We are beginning today a new series with a theme of invitation. Invitation is a powerful word. Invitation speaks of welcome and belonging. There is a sense of excitement behind an invitation—there’s something happening and you want to be a part of it. An invitation says you can be.

In this journey we will celebrate the various ministries and missions of our church—today, Christian Education for example. In the celebration, there are two invitations. One is an invitation for you to participate in one or more of the ministries and missions of the church. The second invitation is for you to invite someone else, someone outside the church to participate with you.

I’ve thought for a long time about what I might say about this journey. I want it to be a celebration of the many ways God is moving and working through this church. And it will be that. But there is also a sobering reality that motivates this series. We are not an inviting congregation. We are a welcoming congregation—visitors and new members give us high marks as a welcoming congregation. But, we are not an inviting congregation.

Surely, by now, you have read something I’ve written or heard me say something about church statistics regarding invitations. The national average, when visitors are asked why they chose to visit a particular church, the national average show by far the number one response to be "someone invited me." 80% of first time visitors say the primary reason they visited a church for the first time is someone invited them. Reading several different magazine articles that cited that statistic made me curious about our statistic at Shepherd of the Hills. So, I looked back at the responses from inquirers classes over the last several years. When participants in an inquirers class are asked, "How did you first hear about Shepherd of the Hills and choose to visit?" the percentage who responded "someone invited me" is 7%. 80% vs. 7%! Shepherd of the Hills family, we simply have to do better than that.

The sobering reality behind this series is this, if we do not become a more inviting church, our future as a church is very much in jeopardy. We cannot afford to sit back and hope people will come to us. We must go to people and invite them to discover the good news of Jesus Christ that is happening at Shepherd. That is the celebration piece—celebrating the ministries and missions happening here, inviting your participation and inviting others to participate. But the sobering reality behind the series is if we don’t become a more inviting church, we’re not going to make it. And, frankly, the second sobering reality behind this series is this, if we do not become a more inviting church, we don’t deserve to make it. Because it ought to be in the DNA of every church, it ought to be in the DNA of every Christ-follower an awareness of the good news that is ours in Jesus Christ, an awareness of the need of others around them for the good news of Jesus Christ in their lives, and a calling to invite others to come and discover that good news with them. That is what Christ calls His church to do.

So, yes, we want to celebrate the ministries and missions taking place at Shepherd of the Hills, ministries and missions that are expressions of the good news of Jesus Christ. Yes, we want to invite you to discover the joy of serving Christ in these ministries and missions He has called us to. And, yes, we want to invite you to invite others to come and discover that joy for themselves. We want to celebrate the gifts of what is happening here at Shepherd of the Hills. But, a part of that is also the sobering reality—if we don’t become a more inviting congregation, we’re not going to make it…and don’t deserve to.

I serve on the Board of Directors for the Jeffco Action Center (JAC). A few years ago, JAC undertook a new format for fundraising which basically allows JAC to continue its service to the homeless and needy in the community. The model used comes from an organization called Benevon. Basically, there are four steps involved in the model: 1. Point of Entry; 2. Follow Up; 3. Ask for Money (specifically through special events like an informational breakfast held in May that many of you here attend); 4. Introduce Others. One thing that has caught my attention in my service on the board is where the issues we discuss on the board intersect, or are related to issues we face in the church. What interests me in this model, in relationship to our topic for today, are points one and four. JAC discovered in this process the importance of personally introducing people to the good work that is happening there. Thus, "Points of Entry," or POE’s as JAC calls them, involve inviting someone, or some group, to come to JAC for a tour. Follow up begins with simply asking how the tour went for them. For those who express interest in the work of JAC, they’re invited to the breakfast or invited to explore other ways they might become involved in the work of JAC. Then, they are asked who might be someone they know whom we should invite for a POE. It makes me think, what is the "point of entry" for someone in our church? How do we "introduce others" to come and see the good things that are happening here? It begins with an invitation. Oh, there are some who have heard of the Jeffco Action Center and contact the Center for more information. But by far, the point of entry occurs with an invitation from someone already involved with JAC. So it must be for the church. We simply must become a more inviting congregation, creating "points of entry" for others to come and see the good things that are happening here. That is the purpose of this series.

Today our focus is on "Proclaiming the good news." That comes from something we’ll be referring to periodically throughout this series—the Nine Marks of Active Membership listed in our Book of Order. "Active membership" is how they are titled in the Book of Order, but I also think of them as the Nine Marks of a Christ-follower. This is what an active member, a disciple, a Christ-follower looks like:

In sum, this is what the invitation consists of—an invitation to participate in these "marks" as an expression of your following Jesus Christ, or for a non-Christian an invitation to discover the joy and meaning of a life founded in Christ. Today, our focus is on "proclaiming the good news."

Yet, the truth of the matter is that proclaiming the good news weaves its way through all the other eight expressions of discipleship. I believe that is why it is listed first. In "taking part in the common life and worship of a particular church" good news proclamation is going on. In "working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment" there is good news proclamation taking place. "Proclaiming the good news" weaves its way through the other eight expressions of following Christ.

A few years ago, in an Inquirers Class, we were going over these Nine Marks of Membership, highlighting them as goals to strive for in one’s membership in the church. Someone in the class questioned the statement that one’s active membership included "proclaiming the good news." "That’s the pastor’s job," was the response. Now, that’s not an unusual response. On the surface, that does seem like the pastor’s job. The thinking goes like this, "proclaiming the good news" means preaching, I don’t preach, the pastor preaches, therefore proclaiming the good news is the pastor’s job, not mine!" My suggestion was, and continues to be, think of proclaiming the good news in a much bigger context than preaching. Yes, preaching is one form of proclaiming the good news, but there are many others. As I said earlier, all other eight expressions of active membership include some form of proclaiming good news. At times, the proclamation of good news is in our actions, our deeds. "Serving others" may involve few words, but our actions speak loudly the good news of the gospel. At times, the proclamation of good news is in our words. If we’re not telling others what motivates our service, if we’re not telling others that it is Jesus Christ who fuels our attempts at bringing peace, justice, freedom and human fulfillment to the world, we are indistinguishable from any other service club or government agency. How will they know Jesus Christ if we don’t tell them? In our Scripture reading for today, for example, what the Ethiopian eunuch needed was someone to explain the passage from Isaiah he was reading. The Ethiopian’s response to Philip’s question, "Do you understand what you are reading?" touches my heart. "How can I," he replies, "unless someone explains it to me?" He didn’t need at the time the service of someone else in, say, fixing a broken wheel on his chariot. He didn’t need at that moment the witness of Philip living a new quality of life within and through the church. What he needed was for someone to proclaim the good news to him by explaining the passage of Scripture he was reading. Philip’s willingness, his readiness to do so results in a new believer! The Ethiopian eunuch is baptized and Philip is off to the next adventure prompted by the Holy Spirit.

I think "proclaiming the good news" is foundational to the life of a disciple and foundational to the ministry of a church. All the other marks of following Christ will flow out of this one. Therefore, we must be clear about the issue of good news in our lives.

To begin with, we must be clear what the good news is. All around us is good news—the birth of a new baby, the landing of a new job, increased value in a stock portfolio, a Rockies win, hopefully, a Broncos win, hopefully—all good news! THE good news is that Jesus Christ has secured our future, forgiven our past and made meaningful our present through His death and resurrection and His Spirit’s presence with us today. THE good news is Jesus Christ. Philip, responding to the need of the Ethiopian eunuch, " began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus." So, let’s be clear—the good news we proclaim is THE good news of Jesus Christ. First, that.

Then, in order to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, we must learn and grow more and more in our knowledge of Him. Knowing THE good news is Jesus Christ is basic, the foundation. Knowing more and more about Jesus Christ builds upon that foundation, builds a greater awareness of the good news in our lives. That is why Christian Education, the ministry we celebrate today, is so important. Through Christian Education we not only teach the good news and hear it proclaimed through that teaching, but we learn and grow in greater appreciation and application of that good news in our lives. One mark of active membership that is present in Christian Education is "Praying and studying Scripture and the faith of the Christian Church." In addition, as one grows in one’s understanding of the good news of Jesus Christ, one is guided to "demonstrate a new quality of life within and through the Church," one is inspired to "serve others," to "live responsibly" in all areas of one’s life, and to "work in the world for peace, justice, freedom and human fulfillment." Growing in our knowledge and understanding of who Jesus Christ is inspires us to respond with a new quality of life and service to others. Christian Education helps us grow.

So, you’re invited to explore the proclamation of the good news that is taking place in our Christian Education program. And you’re encouraged to invite others to come with you. I believe the Christian Education Committee has done due diligence in putting together a program that proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ that leads to so many other joyful expressions of His presence in our lives. Through Growing in God’s Word classes—offerings for fall including The Names of God, A Short Course in the Christian Faith as well as mid-week Alpha classes, ongoing Disciple classes and the women’s Bible study on Thursday mornings—we practice the mark of "…studying Scripture and the faith of the Christian Church." Responding to what we learn in the Growing Closer to God track—offerings in the fall include a study and discussion of John Ortberg’s book, If You Want to Walk on Water You Have to Get Out of the Boat, as well as the Sunday Morning Prayer time or small groups through Companions in Christ—we practice the mark of "…demonstrating a new quality of life within and through the church." And through Stepping Out in Faith and the various forums being offered on such topics as Eldercare, Conserving Energy, and Surving the Holidays, we practice the mark of "living responsibly in the personal, family, vocational, political, cultural and social relationships of life" as well as "working in the world for peace, justice, freedom and human fulfillment." Christian Education helps us to live out the various marks of active membership, the marks of following Jesus Christ as His disciple. All of it is proclamation of the good news! And you’re invited to participate. And you’re invited to invite others to participate. For how will they know unless you tell them?