Centre Church

It was pretty cool last Sunday at the end of Centre Church, seeing so many people come down to the altar to pray for a filling of the Holy Spirit. After all, The Big Red Tractor won’t run without Him, right? (Psst… the correct response is “Right!”)

Cooler yet was praying WITH people who had come forward and the chance to get a glimpse at their hearts. It is nothing short of a blessing to be part of a church where so many people really do want to be a city on a hill and the light of the world. But if you’re anything like the person in the chair next to you on any given Sunday night, you struggle a little bit with exactly what that means. How am I supposed to address the big “E”… evangelism?

Saying that we are a city on a hill or that we are called to be the light of the world simply draws attention to the fact that we are very much seen in this world. Our day to day lives and our character as followers of Jesus may be honored and respected… or they may be hated and maligned. But one thing they are for certain is seen.

And this is really what evangelism is all about. While there is nothing amiss with methods of evangelism, such as The Gideons, Evangelism Explosion, or The Way of the Master… in fact, these ministries should provide great conviction that we should, indeed, be proactive in all of our relationships… the Bible itself provides only one piece of instruction for evangelism. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Without getting too technical, the Greek word for “Go” in this passage is not active, but passive. Many theologians say that this verse translates loosely to, “As you go about your lives, make disciples…” This being said, new light is shed on the question one Centre Church couple posed Sunday night. Wanting very much to be salt and light in their new neighborhood, they were at the altar praying earnestly for ways and means to share Christ with new friends. “What do we do now?” they prayed.

As we spoke I could see the stools from The Dollar Club still in place behind them. We exist to help people rethink church, rediscover Jesus, and allow Him to redirect their lives… as we go. Hopefully we are being built together as a picture of completeness – a machine whose well-oiled cogs produce good, good fruit for not only our village, but for others around us as well. Here is a picture of how that machine might work:

There are people in and around Centre County doing amazing things. We get to hear from a lot of them through Dollar Club. Sure they need financial support, but we realized long ago that our $100 gifts are not making the truest difference. Our service is. If you think about it, nearly every organization and ministry we have interviewed has expressed needs for volunteers, prayer, visitors, patrons, audiences, and time. Men and women all around us are involved in life-changing pursuits, if ever we wanted to go about our lives serving, and inviting others into the fray with us.

True… you could invite someone to Centre Church (and that’s not a bad idea). On the other hand… you could invite someone to attend The Ballet Magnificat when Abbie Helsel brings them to the State Theatre. You could take someone for a cup of exotic coffee at Johnny Pons’ cafe “The World Cup”. You could take your neighbors, the ones you hope to build a relationship with, to wrap gifts for Toys for Tots. Soon, we’ll be asking you to ring those Christmas bells for the Salvation Army.

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. The opportunities to serve and shine and be salty are abundant. We are not lone rangers at Centre Church, but part of this big ol’ world around us. As we serve our community and God’s Kingdom, inviting our friends and neighbors to serve along side us, I’m pretty sure the part about their eventual visit to Centre Church on a Sunday night will fall right into place… because you have already been the light of the world.