Creating ways into the journey
The spiritual travellers we already have in our worshipping community are not our sole focus. We want our churches and activities to be open to all, so that all people might encounter God and be transformed.
People who aren't part of a church community will probably still be passionate about some of the practices of a Methodist Way of Life. They might see something spiritual about challenging injustice, caring for nature, or serving their neighbours.
Some people might join a New Place for New People. But all churches can invite newcomers and spiritual seekers to encounter Jesus and be transformed through the 12 practices of A Methodist Way of Life.
"We kick started the MWOL Discipleship Pathway in our Circuit with a Reimagining Discipleship day. The feedback told us that there was hunger for more exploration of the individual stations. So, the Transformational Leadership Team decided to build on the weakest stations but also offer some exploration on other stations too. We also ran a day course on how to welcome people, called ‘First Impressions count’.”
Finding God through art
"Frida fell in love with classical paintings of Biblical scenes, while studying art history at university. She wanted to explore the stories they depicted, so she started reading the Bible. She became a Christian and started attending a local church.”
Frida’s entry point was noticing God in the world. She explored the commitment more deeply by noticing God in the Bible. This led her to ‘get on the train’ and start worshipping with others.
An idea for your church
Use the MWOL floor mat or stickers to think about whether your church or NPNP community’s practices are open or closed for new people.
Consider whether you provide easy entry points for new travellers, with diverse backgrounds and experiences, and how you welcome new travellers into your shared transformational journey.
Resources for evangelism
Whether the E-word makes us feel excited, uncomfortable, fulfilled or inadequate, evangelism is core to our participation in God’s life-changing work.
