I recently picked up a copy of “Total Church: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel and Community“. This book is written by the co-founders of The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in Sheffield, UK.
In this book they encapsulate the work of evangelism into the picture of a ‘three stranded rope’.
“Like three strands of a piece of rope, our approach to mission should involve these three elements.” They stress, “when considering this model, it is important to avoid imposing a supposed logical sequence.”
a. Building Relationships
b. Sharing the Gospel
c. Introducing People to Community
This model takes the corporate dimension of evangelism seriously. In this model the Gospel community exhibits the Gospel word.
“The Holy Spirit brings the church into existance through the gospel word. Through that same gospel word he continues to change people so that they become less lovers of self and more lovers of God and others. This is the community life that models the gospel because it is the life for which we were made. As non-Christians are exposed to this dynamic, they begin to see that the gospel word is more than a set of propositions to be assented to. They see it as the very power of God for healing and wholeness, as the word that brings life and blessing.” (67)
Good stuff…
DR. MATT CAPPS 