READING & DISCUSSION
In the discussion area below, share your thoughts on how these interviews intersect with the points of view offered in the secularity symposia - through Rolheiser's commentary and the keynote/authors' perspectives on the notion of secularity and the Gospel. What might those authors say about the men and women interviewed here and how might they respond?
RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT
Research and locate one evangelical outreach initiative done by a Christian church (this can include Protestant, Catholic, Evangelical, etc.). You will present your findings to the class in our next session. Some things that would be good to include in your research and presentation:
* the details of the initiative (if necessary, email the instructor any pictures, links, resources, etc. that you would like to share with the rest of the class); in this, be sure to include the basics (what church, where is it, who runs it, when does it happen, etc.).
* who is involved in the process: the planners, the implementation team, the recipients of the evangelization (i.e. who are they targeting in their evangelization work?), the funders/supporters, etc.
* what happens: provide the details on how this evangelical outreach model is carried out; provide any timeline, as necessary.
* how it is supported and/or funded: what mechanism from the church supports and/or funds this initiative?
* where it takes place: specifically, where in the community does this happen? at local secular establishments? in the neighborhoods? door to door? in the workplace? at the school? (or a combination of these).
* if known, what are the results? how successful has this outreach been? how many years has it taken place - and have they noticed any trends in the process, year after year? what is the gauge of success (i.e. attendance at services, registrations, small groups, etc.)? what are the plans for the future?
You may be able to find this out through websites, books, or articles - or you may need to contact the church for more information. You may need to conduct an interview with a staff member - and if this is the case, please share the fruits of those conversations.
In all of this, keep an eye on how we can learn from these models. If your particular community/experience decided to do this very same model of evangelization, what would need to be adjusted, if anything? How might the various factors (who, what, where, support, etc.) be different in your particular context? How do these models intersect our discussions regarding: young adult statistics (Pew, CARA, etc.); the various types of young adults and various young adult experiences (Sons & Daughters, Smith, Wuthnow, Hayes, etc.); the mission field and the missionary call (Rivers, USCCB, etc.); and the field of secularity (Rolheiser et al.)?
Keep all these factors in mind as you research and present this information. Good luck!
* if known, what are the results? how successful has this outreach been? how many years has it taken place - and have they noticed any trends in the process, year after year? what is the gauge of success (i.e. attendance at services, registrations, small groups, etc.)? what are the plans for the future?
You may be able to find this out through websites, books, or articles - or you may need to contact the church for more information. You may need to conduct an interview with a staff member - and if this is the case, please share the fruits of those conversations.
In all of this, keep an eye on how we can learn from these models. If your particular community/experience decided to do this very same model of evangelization, what would need to be adjusted, if anything? How might the various factors (who, what, where, support, etc.) be different in your particular context? How do these models intersect our discussions regarding: young adult statistics (Pew, CARA, etc.); the various types of young adults and various young adult experiences (Sons & Daughters, Smith, Wuthnow, Hayes, etc.); the mission field and the missionary call (Rivers, USCCB, etc.); and the field of secularity (Rolheiser et al.)?
Keep all these factors in mind as you research and present this information. Good luck!
