Good Idea is our online magazine where you’ll find inspiration, tips, ideas, and stories of how God is working in other churches. Every month we offer one good idea to help churches grow in sharing the faith.

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Impossible Odds. Creative Faith

by Brian Stiller. January 2, 2014

Brian Stiller, former president of Tyndale University College and Seminary, is now Global Ambassador for the World Evangelical Fellowship. For the second time, we thought good idea! readers would appreciate one of his monthly blog entries about the church in different countries. Here he writes about the influence of a British Christian soccer player on China.

It seems unlikely that an imposing former professional British football (soccer) player would end up as a social worker. And even more unlikely, is that he would be appointed by the Chinese government to help solve one of their most pressing problems – over a million orphans left on streets or languishing in countless orphanages. Not only has Robert Glover led in placing 250,000 Chinese orphans in Chinese homes in the last few years, he has signed an agreement with the King of Thailand to do the same there. This story tells of the mystical and sure guidance of the Holy Spirit in building out of personal gifting and skill to solve a seemingly intractable problem in places where we assume the name of Christ is unknown.

Signing up as a professional footballer with Portsmouth and Norwich City, Rob eventually ended up studying social work, taking one of his first jobs in Guernsey. A visiting speaker at the church they attended said “Robert, I sense you will be father to children like the stars in the sky.” Thinking it rather over the edge, he continued in his social work, focusing on orphans and their needs.

In 1996 while in China studying the problems of orphans, he was given tickets to the Chinese Special Olympics. Sitting next to him was a member of the Chinese Politburo. When he asked Robert why he cared for children he replied, “What I do for children, I do for the Father. God made the family for creation. When you warehouse children, they die.” The Politburo member said, “Meet me at 8 AM tomorrow. There is someone I want you to meet.”

Surprised by the invitation, the next morning Robert walked into a room of representatives of international organizations serving the needs of children. He sat and listened to accusations of the government’s failings. They finally turned to him and asked him what he would do. Quite simple he said, “You integrate them into Chinese families and train those families how to care for children, helping them deal with those often traumatized by being left destitute.” The minister asked, “Would you help us?”

Back in England the British Foreign Office called him to a meeting. In bilateral discussions, the Chinese had asked for help and the Foreign Office said, “Robert if you will go, we will fund it.”

Selling everything he, his wife Elizabeth and six children moved to China. They began constructing a radically different model of caring for orphans in Shanghai, one he had refined as a social worker in England, under the name Care for Children, incorporated by John Langlois from Guernsey. At that time, Britain bid for and won the competition to host the Olympic Games and the Special Olympics. Rob’s life’s work was soon to expand as he sponsored North Koreans to compete in the Special Olympics in London.

Behind this scene are stories of political leaders that simply can’t yet be told. But within the senior lines of authority, Robert had his “Cyrus.” (If you recall, it was Old Testament King Cyrus who covered Nehemiah with authority, clearance and resources to leave Persia and rebuild the Jerusalem walls.) Robert had his benefactor. Doors were opened. Red tape cut through.

In time, Robert’s Care for Children became larger, placing in the first five years some 5,000 children and in the coming years up to 250,000 orphans: 60% with disabilities and 84% girls. In working with 300 orphanages, 4,000 orphanage workers have been trained in post-placement care, for each child and their receiving family. Orphanages became a centre for social servicing of a variety of needs. Today they have taken on five cities in China to provide models of best practice.

Families of any or no religion are invited to adopt. One day the government asked Robert to initiate his model in an area where he was warned, there were no Christians. Thirty couples wanting to adopt, showed up for orientation. The government official tried a little humor: “You know this man Robert is a Christian.” No one laughed. So he tried it again. Again no laughter. Finally a woman put up her hand and said, “Yes, but I’m a Christian.” The person next to her did the same. They went around the room and everyone there confessed to Christian faith.

On the way home the official noted his surprise and asked, “Why would Christians want to do this?” Robert took out his small Bible and showed where Jesus said it was our calling to care for the little ones.

In time government sponsored media picked up his story. One story was all that some needed to convince them of Robert’s motivation and means. A little girl emaciated and dying of a hole in her heart, yet too weak to sustain an operation, had been placed in a home. Three years later she was the picture of health. The doctor then decided she was healthy enough to sustain the operation. The specialist examined her and with tears spilling down his cheeks said, “But there is no hole there any more.” Media picked it up calling her “The Miracle Baby, Healed by the love of a Mother.”

Story upon story layers this incredible journey. Flown in by helicopter to the summer palace of the King of Thailand, Robert was asked to set up his NGO there, and today is helping in the placement of children left alone on the streets or stashed in human warehouses.

Working with the most senior of government officials, free to be explicit in prayer and Bible study in their programs, a social worker, prophetically called was sent and obeyed. Armed with learned skills in social work, toughened by years on the soccer field, he took on an intractable problem of those thought least important. His vision and practical solutions brought hope to a society whose recent history is rooted in atheism. Doors were opened and by the witness of the Gospel and power of the Spirit, many places are experiencing social transformation and lives are entering into spiritual wellbeing.

In 2005 Robert was awarded the OBE from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

Little ones…for such is the kingdom.

Brian C. Stiller, Global Ambassador, The World Evangelical Alliance
November, 2013.

Published with permission by the Author

Christmas Symbols and their Meaning

by Steve Hewko. December 11, 2013

Do our traditions help or hinder the communication of the Gospel?

It was about this time last year that I happened upon two students in the lobby of Wycliffe College. They were Chinese students who were part of an English as a Second Language (ESL) group who had rented space at the college and who were enjoying a break from class. They were gathered around the centre table in the lobby, and were taking pictures of a Latin-American pastoral scene depicting a man and a woman surrounded by a variety of animals. As I moved closer, I was surprised to notice something conspicuously missing. Someone had stolen Baby Jesus!

Only later did I learn that no one had stolen Jesus, but that this was actually intentional. The idea is that leaving Jesus out of the nativity scene during Advent helps increase a believer’s anticipation of what is to come. It is one of those many symbols and traditions that intensify the Christmas season for the believer. Well, I’m not an Anglican, and learning the ins and outs of the liturgical calendar has been a steep (but highly edifying) learning curve. Back to the case of the missing Jesus.

Despite this enlightenment, there was part of me that still felt uneasy with the encounter. I wondered what the students thought of this scene. In all likelihood, they had no Christian background to draw from. Did they think that the figurines were nicely painted? How were they going to explain the pictures to their friends and family back home? Will they say, “See how Canadians have nice figurines” or “It was strange that they had this in the lobby of their university”? I wondered if it would have made any difference if Baby Jesus had been there. I wondered if they would ask the deep questions I hoped this scene would provoke.

I began to wonder too about the relationship between liturgy and proclamation, or symbol and evangelism. Ideally, there is no tension: they are meant to augment each other. But in some contexts, either one may simply serve to obscure the other. Some of our liturgical practices, while they can heighten the meaning for believers, are often incomprehensible to those outside the church, or from outside North American culture. Is it possible that our traditions actually veil Jesus for outsiders?

Just a week ago, as I was thinking about this, I happened upon the exact same scene, although this time there were three international students standing at the table. This year Wycliffe has opted for a more traditional Middle-Eastern scene, complete with camel and magi. There is also a manger for a baby—and, once again, no baby (yet). Was this scene just as strange to them as the year before—or was it even stranger because of the Canadian student (me!) who blurted out, “You know that there is supposed to be a baby there?” I quickly realized that they were early in their ESL course, and did not understand what I meant. So on this occasion a verbal explanation did not help, and I was left with the image on the table, pondering whether it could still communicate something that my words could not.

I am grateful for what I have learned about liturgy in recent years. There is a deep void in my own tradition, and my spiritual life has been greatly enriched by my time and exposure to Anglicanism. My concern is pragmatic. What are we communicating to those outside the church? Is our message clear and accessible?

I have also come to realize that it does not have to be an either/or situation. After I had ranted for a week to anyone who would listen, in front of the table at Wycliffe, the chair of our student council placed a nice explanatory note in front of the nativity scene explaining the tradition and the symbolism. It was nice to see another visiting student reading it the other day.

It is through small steps of this kind that we can translate the richness of our liturgy and traditions for the benefit of people whose background does not include the story of Christmas.

The Christmas season is one of the few windows we have where our culture invites us to reveal the deep truths of the Christian message and the true hope we have in Jesus Christ. What are we communicating—and how?

Steve Hewko is a doctoral student at Wycliffe College studying interdisciplinary Islamic and Christian theology. He has spent time working in campus ministry in Canada and as a missionary in West Africa. Steve is married with three children.

The Joy of Teaching Beginners

by Sean Davidson. November 7, 2013

Good Idea! interviews Sean Davidson, on staff at St Paul’s Bloor Street in Toronto, about a new version of Christianity 101 he is teaching

GI: What exactly is Christianity 101, and why do we need it?

SD: That’s a good question. As we know, many people in modern life have lost touch with Christian faith. We’re just trying to give people an opportunity to start from the beginning with an interactive study that focuses on Jesus.

GI: I agree that many in our society have lost touch with even the most basic of Christian ideas or practices. However, I am curious about what makes you think they are interested in finding out more about Christianity. Many people seem quite uninterested in it, and even apathetic. Why would they want to do a course like this?

SD: Yes, I see that trend in the wider culture but, here at St. Paul’s, we have many people showing up who are searching and wanting to explore. It’s quite surprising how people will walk in off Bloor Street with urgent questions about matters of faith. And interestingly, some of these folks have church in their background, but they’ve been away for a long time and now they’re wanting to engage again. So it seems that this kind of course appeals not only to the “unchurched” but also the “dechurched.”

GI: So how exactly do you engage with the questions they are asking?

SD: Well, one-on-one, there are lots of opportunities to engage people’s questions directly. But we try to avoid launching into a straightforward question and answer format. This could all too easily lead to the impression that the church is a vendor of information that simply dispenses satisfying answers to our pressing questions.

The fact is, people of faith have questions too, and we are trying to engage with newcomers in a way that encourages their participation from the outset, and treats ongoing exploration as normative for faith. Now of course, the church does have a responsibility to give answers. The gospel is a kind of answer, isn’t it? And Jesus himself is the answer. The question then is this: how do we offer answers in such a way as to encourage ongoing exploration and help people find their answers in Christ?

GI: Let me turn that question back to you! How do we offer answers in such a way as to encourage ongoing exploration and help people to find their answers in Christ? Or perhaps I should ask, How do you do it?

SD: Well, right off the bat, I’d want to say “not without difficulty.” There is a huge challenge here. Generally, we are not used to thinking about how to learn interactively with one another in life together. I’m guessing that most of us would value this in theory, but we just don’t have it as a concrete practice. Instead, there’s a tendency for professional clergy to “fill in the blanks” and to engage issues of discipleship and even aspects of the life of the church on behalf of others. This isn’t because leader-types are necessarily controlling. Not at all. It’s just been an expectation that has defined our culture for centuries.

But what happens when that loosens a bit, as it has over recent decades, and we recognise ourselves afresh as integrated members of a body, mutually responsible to one another in the adventure of following Jesus? How do we have leaders in play who help to read the signs—while resisting the urge to pre-empt the learning process by making everything simple, clear, and formulaic from the outset? This is not easy!

One thing we’ve been experimenting with in Christianity 101 at St. Paul’s is the practice of mutual attentiveness and thoughtfulness as we read various episodes in the Gospels together.

GI: So the heart of your C101 course is studying passages from the Gospels? Which ones? And how do you do it?

SD: We share food around tables over five sessions, and look at a series of episodes from the Gospels in which people from different walks of life are encountered by Jesus. Our journey begins with the Samaritan woman and the rich young ruler, moves on to Zacchaeus (who has a marvelous transformative experience over a meal with Jesus), and finishes up with active followers like Peter, James, John and Thomas.

What’s fascinating throughout is that the different characters are represented as fumbling beginners—even the disciples. I think this may be a key to how the Gospels should be read. They seem to encourage rather than overcome the natural puzzlement, gladness, surprise, thoughtfulness, and wonderment of a beginner.

And this is precisely how participants at C101 tend to engage with the stories. In the last session, I posed the question that the Gospels themselves seem to beg: “So what do you think the good news is?” Groups went to work on this question, trying to get it down to a sentence that Jesus himself would affirm.

The discussions that ensued were absolutely remarkable. They were the sort of discussions that surely would have happened around Jesus everywhere he went in his ministry. And the end result was amazing too—five statements that each in its own way testified to the good news about Jesus. And all this arose from being attentive and thoughtful together and sharing our learning.

GI: Can you give us an example of how this is affecting the people who attend?

SD: Here’s one of the highlights from our most recent round of C101. A young guy in his twenties came forward before the third session to say that he wanted to become a Christian . . . now! Wow. I was startled, and didn’t know what to say at first except “Why?” He said that he wanted to be just like the others, referring to the Samaritan woman and Zacchaeus. “And how is that?” I asked him. “Well, I can tell that Jesus is the real deal, and I want to follow him with my life.” He went on to say how he appreciates the freedom that Jesus gives to ask questions and to explore, without having all the answers. After we prayed together, he joined in with his group for the session and told everyone what had happened for him. This led to a lively discussion, with other newcomers peppering him with questions. It was quite something.

GI: That’s a lovely story. What has your own learning been like as you’ve experimented with this new approach?

SD: I’ve been learning so much. With a course like this, there’s a need to keep on track, and it’s the responsibility of a leader like me to help that along. But at the same time I’m seeing how valuable it can be to keep encouraging attentive and thoughtful engagement, rather than closing things off with a “final” explanation.

This came home for me recently in my wrap-up teaching time in the final session. After each group had presented their one sentence summary of the “good news,” I brought us around to an early Christian variation—“Jesus is Lord”—and unpacked some of the implications of that for faith and practice. The group really appreciated this and there were some important light-bulb moments—but this was not because I was finally getting around to “the right answer.” In fact, I was simply returning to what we had already been working on together, drawing out overlooked elements and building on them. What made it particularly energizing is that we’d been making our way together and helping each other along. My sense from the lively conversation afterward—especially among newcomers—is that shared learning like this is worth persisting in.

Growing Disciples . . . One Person at a Time

by Tim Haughton. October 9, 2013

One summer afternoon Bill came into the church looking to speak with a pastor. He sat down in my office, pulled a sheet of lined paper from his back pocket, unfolded it, smoothed it out over his knee, cleared his throat, and without any introduction began to read a list of his week’s sins. When finished, he looked up from behind the paper expectantly.

I began to think: What would lead a thirty-something, well put together guy, into a church to confess to a total stranger?

It turned out that he had been converted seven years previously. But his Christian life since then had been a roller coaster ride of falling into chaos, repenting and feeling better—only to return to chaos, repentance, and relief once more. His confession was the only thing that got him through. I could sense his yearning for some deeper transformation in his life of faith. So I asked: “Has anyone ever discipled you? Walked with you to engage you in the life of following Jesus?” I did not know what it might look like, but I knew I could not let him leave without giving him a next step.

His “no” response led us to meet the following week at Starbucks. For the next year we met regularly for coffee, and to read through the Sermon on the Mount together. During this time, God got ahold of his heart, transformed his patterns of chaos, and to joy, his wanderings turned to conviction, his identity once resting in such things as career and salary, home and women, now rested in who he was in Jesus.

The British evangelist David Watson once compared corporate teaching and discipleship with one-to-one Christian discipleship this way: the former is like trying to fill a tray of bottles by spraying water at them from a hose, while the latter is like sticking the end of the hose in the bottles one at a time. My experience with Bill certainly bore this out.

Helping Bill in his discipleship gave me a deep thirst to continue this kind of one-to-one relationship with others, and soon I was meeting regularly with at least six people each year.

The format has not changed much since that first coffee with Bill. We spend a few minutes catching up on life, we pray, and then we open up the Bible where we left off last time, and continue reading. After reading each section, we stop, and I simply ask, “What stands out, moves you, or disturbs you? “ Or I will ask, “In this text, who do we see God to be? Who do we see ourselves to be?”

Although the simplicity of the process has not changed over the years, there are some things I have found helpful in navigating this kind of disciple-making. It begins with:

The first meeting

My goal in the first meeting with a person is to get a sense of what brings them to this place in their life of faith. To uncover this I ask question after question. I want to get a sense of God’s trajectory through their lives. This learning helps me to ask them the right questions as we read the Bible together.

Not only is asking good specific questions important, but so is listening. In each relationship, I find myself listening for three things in particular:

The wall

Sometimes, progress hits a wall. The person will go no further until a question, a concern, or an idea is addressed. It may be a theological question or a practical one. Or they may be beginning to sense that God is convicting them of a sinful pattern or way of thinking. The path to continued growth in one to one discipleship is to sit with this person in front of whatever the wall is and helping them break through it.

An Idol

At the heart of the Christian faith is the affirmation that we were made to worship, to have God at the very center of our lives, and to find our joy, identity, and worth in God alone. If God is not at the center something else will be—and that something will be an idol. One particular individual didn’t want to grow in his faith too far because he was afraid of what others would think of him. His center was human approval. So together we began to explore the fact that there was nothing he could do to make God love him more, or to make God love him less. He did not need the approval of others. Once his idol of approval was addressed by God’s full acceptance of him in Jesus, his desire to grow as a disciple returned.

Everyone is given a gift of ministry

I believe firmly that God gives everyone a gift to build his kingdom, so I always have my ears open to hear what it might be. One young woman whom I began to disciple even before her conversion expressed her concern for her friends and relatives who did not know Jesus. Giving her opportunities to express this gift, and to debrief during our times of meeting, allowed us to cultivate and refine this budding gift of evangelism.

The Last Meeting

It is just as important to end a one to one relationship well as it is to begin one well. In that last meeting, I focus on three things: praise, affirmation, and challenge.

Praise: In preparation for the last meeting I spend some time in prayer, reflecting on where I have seen God at work in this person’s life over the year. As I share what I have seen in them, they often begin to share things I did not even know, and it becomes a wonderful time of praise together.

Affirmation: I will name the gifts I have seen God shape in their lives. I will encourage them to continue to express and exercise that gift. If appropriate, I will try to set up opportunities for them to use those gifts in Christian ministry.

Challenge

This could be a challenge particular to the individual themselves. One person, whenever they encountered something they didn’t like in the Bible reading, just skipped over it to get to the “good” bits. The challenge was: “You will probably grow more in your faith through sitting with the difficult passages than by skipping them to be affirmed in what you already believe. Sit with the difficulties.”

One-to-one discipleship has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life as a follower of Jesus. The opportunity to get front row seats to watching God work in a person’s life is a distinct privilege. It begins as simply as sitting down across the table from another person to read the Bible together and to ask of one another: Who do you see God to be in this passage? And who do you see yourself to be?

Who could you invite to coffee, to begin the journey—and joy—of one to one discipleship?

Tim Haughton is the Sr. Pastor of Little Trinity Church in Toronto.

Reimagining Children in the Church

by Tiffany Robinson and Val Michaelson. September 5, 2013

The Wycliffe Booklets are an occasional series addressing current issues in the life of the church. Here the authors of the newest booklet tell us what it is about, and why they are convinced it is crucial.

We believe that the church’s calling is to be a sanctuary for children. It is one of the few places in our society that is naturally fitted to be a place of nurture, safety, welcome, reliability and guidance. Yet sadly, our churches do not always function as sanctuaries, nor are they places where children are able to feel deeply at home over the course of their lives.

Not only what to teach but how to teach

In a culture that increasingly isolates, entertains, and markets to children, we as a church struggle to know what it means to be a “sanctuary” for our children. We struggle to know how to build into our children from an early age the depth, riches, and demands of the Christian gospel. We struggle to know how to give our children the best opportunity possible to live and grow within God’s community so that they are given a chance to know and love this God deeply and fully. We struggle not only with what to teach children, but how to teach it effectively.

In Reimagining Children in the Church, we address these struggles. We propose an approach to raising children in today’s church that recovers some of the wealth that the gospel has to offer. This model, which we invite you to explore, has been tested and tried in many churches over the last decade, and has been first imagined and then developed by many people in the church who care deeply about children, about the church, and about God. We are not proposing a whole new program, or the need to hire a new, dynamic leader; neither are we encouraging you to purchase an expensive new curriculum. Instead, we propose a more modest way forward. We want to provide a vision for children in the church that has both theological depth and pedagogical substance. We also want it to be simple, easy to use, and a lot of fun.

Maybe your church does not have a lot of children. Maybe your church is having trouble recruiting teachers. Maybe people cannot stop talking about the good old days when the Sunday School was overflowing, and do not seem to have a hope for the future. These are real and practical issues.

Using what you already have

Our proposal is that a congregation should take a step back and consider the kind of spiritual space they can provide for children. We hope that this handbook will help churches nurture the soil out of which a vibrant intergenerational ministry can flourish, no matter how many children are there. We hope this handbook will be something that any church—even a small church that does not have a children’s ministry or a church building—can use with the people and materials that they have at hand.

Our goal is not to help you grow a big Sunday School, nor is it to convince you to make radical and immediate changes in your church. (This kind of goal is not only unrealistic, but can often be destructive in a community anyway.) Instead, our goal is to encourage you to start on a journey of actively shaping a “sanctuary for childhood” that nurtures the children God has brought to you. We hope to give you tools that will help you create a learning and worshipping environment that truly communicates God’s good news to children, and empowers them to find their place in his work and in his world. We want to help congregations be better equipped to welcome children so that they can be apprenticed in the Christian faith for the sake of becoming Christ’s body in the wider world.

How does this work in practice?

We propose three approaches and in each case we give not only a rationale for that approach and why it is particularly suited to children, but also simple, practical ways to try it in your church. We call the three approaches intergenerational, embodied, and storied.

In our first section about the rich, Intergenerational potential of the church, we argue that the church is uniquely fitted to be the kind of intergenerational community our youth and children need in the midst of their fragmented and often isolated lives. We offer practical ideas for involving children in regular services and special church events. We encourage a vision of the everyday work of the church, whether in outreach or community building, as a multigenerational task. We suggest ways that a broader range of the church community can easily connect with youth and children.

In exploring an Embodied vision of raising children in Christ, we present a pedagogical approach that intentionally reflects the integrative, full-bodied reach of the gospel. We offer creative ideas for inviting children to explore God’s story and experience it in every part of their lives; we give ideas for making spaces that allow children to more vividly engage with Scripture and we focus on prayer as an embodied activity for children.

Finally, in talking about Storied learning, we argue that a life-long engagement with the Bible is one of the main ways that we grow in understanding, and being a part of, God and God’s work. In this section, we suggest practical ways to teach the children how to begin to find their place in the Christian story, now and at every stage of their lives. We delve into fun games that open up the world of Scripture to the natural wonder and curious minds of children, allowing the Spirit to work in new ways in their lives. Our desire is to find creative ways for children to see, and get in on, the wonder of God himself and his story for them and for the world.

What the church most naturally offers

Pews turned round to make a child-friendly space in church

In the midst of the challenges the church faces today, we need reminding that the church has an extraordinary gift to offer our children and families. Indeed, the church can offer unique wisdom and practical help in navigating the stressed, anxious, consumerist culture in which most of us live. We suspect that what our children and families not only long for but desperately need are some of the very things the church is most naturally gifted to offer.

The way forward for catechesis in the church is not a fancy new program or curriculum, but a holistic, integrative way of thinking about children in the church that flows out of the fullness of life offered to us in Jesus Christ, such that our church communities become “a sanctuary for children”— and for childhood—in our own place and time.

Shakespeare Sunday

by David Smith. July 3, 2013

The Bard and the preacher team up

When my wife and I were asked to come to our new parish in Eastern Ontario (we are a clergy team), we learned that one o

f the three points—Prescott—was the home of the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival. My father taught high school English, with several Shakespeare plays on the curriculum every year, so I grew up with Shakespeare being a rather important figure in my life.

I also appreciate the Anglican heritage of Elizabethan liturgy and music, so the idea came to my mind fully formed: why not have a Shakespeare Sunday, using the Book of Common Prayer Morning Prayer service, plus music from the Elizabethan era, and a sermon on one of the plays being performed that summer? It seemed so natural to try this that we had the first one arranged from afar before we even arrived, and it took place on the second Sunday we were in the parish.

Our fourth Shakespeare Sunday

The Festival director, Ian Farthing, happens to be a Christian, and sang a solo at that first service, while some of the actors took part in the service as readers. The Festival players have been involved ever since. This year we will be celebrating our fourth Shakespeare Sunday, and I have so far been able to preach on Macbeth, Twelfth Night, Othello, and (this year) Hamlet.

The service has not felt antiquarian. Most of our parishioners still remember the B.C.P. form of Morning Prayer, and we aim for the service to feel like worship of a traditional kind, and not just nostalgia. At the same time, we encourage parishioners and guests to wear appropriate costumes, and we do have a Shakespeare oriented icebreaker at the start of the service, such as a quiz to identify which plays certain quotes come from. We also end with a lunch of English pub food. So there is a light-hearted side to the Sunday, but I preface the service by saying that while the Elizabethans were a colourful society, their worship was both serious and meditative—and we are trying to be true to both.

Sin and evil in Macbeth

In the sermon, I don’t shy away from the serious Christian themes that the plays present with such powerful. In fact, I find that I can discuss sin and evil in Macbeth (for instance) in a way that might seem too direct for people if I was talking straight from Scripture. In preaching on Twelfth Night, I was able to raise the question of the role of comedy in the Christian life. It really is a good way to get the message across.

What is it that makes this service work? First of all, the Shakespeare Festival itself, which mounts very accomplished productions that are true to the Elizabethan spirit. Secondly, the inclination of my wife and myself to convey the Christian implications of Shakespeare’s plays, and to involve the actors in our worship. Thirdly, a congregation and a community that really want to hear Shakespeare expounded in a Christian way. This is a rather historically minded part of Ontario, and Loyalist country, attached to its English roots, so there is a natural fit here.

It all turns out to be a unique kind of witness to the gospel and suited to the situation of our parish. Since that first Sunday, two weeks after we arrived, Shakespeare Sunday has continued to flourish.

David and Tracey Smith are the Anglican priests of the three-point Parish of Cardinal, Maitland, and Prescott in the Diocese of Ottawa. You can read one of David’s Shakespeare sermons here.

Can evangelism be taught?

by John Bowen. June 10, 2013

Some people just seem to be natural evangelists. They talk about faith freely and people respond with equal freedom. Some of them don’t know they’re evangelists, and would deny it vehemently. Personally, I try not to tell them. My philosophy is: just let them get on with it, and don’t mess with their heads. Worst case scenario: they read books about evangelism, take courses on it, learn “strategies” and “techniques,” and end up quite ineffective. Why waste such a valuable and rare resource?

Other natural evangelists are OK with the word, but don’t seem inhibited or pretentious about it. I remember one friend (an Anglican priest, as it happens) who was being interviewed by a police officer about a crime he had witnessed. Early on in the conversation, the officer asked, “And what do you do for a living, sir?” To which Roger replied, “I’m an evangelist. Do you know what an evangelist is?” It was an hour later when they finally got to talking about the crime.

Bu what about the rest of us? Is there hope for us? Can we be “trained” to do something that (apparently) doesn’t come naturally? Well, it certainly happens in many other areas of life. Not many of us are born with strong instincts about how to drive a car, after all, but most of us are sufficiently motivated that we manage to learn this “unnatural” skill so that it becomes, well, second nature.

Of course, there is training and then there is training. I sometimes show my students a book called Soul Winning Made Easy, by C. S. Lovett (not to be confused with anyone else with those initials). Lovett is clear that evangelism can be very simply learned if one follows his steps. For example, you can say to your “prospect”:

“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to read you four verses of Scripture and explain them to you . . . That would be okay, wouldn’t it?” (Nod your head affirmatively) Note: Man is a suggestible being . . . . A simple nod of your head has the power to activate your request. He’ll find himself answering you automatically. “Go ahead,” or “Sure.”

There must be a better way, surely? I have struggled with this question because of my classroom teaching of evangelism. Obviously, evangelism cannot be learned simply by classroom lectures and discussion. But on the one hand, I don’t want to send students out onto the streets to buttonhole unsuspecting passers-by with an approach of the “I’d like to read you four verses of Scripture” variety. But it seems equally wrong to say, “Try and make a friend, and by the end of term, share the Gospel with them and see if they become a Christian.” What kind of friendship is that?

This past semester, I found one kind of solution to my dilemma. I handed out to students in my basic evangelism class a four-part study on the Gospel of Luke (one parable, one miracle, the crucifixion, and a resurrection story), and asked them to find a friend who did not profess Christian faith, to see if they would be interested in four weekly discussions on the biography of Jesus, each one to last no more than half an hour. To the students’ amazement, not one met with a refusal.

The experiences they had were varied and eye-opening. More than one commented, “My friend saw things in the passage that I had never seen.” One student who lives in a house with other guys invited one of them to study at the kitchen table, and was taken aback when the others wanted to join in too. Several were surprised when the four sessions were over, and their friend wanted to do more. One friend said it was the first time her religious views had been taken seriously. Most of the studies went well over the half hour. One student reported in class, “I never knew evangelism could be so much fun!”

What made this such a good experience? The students learned that (1) people in general are not averse to this kind of discussion (2) evangelism is a process that takes time (3) it does not require preaching, shouting, manipulation, proof-texting, being an apologetics expert, or even nodding the head (4) the best evangelism is relational—just as the Gospel itself is at its heart relational (5) nothing is better in evangelism than helping people encounter Jesus in the pages of scripture and (6) God gives us joy when we share the Gospel.

Of course, there are few worthwhile things that can be learned in one go like that (think driving a car). This experience won’t benefit the students much unless it inspires them to do the same again and again. And again. Not necessarily using those studies on Luke, of course (though that wouldn’t be bad), but applying those same six principles.

The problem, I find, is simply doing it. There are at least two reasons it is difficult to practice (in both senses) evangelism. One is that, particularly for those in busy local church ministry, those who are already Christians can suck up 100% (and more) of one’s time, so that none is left for the outsider.

The other is rather deeper: we instinctively avoid situations where we are vulnerable to hurt and rejection, where we are not in control, and where we don’t know the outcome. And all those things describe evangelism! This means it takes a deliberate, God-empowered choice to deny that instinct—“Lord, give me courage as I go to the coffee shop and see who’s there”; “Holy Spirit, go before me as I ask my friend if she would like to do that Bible study with me”; “God, give me the words to ask my neighbour to Back to Church Sunday.” Often we find ways to avoid that prayer and that choice—and “I’m too busy” is certainly one of my personal favourites.

Having said that, I am encouraged by Jesus’ words: “I will make you fish for people” (Mark 1:17). Jesus is willing to teach us to evangelize (as he will with everything we need for our discipleship). I know in my case it is taking a long time, but he is very patient—and I like to think that, little by little, I am learning. The question is not whether he is willing to teach us: it is only a question of how far we are willing to learn.

John Bowen was Director of the Wycliffe College Institute of Evangelism.

You too can write a blog!

by Darryl Dash. April 29, 2013

A practical guide for those who would like to try but don’t know how

My first blog entry in July 2001 was unspectacular. “My friend Sandy got me thinking about adding a journal,” I wrote. “I’ll give it a try and see how it goes. Nothing profound or unusual, just my random ramblings.” That kind of thing.

Since then I’ve written over four thousand blog entries, gained a readership, and built significant offline relationships through the blog. I’ve become very familiar with the benefits and challenges of maintaining a blog. And I’ve become convinced that blogging is one of the best investments that a ministry leader can make.

Here’s my thesis: you should consider blogging, because it’s really not that hard, and the payoffs are worth it.

Why You Should Blog

In his book The Conviction to Lead (Bethany House 2012), Al Mohler counters the popular notion that there’s a difference between the real world and the online, virtual one. “The digital world is itself a real world,” he writes, “just real in a different way.” If you’re not active online, you’re limited in your ministry to those who aren’t online, Mohler argues. “That population is shrinking every moment. The clock is ticking.”

One of the best ways to maintain an online presence is through a blog. Mohler says that we used to think that bloggers were all “twentysomethings in their pyjamas writing online rants.” But blogs are now “one of the most significant platforms for our cultural conversation.” It’s one of history’s “most cost-efficient way of communicating big ideas and solid content. If you are not writing a blog, you should be.”

I agree. Here are four reasons why you should blog:

It communicates. You don’t have to ask anybody’s permission. There are no gatekeepers between you and your audience. Anyone can start a blog in minutes and communicate directly to their audience. I remember being excited years ago when I had an article published in a magazine with only a few hundred subscribers. Now, anyone can reach an audience that’s virtually unlimited without any intermediary, and to communicate on their own time rather than on someone else’s publishing schedule.

It connects. Through blogging, I’ve found friends who share my interests. I’ve made connections that have led to friendships and ministry opportunities. People have stayed in my house, started attending my church, sent me books, donated to my church plant, and invited me to speak. I’ve gained access to well-known leaders and thinkers. I never would have guessed that a blog would build so many significant offline relationships.

It clarifies. Philip Yancey once explained why he writes: “I write books to resolve things that are bothering me, things I don’t have answers to.” His books are a process of exploration and investigation. That’s what blogging is as well. I write to think my way through issues. It’s a good way of disciplining myself to think through important issues I might otherwise avoid.

It gives you control. Other online platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, are under someone else’s control. A blog is completely under your control. Popular blogger Michael Hyatt compares it to the difference between a home base and an embassy. A home base is “digital property you own and control,” like a blog. An embassy is a place “you don’t own, but where you have a registered profile.” If you’re serious about building a platform, Hyatt argues, you need to start by building a home base that’s under your control, and from there use tools like Facebook.

Blogging has helped me communicate, just as it’s helped me build relationships and clarify ideas. It’s given me a place to write that’s under my control. Even if nobody read my blog, it still would have helped me. But people have read my blog, and it’s given me opportunities and relationships I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Why You Might Not Want to Blog

There are two reasons that you may not want to blog.

Blogs require regular feeding. The Internet is littered with blogs that someone started and then neglected. Blogs take work, and the work goes on long after the excitement wears off. The work is worth it, but there’s no question that it takes time and effort.

You probably won’t become famous. Author and pastor Ed Stetzer said that being a famous blogger is like being a famous player of Dungeons and Dragons. There are some famous bloggers out there, but most of us will not be widely known. The blogosphere is crowded, and you may only influence a small group of people, and that’s okay. Building an audience takes time.

How to Start and Maintain a Blog

Starting a blog is actually pretty easy.

First, choose a focus. Some blogs are personal. Some have a focus on theology, leadership, or some aspect of ministry. Some are designed for the members of a church or ministry. The best blogs have an overall theme or focus. Choose something that will sustain your interest. Make sure that the theme isn’t too narrow, or you’ll quickly run out of ideas.

Second, read other blogs. Know what’s out there. Learn what you like and don’t like from other bloggers. Don’t copy them, but get an idea of what works. Do a quick Google search such as “pastor blog” or browse through the top 200 ministry blogs (http://churchrelevance.com/resources/top-church-blogs/) to give yourself ideas.

Third, make a plan. Brainstorm ideas so that you don’t get stuck. Decide how often you’ll post. Regularity, not frequency, is the key. I’ve found it helpful to come up with a routine. I try to post interviews on Wednesday, links on Saturday, and two other posts on Monday and Friday. Having a structure like this really seems to help.

Fourth, choose a platform. You don’t need to be a technical genius to maintain a blog. I prefer Squarespace (http://www.squarespace.com/), because they do everything for you. I can handle the technical work, but I’d rather spend my time writing. Plans with Squarespace begin at $8 a month, but I’ve found that it’s worth every penny. They even register your domain name (your own Internet address like mine, http://www.DashHouse.com/) at no extra charge if you buy an annual plan.

If you’re on a budget, you can use a free platform like WordPress. You can use the free hosted version (https://wordpress.com/), which means that you don’t have to worry about a complicated setup. You can also install WordPress on your own server, but this requires some work and a small amount of money. Michael Hyatt has produced a video that explains how to do this in just twenty minutes (http://michaelhyatt.com/ez-wordpress-setup.html).

Don’t let the technology overwhelm you. Find a system that meets your needs, and refuse to be intimidated. Get help if you need it. It’s worth the small investment of time.

Fifth, get writing. Produce great content. Slowly build an audience. Be generous with what you write. Use your blog to serve others instead of as a tool for self-promotion. Use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to promote your blog posts without being obnoxious. If you produce good content that is designed to serve others, and you persist, you will build a readership.

“Leaders have a message,” writes Al Mohler, “and should be ready to use every available platform and technology to get it out to others.” He’s right. Blogging isn’t hard, and it’s a great tool for every pastor and ministry leader. So . . . get blogging!

Editor’s Update: Since this was written in 2013, some technology has changed. You may wish to supplement this article with a more recent comparison of blogging platforms.

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