While it is appropriate for charismatics to be enthusiastically taking up the cause of evangelization, our enthusiasm needs to be properly channeled in order to be effective. Our best intentioned enthusiasm, like the seed which falls upon shallow soil (Mt. 13:20-21), will quickly wither unless it is wisely planted in rich soil. It is important for prayer groups and individuals to have a clear sense of direction as they seek to move forward in the decade of evangelization.
A vital first question for prayer groups to ask is: "What are we evangelizing people to?" The obvious answer is "Jesus." Yet, maybe that simple answer isn't so simple. Some people see evangelization as handing on information about Jesus-proclaiming facts about the Gospel, Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and salvation. While imparting information may be part of evangelization, it is not the whole of it. Our mission of evangelization is to bring people to the person of Jesus-to experience relationship with their Creator, Lord, and Savior. To seek anything less than that is a misunderstanding of what the Lord has called us to do.
There is still more to evangelization. Bringing people into relationship with Christ cannot be done without also bringing them into a relationship with His Body, the Church. Jesus has so identified himself with the Church that the two are inseparable. (Eph. 5:31-32) It is within the Church that the person comes to the fullness of his or her relationship with Jesus, where Jesus' life is communicated through His Word, the Sacraments, and the community. It is also within the Church where he or she fulfills Christ's command to His followers, "Love one another as I have loved you." Evangelization which stops short of calling people into active life within the Church falls short of true evangelization.
Reflecting on these two points will help us to realize that our approach and methods of evangelization are just as important as our enthusiasm. Our prayer meetings can-and should be-places where effective evangelization takes place. The main way in which newcomers are evangelized at the prayer meeting is through praise and worship. If at our prayer meetings we enter into true praise of God and times of substained worship, people will be evangelized-drawn into a desire for a deeper relationship with the Lord. But many meetings lack this vital element of deep worship. There may be a few songs, some praise and a time of praying in tongues, but the meeting quickly moves into teaching or sharing or intercessory prayer. More time is spent talking about the Lord than is spent relating to Him in worship. Yet, it is worship which does the most for newcomers as well! It also anoints the teaching or sharing or whatever else follows, and releases the charismatic gifts. If we have few newcomers visiting our meeting, perhaps we should evaluate the level of prase and worship.
Another important element of evangelization is the Life in the Spirit seminars which initiate newcomers into the Baptism of the Spirit. If our group is sincere in its desire to evangelize, we should be conducting such seminars on a frequent and regular basis. We should also take measures to insure that they are conducted in a way which does the most to truly evangelize-not just getting people to pray in tongues-but enabling them to deepen their relationship with God and commit themselves to using their gifts as full members of the Church. Our concern cannot be simply to get the person through the seminar and baptized in the Spirit. Our vision must go beyond the seminar to do all that is necessary, welcoming them into the charismatic community of people who themselves are being constantly "re-evagelized." Such efforts to make our prayer meetings and seminars truly evangelistic involve a great deal of energy. They require real enthusiasm for the Church's mission of evangelization. They require serious planning on the part of leaders, and commitment from all members. But the fruit they produce is well worth the effort. It does not quickly wither, but is fruit which lasts for the glory of God.
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