“One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus.” John 1:40-42a
“We have found the Messiah!” With these resounding words, Andrew was being an evangelist to Simon Peter, his brother. In that singular moment, Andrew’s declaration altered the course of Peter’s history.
In his eagerness to share the good news, Andrew embodies the essence of being an evangelist—the sacred duty to bear witness to the transformative power of Jesus Christ. His example beckons us to embrace our role as messengers of hope and redemption. In a world gripped by uncertainty and despair, the need for evangelists has never been more urgent.
A Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) Task Force urges us to renew our commitment to lay training and the development of the evangelist’s role. In response to this call, the Texas District embarked on a journey of discovery and empowerment, equipping the baptized to proclaim, “We have found the Messiah!”
Recommendation 7 of the 2013 Resolution 4-06A Task Force Report to the Synod states:
District lay training programs are to be commended with thanksgiving for the many willing lay servants who seek further theological education and desire to serve in various capacities in their congregations. The task force recommends that a major emphasis in lay training programs be placed on the role of evangelist and the task of outreach in the increasingly diverse and challenging world of the U.S.
Recommendation 8 states:
In conjunction with recommendation 7, the task force recommends that congregations and districts be encouraged to identify individuals for special training in and attention to evangelism. As individuals are identified, we encourage congregations and districts to facilitate their training both through existing synodical efforts and programs and in special, intensive training through district lay programs.
We are confronted here with a profound truth: the Gospel is meant to be shared. “We have found the Messiah!” is a message of hope, redemption, and reconciliation—a message that has the power to transform lives, communities, and nations.
Like Andrew, we can embrace this calling with fervor and dedication. I invite you to seize the opportunity to become a Certified Evangelist of the Texas District, equipped and empowered to proclaim the Good News, saying, “We have found the Messiah!”
Our Texas District evangelist training program is for the many willing lay servants who seek further theological education and desire to serve in various capacities in their congregations. We have placed major emphasis on the role of evangelists and the task of outreach in the increasingly diverse and challenging world of the U.S.
Join us as we identify individuals for special training in and attention to evangelism. Could you be one? As individuals are identified, we are facilitating intensive training through our district lay evangelist program.
Embark with us on this exciting journey with the newly developed Evangelist Training Curriculum of the Texas District.
For more information, visit https://txlcms.org/lay-evangelist-training/.
Join us as we together say: “We have found the Messiah!”
By Deaconess Noemí Guerra
Districtwide Evangelist Development Leader