Sorry for the delay. My second son, Nathan, was born on the 11th. And we’ve been enjoying our time with him.

If I’m hearing you right, you want to reclaim evangelism as a value for the PCUSA, and I think that’s a great thing. It also sounds like you’re running up against some obstacles. I grew up in the PCUSA (though I don’t attend a Presbyterian church now), and I have never heard of the Six Great Ends. What are they?

Anyway — I wrote True Story to encourage people to talk about their faith, so I hope I’m for evangelism, though I would like us to share a larger, more biblical, gospel. =)

Blessings –
James

Your analysis is sound. I’m just not sure what the question is.

Could you fill me in a little more? At first guess, the Great Commission (Mt 28) is not just about evangelism, but also about discipleship and mission. It seems to be about, in the very least, all three. In the original language, “make disciples” is the main verb in that passage , with “going,” “teaching,” and “baptizing” as modifiers of that main verb. So it seems that if we’re making disciples, we’re introducing people to Jesus, we’re helping them grow in Jesus with means they not only have to care for their own spirituality but also what that means in the world in justice and mission.

Is this scratching where you’re itching?
James

A few years ago either Presbyterian Today or Presbyterian Outlook published an article which identified two reason why Presbyterian churches are not growing: 1) Presbyterians are not having as many children as they once did and 2) Presbyterians are not reaching out to other Presbyterians or Christians who have moved into their communities.

What was missing (at least for me) was any mention of the fact that we Presbyterians do not reach out to the non-churched, which the Barna organization indicates as the fastest growing demographic as it relates to church attendance or growth. While the non-churched percentage is growing larger and larger each year, attendance at church and church membership is decreasing each year.

Barna claims that, of the 325,000 to 350,000 churches and faith groups in the U.S., 85 percent have either plateaued or are in decline.

I would appreciate your take on this.

Thanks, Earl Stewart, Grace Presbyterian Church, Temecula, California.

I just did a painter’s version of your diagram, customized for my church’s vision. Hope you don’t mind – I gave you all the credit. http://root48.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/the-big-story-2/

I hear what you’re saying, but that’s why we put the parallel lines in the diagram — that Jesus’ identification of the underlying problem and his way of dealing with it is really the only and best hope for the world. And since most people see the problem and like, at least, the result of the solution, you can have a conversation.

If you’re merely talking about heaven and hell, then most postmoderns will say, “That’s great for you, but I don’t believe in hell. And how can you say someone else is going to hell? And there are a lot of problems in the world, and Christianity seems to be more of a cause than a solution.” Then you’re still stuck, and you have no commonality nor trust to even have a conversation about spirituality and faith anymore.

That being said, no presentation is perfect. Not even this one! =). And until people can see Jesus in us and how we’re actually doing good so that our light shines, then no presentation will be able to overcome that.

Thanks for your thoughts! What do you think?

Sure thing. Do you have an email where I can reach you?