Reclaiming evangelism: Sharing good news with hospitality and hope
Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8, CEB
In those final moments of Jesus’s time with his disciples, Jesus gave them a promise. He told them power would come, not for dominance or control, but for witness. He invited them to be bearers of the good news, starting where they were and moving outward to places they never imagined.
The church has long called this work “evangelism,” but I know that for many in the church today, the very mention of the e-word causes anxiety. This is especially true for those who identify as ex-evangelical, and the pressure placed on high school and college students to share their faith or risk leaving their friends to an eternity in hell. This kind of pressure is not only unhealthy, but can be downright traumatic.