As Christians, we are increasingly feeling the headwinds of secularisation. The church is shrinking, our young people are growing up in a society unfamiliar with the Christian faith. Evangelisation in our own environment is now at least as necessary as mission overseas. But sharing your faith is quite exciting. How do you do it? The IZB developed the Focus Programme precisely for churches that want to respond to this missionary calling, but are not quite sure how. This programme equips ordinary people to share their faith in their ordinary daily encounters. Rev. Klaas van Meijeren of the IZB explains how that works.
Overcoming shyness
'Everyone can be missional in their own place. Just by sharing your faith in your daily encounters. The non-believing other is not necessarily far away; it can be your brother, so to speak. You can see this in the first disciples who were called: they told about their encounter with Jesus first to the people closest to them.
This emphasis on relationships feels uncomfortable for many people. Evangelising suddenly comes much closer than when you appoint an evangelism committee for it or support a missionary abroad. Focus helps overcome that embarrassment. The focus is on personal faith relationship with Christ and following Him in all facets of life. The material is very practical. You learn to talk about your faith in a non-Christian environment.'
Careful practice
'For that personal deepening, Focus is built around circles or discussion groups. The Bible study material is aimed at getting and keeping the faith conversation going. Prayer is very important; there is plenty of room for that. Each meeting, participants are encouraged to put what they have learned into practice. This is done in very small steps and we take two years.
Equipping in the discussion groups is inextricably linked to preaching. The two reinforce each other: in the circles, what was said in the sermon can be discussed further, and in the sermon, what was discussed in the circles can be deepened. Thus, the whole congregation is involved.'
Everyone participates
"The intention of a Focus Course is for the whole congregation to participate. Every believer has a calling to be a witness to Christ in their own place. It is tempting to outsource that to the evangelism committee or a few driven people, but of course that is not biblical. All church members are equipped in church and then take that with them into daily life.'
Heeding the call
Rev Van Meijeren stressed that the Focus Path is not about big actions or all kinds of extra things 'to do'. Nor is it about changing the liturgy or the way the congregation is organised. 'It is a spiritual process. Central is the deepening of faith, concentration on Christ as the heart of the gospel, and from that the call to follow Christ in all facets of daily life.
In the guidance, the IZB wants to provide tailor-made solutions and connect to the questions of the local congregation. 'That is why we gauge in the first contacts what urgency is felt, in the congregation and with the church council. If you act together, there must also be a shared desire: after all, the church council is responsible for building up the congregation.'
Anyone can be missionary
The result of a Focus Course may not be so immediately visible because it focuses on the personal life of each church member. Susan shared what it had done to her. During her daily walk with her dog, she always listened to a Bible reflection. 'In my own Christian bubble' she tells herself. She decided to leave those earplugs at home from now on and open up a bit more to the people she met on the way. In addition to many friendly greetings, over time a personal conversation with another walker developed. They now have a cup of coffee together every week and space for a personal contact that goes deeper emerges. At another's house, parcels from different neighbours are often delivered. She found that annoying, until she realised that those unwanted parcels did provide an opportunity to have a more extended chat with neighbours. In another community, volunteers were found to lend a helping hand at a community centre. 'While doing so, I have spontaneous conversations with neighbours,' says one of them.
So you see that everyone can be missionary in their own place. Even the little things matter! It has everything to do with the moving of Jesus Christ Himself.
Focus in the CGK
Apeldoorn-Centrum is the first congregation within the CGK to follow the Focus Process. They are guided in this by missionary consultant Rev Jelle Nutma. About the choice of this trajectory, he says: "Unlike the missionary learning trajectory we offered to teams from local churches, this is a trajectory in which the congregation as a whole is included.
Focus in your municipality
Want to know more about a Focus process in your municipality? Check out www.izb.nl/focus and contact missionary consultant Rev Jelle Nutma, at j.nutma@cgk.nl
