We might be in lockdown, but we still want to inspire you for mission in every season
About Evangelical Alliance
The Evangelical Alliance joins
together hundreds of organisations,
thousands of churches and tens of
thousands of individuals to make
Jesus known.
Representing our members since
1846, the Evangelical Alliance is the
oldest and largest evangelical unity
movement in the UK.
United in mission and voice, we exist
to serve and strengthen the work of
the church in our communities and
throughout society.
Featured Resources
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- The mantra of those
who have sought to equip
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and inspire us and encourage
us in evangelism for years
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has been that, "Mission
starts on our doorstep."
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But now, we're only
allowed out of our house
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for certain reasons,
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so what does mission
look like in lockdown?
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Well first of all, churches
have responded amazingly.
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Looking out for the vulnerable,
helping the isolated,
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Christians delivering leaflets
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to their streets offering help.
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Food banks have been
ramping up their efforts,
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churches have been
livestreaming their services
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like it's going out of fashion.
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I wish I had shares in Zoom.
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But this is also a moment
for us to think about
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how we might share our
faith with our friends
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at this time for three
really good reasons.
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First of all, the sands are
shifting beneath people's feet.
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Cultural guru, Mark Sayers, says that
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in moments of transition
people are way more open
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to the Gospel than other moments.
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This is a moment for us to
be a non-anxious presence
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and to take the opportunities
to share our faith
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with our friends.
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Secondly, we will never have
more time, for many of us,
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on our hands to be able to do so.
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I don't know about you,
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but I spend so much time with church rotas
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and traveling to and from work
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and suddenly there's a vacuum in my diary.
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What would it look like
if we invested that time
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growing and deepening
relationship with our friends,
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and our friends who don't know Jesus?
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Thirdly, the technology is amazing.
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Can you imagine coronavirus
in a time just 30 years ago
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via fax machines and pages,
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instead of video conferencing
and social media?
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What would it look like for us to run
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Christianity explored
programs, alpha courses online,
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and invite those who might
never do those courses
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if they took place in a church building?
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Paul writes in Colossians 4,
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"Devote yourselves to prayer.
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"Be watchful and thankful
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"and pray for us, too,
that God may open a door
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"for our message."
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I, like many others, pray
that prayer regularly
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for an opportunity to share
my faith with my friends.
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What if this is that moment?
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Let's not miss it.
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Let's make the most of the opportunity.
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Let's go for it.
