Join the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana in sharing the GOOD NEWS, every other Wednesday beginning September 9! With so many challenges in the world today, someone might ask, do we have good news to offer? I invite you to believe with me that the Good News of God in Christ is more powerful now than ever before in our lifetime.
“How can we do that?” you ask. The newly formed Evangelism Commission is inviting you to an online course this fall. It will inspire you to be evangelists and give you common sense practices to take up the work. The format is video and discussion, produced by Virginia Theological Seminary. Our commission members will act as hosts and facilitators.
Through Zoom the courses will run bi-weekly on Wednesdays after Labor Day to Advent:
September 9, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
Introduction to Evangelism
Host: Rev. Michelle Walker (St. Paul’s, LaPorte)
September 23, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
Seek, Name, Celebrate
Host: Jordan Trendelman (St. Alban’s, Fort Wayne)
October 7, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
The Great Story and Your Story
Host: Marie Gambetta (CEMP)
October 21, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
The Stories of Others
Host: Bp. Ed Little (VII Bishop of EDNIN, Retired)
November 4, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
Invite Everyone to More!
Host: Rev. Tom Adamson (Holy Family, Angola)
November 18, 6/5 p.m. (EDT/CDT)
Discernment, What’s Next?
Host: Bp. Doug Sparks (VIII Bishop of EDNIN)
A bit more on “good news” from Fr. Tom:
Good news. Is there such a thing today? We hear a lot about “fake news.” Whether biased or not, news that is hard to hear is readily available. We live in a world with a 24 hours a day - seven days a week “news cycle.” It seems to any observer that sin, evil, and death have the last word in every situation. There is no doubt, however, that these are anxious times; broadly speaking, we’ve all been speaking about among other things in the last few years: global pandemic, economic recession, terrorism, mass shootings, racial injustice, a growing mental health crisis, and a divided body politic. What’s more, we are being slowly formed by the way media outlets frame the stories to us.
I was a participant in the Indiana Youth Institute’s 2020 back to school summit in July. They listed 5 things young people need in order to adapt and adjust in a healthy ways to the anxiety that has surrounded their formative years. Read this list and see two things: One, everyone regardless of age, needs these at any time. And two, that the church is uniquely positioned to offer them. (I’ve put some simple connections in the parentheses.)
Routines and structure (The liturgy, the prayer book, the yearly calendar of seasons)
Understanding from others (our commitment to the dignity of all people)
Safety & security (pastoral care, outreach efforts, a strong leadership)
Permission to Convey Feelings (Bible study groups, youth group, fellowship times, testimonies)
Things to Look forward to (Hope in Christ for the new Creation)
It does not take a giant leap of logic nor imagination to see how the life of the church already has these built into it. We need to embrace the opportunities of this moment! I’ve highlighted the last point. It’s time to embrace evangelism again. It’s time to hone our skills of telling GOOD NEWS!