Drew Jeske-Polyak, a licensed lay evangelist facilitator in the Diocese of East Tennessee, is offering a six-session Embracing Evangelism course to any of our East Tennessee communities either in-person or online. He will travel to your community to lead the series. To learn more, email him at jeskepolyak@gmail.com or call the diocesan office at 865-966-2110.
Script
Evangelism is a term that is often used in Christian circles, but what does it mean?
The word “evangelism” comes from the Greek word “euangelion,” which means “good news.” Christians believe that the good news is that Jesus Christ came to earth, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again on the third day. The good news goes beyond this as Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit live and move through our everyday lives. At its core, evangelism is the sharing of this good news with others.
Our Episcopal faith invites us all to leave our church home and share our stories of witnessing God’s presence in our lives through personal conversations with friends, family, coworkers, and even acquaintances. Every Episcopalian has vowed to proclaim with our words and our lives the loving, liberating and life-giving good news of Jesus Christ. The Baptismal Covenant we all make and promise asks us to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. In the prayer after communion, we pray “ . . . And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. . . . “
We do this by sharing stories which is something we all do, whether we realize it or not. The everyday conversations that we have with people are simply sharing stories with each other. Episcopal Evangelism is just that, sharing our stories with each other, except we add our experiences of God’s presence in our lives, to those stories.
Why do Christians engage in evangelism? Simply put, it’s because we want to share this good news with others. We believe that it is the most important message that anyone can hear, and want everyone to have the opportunity to hear it.
Let’s seek, name and celebrate God’s loving presence in our lives, share those stories with others and invite everyone to more.
I am Drew Jeske-Polyak, of St. James Episcopal Church, Knoxville offering a 6 session Embracing Evangelism series where we explore the true definition of sharing stories of God’s loving presence in our lives. Contact me at jeskepolyak@gmail.com or you can call the diocesan office at 865-966-2110 for more information.