Ideas for local evangelism/mission, please

[Italiangreyhound]

Hi, in our area we have a new housing development and our church (C of E) would like to make the new residents aware of our church, of what we offer and to invite them along to join us for events etc.

Does anyone have any ideas for local evangelism/mission, please?

Anyone tried any stuff locally that went down better than other things?

Thanks so much.

Hakluyt what strings were attached to your puppet show (if that is not an obvious question)!

Yes, OK I get where you are coming from. It is hard to say to your kids that you need to go when local Christians are putting on a free puppet show and you don't want your kids to hear a Christian message. But that is all part of being in a free country where people can talk about and share what they believe. If another religion were putting on a free puppet show I would probably let my kids watch, for a time, then tell them what I believed, ask them what they thought etc etc or I would say no we cannot stop here at the moment. Just as I don't feel the need to buy them an ice cream every time we see an ice cream van or to go into any activity free or otherwise when we pass it.

This is the reason I agree all churches and any activity putting on anything paid or free (art exhibition etc) should be up front about what 'group' or religion they are part of.

I visited a free Fa Lun Gong art exhibition (a Chinese religion based around Buddhism) with mu child. I am not a member of Fa Lun Gon. But I found the exhibition very moving and would have had no problems talking to my child about it. If we had not had time to go in, or if it had been some religion or group i felt very uncomfortable with I would have said we would not go in.

at strings attached to puppet shows, and thanks for your detailed reply. I do get what you're saying, honestly! I felt a bit discomfited at some parts of your posts, where you seemed to be saying "What's the point of doing all these nice things if we're not welcome to talk about Christ being God's son, etc?" I've been trying to show that this isn't how the community service deal works, in any field including religion.

Those who follow a different religion or none may well not be interested, and that is fine for them. But if they are questioning or searching, they may well be interested. We do not believe we can 'make' anyone into a Christian.

Yes, of course! I'm sure I could have found a more apposite analogy than our beauty shop flowers, but it'll do. That's exactly how it works.

I will, and sometimes do, help along with church-generated community initiatives. The time is coming when I'll need to take advantage of some, too. Either side of the table, I'm happy to be around people who do nice things and, as I've said, it's part of my (secular) belief system that kindnesses are beneficial to the giver.

Imagine, then, that among all this niceness you wish to talk to me about Christ being God's son, etc. I deny the existence of either. I consider all religions damaging, not in themselves but in their influence. I quite enjoy arguing my points, but not when it's clearly going to offend & even distress you - a nice person doing nice things alongside me. What can I do? Dissemble, mumble, move away rapidly. We'll both feel our shared experience has been marred.

FWIW, something similar would happen if the beauty shop owner moved a conversation about her lovely flowers into a passionate defence of Hollywood waxing and vajazzles. All the warm fuzzies would evaporate like her clients' pubes

"This is the reason I agree all churches and any activity putting on anything paid or free (art exhibition etc) should be up front about what 'group' or religion they are part of."

Agreed. And absolutely not targeted at children.

I think the thing is that if you do happen to make genuine friends, you want to be able to share things that you feel are important. And if they are your genuine friends you hope they would at least show a passing interest over what you find important.

The time to share, I agree, is something that needs to be judged sensitively. I don't want to have to hide part of me, which my faith is, from people though.

Gralick I know the puppets are normally big hand operated ones, I just couldn't resist!

YY, cap, that particular topic always has to be judged sensitively - it's more sensitive than politics for most people. Where I am even slightly unsure about others' views and/or my relationship with them, it'd be pretty shit of me to hold forth about how I know the Christian religion is precisely as much bollocks as all the others. Likewise, I have to bite my tongue until it bleeds around here, a Tory/UKIP stronghold, unless I've reason to believe the other person will engage sanely.

I am a forthright defender of the right to freedom of expression. All rights come with responsibilities.

Gralick re "What's the point of doing all these nice things if we're not welcome to talk about Christ being God's son, etc?" I've been trying to show that this isn't how the community service deal works, in any field including religion. I totally agree! We can and should do nice things and not feel the need to talk about God all the time.

There is a famous quote, maybe a misquote, that says of St Francis of Assis something like Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words ...

Gralick if you genuinely did greatly value the friendship of a person of someone who is Christian and would go so far to say you admired them as a person, how could you connect that with 'damaging influence'?

Gralick I won't repost all of your flowers and pubes post but you know what you said and I do not believe that people who disagree necessarily mean that they will fall out or anything. Actually, sometimes people who believe very similar things will actually fall out about the small number of things they don't agree on.

So why would we risk destroying the warm fuzzies for the sake of talking about God? He must be pretty special if we felt the need to do that....

Hakluyt you seem to have a problem with churches doing things that involves children. You are welcome to discuss this here or not. Your choice. When I lived in Singapore churches were allowed to do children's work but not to include children from a Muslim background. On the understanding that any child who does anything nowadays must have parental consent to do it, does it seem fair to not allow children to do some things, all children, any specific children? In China at one time there was a rule churches could not teach children. I don't agree to your embargo on children being involved in church related activities, but you are welcome to make a case for it!

I must stress in the strongest terms that some parts of some churches and some people in some churches have behaved appallingly, criminally, abominably to children and to vulnerable adults. As have other people in other situations.

Churches are nowadays much more aware of safeguarding and safety issues.

I am not in any way condoning any of previous behaviour which has been harmful to children. If this is the reason for your objection Hakluyt please believe me I am as appalled as the next person by any abuses of power in any church in the past.

I like St Francis :) The myth and the reality (as far as can be ascertained.)

I know God's pretty special to you! Look, I've even capitalised him in my posts here: I did that out of respect for your beliefs. A god is just a god to me, certainly not a proper name.

Sheesh, cap, that's a massive question and I'm tired! Short answer: A person can be a loveable & admirable individual while still affiliated with a system I find egregious. I even like some Tories

Of course children can do church related activities, if their parents choose to involve them. But it is utterly wrong for churches to target their Evangelism at children. That's why things like the Samaritans Purse are so very very wrong.

capsicum yes very true. I've known people for many years, including family, who have never become Christians, being around a Christian doesn't make you a Christian.

Oh no- I wasn't thinking about safeguarding- that's not the issue her for me at least. It's the targeting children for evangelizing that I'm objecting to. Particularly without a full, upfront explanation of what's going on before the fun activity starts. Not after.

Gralick But all those beliefs, in 'systems' that you find 'egregious', are an intrinsic part of a person you find loveable and admirable. I get it - some people I love also believe some things which I find strange. We talk about it sometimes, sometimes we even get to understand each other better...

There's a big difference between talking about your faith, or political view or dietary beliefs and what it means in your life and, however subtly, trying to get the other person to joinyou. This is a line thwt I find many Christians fail to notice..........

Hakluyt Children are not allowed to do things these days without parents permission. If anything is done, like in school, it is probably done as this is what Christians believe etc, not this is what you should believe. It might be different at a church school. But that is a whole 'nuther can of worms!!!

Most religions want people to join them, except Judaism, Hakluyt.

Italian sometimes I hope it might 'rub off' just a little bit , spread a little glow.

Hak forgive them? Don't you ever long for people to share your interests?

Reflective equilibrium, cap. We'd never get anywhere without it.

Gralick that 'veil of ignorence' seems a bit unsatisfactory though. Don't you ever want to really know people and be known?

Well, they were certainly doing it on Broadstairs beach last summer..........

Doing what, Hak?