Board of Evangelism
This Board h as as its focus the spiritual welfare of those who are not yet part of the Body of Christ and are now outside our community of faith. With its Chairperson, it leads Good Shepherd to share the Gospel of Christ, providing witnessing education and visitation opportunities and fostering a climate of welcome, faith sharing, and prayer (through our “Prayer Chain Ministry” – Ms. Millie Burns, Coordinator/845-986-3109)
(Colossians 4:5-6) “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of
grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone”.
CHAIRPERSON: Vacancy
I’ve never been big on surprises. If family is coming to town, I like to know about it. I like to anticipate, prepare, and get more and more excited as the time draws near. Some people love that moment of surprise; I enjoy looking forward to the event almost as much as the event itself. It makes the good last longer. It’s similar to going to church around the holidays. The messages, the music, the happy faces, and everything else that goes into preparation for Christmas makes the good last longer. Attending church on Christmas day without the “before” is like a big surprise. I encourage you to invite someone to church, not just on Christmas day, but also those weeks and days leading up to Christmas. Give them the opportunity to experience, anticipate, prepare; to hear special messages and to enjoy beautiful music. Make the introduction during this season; I’m sure their first impression will be a good one! Helpful hints: Reaching out to those you know at this time of year is an outstanding opportunity for them and for you. It’s probably one of the easiest times of year to do so.
Pray for those you are in contact with that this season will create new interest and that God will motivate them to seek Him. Remember that for some people it can be a sad time of the year so be sensitive to people who may be grieving or lonely or struggling in some way. It is an especially important time/reason to share (remember your own times of sadness and the comfort you have received through knowing God). When someone wishes you “Happy/Merry Christmas” the door for a response that’s not casual, rote, or rehearsed is opened for you. Try “Merry Christmas … what will you be doing this holiday season?” Will there be a place in that exchange for you to invite them to your church? Another idea is to share that church is a pretty important part of your holiday preparation and…. invite them to church with you.
“Clearly we can encourage Christians to pray that the unchurched would sense God calling them back, but God works through His people,” said McConnell. “The survey showed that many would respond to an invitation from a friend or acquaintance (41 percent),
their children (25 percent) or an adult family member (25 percent).” – McConnell, LifeWay Research
their children (25 percent) or an adult family member (25 percent).” – McConnell, LifeWay Research