For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.
(1 Corinthians 15:3- 4)
We are living in perilous times!
As all the signs beckon towards the return of the Lord Jesus, there is a growing need to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to a dying and lost world. Many people are dying without Christ and therefore needlessly spending the rest of eternity in punishment. The word of God has made it clear that people without the Son of God, Jesus Christ, are eternally lost and therefore stand in need of reconciliation with God. Evangel, meaning the Gospel, is the good news of salvation for all people, which is attained by faith alone in the Son of God. Whoever believes in Him will not be lost but saved from eternal death. Evangelism is the God-given task for Christians to deliver the gospel to the unsaved. Our church has been engaged in precisely this and will continue to do so by the grace of our God.
Evangelism was important to Christ Himself and His immediate followers. It follows therefore, as those who follow Christ today, it should also be important to us. Evangelism is not only an individual activity but a lifestyle and a shared responsibility of the whole faith community. Because there are people who are living without direction and purpose, every Christian ought to have a heart of compassion for those without Christ. We, as Christians, bear the responsibility of sharing our faith in Christ and the concept of righteous living in love. We are duty and love bound to warn the world of sin. If not we will be held responsible for their deaths (Ezekiel 13: 16-21).
Evangelism is the primary purpose of the church. For this purpose, the Department of Evangelism was formed, in our Church with four sub-sections within it. We believe that Christ's commission to the born again is to preach the Gospel and to make them His disciples.
To ensure that the gospel is preached among the Ethiopians, Eritreans and to every human being in Britain, the Church, in its vision statement of two years ago, included the following: “to reach 1000 people in Christ by year 2010”. It has also launched a key effective evangelism tool to attain this. It expects each individual member of to endeavor and win a minimum of three souls to Christ by the year 2010. The Church’s Vision is based on the Great Commission Christ left with us as He ascended to heaven: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
One of the other functions of the Evangelism Department within our Church is to continually prompt members to witness Christ to unbelievers. In order for the Church to effectively share the gospel to the lost and provide access to Jesus Christ, the department explores every possible way to equip, encourage and organize its members to the task. Additionally, in the task of engaging the Church in prayers for the lost, every member is being encouraged to have a list of people that he/she should pray for and lead to Jesus. (Colossians 4: 2-6).
Even though opportunity and opposition are to be found side by side in the world, evangelism missionary enterprise requires the best that the church can offer to the community now and for the future. The church in every generation has been and still is the pipeline of the gospel to every single person. The progress of the gospel may be hindered temporarily by human or demonic forces, but there can be no doubt about its final victory.
The whole purpose of the department or even the duty of evangelism is to bring glory to God by making followers of His Son Jesus Christ. Let us not be afraid to step into the world and diligently share Jesus who is Lord and Savior.
