Gareth Fitzpatrick, the diocesan Evangelism Enabler, writes about how to respond to the 'The Quiet Revival' in our nation.
People across the UK are being drawn to our churches in numbers like we haven’t seen for some time according to the recent survey commissioned by the Bible Society, ‘The Quiet Revival’.
The reasons why people are flocking to our churches are not fully known, but one thing is clear; something is going on in the landscape of our nation (especially amongst those under the age of 35 and amongst the male population).
As the evangelism enabler for the diocese and in a previous role ‘mentor for need-oriented evangelism’ much of my energy has been focused on how we can introduce people to explore the Christian faith in our interactions in our Monday to Saturday lives; at work, with our neighbors, with those in our friendship groups etc. The major reason for this emphasis of reaching people in our Monday – Saturday lives was due to the fact that people seemed more resistant to drop into the Sunday service to explore what Christianity was all about.
I’m not saying that we stop exploring how we can engage with those in our Monday to Sunday lives but that we also begin to reflect objectively on how conducive our services are in enabling those who come to our churches to explore the Christian faith and begin their discipleship journey.
Is this even something on our minds?
I’m a fan of old sayings and proverbs and one that comes to mind in light of the Quiet Revival I think of the saying “make hay, while the sun shines.” The saying means we should make the most of an opportunity whilst it’s in front of you. We seem to be living in a unique moment in time. People are searching for meaning and they are walking into our churches in numbers to find out if Christianity has the answers. How do we make the most of this opportunity to introduce them the life transforming good news of the gospel?
The question is when they walk through our doors are we ready to help them find the answers.
Below are 5 suggestions to help serve those on their faith journey:
Warm welcome
Church can be an intimidating place to be for those visiting for the first time, an unfamiliar building, a room full of strangers, customs and references that you’ve never heard of before can be overwhelming. Training greeters and regular attendees to genuinely welcome newcomers makes a great first impression and tells those who are visiting that we are glad they have joined us.
We can also prepare to welcome newcomers by giving them a welcome pack. At my church we created a welcome pack containing a gospel of Mark, a bookmark, information about what goes on in the life of the church, a tasty treat and opportunities for the visitor to get in touch.
Provide non-threatening opportunities for people to explore and learn.
This could be done by hosting “come and see” events where people can learn about what the Christian faith is all about. It could be done by regularly hosting a faith exploration course like alpha, Christianity explored, pilgrim etc.
Make the message accessible
One simple way to engage with newcomers is to preach with seekers in mind. Where possible using familiar reference points, explain the context of the passage you are reading from. When using terms that are unfamiliar take the time to unpack and explain
Finally get into the habit of regularly offering invitations for people to respond to what they’ve heard. It could be that you offer people the opportunity to commit to following Jesus, or the invitation could be simply inviting people to respond by committing to explore faith in the week ahead.
Have resources available to hand out
Initially, it might be scary for people to commit to signing up to a faith exploration course or to ask a member in the church a question so with this in mind it can be helpful to have a range of free resources available in the worship space that people can take away with them and explore in their own time.
Involve food & Hospitality
As I read the gospel accounts, I’m taken aback by how many times Jesus ministered around the table. I don’t know about you, but I find that a great way to go beyond surface level chat and get to know someone when we sit together and enjoy some good food and hospitality.
Start to think of creative ways you can involve food and hospitality in the life of your gatherings.