The Vestry asks members of the parish to set aside this weekend as a time to share our enthusiasm and eagerness for the future of our parish. During this weekend, we will learn ways to share our faith more effectively . Methodists, Lutherans, and Presbyterians from congregations in Hancock County have also received invitations since mainline churches around us must cooperate to regain a sense of mission and self-respect. He will lead the adult class in dialogue about his homily and about Christian evangelism in our times. Evangelism has often made many Episcopalians nervous.
Evangelism refers to good news-derived from the Greek evangelion.
By spreading good news, Christians hope to attract others to share the promises of Jesus to his people. Access to such good news has enabled the church to grow throughout its history-at least until recently. Church growth until recent times often relied on the appeal of institutional images. Thirty to fifty years ago, the Episcopal Church grew in number through its institutional image, but Episcopalians should have relied more heavily on our relationship to Jesus, to our understanding of his work, his mission, and his message, and to the Sacraments Jesus gave to his Church. Now, we reconstruct and proclaim anew our kind of spirituality-omissions that we can correct.