-- Holy Gossip! --

Holy Gossip! is Pineville UMC’s internal evangelism program. 

• “Gossip in church?  That never happens!”:  A Word from the Pastor
• Did You Say “Evangelism?”
• Why “Gossip?”
• Start Talkin’!
• OK, I’m In … Now What?
• Resources

 “Gossip in church?  That never happens!”:  A Word from the Pastor

We’re re-defining the word “gossip.”

Can gossip ever be a good thing? When we think of the word “gossip,” we usually think of spreading rumors or saying something mean behind a person’s back.  But if gossip is only one person sharing news with another, then gossip doesn’t have to be bad!

We can use gossip to share the GOOD news of Jesus!  Whether we’re willing to admit it or not, most of us already know how to gossip, so now we have to learn to use that same ability to spread the good news of God’s love.  We can do this by offering to pray for someone, inviting him to church and talking to her about how your faith helps you. 

Want to know more?  Join us for a little “Holy Gossip!”

Reverend Thomas Stinson-Wesley
Senior Pastor

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Did You Say “Evangelism?”

In The Great Commission, Jesus calls us to share the Good News of Him to all the world:  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. …” (Matthew 28:19 – 20)

And even earlier in Jesus’s story, we learn:

         “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manager.’

          “…When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’

          “So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them concerning this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. …” (Luke 2:8 – 12, 15 – 18)

“According to The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, the mission of each church is ‘to make disciples of Jesus Christ’ (¶120; see also ¶¶121-122).  Congregations need not spend time in defining the church’s mission.  It is already stated. It is the primary task of the church in fulfilling that mission to:

          ‘reach out to people where they are and receive them as they are, relate them to God through Jesus Christ, nurture and equip them for Christian discipleship, and send them out into the community to be the church in the family, the neighborhood, the community, and the world. …’

“United Methodist members are often reluctant to share their faith with their friends and even with family members and are hesitant to invite them to church.  They feel adequate and uncertain.  They want to know what is appropriate and what is not appropriate in sharing personal faith.  United Methodists do not want to be intrusive or dogmatic.  …” (1)

Sound like anyone YOU know?

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Why “Gossip?”

Because good news always bears repeating!

“On the first Christmas Eve, the angel told the shepherds.  They, in turn, told Mary and Joseph and certainly their families as well.  And the story goes on.  Those who heard Jesus teach told their friends how he spoke with authority.  Those who were healed told ‘their’ good news.  Those who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus could not suppress the news, as astonishing as it was.  The disciples soon became apostles on a mission of telling the good news throughout the world of their time.  Consequently, from the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) onward, thousands on people were drawn into the church.  Those people became evangelists or heralds, sharing their faith in Jesus and their experiences of a new life in Christ. …

“In Acts 8:4 we find that it was not just the apostles who took the gospel out from Jerusalem but also those laypersons who were evicted from the city following the martyrdom of Stephen.  In a word, if Jesus is who he says he is – the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6) – then it follows that the work of evangelism, or witnessing, is central to Christianity and to each congregation of disciples. …

“The first evangelist was an angel.  Notice how the word angel (or messenger in Greek) shows up in the word evangelism.  That aside, the word evangelism is derived from Greek and literally is translated as ‘good message.’  In succeeding translations, it became ‘gospel’ and ‘good news.’” (1) 

“In his book, Welcome!, Andrew Weeks reminds us that the Greek word, evangelia, means ‘well’ (ev) and ‘tidings’ (angelia).  Evangelism, then, is carrying the ‘well-tidings’ or ‘good news’ from God to the world.  …

“Or how about another definition provided by Weeks?  Evangelism is ‘holy gossip.’  The word gossip was first found in English to mean a godparent or one who shared the stories of the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Invite people to participate in holy gossip!” (2)

Through the angel (and later, through Christ Himself), we’ve been encouraged – indeed, commanded – by God to spread the word about His Son, to engage in a little (or a lot of) “holy gossip.” 

So we’re re-claiming the concept of “gossip!”  We’re bringing the word back to its roots of sharing the stories of the Gospel. 

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Start Talkin’!

We understand that “evangelism” is a scary word to most people.  Here’s who probably just popped into your head at the mention:

• the wild-eyed man who screams hellfire and damnation from a portable karaoke machine on the street corner;
• the well-intentioned but annoying young people who knock on your front door on Saturday afternoons;
• the slick and slightly slimy televangelist who paces across your TV screen.

“Of all the definitions, perhaps the most appealing is that evangelism is ‘introducing God’s people to God.’ … We don’t need to share the depths of our faith to be invitational.  At the most elementary level, we do need to be able to articulate what we like about our church experience that would entice others to attend.” (2) 

 “Obeying the Great Commission is not one option among many for a congregation; it is at the very heart of the Christian enterprise.  Christianity is a missionary, evangelizing faith.” (1)

You can’t just obey the commands of God that are most convenient for you!  If you love God and embrace His Son with your whole heart, mind and soul, you have to do more than turn the other cheek and honor your parents and care for the poor.  You have to accept His Great Commission and actively seek people with whom you can share your faith and for whom you may be their one and only exposure to a loving God.

We’re here to prepare, inspire and teach the members of Pineville UMC to become enthusiastic about and spiritually empowered to share God’s word with the larger community.  We’re excited to provide you with all kinds of resources to help you engage in a little Holy Gossip!, to spread the word about Jesus Christ and about Pineville UMC!

And the first thing we can do is point out that you’re probably already evangelizing and don’t even know it. 

• When you thank someone for helping with a task at your job, you’re evangelizing. 
• When you stop in a line of traffic to let someone pull in from the gas station, you’re evangelizing. 
• When you take a casserole in a dish you don’t care about getting back to an ill friend, you’re evangelizing.
• When you invite a friend for a sleep-over because she’s upset her dad just got laid off, you’re evangelizing.
• When you take someone’s hand, or embrace her, and cry with him or just sit with her and pray for grace or peace or comfort or strength, you’re evangelizing.

Evangelism can be as simple as:

• Praying for a non-believer friend or co-worker.
• Joining a group at the church on a Saturday morning to serve sausage biscuits and coffee to the Auto Bell patrons next door.
• Inviting your neighbor and her family to the Christmas Cantata.
• Attending a training class to learn how to be more comfortable in sharing your faith.

Our goal is to provide you with all the tools you’ll need to start fulfilling the Great Commission and start engaging in a little Holy Gossip!

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OK, I’m in … what now?

Check out the resources below and watch for Holy Gossip! activities to be announced.

And let us know if you have questions, comments, thoughts or ideas about how you can help Pineville UMC spread the word about Jesus Christ and this church!

Resources

• Why is This Important?:  Evangelism Facts & Figures  
• Assessment Team Demographics
• Religion in Mecklenburg County
• Evangelism in Scripture
• “Top 10 Excuses” (not to evangelize)
• 104 Ways to Evangelize 
• Web sites of interest

Servolution

• Articles of Interest:

Help for the Evangelism Challenged
Evangelism must begin beyond the sanctuary
When You Don’t Feel Like Sharing Your Faith
Witnessing to Neighbors
Sharing Your Faith With Modern and Postmodern Thinkers
The Only Way (Answering the argument that all religions are more or less true.)
One Link in the Chain
Getting Uncomfortable
Opening the Closed American Mind: Some principles for reaching skeptics with the truth
Neighborhood Watch
Rethinking Suburban Evangelism
Study:  Young Americans less religious than their parents
Trusting in a Culturally Relevant Gospel
The Young and the Repentant
Storming the Castle (ministering to 20-somethings)
Most Christians Cannot Explain Their Faith, Says Apologist
Evangelism That Flows
Creating God Space - An Interview with Doug Pollock
Study: Young Americans less religious than their parents
Americans not losing their religion, but changing it often
Americans broaden religious viewpoints
The Dos and Don'ts of Witnessing

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(1) From Evangelism:  Sharing the good news,” by Roger K Swanson, updated by Shirley F. Clement, published by the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church

(2) From Re-Think Church:  Welcoming and Media Planner, United Methodist Communications