Chuck Lang | Discipled Evangelism Core Captain
Dear St. Peters Family, I wanted to take a moment to talk about Discipled Evangelism—a term that you may have heard recently at St. Peter's. This is one of the “Core Missions” within our Missions team, alongside others such as Life, Prison, and Human Trafficking. Together, there are eight core missions that help shape how we serve and reach out to the world.
To understand Discipled Evangelism, let’s break down the term.
Discipled: As Christians, we are called to become disciples of Christ. A Christian disciple is someone who follows Jesus, is being transformed by Jesus, and is committed to His mission. Jesus told His followers to follow Him in Matthew 4:19, and through this discipleship, we are taught and transformed to become more like Christ. Evangelism: For many, evangelism can be an uncomfortable term. It can remind us of people who might not be loving in their approach, or of individuals who come knocking on our doors to try to convert us to beliefs that aren’t aligned with the Gospel. However, for Christians, evangelism is simply the act of sharing the Gospel—the Good News of Jesus Christ—with others so they can come to know Him as Lord and Savior.
The Gospel, or Good News, is central to everything we do as Christians. The bad news is that every person has a sin problem that separates them from God (Romans 3:23). Fr. Petty’s sermon recorded on 3/9/25 is a great resource for understanding our sin problem. The Good News is that Jesus, the Son of God, came to Earth, lived the perfect life, took our sins upon Himself, and died on the cross to pay for our sins so we could have eternal life with Him in Heaven. When we put our trust in Jesus for our salvation, it is life-changing (Romans 10:9-15). Trusting Jesus alone for salvation is what makes us Christians.
If you are unsure whether you have made this trust commitment, or if you think good deeds are part of the equation, I encourage you to speak with one of our priests, our prayer team, Ben Munroe, me, or a trusted Christian friend. We’re here to help you understand the importance of trusting Jesus alone for salvation.
Evangelism is essential to everything we do at St. Peters. From our wonderful Children’s Ministry to caring for widows and the under-resourced, we intentionally share the Good News through our actions and words. Part of the Discipled Evangelism mission is to help every ministry at St. Peters share the Gospel through their ministry. For example, Susan Burton runs a Christian basketball camp where she teaches children athletic skills and life lessons, but what truly differentiates her camp is that she shares the Gospel, the life-changing message of Jesus, with the children she serves.
Discipled Evangelism takes this one step further. Its primary goal is to teach others how to lovingly and confidently share the Gospel with their friends, family, and the world. As 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” Part two of this article will run next week so be sure to check it out! If anyone has any questions in the interim they can reach out to Chuck Lang, Fr. Herb, or Ben Munroe. Together, let’s share the Good News with the world!
At St. Peters, Discipled Evangelism is teaching people to share the Good News of Jesus with family, friends and all the world! Jesus spent about three years discipling the 12 Apostles. His mission wasn’t just to prepare a place in Heaven for twelve men—it was to prepare a place in Heaven for ALL people (John 14:2-4). Jesus lived out the Gospel and taught His disciples how to pass it on to others. The early church was a great example of Discipled Evangelism. Had the 12 Apostles shared the Gospel but not taught others to do the same, Christianity would have ended after one generation. But because they shared the Gospel with others, and those people in turn shared it, the message spread, and here we are today—disciples of Christ.
Let me share a personal story to illustrate the power of Discipled Evangelism. A group of men shared the Gospel with me in my 20’s and it radically changed my life. As a result, the Gospel is being shared with all who read this article. That group of men were told about Jesus by others who were told about Jesus by someone else. It ultimately began with Jesus teaching His disciples. Isn’t that incredible? From Jesus to you here today!
So, this brings us to an important question: Why should Discipled Evangelism be important to you?
• Do you want your family and friends to join you in Heaven?
• Do you want them to experience the joy of knowing Jesus here on earth? • Are you comfortable sharing the Gospel with them in a way that is loving and compelling?
• Are you prepared to share your own faith story with them?
It’s okay if you answered “no” to the last two questions. That is why we are here. Many of us are in the same boat. I, for one, was not discipled in evangelism until many years after becoming a Christian. While I had spiritual conversations with friends, family, and co-workers, I had never been taught how to share the Gospel effectively. It wasn’t until a friend invited me to a class on evangelism that I began to learn how to share the Good News with others. That class began the second most important step of my faith journey—right behind my decision to receive Christ.
At St. Peter's, we want your friends and family to know Jesus in a saving way. Most people come to faith through relationships with others, not through a priest or a sermon. We want to help you become comfortable sharing your faith with your friends and family so God can reach them through you. We’re here to encourage and disciple you to share the Gospel in your own unique way, at your own pace. We don’t have all the answers, but we know that Jesus called us all to share the Good News.
Matthew 28:18-20: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
Resources for Discipled Evangelism:
• Fr. Herb is currently teaching a class on how to love your neighbor, with more classes to come.
• We’ll be hosting a Diocese-wide conference on sharing the Gospel in the future.
• There are excellent resources we can guide you to, such as “The God Test,” Evangelism Explosion, the FAITH outline, and Road to Romans, all great evangelism tools.
• Read your Bible every day—the New Testament is full of books sharing the Gospel. 1 John 5:13 says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
• Get involved with the other Mission Cores so you can practice sharing the Gospel with actions and words. • If you’d like more information or just want to chat, feel free to contact Fr. Herb, me, or Ben Munroe. We’d love to sit down and talk with you over a cup of coffee or tea.
Together, let’s share the Good News with the world!