wfn.org | New models and strategies for the church urged by evangelism cmte

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03-July-1996 
 
GA96060 
 
    New models and strategies for the church urged by evangelism committee 
 
    The Assembly committee on Evangelism continued to stress the underlying 
priority of evangelism for the church as it reviewed and completed its 
agenda for l996.  On the consent agenda are the approval of the minutes of 
the board of directors of the investment and loan program for l995 and the 
review and continuation of the cooperative media campaign for the 
denomination.  They also requested the distribution of a new booklet "Being 
A Welcoming Congregation" to all commissioners at the Assembly. 
 
    Vigorous goals and strategies for racial ethnic evangelism, new church 
development, redevelopment and congregational enhancement were recommended 
with the establishment of a Middle Eastern Caucus, and  a call for 
comprehensive strategies for Hispanic and Native American evangelism to be 
completed in the next three years with a goal to increase racial ethnic 
membership to 10 percent of the Presbyterian church by the year 2005 and 20 
percent by the year 2010. 
 
    In order to further evangelism efforts the committee called for more 
intensive recruitment and training of racial ethnic leadership by the 
seminaries, ample funding from the unified budget and the necessary 
increases in staff and budget resources essential for meeting all 
objectives. 
 
    Commissioners' resolutions to be recommended included a study to 
conduct, collect and disseminate research on what motivates people to join 
the Presbyterian church.  They will ask for creative modules and models to 
learn elements of evangelism, church growth, new church development and 
church redevelopment to help the church engage in evangelism and also ask 
for increased support by all agencies of the church in evangelism efforts. 
An overture to explore and implement creative designs to reach young people 
on college campuses, in the peace corps, and the military will be 
recommended.  This overture will urge particular attention to the status, 
needs and future for campus ministry by the PC (USA). 
 
    After a review of the report from the investment and loan program, the 
committee will recommend the election of a slate of officers to oversee the 
program. 
 
    A commissioners' resolution to reject the notion of coercive 
proselytism or target evangelism based upon a negative judgment of any 
living faith was disapproved with extensive comment on the understanding of 
the situation based upon the church's existing documents of understanding 
on the matter, partial text to be included in the motion. 
 
    Resolutions referred to the National Ministries Division included 
program development for lay leaders to use in new church development 
formation and a video to show examples and models of new church 
development. A resolution to ask the evangelism and church development 
office to work with the 209th G.A. to develop evangelism strategies for 
faith sharing and mission emphasis during General Assembly gatherings was 
amended to include all future gatherings. 
 
    Perhaps the most unusual resolution will be the opportunity to 
establish a prototype church in the Walt Disney World community of 
Celebration, Fla. to model creative ministry with leading edge technology. 
The church will serve as the spiritual center for people living in 
Celebration as well as national and international visitors to Central 
Florida attractions. 
 
    The total financial implication for new programs and strategies is 
estimated at $303,36634 for the next three years. 
 
 . 
Joanne Hines 

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