Witness Ministries (W) By Julia Kuhn Wallace
The ministry of witness gives people the opportunity to share their faith understanding of personal and corporate salvation, reconciliation, worship, celebration, spiritual development, and discipline. It also provides people with opportunities to share their faith with other persons and to work for justice, righteousness, and the redemption of the world.
A Biblical and Theological Basis
The Book of Discipline defines the work of witness ministries: “The witness ministries . . . shall give attention to developing and strengthening evangelistic efforts of sharing of personal and congregational stories of Christian experience, faith, and service; communications; lay speaking ministries; and other means which give expressions of witness for Jesus Christ” (¶252.2.c).
Witness Ministries Today
Most people who become members of churches with small membership are
attracted to the congregation because of one or more of the following reasons:
● They are born into the congregation.
● They are attracted to the ministry of the pastor, often because of the pastor’s ministry to them during a personal crisis.
● They find a warm, intimate, family-type fellowship in the congregation.
● They are able to fill a need in the church’s ministry.
● They are recruited through participation in a fellowship or service group related to the church, for example, the choir, Scouts, and so forth.
Expanding Our View of Witness Ministries
The Great Commission of Jesus Christ is plain and simple: Christians are supposed to tell others about the gospel and encourage them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. There are four building blocks for witness ministries in any church, including the small church:
● a concern for unchurched persons living in your community and a willingness to befriend these persons with Christian love
● a commitment to talk to God about your concern for these persons
● a willingness to develop effective and appropriate skills for sharing your faith with those who have no faith or who may have lost it along the way, which includes planning for witness ministries in your church
● a pastor and lay leaders willing to teach members of your church how to accomplish the first three building blocks.
Examples of Witness Ministries
There is a close parallel between witness and outreach ministries, especially those that address the structures and values of society and move toward justice and righteousness. Witness ministry, alone, may seem unclear and may happen (if it does happen) with little focus or intentionality. Be concerned and mindful about sharing the Good News.
These ideas are intended to generate the development of witness ministries in your church rather than to serve as a grab bag for activity.
Speaking and Word Witness Ministries
● Church members visiting with their friends, relatives, coworkers, fellow students, church visitors, and others about the meaning of the Christian faith
●A door-to-door community canvass, including the extension of an invitation to worship (using brochures or informative doorhangers—like the ones pizza shops use)
● Providing worship services at nursing homes
● Sponsoring a lay speaking course in your church
● Offering a concert with contemporary Christian music, open to the community, or having outdoor tent revival services.
Doing and Action Witness Ministries
● Making the church sanctuary available to the community for funerals,
memorial services, and weddings (with clear policies approved by the
trustees)
● Offering ecumenical worship services
● Peaceful protests and demonstrations in the community to bring about
awareness of social ills and to press for actions to resolve those problems
● Church-sponsored scholarship program for graduating seniors
● Recycling
● Mobilization of community resistance to hard liquor sales, drug sales and use, gambling, or other activities destructive to the community
● A preschool program with Christian emphasis
● A newsletter mailed to all the people in the community
● A presentation of The Last Supper, Nativity, or Easter drama, open to the entire community Community youth groups that seek youth from the entire community
● A revival or church renewal day that offers contemporary ways to pray and experience God, planned by people from the church and community
● A Christian recreation program for children during the summer
● Settings for recovering addicts who want to live the Christian life
● Lay Speaking courses
● Family, youth, or children's rallies
● A new prayer list for "People who do not know Christ," even if you cannot pray for them by name
● Personal testimonies of what God is doing in people's lives. Provide settings for this type of sharing in worship and the necessary training
Doing/Action Witness Ministries
● A church-sponsored county fair booth, offering free, cold water and a place to sit in the shade
● A playground for children (newly built or refurbished)
● A community prayer service at a time and place of local tragedy
● A backyard Vacation Bible school in host members' homes for children around them who are not a part of the church
● A refreshed appearance of the church (by painting inside or out, updating the church sign, landscaping, interior cleaning, repairs)
Good Communication Enhances Witness
Effective smaller congregations use good public relations techniques. Some churches may feel uneasy about thinking of public relations as a way to witness to their faith. However, it is an indispensable part of witnessing to the local community.
There are three important keys to doing effective public relations. They are:
advertise, advertise, and advertise. That is, keep the story of your church’s ministries in front of the public as much as possible. This can be achieved in several ways:
● Place temporary signs in front of the church. These signs should be attractively designed and used to promote such activities as vacation Bible school, special seasonal programs, rally days, and so forth.
● As a general rule, make some recognizable change to the outside of your church building and property annually. This reminds the community that your church is active and present within the community and gives it a fresh look. The change need not be substantial. Something as simple as putting an attractive canvas banner across the front of the building, planting different colored annual flowers, or painting the front door a different color is enough to attract the attention of those who pass by.
● Make good use of your local newspaper. While it is helpful to include your church in the listing of worship services, articles describing the ministries of your congregation and upcoming events are more effective.
● When decorating the church for celebrations, do not forget the outside of the building. Wreaths and lights are helpful during Advent and Christmas. A simple wooden cross draped with purple fabric during Lent and changed to white during Eastertide is especially attractive
