Dear Young Adult & Campus Ministers,

Thank you for the opportunity to share a little about evangelism, as it relates to my work for the Episcopal Church. Most of us are aware that there is a growing concern to “evangelize the Unchurched” for the sake of congregational growth. Lately, when I’ve heard that juxtaposition of terms (evangelize + un-churched), I’ve had to suppress a laugh, mostly because my mind conjures scenarios where my "unchurched" (and deeply spiritual) friends respond to such a proposition. I'm pretty sure that most of them have no interest in being the object of someone's efforts at "evangelizing" them!

The most elegant definition of the “E” word is from a Methodist minister who embodied a joyful sense of what it means to “share the good news.” D. T. Niles claimed that “Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where (s)he just found bread.” Unfortunately, that’s not how Niles is usually quoted. What we often hear is “Evangelism is one beggar telling another where to find bread.” Can you feel the difference between the two?

I think this misquote illustrates why so many Episcopalians think of evangelism as just one more churchy chore! They’ve been asked to tell the “un-evangelized” about something they may not actually have experienced recently. The difference between the two is that, in the misquote, the informer is telling another where bread is supposed to be found. In Niles’ definition, someone with a full belly is showing someone else where they can satisfy their hunger, as well. The former often tends to be dry while the latter is an act of “soul to soul” generosity.

In my work as a coach and consultant to clergy across the Episcopal Church, I’ve come to believe that “evangelism” is all about telling our personal stories – I mean, the story of God’s generous hospitality in my own soul – in my own recent experiences of God’s abundant love in my corner of the world. It is sharing my recent stories of “Encounter” with the One whose longing is to reconcile!

Honestly, most of the world is dying to be a part of a vibrant faith community – they just don’t know it! Unfortunately, many of us “insiders” have grown oblivious to that wide-spread “soul longing.” So, everywhere I go, I begin conversations by asking for those sparkling stories of “Spirit sightings” as a friend of mine calls them. If a leader can readily share her recent encounters with Good News, there’s usually vital ministry emerging nearby! If not, it’s likely that the community’s Gospel narrative is going stale and so is their capacity to midwife the work of the Spirit in the world around them.

So, to support vital ministries, new and mature, I work with leaders around the Episcopal Church in several ways. Each week, I host eight teleconference peer coaching sessions, half of which are for those starting new ministries and half of which are for those redeveloping ministries in decline. Usually, about 12 to 15 of us spend ninety minutes together, supporting each other in relevant skills and developing our ability to listen each other’s stories out. These are our personal stories of encounter with the Good News of God in Jesus Christ. We insist on “fresh, personal, from the heart stories of transformative encounter.” (I think of myself as blessed beyond imagination to be a part of these conversations.) I also consult with and coach Diocesan Leaders throughout the Church in Leadership Development. A key piece of my role is to enlarge our institutional imagination to make room for leaders that don’t fit neatly into traditional roles and expectations – often the very leaders we desperately need! I reflect on my experiences via a Blog -- a “Potting Shed” of sorts for those who plant and replant ministries. I probably spend a tenth of my weekly schedule talking to emerging leaders trying to make their way through our Church’s maze of expectations and traditions. I have to tell you that this may be one of the more inspiring (and challenging) aspects of my work!

Every day I see a little more clearly how that this work really depends on the liveliness of our heart stories – the stories that wake us up at night with “Did not our hearts burn within us? He was known to us in the breaking of the bread!” ‘Seems to me that these are the stories of the Good News we’re all waiting to experience! If we start there, evangelism is what follows – new ministries are birthed and declining ministries are brought back to life. If you’d like to explore evangelism resources, you might want to stop in here and then look at the resources that Reverend Terry Martin has assembled. His “Resources” column is on the right side of the webpage. And anytime you’d like to connect with me, please feel free to call me at 646-203-6266 or e-mail me.

The Reverend Tom Brackett is the Program Officer for New Ministry Development and Ministry Redevelopment at the Episcopal Church Center. His passion is lively communities of faith that make the joyful safe space where people learn to celebrate the Spirit’s work of restoring creation to God’s dream for all of us.

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