Our father, the Reverend Jim Raines felt the hunger to witness to the least of these at an early age. In fact, at age twelve, after his conversion experience, he witnessed the love of Christ to his best friend on a motor scooter.  He shared his story of how Jesus touched his heart, and he became a living witness. Through generations of Christ followers, young Jimmy answered the call to pastoral ministry so he could bridge Jesus to the world by teaching others how to have a living relationship with God. In fact, he was willing to go to the uttermost and sit on the side of the road to become a friend to all. How glorious!

What does it mean to go and make disciples of all nations? Jesus issued a commandment for the practice of evangelism; in other words, the church community is called to be a living witness to all peoples. The only requirement is to be a follower of Christ. In Mathew 28:19 Jesus commands us, “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.” To touch others with Jesus Christ, we must be willing to share our story of how Jesus has touched us. The Church has been graced with an invitation to bridge Jesus to the world through generational stories of a living church community that displays the character of a true witness.

God called his treasured people to begin a new story for generations to come. The Israelites spent much of their time remembering from generation to generation to ensure that the story of God’s power was understood and experienced. They imagined what was, to inhabit what will be. They spoke, reasoned, envisioned, memorized, and felt God’s love through the verbal inspired text. They embodied faithfulness to repeat the tapestry of God’s story as it became relevant for their generation. The Israelites story embraced the hope of a coming Messianic reign to a lost and broken world that connects Christians to the blessed assurance that Jesus is mine. From the foundation, God’s Church has been a living and active thread that moves from generation to generation through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and today Christians represent the foundational story of Christ to reflect God’s goodness within our own story because we are a kingdom community of Christ’s love that has no end. How could you share your story to others and invite them to be a part of the church community?

Another way the practice of evangelism unfolds within the church community is through the art of worship by engaging with God. It is a communal activity that extends life in the Spirit to form a living and relational community that touches the heart of one’s neighbor. Worship is a lifestyle, an embodiment of one’s calling to God, and a daily practice that rises from our root system in Jesus; and as we praise him freely, our witness becomes a support for one’s tradition that continues forth. The practice of evangelism is not founded upon a secluded church community, but one that increases God’s love and longing for all to be reconciled and dwell in harmony through the lordship of Christ. A community that embraces life in the Spirit connects Christ to the world as a witness to the beauty of God’s holiness. Jesus is the mission of God for the church, that reaches cross-cultural barriers and has invited everyone to join in a Spirit-led journey as we make disciples of all nations.

Finally, the practice of evangelism for the church is shaped around the transforming witness of one’s virtuous character in Christ. These virtues can never be acquired from one’s own doing but are acts of God’s grace bestowed upon every individual to go and make disciples. We must simply receive these gifts and then respond accordingly to the Holy Spirit. A true witness recognizes God’s abiding presence is greater than the driving force of chaos around us. At all times and in all places, God’s presence woos us, extends compassion, listens, and draws us into a quiet rest to know his sufficiency. Another virtue displayed in a true witness is courage. Courage is the bulwark of Christ’s salvation and calls every Christian to courageously take up their cross daily and follow Jesus. This requires humility…. to sustain the practice of evangelism and keep us dependent upon our Savior divine. As the Church community touches others with Jesus, praises him freely, and shapes our witness around his character, we will begin to discover the richness of God’s reign in our hearts forevermore.

Blessings,

Dr. Caroline