The New Year may simply be one date passing as all others into the next, yet there is a significance of a year closing and a new one opening that gives us pause to reflect. Having lost two dear people, a favourite Uncle and a fantastic brother-in-law in 2012 I am acutely aware that we never know what may lie ahead for us, which is why I often use the phrase DV – Deo volente, God willing. This is a recurring motif throughout the Scriptures – see for example James 4.13-17.
My offering went back to a New Years Resolution I made on the 1st January 1975. This turned out to be the most important decision I had ever made in my life and was to transform my life beyond anything I could have even begun to imagine. In 1975 I made a NYR to become a Christian.
Reflecting back as one tends to do at this time of the year I think this is a major issue we need to address, the notion of conversion, of people making a definite choice to become Christians rather than through the process of socializing into the life of the Church, soaking up the life of the Church through an osmosis type process.
This I think is borne out by the analysis of the 2001 and 2011 census that showed a marked decrease in those claiming allegiance to the Christian faith. Several commentators have said this denotes the ongoing death of Christendom and the passing away of a generation socialized into the Church and the life of Faith. What the 2011 figure begins to show is a confessing faith, rather than some vague idea or ideal or another way of saying I am British and therefore I am a Christian.
Whilst not making any value judgments on the validity of those who are ‘cradle Christians', nurtured on the milk of Mother Church, I do believe we need to understand the idea of conversion, of people of various ages making a definite and conscious decision to become a Christian. Such thinking needs to be infused into our congregations and leaders so that in everything we do we will ask the question of how this might help people come to a living faith in Jesus, or help them on the pathway of discipleship.
I had a delightful conversation with one elderly lady following a Carol Service. She said it was really good to see so many people in the Church who do not ordinarily engage with the Church and then she said, ‘but we must take the opportunity of telling them about how they can know Jesus for themselves, personally,’ Music to my ears indeed!
This raises a number of questions which are explored in the Rural Evangelism Course available from the Arthur Rank Centre.
The Arthur Rank Centre - www.arthurrankcentre.org.uk
Direct link for Rural Evangelism Course
- What is our own story of coming to faith, do we know it and can we tell it in an interesting and succinct way which includes the difference this made in our lives and what it means to us now to be a Christian.
- What is the story of our Christian Faith Community (Church) and is there an expectancy that people will come to a living faith through its life of work, witness and worship.
- Is this factored into various events and acts of worship with definitive opportunities for people to confess faith?
- Would at least a strong core of Christian faith community be able to answer if someone asked them how they could become a Christian?
- Do you offer a full range of ‘diets’ for those who are exploring the faith and those who are life long disciples and also covering those in between?
Visiting various Churches over the Christmass period I have been impressed and disappointed in equal measure, not so much by the style of the worship or the quality of what is offered but by the way opportunities for people to embrace the faith have either been given or non-existent, certainly in any tangible form. I have seen a very gentle invitation to say a prayer of confession at the end a Carol Service with a further opportunity to talk afterwards, to take some helpful material and then an invitation to join a Christian Enquirers Course. I have also seen Churches that told you what was happening by way of notices but made no or little attempt to articulate further on what any of them might actually mean. I did have a couple of interesting conversations outside one Church with people who didn’t know what ‘Nativity’ meant.
I am in no way advocating we all become Evangelical but I am saying we all need to become evangelistic – proclaiming the Gospel in word and in action, with an understanding that people will be engaging with the Christian faith from no or very little background knowledge or socialization into the things of the Faith. Therefore there needs to be an opportunities for people to confess faith and grow as a disciple of Jesus within the company of others embarked on that same journey.
May you all know God’s richest blessing and a great harvest in 2013.
