The Doors of the Church Are Open Reviving African American Churches & Faith Communities Tyrone D. Gordon, Senior Pastor St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church Dallas, Texas

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) --Dr. Zan W. Holmes, Pastor Emeritus St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church “There is a difference between growing and swelling.”

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) What is holistic Evangelism? --It’s about moving persons from mere church membership to committed Christian discipleship

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) What is it really about? It’s about raising disciples... It’s about bring them in and moving them out... It’s about producing prophetic disciples –Who are about going out and bring change and transformation to a world gone mad!

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) Working Definition of Evangelism According to Gordon— “Holistic evangelism is the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through Word and deed!”

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) Our Membership Vows Membership producing (old membership vows) I will be loyal to the United Methodist Church by upholding it with our prayers, presence, gifts and service-- Membership producing (old membership vows) Disciple Making (new membership vows) I will be loyal to Christ, through the United Methodist Church by upholding it with our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.-- Disciple Making (new membership vows)

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) The Great Expectation ! [18] Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." --Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD)Teaching Training & Deploying Reaching A Cyclical View of Evangelism & Revitalization Developing & Serving Christian

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) What Are We Really Dealing With? This is Not Line Fishing! This is Net Fishing! (Are the doors of your church really open or merely cracked?)

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) Reaching In order to “make” disciples, we have to go and get them! In order to “make” disciples, we have to capture their minds, hearts, trust and respect In order to “make” disciples, we must resist the temptation to choose which fish we want to catch

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) The Worship Experience --and the preaching moment must comfort, confront, challenge and invite persons to come to Jesus.

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) Teaching Good preaching, inspiring and celebratory worship can draw folks; but teaching will grow people. Churches cannot grow disciples if opportunities to learn what the traits of a disciple are not being taught.

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) Christian Education in the Mix The role of Christian Education does not simply impart information, but gives inspiration to go beyond the walls of the Sanctuary. “The Word became flesh and dealt among us.”

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) Training The primary ministry of the staff—both clergy and laity is to equip and empower the saints for ministry. Great care should be given to how we train, not only new members, but also existing members and leadership team. We invest time and energy in raising and developing Spiritual Leaders.

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) There is a difference between church work and the work of the church.

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) The work of the church mainly is to proclaim Jesus Christ, invite others into relationship with him; and send them out into the world to bring spiritual, social, political and economic change and transformation to all of our communities.

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) Deploying Other disciples make the greatest impact upon the world, particularly in the lives of others. We must move from “in-reach to outreach.” We must move from being a “come to” church to a being a “go out and do” church.

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) The Challenge is: “If you’ve got good religion, you ought to show some sign.” African American Spiritual

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) The Heart of the Community When folks in the community see that the church has the community at heart—the community will hold that church to heart.

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) Acts 1:8 [8] What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world." (Msg Translation)

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) What Happens When... The people are deployed? The people are released? The people of God themselves are transformed? The people of God take seriously the command to bear fruit for the up-building of the Kingdom?

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) And the final word... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) The Final Results To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!

9/8/2015 Reviving African American Churches (SCD) What then? We will turn the world upside down – then turn it right-side up!