MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM ADRIAN HOLLOWAY - 1/11/09

It was a great privilege for us to have Adrian Holloway with us this Sunday to teach us about "communicating the gospel in your world"

Adrian’s main point was this….Evangelism is a process…and it is all something we can easily do! There needs to be no burden or pressure or feeling of helplessness because all that is required is for you to find people who don’t know Jesus who enjoy doing ‘the thing’ that you enjoy doing. Easy as that!!! Once you have got into relationships with those that don’t know Jesus you help them move towards God step by step….and use INTRO, Mission Groups, Sunday’s & other friends at Mosaic to help you in that process.

He helpfully highlighted that most of us give up on this type of “relational evangelism” because of the ‘set backs’ and that when we are at a ‘low point’ in our faith we “decide what we are gifted at” and evangelism is the first thing on the list to go. However once we see that “evangelism is a process” and we are to help people move “up the scale” towards God then we won’t give up when people don’t make commitments (or fall back).

Adrian looked at John 4 and the story of the women at the well and how Jesus reflects on his encounter with the women by saying to his disciples “one sows and another reaps” (vs37). Jesus saw evangelism as a process.

Finally, Adrian took us through some helpful practical pointers to get us started

(1) Leisure Time - find people who enjoy doing what you do and start doing it with them and see where things go from there….and use INTRO, Mission Group, Sunday’s and other friends at Mosaic to help you move them on.

(2) Those you work with - be a “team player” in your workplace. Build up a good reputation so people are “favourably disposed towards you.”

(3) Other people we come into contact with (e.g neighbours) - invite people around for a BBQ or to watch a band or to play football or coffee at starbucks etc.

Reflection and Application

(1) Read John 4. What lessons can you learn about relational evangelism from how Jesus interacts with this women. How “should” this conversation have gone but how does Jesus meet her where she was at?

(2) When and why have you “given up” on relational evangelism. How does Adrian’s talk help you?

(3) Do you see evangelism as a burden? If so why? How can Adrian’s talk help you?

(4) How do Jesus’ 3 stories in Luke 15 motivate you in evangelism - the lost coin, sheep + son?

(5) Which of Adrian’s 3 practical pointers can you put into practice this month (a) as an individual and (b) as a Mission Group?

(6) In the Leadership Summit Adrian said that each week at “life group” (which are equivalent to our Mission Groups) they spend 10 minutes sharing about “successes and disappointments” in conversations with people about Jesus over the last week and 10 minutes planning the next “Mission Group social(s)” where they could invite their friends to - just to hang out and get to know each others non-christian mates. Why not set 20 minutes aside in your Mission Group this week to do this.

(7) Adrian also said that with each life group they get them to write down “8 people you are connected to in London” - why not do that with your group and work out how you can start moving even just a few of these people along the scale towards God.

(8) Pray that God would raise up more people within Mosaic to into the harvest field of Leeds and be a witness to him (see Luke 10.1-2 + Matthew 9.35-38)