By Rev. Kathleen Kline Chesson
Recently, I have been intrigued by Adam Hamilton’s book Selling Swimsuits in the Arctic: Seven Simple Keys to Growing Churches. In the book the story is told of Bob, a gifted and successful swimsuit salesman who, upon a necessary move to Barrow, Alaska, sought to continue his passion for his product in a climate that never reached above 50 degrees in the warmest months.
He found that the techniques he employed when living in Florida didn’t anymore work. He couldn’t sell his beloved product in a climate that was not consistent with his customer’s needs.
So his challenge lay in wrestling with the question, do the people really need what I am offering?
As I approach the enormity of the challenge ahead of us at First Christian — learning to share far more effectively, genuinely, openly and enthusiastically the passion we have for the gifts of Jesus Christ — this first question begs all of our personal discernment. In other words, our ability to be effective Christian leaders is tied to our own commitment to Christ and how well we are tending to our spiritual lives. “You cannot lead people where you yourself are not going” (Selling Swimsuits in the Arctic, p. 12).
Martha Grace Reece, in her seminal series, Unbinding the Gospel, discovered throughout her extensive research in the area of contemporary Christian evangelism, a number of consistent factors in churches that were growing. She defines the “most important” discovery in her research as that “a vivid relationship with God lies at the heart of real evangelism.” (Unbinding the Heart, p. 4)
Churches that are doing wonderful evangelism have three important things in common:· They are in love with God. They also involved in a church that they love. They also care deeply about other people who do not live with this faith.· People in these churches can tell you what difference being a Christian/a person of faith makes in their own lives.· Key leaders in these churches of every theological stripe hold their churches to a “laser-like” focus on “church members growing relationship with Christ, and sharing their faith with others.
At its core, continues Reese, evangelism is “people sharing with others their personal understandings that life is better, richer, truer if one has faith in Christ and lives in a faith community.” (Unbinding the Heart, p. 5)
Working with a “think tank” of FCC members who are excited about growing our ability to share our faith is helping us to consider the steps we need to take as a church to grow and prosper in these times. We have just begun our work. Reading Unbinding Your Heart has become a first step among one group of individuals meeting Monday evenings during Lent. Stasia Fine’s forward thinking leadership as chair of the Evangelism Council is contributing to this effort. And the work of a small group of concerned participants (Stasia Fine, Jeannine Schroeder, Ron and Cherie Hutchison, Michael Lane, Mark Granfors-Hunt, Phil Gilliland) is working towards defining a process that can be embraced by the entire congregation.
For now, I ask you, the congregation and readers of this extraordinary Newsletter, three questions to ponder. Why do people need Jesus Christ? Why do people need the church? Why do people need First Christian Church? I would love to hear from you as you wrestle with your own answers. Email me at
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Second, I would ask you to read the "Lenten Meditation for First Christian" that I have written which appears on page 6 and think about the issues I have raised. We are an amazing and mighty congregation of people committed to sharing the love we know in Jesus Christ. In order to do that, we ourselves must be willing to consider the realities that shape our future. Jesus lived with an urgency concerning his mission and ministry. It is our time for urgency.
With faith and hope, Your Pastor,
Kathleen
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