Trauma-Informed Evangelism | Siburt Institute | Abilene Christian University

https://youtu.be/5p3k_TJRcyw

 Many people leave churches and faith because they have experienced spiritual abuse and trauma due to toxic religious narratives. In this session we explore the concepts of spiritual abuse and religious trauma, and we discuss pastoral leadership practices and postures that foster congregations that are healing for the spiritually traumatized.

Charles Kiser is a cofounder and pastor of Storyline Christian Community, a network of missional communities in Dallas, Texas. Randy Harris is Siburt Institute senior consultant and university fellow, and Dr. Carson Reed is Siburt Institute executive director. Intersection: Where Theology and Practice Meet is an ongoing focused conversation sponsored by the Siburt Institute.

The Siburt Institute for Church Ministry equips and serves church leaders and other Christ-followers for God’s mission in the world. Established in 2012, the institute reflects ACU’s commitment to support and resource the vital work of churches across the nation. The institute bears the name of the late Charles Siburt, who committed his personal and professional life to understanding the complex needs of congregations. Continuing this long tradition of serving churches, the Siburt Institute offers an array of programs designed to enhance spiritual growth and spark theological imagination, provides resources to encourage the pursuit of God’s mission in the world, and creates networking spaces for ministry transitions, consulting, and learning. 

Learn about all of these resources and experiences hosted by the Siburt Institute: https://bit.ly/3juvix9

Jesus Can!

For a copy of the Gospel of Mark ready to use, please click on this link

Series at the Edmond Church of Christ by Dr. David Duncan

Below is the minister who popularized this approach originally.

Jesus Can!  ... by Rex Boyles

Rex was raised on a farm near Sudan, Texas. His mother and father raised four boys on that farm. They took them to church every time the doors were open … sent them to school … taught them to work in the fields … let them play football, basketball, and baseball … loved them with a tough and tender kind of love.

Rex became a Christian in the church of Christ in Sudan. It was there that his Bible class teachers reinforced what his mother and father were teaching him at home. It was there that he made the decision to obey Jesus.

When Rex went to college at Abilene Christian and Lubbock Christian, he received teaching and saw examples that inspired him to become a teacher. He wanted to teach young people about Jesus … to help them understand that Jesus can really be their best Friend.

Rex received further Bible training at the Sunset School of Preaching in Lubbock, Texas. When he graduated, he served the Lord in Olton, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. When he returned to Sunset, he was given the opportunity to train young men and women to serve the Lord in mission fields all over the world, through the Adventures in Missions (AIM) program. In 10 years some 600 young adults made it their aim to teach the gospel in over 30 nations and over 20 states.

In the 30 years that Rex has been teaching people about Jesus, God has allowed him to preach in 12 foreign countries and some 30 states. Whether it is across the street or around the world, Rex teaches about a “real” Jesus, who offers “good news for the poor”, “grace for the sinner”, and “comfort for the broken and bruised”.

Rex has a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Lubbock Christian University and is a Licensed Social Worker. He recently completed his Master's work in Professional Counseling through Regions University in Montgomery, Alabama.

Rex is blessed with a loving family, faithful friends, and now an incredible ministry.

Evangelism takes both words and action.

Let me start with a question: What is the best thing that has happened to you over the past three months? We all love to talk about our good news.

After you have an answer in mind, move on to the more important question. Did you tell anyone about it? Odds are, you did. An old marketing adage says you tell three others when you have a great experience with a brand. A more recent study put it higher—7.44 people to be exact. In sum, “people enjoy speaking of positive news and remember good news clearly.”

God wired us to share good news. God designed us in His image, so we've taken on, at least on our better days, some of His characteristics. Like God, we love sharing wonderful news. The Scriptures even speak highly of those who do: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news” (Isaiah 52:7).

What keeps us from sharing the gospel with those who don’t know Jesus?

In order to multiply, we must speak the good news. For “how to” resources, go to http://reallifeconversion.blogspot.com/

Words and actions are like two wings of an airplane, and you won’t catch flight in witness with just one or the other.

THE Cause Circle - Featuring Derwin Gray

Taking Christianity to Hollywood

The Robertsons are spreading Jesus to the world.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/03/18/9-things-you-should-know-about-duck-dynasty/

How To Stay Motivated to Evangelize.

7 Steps of Personal Evangelism

A discussion of Jesus' method of personal evangelism demonstrated in His meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:7.

10 Things Jesus Teaches Us About Evangelism from the Woman at the Well

Click on the link below.

10 Things Jesus Teaches Us About Evangelism from the Woman at the Well 

Urgent Needs in Christ's Church Today

1.   More knocking on doors of people's hearts and less knocking down each other. The great commission calls us to busy ourselves in taking the Gospel to others (Mark 16:15). The Bible says, "speak not evil one of another" (James 4:11). It is so much better to be busy doing good rather than evil.

2.   More sound heads and fewer sore heads. Perhaps there has never been a time in the history of the church in which we have had a greater need for men sound in the faith and wise in judgment. Sometimes the voice of the wise goes unheeded and the voice of the foolish takes over. (1 Kings 12:6-8)

3.   More open hearts and fewer open mouths. All conduct proceeds from the heart. Prejudice closes the heart to a true consideration of the facts. If the heart was made right before the mouth was opened, most church problems locally and universally would cease to exist. (James 3:5, 6; Proverbs 26:20)

4.   More seed slinging and less mud slinging. The task of sowing the seed of the kingdom is so great that it should leave no time for the slinging of mud at a brother. The fact that we have the whole world as our foe should draw us closer together. (Proverbs 18:24) There should be no division in the Lord's camp (1 Corinthians 1:10). One can never whitewash himself by slinging mud at another. He who tries gets his own hands dirty.

5.   More sacrifice of self and less sacrifice of others. There are plenty of members of the church who are willing to sacrifice their other fellow his talent, his time, his money, and even perhaps his reputation. Sacrifice should begin at home (Luke 9:23).

6.   More concern over direction than speed. This is the jet, satellite and missile age. Speed is being enthroned and multitudes bow before it. But in the Lord's work, the greater question is not, "How fast are we traveling?", but rather, "Which way are we going?" (John 14:6; Matthew 7:13, 14). All speed is not progress. On the other hand, neither is standing still.

Ways to do Outreach