We are finding some books that are well worth your time and effort if you want to group in your understanding of evangelism and outreach.  Three come to the forefront quickly and we hope to have copies of them available for the 2010 ERC Conference Sessions.
Kevin Harney has written one of the best and most useful books on evangelism of 2009. It is called Organic Outreach for Ordinary People (Zondervan. $14.99 paper).  Subtitled Sharing Good News Naturally Harney's book supplies a wonderful resource on the basics of evangelism that is biblical, creative and highly practical.  Divided into three sections: Preparing the Soil, Planting and Watering, Bearing Kingdom Fruit we are given insights into the biblical teaching on evangelism, the importance of prayer and incarnational living, and practical tools like engaging in spiritual conversations and telling your story.

Perhaps the best section of the book is the first where we are introduced to the need to embrace the Bible and truth (with a superb section called "Doctrine Matters"), the "One-Degree Rule: identifying the means of raising our evangelistic temperature, and "Everyone Plays," a compelling teaching on how the whole Church can get into the game, evangelistically.

Those familiar with Becoming a Contagious Christian and Becoming a Contagious Church will see some familiar ideas, especially in the final section on tools but pastors and evangelism leaders, especially those in traditional churches whose evangelism ministry can grown dormant, will find fresh and inspiring insights to help their people again catch a vision for sharing their faith.

This book will be the text for the third course in this year's School of Evangelism DEVELOPING A STRATEGY FOR EVANGELISM IN THE LOCAL CHURCH/

WRITTEN BY STEVE DUNN--POSTED BY DAN MASSHARDT--ON LOCATION IN HOUSTON AT THE GLOBAL MEDIA OUTREACH CONFERENCE

"If you want to know the will of God, figure out where God is working and go and join him." - Henry Blackaby, roughly paraphrased

God is up to something incredible! He is engaging the world in a work through an amazing outreach on the Internet. Global Media Outreach, an arm of Campus Crusade, sponsors 102 websites to present and explain the Gospel in all 12 languages found on the Internet. Dan and I sat in a meeting in Houston Friday afternoon to learn about the work of God through the GMO.  In the first 90 minutes of this presentation, these 12 web sites reported in real time 15,000 people around the world inquiring about Christianity and Jesus Christ and had recieved a gospel presentation. 1845 made decisions to follow Jesus Christ and 350 had requested follow-up from on-line missionaries and disciplers.

In 90 minutes !!!!

GMO records it inquiries in daily tallies. In the first 14 hours of March 5 (which included our 90 minutes) 155,390 persons had made inquiries and 24,715 of these persons had indicated decisions for Christ. 4150 had directly requested follow-up by on-line missionaries,

In 14 hours !!!

The Commission on Evangelism is exploring how the Churches of God of the ERC can be a part of this incredible movement of God.

MONDAY IS THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR THE SECOND CLASS IN THE 2010 SCHOOL OF EVANGELISM.   EMAIL YOUR REGISTRATION TO sdunnpastor@coglandisville.org. The text SHARING JESUS IN THE POSTMODERN WORLD will be sent immediately.

The Commission is exploring a new web tool for evangelism.  Always Ready is a new online missions program being designed by Global Media Outreach. GMO is an arm of Campus Crusade.  GMO employs global communication technology to conduct online evangelism and discipleship worldwide.

Every day, 2 million people search the Internet for God, for meaning, for hope.  They are people in crisis: facing loneliness, addictions, suicide, domestic abuse, divorce, hopelessness. With nowhere to turn, people are turning to the Internet in astonishing numbers trying o fill the emptiness inside. Through GMO's web tools, Christians around the world can be ready to meet them at the very moment of their need, when they are mst ready to listen. 

Dan Masshardt and Steve Dunn from our commission are in Houston today through Saturday to examine this resource, assess its viability for Churches of God, and to identify ways to give our local churches to become a part of this great movement of God.  Watch this blog in the next few days for updates,

Note: I posted this earlier at the Wordpress version of my LIFE MATTERS under the category, A GOOD QUESTION. (The link appears at the top of this page)  It is an example, I believe, of how to use a blog to start a spiritual conversation with nonChristians, especially those shaped by the media culture. What are some ways that you have used current events to start a spiritual conversation? - Steve

On February 27, just off the coast of Maule, Chile, an earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter Scale rocked our planet.  Literally, rocked us on our axis shortening the day by three seconds. Immediately tsunami warnings were issued for the entire Pacific, particularly for the "Ring of Fire" - so named because of its volcanic activity.  It es an earthquake of far greater power than the one that ravaged Haiti.  Only its epicenter being away from a densely populated metropolitan area and tougher building codes kept its death toll to less mind boggling levels.

Chile has asked for help, and so it should.  Tragedies like this remind us of our common humanity and our interdependence despite our diversity.

The disaster mongers are spinning theories of even greater potential destruction.  The general public has voices raising the question, "Is the 2012 end of the world predicted by the Mayan calendar really a possibility? Were the Mayans right?"

I don't know.

Many biblical Christians point to earthquakes as one of the signs that Christ will return and the world as we know it will end.  Being a Christian who believes the Bible to be God's Word, I don't disagree.  However, I am more focused on what my own denomination's doctrinal statement indicates. "These signs have always been with us ..."

What is the purpose of a spiritual sign?

To get our attention and to point us in a direction.

Personally, I believe something Jesus said: "No one knows the hour or the time." xxx  He was adding a more specific purpose to a sign--to focus you on preparing. For Christians preparing doesn't mean packing your bag to be ready for the rescue copters (or angels). It means to take care of your earthly business with a sense of deliberateness and urgency.  Reconcile with your neighbor. Resolve your sin issues. Fulfill your calling to help reconcile people to God, inviting them to accept his offer of a personal relationship that gives you new life.

Instead of wasting time in explanation or speculation, we need to get about the business of loving God and loving our neighbor to the max.

The Commission meets on March 17. As we continue implementation of our new philosophy and preare for annual conference, please share with us your thoughts on how the commission might help your church in its work of evangelism.  Also, what would you like to see on our web site?

The final spoke in the Commission's new operational philosophy is DEVELOPING RESOURCES AND PROGRAMMING.  Because of our desire to assist our local churches in an effective way, we will try developing new resources that specifically meet the needs of our local churches.  Or we may offer conference or district wide programs that will raise the evangelistic temperature and skills of our local churches.  In the past three years we have developed two tools - GOING FISHING by Jack, which is an evangelism curriculum piece to be used in small groups and Sunday school to help people do evangelism in the work place.  We have developed a one-day workshop called BRIDGE BUILDERS - How to engage your culture for Christ without engaging in a culture war. Written by Steve Dunn, this is intended to help local churches look at the issues of sharing Christ in an unchurched culture, with people who have no significant Christian roots.  Piloted at Martinsburg and Enola, we will be offering this twice in 2010 in a district-wide setting.  At the same time we will be training trainers who can help use this in a local church..

In the works is Evangelism Summit in 2011, an evangelism guidebook to help churches develop an evangelistic strategy, and some simple tools to be used on church web sites to introduce people to Christ.

Micah Brickner of Caring Community Church and Samuel Ruggiero of Landisville are the commission point persons on perhaps the most important of the five spokes of the evangelism wheel-YOUTH AND CHILDREN.  This is an area that we currently provide assistance in through a youth version of Becoming a Contagious Christian, with Micah as the trainer.  And we also provide an elective in the School of Evangelism (this past October taught by Micah, Steve Dunn, and Lisa Kilgore, Children's Director of Landisville Church of God.

Here is where we are beginning to explore a whole host of tools and opportunities for helping children and youth find faith.  With most studies showing that 80-90% of people become Christians before their 18th birthday (we think that age is high, more like 14-16), developing an understanding and tools is one of the most vital pieces of our evangelism strategy.  Youth evangelism particularly focuses on teaching the kids how to be apologists and evangelists to their peers.

Into this area, we plan to pour much of our efforts in 2010 and 2011.  We are particularly looking for college age adults and olders with a passion for sharing the faith with new generations in culturally relevant ways.  If you have an interest, we would love to explore your becoming a part of the ministry team that focuses on this spoke of our strategy.

Ten more days to enroll in the next session of the School of Evangelism, March 13, 2010.  For this class we have students signed on from Enola, Mount Olivet, Mount Joy, Harrisburg First, Bare Memorial, and Windsor.  Don't miss what we believe is one of our very best of the six core courses.  Enroll today via email. Simply send a message with your name, address, local church to the following link. Textbooks will be sent Tuesday, March 2.   http://www.sdunnpastor@coglandisville.org

The other element of this third spoke is the Commission's blog EVANGELISM TODAY (which is what this post appears on) and a Recommended Resources Library.  The blog is intended as an ongoing dialogue with local church leaders on the ideas, issues, and resources of evangelism in the 21st century.  Currently Dan Masshardt and Steve Dunn moderate this blog, to which any person can subscribe and join in the discussion by posting comments.  The blog has an archive of articles and postings.  Some of the materials here will be cross-posted on the web site.

The Commission will also be reviewing new resources that become available, placing some in its lending library.  This especially includes training kits like Becoming a Contagious Christian and Just Walk Across the Room.  It will also be concerned with helping churches gain access to new resources in the most economical manner.

The Commission is currently considering involvement with Global Media Outreach, an arm of Campus Crusade.  This would be a new tool that would allow local churches become involved in worldwide evangelism and discipling via the Internet.   Steve Dunn and Dan Masshardt will be attending a meeting in Houston next week to explore this possibility.  More on this in a posting following that meeting.
You can learn more about this yourself by going to http://globalmediaoutreach.com

We are also currently recommending a personal blog by our Commission Chair, Dr Steve Dunn of the Landisville Church.  This is a blog intended for the larger church.  It is called THE OUTWARD FOCUSED CHURCH.  You can check out and subscribe to this blog by going to http://theoutwardfocusedchurch.blogspot.com