THERE are broadly two sorts of evangelism. In the primary, you assume you will have something wealthy and glorious, but appreciate that not everyone might immediately appreciate its price; so that you lower the edge so far as you may, provide your best hospitality, offer harmless incentives to get people to take the danger of entering, and serve up your offering on your individual territory.
The second kind goes to the opposite person’s territory, or seeks neutral ground, and affirms it, searching for to construct trust, express appreciation, after which complement that common ground with fresh insights of 1’s own, either by requesting the chance, or by waiting to be asked the explanation for the hope in your heart. Often, the second is the precursor to the primary.
Evangelists talk an amazing deal in regards to the unchurched, however the Church of England could reverse decline overnight by simply doing a greater job of finding ways for many who used to enjoy its life to cross the edge again. Two insights offer hope on this project. One is that church is about probably the most profound things in people’s lives. To discover what those are, one simply needs to research where people go for solace within the face of pain or joy that surpasses expression.
For a number of individuals, the reply to that query is music. If you may offer music of a top quality that yields the popularity “You needed to be there,” you’re halfway to offering something that can persuade people to cross a threshold. The second insight is that almost all individuals are embarrassed by their lack of awareness of music, and that that embarrassment is an inhibitor to their enjoyment or participation.
OUT of those two insights, “Great Sacred Music” was born. The principle is research that claims people should be in a church seven times before they feel comfortable worshipping there; so, you’ll want to give people enthralling ways to be in a church which don’t intimidate or discourage. What higher way than to supply glorious music, and accompany that music with commentary offering temporary, interesting, informative, and amusing introductions to help appreciation of each bit?
At our own church, St Martin-in the-Fields, in central London, we provide a weekly, 35-minute Thursday-lunchtime event (we don’t call it a concert or a service), where we present six choral anthems and invite those gathered to hitch (seated) in two hymns. Each piece has an introduction highlighting its theological, biographical, historical, or musical features — but with a lightness of touch that makes the event more like a playful commentary than an earnest lecture.
We offer a handout with the words of the 2 hymns, details of composers, and signposting to other events. We take a retiring collection “for many who’d like this excellent tradition to proceed”. We have been doing it since 2013 — and online also since 2020.
A programme of this sort, mixing choral and congregational singing with light-touch commentary and an unthreatening welcome, has immeasurably enhanced the enjoyment and understanding of regulars, attracted and kept many who might need found the edge of attending a Sunday or weekday worship service too daunting, and offered a method to promote a culture around music appreciation that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet is a memorable aesthetic, educational, and devotional experience. We now have spin-off events on Sunday afternoons and Monday lunchtimes.
THESE things are perfectly possible in other social and ecclesial contexts. Let’s imagine you will have a full of life tradition of visiting around one another’s denominations in a market town through the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity; an interdenominational choir could practise suitable pieces, and there could possibly be 4 or five events that transcend the difficulties presented by ecumenical worship. Or, if you will have a pattern of a Lent course, you would take five great choral works, and (months upfront) invite a choir to perform them.
The secret is to see what is feasible, and never succumb to the “If only!”, or “We can’t do this”, or “It’s all right for some” mentality. A church must strive to be what only it could actually be, and never be a failed version of someplace else. Perhaps your community has got used to online community during Covid, and kept up that practice since; possibly you would do a series that works for people as a web-based event.
And it doesn’t must be classical choral music. Some churches have used the identical format for contemporary music. We once did a Thursday lunchtime, “Great Sacred Worship Songs”. And it doesn’t must be sacred — or a minimum of, not explicitly so. Just as Sister Wendy Beckett made much of drawing out the spiritual and devotional potential of abstract art, so it doesn’t take much research to do the identical for familiar ballads or contemporary pop music.
The format can work equally well for any age group, or any social class — it is just not an élitist thing in any respect. The music doesn’t must be live: provided it’s not live-streamed, it could actually be taken off any suitable online resource. That affects the “You needed to be there” experience; but you may compensate for that by attractive types of hospitality and publicity.
IN FACT, it doesn’t must be music in any respect. Other things can move the soul profoundly: art has great potential, although ensuring everyone present has access to the image in query requires printing a leaflet, or using audio-visual facilities. The point is just not about resources, or training, or investment, or location: it’s about an infectious enthusiasm, a hospitable attitude, and a playful tone of voice. It alters the ability dynamic from “I actually have the reality and you’ll want to accept it,” to “Isn’t this beautiful and intriguing? — and here’s a joke you would possibly not find out about it.”
Fundamentally, it’s about trusting the Holy Spirit to act, provided you will have curated an acceptable environment of trust and expectation. Most of all, it is big fun — because we’re having fun with ourselves, celebrating creativity and wonder, and learning interesting things on the best way.
The Revd Dr Sam Wells is Vicar and Andrew Earis is Director of Music at St Martin-in-the-Fields within the diocese of London.
Great Sacred Music: A resource book for mission through music is published by Canterbury Press at £18.99 (CT Bookshop £15.19); 978-1-78622-573-3 (Books, 21 March).
