Author: Jonathan Dodson
Three Strand Evangelism
“Most gospel ministry involves ordinary people doing ordinary things with gospel intentionality.” Growing out of a radical call to love other people and society Jesus style, Timmis and Chester argue for a refreshingly simple
model of evangelism that is rooted in community. Three Strand evangelism includes: 1) building relationships 2) sharing the gospel 3) introducing people to community. Regarding the role of the community they comment:
Not everyone can think on their feet. Some people are simply not good at speaking to strangers and forming new friendships. One of the practical benefits of the three-strand model of evangelism is that it gives a role to all of God’s people. By making evangelism a community project, it also takes seriously the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in distributing a variety of gifts among his people.
Applied three-strand evangelism includes forming authentic relationships with others, inviting them into your community through dinners, movies, hearing bands, etc, and allowing them to witness the power and presence of God in people who aren’t afraid of culture and genuinely love others.
Total Church: why community?
Tuesdays are dinner and discussion nights for Austin City Life (let us know if you want to come), as we are intentionally trying to build ACL on gospel, community and mission. The second chapter in Total Church answers the question: “Why Community?” Timmis put community and mission together like this:
God is a missionary God and God’s primary missionary method is his covenant people. Humanity was made in the image o the triune God. The purpose of an image is to represent something and we represent God on earth. God made us as persons-in-community to be he vehicle through which he would reveal his glory…The attractive covenant community continues to be the means by which God fulfills his promise to Abraham. What has changed is the centre. Now it is the community itself among whom Christ promises to be present. The communtiy move out across the globe (centrifugal), all the time drawing people to its Lord through its common life (centripital).
Total Church: a new book on gospel-centered community and mission
Tim Chester and Steve Timmis of Crowded House have written a much needed book. Total Church: a radical reshaping around gospel and community (IVP, UK) cuts through the conservative and progressive views on church and community without taking the wearisome Emergent/Emerging debate head on. Instead, Total Church charts a course for the church that is gospel-centered, mission-centered, and community centered (One wonders just how may centers we can have!).
Part One lays a rich and accessible biblical-theological foundation addressing the questions: “What is community” and “What is the gospel?” I will be posting on this book throughout the week. Here is a summary of their description of gospel-centered:
Being gospel-centered has two dimensions. First, it means being word-centered because the gospel is a word. The gospel is good news. It is a message. It is a message that can be summarized in simple gospel outlines or even the three-word confession that ‘Jesus is Lord’. Yet it is a message that fills the entire Bible. It is the story of salvation from creation to new creation. It is a word that has become incarnate in Jesus Christ. It is this word that brings new life to people and shapes the life of the church.
Second, being gospel-centered means being mission-centered, for the gospel is a missionary word. The gospel is good news. It is a word to be proclaimed. You cannot be committed to the gospel without being committed to proclaiming that gospel.