ABSTRACT Excited to Share: A Process for Energizing the Practice of Evangelism through Evangelism Sodalities C. Ross Chandler Faculty Supervisor: Andrew Arterbury, Ph.D. Today’s church needs a process of evangelism that will energize its faithful practice. The purpose of this research project was to discover what effect an “Evangelism Sodality” intervention would have in helping Christians to be more faithful in practicing evangelism in their daily lives. A sodality, derived from the Latin word sodalitas meaning companionship, is a fellowship of people who come together in unity for a shared purpose. The intervention was based on research gathered from a ten-week “Evangelism Sodality.” Seven participants will partake in a ten-week study discussing the “Excited to Share” curriculum, praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit, and practicing evangelism in their daily lives. Using qualitative research methodology, the effectiveness of this “Evangelism Sodality” will be tested to determine if it resulted in a more faithful practice of evangelism in the participants’ lives. The data will be collected from interviews before and after the ten-week “Evangelism Sodality.” This project is based on biblical and theological foundations. The project’s effects upon the participant’s faithful practice of evangelism was immensely positive. The data demonstrated that the participants in the experimental group were energized in their practice of evangelism with five out of seven participants experiencing significant transformation. Conclusive evidence demonstrates a need to expand the length of the project for the local church. Excited to Share: A Process for Energizing the Practice of Evangelism through Evangelism Sodalities A Culminating Project Report Submitted to the Faculty of George W. Truett Theological Seminary Baylor University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Ministry By C. Ross Chandler Waco, Texas May 2016 Copyright © 2017 by C. Ross Chandler All rights reserved CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................... viii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................ ix CHAPTER ONE Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................................1 Problem Statement ................................................................................................1 Purpose Statement .................................................................................................3 Rationale for the Project: Understanding Postmodern Culture.............................4 Research Questions .............................................................................................10 CHAPTER TWO Evangelism in the Biblical Narrative ..............................................................................11 The Global Intent of God in the Old Testament .................................................11 The Global Intent of God (Genesis 12 and Isaiah 49) ............................13 Conclusions from the Old Testament .....................................................18 Faithful Witness to Jesus in the New Testament ................................................19 The Holy Spirit as Evangelist (Acts 2:1–21) ..........................................20 Speaking in Tongues (Acts 2:4–12) ............................................22 The Spirit’s Eschatological Power (Acts 2:14–36) .....................25 The Significance of Narrative for Evangelism (Acts 2:16–36) ..............27 A Kingdom Framed Narrative ....................................................29 An Invitational Narrative ............................................................32 A Witness So People Can Believe (John 3:11–17) .................................34 iii The Kerygma of Witness ............................................................36 Conclusions from John 3:11–17 .................................................44 Invitational Witness from Unexpected Sources (John 4:28–42) ............45 The Tainted Woman Witness (John 4:28–30; 39–42) ................49 Conclusions from John 4:28–42 .................................................56 An Ethical Witness and Process of Conversion (John 9:13–39) ............56 An Ethical Witness (John 9:25) ..................................................57 Ethical Witness as Authentic ......................................................58 Ethical Witness as Public ............................................................61 The Ethics of Success .................................................................62 Conclusions from John 9:25 .......................................................65 Theological Conclusions from Evangelism ........................................................66 The Power of the Holy Spirit ..................................................................68 The Holy Spirit and the Kingdom ...............................................70 Regaining the Arrabon ................................................................71 The Spirit’s Work in the Life of Witness....................................74 Evangelism: Narrative Invitational Witness to the Kingdom .................77 Stories in Collision ......................................................................82 The Full Gospel Narrative ..........................................................84 The Invitation to Change Stories ................................................87 Practicing Ethical Evangelism ................................................................90 The Nature and Humanity of Authentic Witness ........................90 A Motive that Fits the Kerygma..................................................92 iv Witness of Living the Kingdom of God .....................................95 Forming an Ethic of Respect.....................................................101 The old telos of love: conversion ..................................102 A new telos of love: respect ..........................................104 Conclusion of Practicing Ethical Evangelism ...........................108 CHAPTER THREE The Intervention ............................................................................................................109 Introduction .......................................................................................................109 Description of the Intervention .........................................................................109 Research Questions ...........................................................................................110 Description of the Method ................................................................................112 Role of the Researcher ......................................................................................113 Entering the Field ..............................................................................................113 Obtaining the Sample ........................................................................................113 Collection of Data .............................................................................................114 Data Reporting ..................................................................................................115 Validity and Reliability .....................................................................................115 Ethical Issues ....................................................................................................116 Conclusion ........................................................................................................117 CHAPTER FOUR Statement of Findings ...................................................................................................118 Initial Findings from the Pre-Intervention Interview ........................................119 Finding One ..........................................................................................119 v Finding Two ..........................................................................................122 Finding Three ........................................................................................124 Finding Four..........................................................................................126 Primary Findings ...............................................................................................127 Finding One ..........................................................................................127 Finding Two ..........................................................................................131 Finding Three ........................................................................................133 Finding Four..........................................................................................137 Secondary and Unexpected Findings ................................................................140 Secondary Finding One.........................................................................140 Secondary Finding Two ........................................................................141 Secondary Finding Three ......................................................................142 Conclusion ........................................................................................................142 CHAPTER FIVE Evaluation of the Project ...............................................................................................144