Evangelism Resources
From the chair of the Diocesan Evangelism Committee…
I invite you not just to benefit from the resources and ideas that our Committee has gathered for the last year or so but to contribute to them. Evangelism is done most effectively by parishioners, not by the national church. Each of us has a story that explains why we are followers of Christ, and our invitation to you is to find effective ways to share the story of faith.
I look forward to seeing how we spread the Good News in the years ahead.
Father John Harwood
More Resources
The mothership for TEC evangelism resources is:
- https://www.episcopalchurch.org/ministries/evangelism/
You need to spend some time on the site: The EV. - For the toolkit, visit Tell Me Something Good.
- In the Anglican Church, the emphasis is on Evangelism and Discipleship.
- Advance Groups Resources
- The Episcopal Diocese of Washington has some excellent, well-described resources.
On General Welcoming and Radical Hospitality:
Best Practices for the Inviting Congregation
- Extremely basic how-to for creating an inviting congregation. (However, does not include any mention of social media/online practices).
Best Practices for Inclusive Congregations
- One-pager about multicultural inclusiveness in parishes.
The Practices of a Radically Welcoming Community
- The necessary next steps for becoming a radically welcoming community.
Strategic planning resources (largely, good questions to ask discerning congregations):
- Studying Your Reality: Where are we Now?
- Charting Your Dream: Where is God inviting us to Go?
- Building the Bridge
Evangelism Initiatives from TEC:
Here are some helpful handouts from TEC’s Evangelism Initiative:
United Methodist Resources
The Methodists have the most robust mainline denominational training and resources for hospitality and welcoming.
Welcoming Ministry Online Course
Six-week online class with assignments, teacher and class discussion for $30.
Link: https://www.umctraining.org/product?catalog=Welcoming-Ministry
Welcoming Overview includes checklists for improving church hospitality.
Welcoming Resources:
Encourage Guests to Return with Great Follow-Ups
- Provides practical tips for follow-up with visitors.
5 types of church visitors: Are you ready for them?
- The article outlines the basic idea that different people visit churches for different reasons, and some suggestions for beginning to think through the challenge.
One-Hour Welcoming Training Session
- A solid curriculum for super-basic, hands-on training for a group of ordinary parishioners. Looks dated but the content is still applicable. (From http://www.umcom.org/learn/welcoming-resources)
- Instructions and checklist/survey for guest auditors to fill out. Although if you’re interested in a guest audit, please reach out to the SFRC and they’ll get your parish set up with a guest audit and follow-up visit.
- Best part of this: “Rule of 10” which instructs parishioners to greet anyone that comes within 10 feet of them, especially people they don’t know.
The United Methodist Church houses evangelism under discipleship and has numerous resources:
Lutheran Resources
The Lutheran Church (ELCA) has lots of resources aimed at congregations (e.g., inserts for bulletins). These are pretty basics, but the idea is good and adaptable.
Resources:
- Senior Adult Ministry: Growing Aging Disciples
- Advancing Evangelism in Your Congregation
- Creating an Evangelism Team
- Disciples into Apostles
- Inviting Others
- Launching Evangelism in Your Congregation
The ELCA has some resources for congregational communication (https://www.elca.org/Resources/Congregational-Communications-Tools#SocialDigital), too, but I’ve found nothing specifically for enhanced digital strategies.
4 things churches can learn from Netflix
April 06, 2020
Netflix and church? Leaders feel like they’re competing for their church members’ attention. Explore how you can use Netflix-like engagement tactics.
How many people are watching your videos?
July 14, 2020
Wondering what engagement vs. views are when it comes to your Facebook videos? We explain what you should be looking for and why.
How to give your church’s Facebook page a facelift
September 06, 2017
Discover new ideas to freshen up your church’s Facebook page and increase engagement.
Connectional Giving team highlights the importance of stewardship
February 05, 2019
The Connectional Giving team increases awareness of and financial engagement with the apportioned funds, six church-wide Special Sundays and the missions of The Advance.
How to be a better email communicator
April 09, 2014
Email has slowly become the primary communication channel for many churches. Are you sure people read your emails and act appropriately? Learn how to increase engagement now!
I’m struggling with Facebook
February 27, 2019
The original strategy of creating and scheduling content that relies on organic reach spurred by engagement through Facebook is no longer a sure path to success.
Latino Leader Panel
November 18, 2019
The communications agency of the United Methodist Church wants to hear from you! Be a part of our Latino Leader Engagement Panel and share your opinions and suggestions.
Learn the 3 dimensions of excellent content
September 07, 2017
Understanding all three of these dimensions will move your content from flat to fully formed content that will help drive engagement and get people in pews.
Seminary-based resources. At Patricia Lyons is the dean of “Evangelism Initiatives” for VTS, but their website yields nothing, alas. I am using her new book, “The Evangelist’s Breviary,” right now, and it’s rich and provocative in ideas.
If you turn directly to Mother Google, the riches are too numerous to capture. If you search for “how to evangelize,” you get 2.7M links.
I especially liked the concreteness of:
But there are many, many others from across the denominational spectrum.
Documents
from the ELCA home page for Evangelism
- Building a Culture of Evangelism | View Document
- Disciples to Apostles | View Document
- Evangelical Leaders | View Document
- Faith Stories – Creating Opportunities to Share Your Faith | View Document
- Finding Your Voice | View Document
- Hospitality Matters | View Document
- Welcome the Children | View Document
Evangelism Committee Member List (2023-2024)
The Rev. John Harwood, Committee Chair
Michele Marini, St. Andrew’s State College
David Wirick, Holy Trinity, Hollidaysburg
Sarah McKeag Reid, Trinity Pro-Cathedral, Williamsport
The Rev. Bradley Mattson, Hope Episcopal Church, Manheim
The Rev. Jennifer Mattson, St. Thomas, Lancaster
