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Bulletin 2004-11

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National Congress on Evangelism
Melbourne May 12-15

Report by Peter Kentley

It was a great joy to be able to attend the first ever National Congress on Evangelism at the Melbourne Concert Hall. Many thanks to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association with Graeme Pearson as Chair and the steering Group with Stephen Hale as Chair - for making this event such an outstanding success. Thanks also to our MC's Matt Hunt and Karl Faase for their vigour, humour and focus.

Throughout the Congress there was a sense of fun and vitality, youth and wisdom, energy and innovation. It was exciting.

Plenary Sessions

It was a great experience to be with 520 fellow Christians journeying together in the unity of the Spirit and being focussed on just one thing: being passionate about Jesus and making him known.

Speakers and Musicians

These included Peter Adam, Phil Baker, Colin Buchanan, Christine Cain, John Chapman, Mike Frost, Steve Grace, Mike Raiter and Duncan Brown. The band from St Hilary's Kew, led by Roger Nicholson, Eric van Cuylenburg and Beth Barnett were fantastic. There was revival passion in the preaching and worship.

There was also Holy Spirit consistency in the preaching which could perhaps be expressed in three key sentences from Christian Caine:

	“If we are not fishers of men who are we following?”
	“We are meant to be in the world but not of it (John 17:15-19). In reality we are often of the world but not in it!”

Of the world ~ our daily lives not distinctive from the values and ways of the pagan world.

Not in it ~ Christians retreating to fortress church and then expecting specialists to go out and do evangelism.

“Are we influencers or paper tigers in everyday life?”

Undoubtedly God’s word for today was consistently expressed through the preaching: a call for the church to return to a radical discipleship where the world can tell us apart by our love. If we don’t do this, how can we expect the world to respond to Jesus? (Matt 28:19 and John 13:34-35).

Marketplace Ministry Track

This was one of 19 electives run in three six hour sessions during the Congress. The Business/Marketplace Track was chaired by Graeme Pearson (Past CEO of BTR/Nylex and current Chair of MYOB) and was facilitated by Peter Kentley (AMC), Peter Kaldor (Ecom) and Gordon Preece (Ridley). We were also privileged to have Martien Kelderman from the NZ Bible College School of Contemporary Christian Studies participate in our seminars. We had around 20 people participate in these sessions.

The marketplace or workplace is where Christians most often meet non-Christians. This is the coal face of everyday evangelism where discipleship in the workforce is most needed.

Four key impediments were identified that can disable working Christians from being effective in the place where they spend about 67% of their waking week – compared to the 3% of their time spent at church:

	Fragmentation - a cast off from denominationalism
	Isolation - thinking you’re the only Christian in your company
	Intimidation - feeling of being overwhelmed by secularism
	Segmentation - petitioning your life into different components depending on where you are (ie: the Sunday-Monday divide).

What is the Biblical answer?

Authority of Christ - Col 1:20

There is no person, company, corporation or government where Jesus Christ cannot be pre-eminent (v18). If we work in a location where this is not the case, then we have a ministry of reconciliation (v19 and 2 Cor 5:18).

Unity in Christ - John 17:10-12

The marketplace affords an immediate advantage against fragmentation. In a business we serve Jesus and operate under the authority of His name - not the name of any church or para church. Denominationalism in the workplace is irrelevant and harmful to networking for the purposes of advancing the Kingdom of God.

Mind the Gap – Gordon Preece

We have to get away from the old paradigm of the Sunday-Monday gap. God is a god of links not a god of the gaps... links of fellowship, concern and prayer.

God is a worker and we are called into the role of co-workers to help look after His creation. In the workplace we have three Kingdom mandates:

	Creation Mandate: partnership with God in caring for (subduing) his creation (Gen 1:26-28, Rom 8)
	Relationship Mandate: God's love and God’s ways being made known to those in our sphere of influence (Matt 22:37, Matt 28:18)
	Holistic Mandate: God's ways integrated into every aspect of our daily life on both a personal and corporate basis (Matt 5:13-16, 6:10).

See yourself in the workplace as being in a relay race. Run with the baton when it is your turn in God’s process of winning someone to Christ.

Take the opportunity to connect with the growing spirituality at work. Meet people where they are at. Be transparent when under pressure – this may be just the time when someone sees Jesus being modelled.

Develop a proper strategy to reach the marketplace with the church. Who we are when we are scattered is just as important as who we are when we are gathered.

Leadership Development – Peter Fitzgerald

Christians at work have three target markets:

Ourselves

	the greatest attribute of a leader is vision - you need vision to see opportunity - vision is of the heart (Prov 29:18)
	rid ourselves of unrighteousness
	display the fruit of the Spirit for our customer group
	don’t be scared to use the word of God (an example was given of how Exodus 20:7 turned a blasphemer right around)
	Keep the light shining, don’t be discouraged.

Fringe Christians

	get the word of God to them
	get your good testimony into them.

Unbelievers

	they are your mission: you may be the only opportunity for them to see Christ
	have compassion like Jesus, give them hope
	we are strategically placed for God to reach these people.

Click here to view Peter's notes on marketplace leadership.

Marketplace Models

We had a number of models presented in the track including:

	Everyman’s ministry to the armed forces
	Rosy Soh's pool hall outreach in Springvale
	Ecom from Sydney - city based evangelism programs and Evangelistic Prayer Teams (EPT’s)
	NZ Bible College. Martien Kelderman presented two marketplace models, one from a church the other an outreach from the School of contemporary Christian studies in Auckland.

Going Forward from the Congress - Regional Objectives

Personal

	Prayer underpins evangelism – prayer should be like breathing.
	Have an attitude at work that you are not there to do your plan, but to do God’s plan (Matt 6:10).
	Be salt and light where you are - Christianity has to be genuine.
	See the place where you are as the place God wants you to be.
	Don't hide your light under a bowel (Matt 5:15)
	Integrate your faith with your work without preaching.
	Accept the challenge that it may not be cool to be a Christian where you work. A bit of opposition is good for the soul.
	Connect before you correct.
	Be interesting to non-Christians – develop a broader range of interests. Know what people are reading and seeing so you can relate to them.
	Be responsive, be available (1 Peter 3:15).
	Network with other Christians in your workplace to encourage each other and extend the Kingdom of God where you are.
	Be wise about 'politically correct' legislation.

Churches

	Conduct an audit of marketplace ministry in your parish and encourage people to work together in their employment or professions to extend the Kingdom of God.
	Commission people in congregations for ministry in their daily work. Have regular 5 min testimonies in services illustrating workplace ministry from your people.
	Authenticate your people's ministry in the workplace. Provide both accountability and support. Pastor's visit your people at work and encourage them.
	Developing prayer networks behind business life.
	Understand and work with para-church organisations in the marketplace.
	Develop a regional network to foster marketplace ministry where people from many churches work together.

Marketplace Ministries

	Break down tensions between churches and marketplace ministry organisations.
	Create a loose network amongst marketplace ministry leaders – to equip, resource, network, encourage, pray and support.
	Develop some form of accreditation for marketplace groups.
	Develop an annual retreat for marketplace leaders to encourage unity, prayer, resourcing and empowerment.

Your Vocation is Your Mission.

National Congress on Evangelism Melbourne May 12-15