GUERRILLA EVANGELISM

GUERRILLA EVANGELISM  
adapted via Christianity Today 1990?

However, to many believers in England, the traditional denominations seem irrelevant. Those believers do not feel particularly bonded to others by virtue of a historic set of beliefs that would define them as Baptist, Methodist, or (Plymouth) Brethren so much as by special events and transdenominational movements.
        House church movement is a misnomer, for only a few of the churches meet in houses. They have quickly expanded into rented halls and then into their own buildings. Several number at least 1000 worshipers.
        The emphasis of the Ichthus Fellowship are representative of this restoration theme: They emphasize fellowship, structuring the church to encourage deep interpersonal sharing; mission, making evangelism and social action central rather than peripheral to church life; and training, using on-the-job learning to produce an army of well-equipped Christian workers. And they stress three attitudes: love, by which all people are to know Christ's disciples; humility, which allows them to learn from failure; and openness to the Holy Spirit, by which they are "determined not to get bogged down by dead traditions and sterile rituals." ["Rough and ready evangelism" resulted in tremendous church growth in territory that had for centuries remained obdurate to the witness of the historic churches.]
         Any student of church history would recognize those themes and attitudes as being characteristic of many manifestations of renewal through the centuries. And any student of church history knows that the green shoots of renewal can bear the thorns of elitism and authoritarianism.
Our desire is to release women as much as we can. We've been like an army fighting with one hand tied behind our back. Within evangelical circles, there's very little left of the intuitive gifts and abilities. This may sound like a sexist comment, but men tend to be more logical than women, while women are more intuitive than men. Generally speaking, because we've silenced women, we've pushed out the intuitive area of life, the vision, the leading of the Holy Spirit. Certainly Philip's daughters, Phoebe, Lydia, Dorcus, and a host of other women were active in a Spiritual way in the life of the First Century Church.
        Perhaps because pre-millennial eschatology has never flourished in England the way it has in America, British evangelicals are much more optimistic about their potential impact on society.
Charismatic worship style (although not necessarily charismatic theology) has penetrated nearly every corner of evangelicalism, shifting the focus from the liturgical and kerygmatic role of the pastor and preacher to the joyful participation of the congregation. Is this a sign of the democratization of evangelicalism???
         This charismatic-flavored evangelicalism also tends to have a strong social concern component, with activity on behalf of the poor and the unemployed viewed as an essential part of the Christian life. Is this not a people's religion?
Mike Yaconelli in "The Door": "Let's - all of us - decide to stop trying to convince the world that Christianity is true because Jesus makes us prettier, happier, thinner, wealthier, bigger, more successful, more popular, healthier, more powerful, brighter, stronger, and more influential than everyone else. Do we actually believe that the world is impressed with our fancy new churches, 12,000 in Sunday School, five services each morning, the "millions" who are watching on TV, converted beauty queens and professional athletes, our book sales, or our crusades? The world is laughing at us - mocking us and the 'Jesus' we supposedly are serving. Jesus said: "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me."