Mark Ireland - Making New Disciples: Exploring the Paradoxes of Evangelism

Mark Ireland was ordained in Blackburn Cathedral and served for 14 years as a curate and vicar in Lancashire, before becoming Lichfield Diocesan Missioner. In 2007, he returned to parish ministry and is Vicar of All Saints Wellington with Eyton, in Shropshire. He has co-authored several other books, including How to Do Mission Action Planning (SPCK, 2009), the second edition of which is due out in 2016. Mark is a member of the Archbishops Council. He enjoys walking and skiing with his wife Gill, and is attempting to learn to sail.

Mike Booker has worked in parishes in suburban, urban and rural settings in southern England and the Midlands, as well as for a number of years on the staff of Ridley Hall in the Cambridge Theological Federation. He is currently team rector of a large group of villages on the edge of Cambridge. He is a member of the Church of Englands General Synod. With Mark Ireland, Mike was co-author of Evangelism: Which Way Now? (Church House Publishing, 2003, 2nd edn 2005). He is married to Liz, with three adult children and a black Labrador.

First published in Great Britain in 2015

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Copyright Mark Ireland and Mike Booker 2015

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Scripture quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Extracts from The Alternative Service Book 1980 are copyright The Archbishops

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 9780281073368

eBook ISBN 9780281073375

Typeset and eBook by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong

Contents

Figures

Tables

The vocation of the Church of Jesus Christ to proclaim the transforming love of Jesus Christ to the whole world is unchanging.

However, as with every call of God, it is worked out in real time, in a real place among real lives. This means that our calling is not simply to understand the gospel and to be daily transformed by it, but to engage with the who , how , where and why so that the proclamation may be as fruitful as possible.

This book is a great help in this task. It is a mapping of the landscape of evangelism over recent decades in this country.

In my experience, many in the Church would prefer to have manuals than maps. Manuals diagnose, dictate and problem-solve. They distil the action necessary by pinpointing the tried-and-tested solution that will invariably bring the change that is desired. But manuals generally deal with machines not people. They are usually most effective in the hands of experts. They are specific to precise models. Of course, we find ourselves desiring such manuals for good reasons, especially when it comes to evangelism. The weight of the calling on us to proclaim the good news effectively is heavy. But the quest to find such a manual (or write such a manual) is in itself a failure to grasp our true calling. It also fundamentally fails to grasp, or be grasped by, the living God.

While I would urge us to stop looking for the manual that will guarantee effective evangelism, I do urge that we seek maps and guides. We need those who will plot the landscape for us, who will point out the well-trodden paths, the routes others have taken and the lessons that have been learned. We need those who can give us peripheral vision to comprehend where we are, how we have got here and what the options are as we move ahead.

This book is such a map. It is a comprehensive guide to the current terrain in evangelism, setting out trends and tools, patterns and practices.

It is my personal conviction that giving attention, energy, resources, thinking, planning and, above all, prayer to the work of evangelism is one of our most urgent tasks. This is not because numbers are falling. It is not because we are doomed if we dont grow. It is not because we are not going to be able to survive unless new people come in to pay for the church roof. It is because of the love of Jesus the Christ. It is the love of Christ that compels us not fear for our future.

It is this Jesus who teaches us wisdom and urges us to risk. It is this Jesus who urges us to read the signs of the times and not be slow to comprehend. It is this Jesus who followed Gods call, and whose Spirit empowers us to do the same.

But the other reason why I value this book and heartily commend it is that it doesnt claim to be a panacea. Whereas a manual offers a generic solution to a generic problem, as if we live in a laboratory with controlled conditions that serve across all circumstances, the Holy Spirit works in particularities. Our following of Jesus Christ, and our invitation to urge family, friends and neighbours to respond to Gods call on them to follow, does not happen in ideal conditions. The Holy Spirit engages real people in real time in real circumstances. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers our attempts at witness as well as our accidents, upon whom we are completely reliant. The conditions are only controlled in the sense that God is ultimately the One in control!

The work of proclaiming the good news is indeed our vocation in the Church, but we are entirely reliant on the power of God to open eyes, turn hearts, bend knees, transform minds and change lives. This book directs us to God as the main player in evangelism: God, who in his infinite grace invites us to partner with him. There is nothing that is more life-giving for a local church than to see people come to faith: for we see the power of the gospel transforming lives, through his power made perfect in our weakness. To be part of the work that God is doing to draw people to Jesus Christ is an awesome privilege and responsibility for which we need wise, experienced and faithful guides. I believe many will find this book to be such a guide.

+ Justin Cantuar: Lambeth Palace, London

This book is the fruit of many conversations, email exchanges and visits. We would like to express our thanks to all those who have shared their wisdom, experiences and insights. We have regularly been humbled and inspired by what God is doing across the country, and by the imagination and commitment of so many people.

In some cases we have made names and locations clear. In others we have not included every detail, but those with whom we have spoken will recognize their stories. However, every person with whom we have been in contact has helped to shape this book, and our thanks are due to each one. In as much as there are mistakes and misunderstandings, they are entirely our own.