"The Dayspring from on      high hath visited us,   to give light to them that   sit in darkness and in the   shadow of death.   To guide our feet into   the way of peace."       - Luke 1:78-79 kjv

- Evangelism Letter From Clifton Kirkpatrick - October 5, 2004 To All Sessions in the Presbyterian Church (USA) Dear Friends in Christ: One of the deepest passions of the 216th General Assembly this year was to foster evangelism and church growth in our congregations.  To that end, the assembly asked that I write to you to encourage you in this ministry, and I am pleased to do so. We live in a time of deep spiritual hunger, which can only be truly  be by the gospel of the Jesus Christ.  In am convinced that God intends for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to be a growing denomination, and that we are being called as a  church to a fresh commitment to be "Christ's faithful evangelists." (Book of Order, G-3.0300). The starting point for all of us is prayer.  Jesus regularly went apart for prayer, and if we are to be faithful in this ministry of evangelism, we can do no less.  I want ot assure you that I will be praying for you and for all of our congregations over the year ahead as we seek to be faithful to Christ's call to "make disciples."  Please join me in praying for our church, taht we may indeed be renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit to be about his ministry of evnagelism and church growth. In recent years, the General Assembly has adopted goals that encourage church growth.  One goal is for each church to grow by at least three percent annually.  Such growth goals might be measured by increaed membership, worship attendance and by baptisms, especially of adults.  But numericla growth is just one aspect of being a growing church.  A health, growing church also includes new opportunities for growing in faith through Bible study, nurture, and community involvement. I encourage you as a session to se goals and objectives to achieve church growth for each of the next five years.  Please share those goals with your congregation, asd well as your presbytery's stated clerk and me, so that we may be in prayer for you and share with the wider church the ministry of evangelism in which your congregation is engaged. A number of resources are available to assist you.  Among them are "Living the Visition, A Commitment to Evangelism," "A Visition for Church Growth," and "Being a Welcoming Congregation."  All of these  items are available from the Presbyterian Distribution Service.  Another resource, "The Racial Ethnic Immigrant Church Growth and Evangelism Strategy," which challenges us to  increase racial ethnic membership to 10% by 2005 and 20% by 2010, is available on the PC(USA)  web site at www.pcusal.org/racialethnic/pdf/growth-strategy.pdf . It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that people come to saving faith in Jesus Christ and that churches grow.  I do believe that through the power of the Holy Spirit we can become the church God intends us to be--a church that is growing in grace, growing in numbers, and growing in faithful discipleship to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  May God richly bless your efforts to share the good news of Jesus Christ with our hungry world. Yours in Christ, Clifton Kirkpatrick Stated Clerk of the General Assembly

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