Skip to main content

Preaching & Evangelism

The Service of the Church

The Church has a responsibility towards every single person in the world - not only toward the believers. Three groups of people in the world. Active Believers, Lost Sheep (who are believers but are lost) and the Non-believers. The Church service can be classified into three ministries:

  1. Ministry of Spiritual Care (Active Members)
    • Preventative: How to prevent them from being lost
    • Nurturing: How to nurture them to grow into spiritual maturity

  2. Ministry of the Lost Sheep
    • Outreach: Searching for the Lost Sheep
    • Healing: The Lost Sheep who returns will be full of wounds - how to accept him and prepare a godly and therapeutic atmosphere to promote his healing

  3. Ministry of Evangelism (Non-Believers)
    • Preaching the Gospel
    • Grafting

Activity... match the Church Service

  • Confession - 1a
  • Liturgy - 1a
  • Bible Study - 1b
  • Sunday School Class - 1b
  • Visitation - 1a
  • Aghapy Meal - 1a
  • Liturgy Sermon - 1b
  • Youth Meeting - 1b
  • Phone Calls - 1a
  • OCCM GBMs - 1a, 1b, 2a, 3a
  • OCCM Tabling - 3a
  • OCCM OCAD - 3a
  • Catechumen classes - 3b
  • Sports Ministries (CFCBL) - 1a, 2a
  • Global Coptic Day - 3a

What about Apologetics?

  • Apologetics is more of a discipline than a formal "service." It is relevant in ALL categories of church service. 
    • 1a because it's tackling difficult topics that may arise in the future.
    • 1b and 3b because it prepares faithful to be able to "give a defense"
    • 2a & 2b because many of Lost Sheep drift because of doubt, intellectual confusion, etc.
    • 3a because when preaching the gospel, some may desire to debate or to raise points of confusion
  • There is a BIG difference between Apologetics and Preaching & Evangelism
Preaching & Evangelism

Greek εὐαγγέλιον = Gospel = Good News (eu = good, angelion = message (like angelos = messenger))

Evangelism refers to the preaching or spreading of the Gospel - good news.

What is the Gospel?

  • See “Spread the Word” (Michael Keiser) first Chapter
  • The Gospel Message is very simple. It's not complicated apologetics. It's not theological minutiae. 

What is Evangelism?

  1. Evangelism is a Commandment
  2. Evangelism is Love
  3. Evangelism is the Greatest Mission

(See “The Harvest is Plentiful”)

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

St John Chrysostom - "There is nothing colder than a Christian who does not try to save others."

Orthodox Recruiting

So why doesn't Orthodoxy recruit? Are we slacking in evangelism?

Some ideas in this video but didn't watch whole thing yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFVQIN1uQ-s 

Orthodox doesn't do "mega churches" or quantity... looking for quality over quantity. cf. John 6.

The Evangelist
  1. Who is the Evangelist
  2. Spiritual Growth
How to Evangelize
  1. Actions
  2. Words
    1. See the examples in “The Harvest is Plentiful”
Process of Catechism
  1. Inquirer
    • Bring him/her to the Divine Liturgy.
      • Not the Youth Meeting. Not Sunday School. Not Servants Meeting. Not Bible Study. Liturgy. "Come and see." 
    • Prepare them in advance (communion, men and women seating, hair covering, appropriate attire, etc.)
    • Be there and ready to accept them
    • Let them meet Abouna!

  2. Catechumenate
    • After a few times of attending liturgies, asking questions, forming a relationship with the priest, they may be ready to become a catechumen
    • Catechism has three components:
      • Doctrinal Formation (catechism classes)
      • Liturgical Formation (liturgical praxis)
      • Spiritual Formation (spiritual canon)
  3. Christian Initiation
    • Sacrament of Confession
    • Sacrament of Baptism
    • Sacrament of Chrismation (Myron)
    • Sacrament of Matrimony*
    • Sacrament of the Eucharist

  4. Community Integration
    • Receiving the Sacraments
    • Cultivating friendships
    • Discovering the imperfection of Orthodox faithful
    • Convert Burnout

Resources

  • Fr Tadros Yacoub Malaty
    • Evangelism and the School of Alexandria
    • Preaching in the Post-Apostolic Era
    • Evangelism: 1 Corinthians
    • Evangelism: 2 Corinthians
  • Michael Keiser
    • Spread the Word
  • Fr Daoud Lamei
    • The Harvest is Plentiful
  • When you fast
    • Page 29
  • Alexander Schmemann
    • Church, World, Mission
  • Eugene Gotwalt, PhD
Back to top