass neighborhood; 200+ homes surveyed; immediate response: one person has health issues and asks for continuing contact; young couple was invited to church breakfast; another person made contact later.

K.- Youth group made a “Cross Walk” demonstrating walking carrying crosses to city park to bring awareness of suffering of Jesus on Good Friday to community.

Theme:  Evangelism-Lessons Learned and being learned from a personal Journey in “calling” on the “unchurched”

Rev. Dennis FitzPatrick Jr. considers himself a child of God, a L.L.L (Life-long Lutheran) and a student of evangelism, and it’s personal. I call myself a “student”, because every time I go out calling, God teaches me something new about what He does with poor-vessels like me. Throughout much of my life prior to my Vicarage at Trinity, Atchison.KS, I struggled with God’s call to “go and make disciples.” At one time I thought, “Actions speak louder than words.” I thought, by living as a good Christian, I was “doing” evangelism.  At other times I said things like, “well that’s the Pastor’s job” or “I’m not ‘gifted’ to evangelize.”All that changed during the first 2 weeks of my Vicarage.  My participation in an Evangelism Explosionleadership clinic at Bellevue Baptist in Memphis, Tennessee was like being thrown into the deep-end of a pool and being told, “Now learn to swim.”  Oddly enough, I did.

It’s been 5 years since my first exposure to E.E.  While I am not the most gifted or convincing evangelist, my vision and heart for those who don’t know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (i.e.—“the lost”, “the unchurched”) is stronger than ever. I understand now that, evangelism isn’t about me—my hang-ups, my fears, my abilities—but about obedience to God’s call, and what God will do through me.  And, God’s Word and promises actually DO work. I’m just blessed to be a conduit and see some of the results…