Many Protestant congregations struggle with the place of the "E" word in their life and ministry. The "E" word is evangelism. Oops! I'm sorry. I did not actually mean to say the word. I know even saying the word is offensive to some of you. Well, I would politely ask you to get over it. Do not force me to use a euphemism. You and I will both do better if we just call it evangelism.
Perhaps you prefer the word reconciliation. It is fancier, open to broader interpretations, and makes you sound sophisticated. Few people understand the word. It creates a sense of mystery, and gives you permission to either not understand it, or to define it how ever you want to define it.
The standby word of transformation may fit better for you. For many transformation has individual, organizational, and societal implications. Transformation has both a destination and a journey side to it. The destination side is event oriented. What is the day when you became transformed? The journey side has to do with continually transforming once you have decided to focus on transformation.
However, you define it, the term evangelism deals with the words in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 about people being reconciled to God. It is about the debate between individual, organizational, and societal transformation. It is about individual salvation.
In way too many situations people do not understand evangelism. Or, they are turned off by their image of people known as evangelists. Or, they are unsure of their own salvation and nervous that someone is going to ask them about it. Or, they see evangelism as the pastor's task and not something they need to know much about. Or, pastors, staff, and lay leaders do not feel they have the gift of evangelism and thus they do it badly, and are embarrassed to talk about it.
It is important to understand the difference between evangelism, new member recruitment, and new member assimilation. Some congregational leaders believe these are all the same, or at least they cannot define the difference between the three. While a lot can be said about new member recruitment and new member assimilation, let's focus on understanding evangelism, and the other words of reconciliation and transformation.
