"Research and resources including group discussion starters".
"A Cooperative project of The LOGOS Institute, Wycliffe College Institute for Evangelism and the Primate's Network for Evangelism." -- t-.p.
"August 1991". -- p. 54.
"A needs assessment done in the Diocese of Toronto in 1989 indicated that many Anglicans wished for greater resources to enable them to fulfil the calling of the Bishops of the Anglican Communion to a Decade of Evangelism. In the spring of 1991 the LOGOS Institute's Curriculum Development Committee commissioned two pieces of research to assist in responding to the need for educational materials in the area of Evangelism. .... The two pieces of research thus include statistics, personal stories, book reviews, and assessments of workshops of other programs available to equip people for evangelism". -- Intro.
Contents: Introduction / The LOGOS Institute Curriculum Development Committee -- Group Discussion Resources -- Attitudes toward "Evangelism" in the Diocese of Toronto: a research report / Paul H. Friesen -- A Review of resources for evangelism / Michael P. Knowles -- Postscript: Where to begin for the best -- Additional Resources.
Includes: "Annotated Bibliography of Evangelism Resources", pp. 30-49.
Includes: "Institutions with Programs in Evangelism", pp. 50-52.
The author muses on how he will have to prepare himself intellectually (to deal with questions, 'What does "He ascended into heaven" mean ?') and emotionally in order to deal with any person he reaches out to as part of the diocese of New Westminster's "Invitation Sunday".
That this general Synod request the Program Committee in consultation with the Committee on Ministry to engage the Church in the Decade of Evangelism, by developing a strategy which would include the following elements:
a) the encouragement of each diocese within Canada to recognize and affirm its own people with particular gifts in evangelism by the appointment of a diocesan co-ordinator or a committee to explore ways to encourage local parish priests and laity to exercise their gifts in evangelism;
b) the encouragement of local parish, bishops, clergy and other leaders to continue and strengthen current evangelism ministries and develop and model new ones aimed at reaching the increasing number of unchurched people within Canadian society;
c) the encouragement of local parish clergy and other leaders within the Church to enable all Anglicans to live our their spoken and living witness to Christ, by providing training and resources;
d) the encouragement of Anglican theological colleges and training centres to develop specific teaching and training programs in evangelism;
e) the appointment or assignment of national staff with appropriate skills and experience to co-ordinate this work.
Text
That following the word "evangelism" in the first paragraph, the words, "and to continue to give a priority to congregation development' be added;
and that after paragraph d), a new paragraph e) be added:
e) the recognition of the need for a close working partnership between the ministries of evangelism and congregational development, including the possible structural and organizational integration;
and that paragraph e) become paragraph f) and be amended as follows"
f) the appointment of a full-time national staff person with appropriate skills and experience to co-ordinate the ministries of evangelism and congregational development.
The amendment was put and CARRIED Act 147
Notes
The amended motion now reads:
That this General Synod request the Program Committee in consultation with the Committee on Ministry to engage the Church in the Decade of Evangelism and to continue to give a priority to congregational development, by developing a strategy which would include the following elements:
a) the encouragement of each diocese within Canada to recognize and affirm its own people with particular gifts in evangelism by the appointment of a diocesan co-ordinator or a committee to explore ways to encourage local parish priests and laity to exercise their gifts in evangelism;
b) the encouragement of local parish, bishops, clergy and other leaders to continue and strengthen current evangelism ministries and develop and model new ones aimed at reaching the increasing number of unchurched people within Canadian society;
c) the encouragement of local parish clergy and other leaders within the Church to enable all Anglicans to live our their spoken and living witness to Christ, by providing training and resources;
d) the encouragement of Anglican theological colleges and training centres to develop specific teaching and training programs in evangelism;
e) the recognition of the need for a close working partnership between the ministries of evangelism and congregational development, including the possible structural and organizational integration;
f) the appointment of a full-time national staff person with appropriate skills and experience to co-ordinate the ministries of evangelism and congregational development. CARRIED Act 148
That this General Synod accept the challenge of the Lambeth Conference by declaring the 1990's a "Decade of Evangelism", and embark on the task of evangelism as an urgent priority in the life of the Anglican Church of Canada. CARRIED WITHOUT DEBATE Act 106
"Perhaps one of the most significant contributions of the Decade has been that it has pulled evangelism out of the shadows and forced us to talk and think about it." "There has also been a greater acceptance that evangelism is a ministry in its ownright. No longer does the word evoke the automatic response: `Everything we do is evangelism.' There is awareness, to be sure, that other ministries of the church will do much to affect the integrity and effectiveness of our evangelistic efforts, but the ministry itself -- getting the story out and inviting outsiders in -- is not so frequently confused with or identified with these other ministries". "We speak of `post-Christendom' and `post-modernity', understanding that culture no longer leads people into our churches. The Judeo-Christian narrative no longer has a monopoly on the spiritual and ethical formation of Canadians". "One of the major challenges for the immediate future remains that of continuing to develop a distinctly Anglican style of evangelism that will not only respect the dignity of those we seek to reach, but also engage them with an informed and articulate explanation of the Gospel and a sensitive invitation to join up with the people of God and learn to follow Christ".
The author, a priest in the diocese of Montreal, outlines some guidelines and requirements for the Anglican Church of Canada as it seeks to implement and evaluate the Decade of Evangelism which begins in January 1991.