• Provide supplemental materials:
  • Summary of Evangelism Strategy
  • Effective Evangelical Leaders
  • Effective Evangelical Congregations
  • Bishop Hanson’s Call to Prayer
  • Your Synod Bishop’s Call to Prayer
     
• Show the ELCA video “Shining Witnesses.” This complementary 5-minute inspirational video is available on DVD, VHS, and CD-ROM from Augsburg Fortress Publishers 800-328-4648 and can be viewed online. Contact Bernice Griffin if you would like a video for each congregation of your synod. (800-NET-ELCA, ext. 2597)
   
• Provide the booklet, “Sharing Faith in a New Century: Inspiration for Witnessing”. The booklet provides resources to equip and inspire evangelizing congregations and can be viewed online. (This complementary booklet is available from Augsburg Fortress Publishers 800-328-4648)
   
• Establish a goal to be a “Spiritually Renewing” event.
   
• Begin with a Prayer for Renewal.
   
• Set aside four times for worship to focus on each of the objectives: prayer, leadership, discipleship and congregational renewal. Use prepared litanies.
   
• On the top of the hour (when the minute hand of the clock points upward) stop for a moment of silent prayer. (This is a good habit to introduce to participants.)
   
• Invite a team to begin to actively pray for your Synod’s Assembly, Gathering or Event -- now! Pray each day to prepare for the event. Pray that the worship, speakers and conversation inspire a time of spiritual renewal and mission. (The planning team of the event might be recruited to pray for the event, but invite others to pray throughout the months prior to the event.)
   
• Designate a prayer team to pray in the rooms where the people will gather. Pray that the Spirit might empower each who enters the room with clarity and passion for the mission of Christ.
   
• Designate a room at the Assembly or Gathering for prayer. Arrange for persons to be available throughout to pray for the voting members of the Assembly and for the renewal of the church. These persons could also be available to pray for anyone who might request prayer.
   
• Invite children and youth to lead prayer and worship.
   
• Provide a listing of grant money available for evangelism.
   
• Covenant with participants to “pray for the renewal of this church so that. every member, congregation, synod, churchwide unit, and institution might bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ.” (Evangelism Strategy Objective 1)

Devotional Resources on Evangelism Strategy

• Prayer
• Leadership
• Discipleship
• Congregational Renewal
• All four together

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