The Week in Review

Book Review – Radically Unchurched (part 3)

Personal Reflections

As I have reflected on this book along with the other information from this class, I have sought to find ways that I can improve my personal evangelizing. Along with many of the students from this class, fear was one of the barriers that kept me immobilized. As I have read the material from this class the first step that I plan to take is one of prayer. I need to continue to pray for God’s direction and help as I seek to do his will. I have often found myself freezing up when faced with opportunities to present the gospel to individuals. This course has helped me to see that I have not been alone in how I felt. This has been an encouragement to know that what I am facing is something that I can overcome. The material has helped me to understand the rejection I once ran from is not a rejection of me. An individual not accepting what I share does not mean I am not a success. Success is being willing to present the gospel message and leaving the results to God.

My current situation requires me to think creatively about how to reach others. I spend majority of my day indoors. I work from home as well as take my classes on line. This challenge has not been a discouragement but something that has excited me because of the new ways I believe the Lord is showing me to reach out to others. Some of the sites we looked at had tracts that could be used on line or sent through the mail. I will look into either using those or writing my own. One of the sites had a downloadable presentation that could be added to a website.

I added this presentation to my blog and have had some interest about the information featured. My website, http://home.comcast.net/~inhisword/site/, Williams Innovative Network (W.I.N) was originally started because I had a desire to touch the lives of people that were at work that might not be able to study the Bible as much but had a desire to read something that would encourage them through the day. I created two other blogs where I share the word of God. One of the sites is http://www.tri-productions.blogspot.com/ and is called Tri-Productions. The other site is for youth, http://gemsofjewel.blogspot.com/ and is called Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. I added the downloadable presentation of the gospel to this blog.

The class has also helped me to be more attentive to the concerns of others. Several of the former youth I was a youth leader over are in college and complain they cannot find churches to attend. While I cannot plant a church in those areas, I am praying about something God showed me just recently. I call it, “C.O.M.E.” It means College Online Ministry and Encouragement. I plan to send a link to each of my college students every Sunday with a message/study either through youtube or using the upload capabilities within the blogger account I have. I will give them the scripture and a brief background in the written area and then they can click on the link to watch the message. I am currently asking youth ministers to help my by allowing me to record them giving a message to upload. Several are excited about the opportunity to reach our youth in this way.

I do not expect this to replace church, but I do see it being a tool that can be used two ways. The first way is to help the college student have access to sound teaching when they are not able to catch the shuttles or get to the churches that are often a distance from the campuses. Secondly, I will ask the youth to participate in evangelizing their college roommates or friends. I plan to ask them to share the message with others around them. I have not worked all the details out, however I am in prayer now for God to show me how to complete this task. I believe this became a burden upon my heart in part because of the reading I have had in this class as well as in my class on missions. I was also excited after reading Reid’s statement that spiritual revival often started with our youth. This helped me see that what I desire to do is something that could make a difference. I will be working with three Christian teens this summer to prepare the look and feel of the site. I plan to record these youth before they go back to college to use their messages as the first presented when we go live.

I plan to incorporate evangelism in my teaching. I was recently appointed as the teacher for the New Membership class. I have been given the freedom to create the curriculum, as I feel led. One thing that I believe was missing in the current curriculum was evangelism. I believe if this is taught initially it will be something new members will be more comfortable doing. I have taken ideas if not the actual plans from all the material we have used. I liked the scripture memorization and I believe this would be something helpful. I plan on making scripture cards for each of the new members. They will be printed on card stock and can easily fit in ones pocket or purse. I believe from this class the overarching message has been to make sure the gospel message has been given clearly. I plan to make sure I present the gospel message clearly to the class so they will be able to do the same.

Finally, I am asking God to use all of my talents and gifts to witness as effectively as I can. I believe he is doing this, as with the creation of the on line messages for the college students. I am excited about being able to share the message of Christ with others. I walk away from this class with a greater desire for a change. The first change I asked God to do was to change me. If there is anything inside of me that is hindering me from doing as he commands, then I seek him to release me from that. Then I seek to be a change agent. I seek God to use me to love people so they can see Christ in me. I want to invade this world for Christ. I seek to live an incarnational life even greater than before. I will also seek more ways of living out servanthood evangelism. I will seek ways of touching people in tangible ways that might open up an avenue to present the gospel. I desire to be a radically changed person touching the lives of the radically unchurched and making an impact for the kingdom.