Gospel Call: Agenda Outline

Gospel Call, a faith renewal event bringing Christians together for worship, community, and mission, is a parish mission with an ecumenical spin. Instead of just one preacher, there are two (a Catholic and a Protestant) and the co-sponsoring congregations in a neighborhood/area take turns hosting the various events. Gospel Call is now being offered in two models:

Gospel call…

Rev. Thomas Ryan, CSP and Rev. John Armstrong.

The missioners meet with the planning committee on Saturday to “walk through” the events. During the week:

On Sunday the missioners split up and preach individually in as many of the services in the co-sponsoring congregations as is logistically possible.

5:00 p.m. Potluck Supper

7:30 p.m. Worship service (theme: Called) 
with singing, scriptural lesson, team preaching by missioners, and symbolic action.

Daytime Bible study

7:30 p.m. Worship service (theme: Life in Community)
with singing, scriptural lesson, team preaching by missioners, and symbolic action.
Followed by refreshments/ social.
 

Morning session on “Your Work as a Spiritual Path”

7:30 p.m. Worship service (theme: Sent)
with singing, scriptural lesson, team preaching by missioners, and symbolic action.
Followed by refreshments/social.

12:00 p.m.-1:30pm Spiritual Gifts We Offer One Another 
Presentation and discussion with lunch

7:00 p.m. Theme: Together in Mission
Members of the co-sponsoring congregations involved in ministries such as adult education, youth ministry, social justice outreach, care of the sick meet to share with one another what they’re doing, the resources/methods they find helpful, and whether there is anything in which they might be able to act together or support each other’s efforts. Missioners facilitate debriefing. Evening opens and closes with brief period of worship and song.
Followed by social.

Cost: $2500, plus transportation, room and board

In the morning the missioners will lead a bible study on our call to unity, followed by a session on the spiritual gifts offered by the different traditions of Christian faith. After lunch, participants will engage in discussions in interest groups relating to adult education, social justice outreach, youth ministry, and care givers. The afternoon will end with a worship service on the theme of Life in Community, with singing, scriptural lesson, team preaching by missioners, and a symbolic action.

The missioners preach individually in as many of the services in the co-sponsoring congregations as is logistically possible.

5:30 Potluck

7:00 Worship service (theme: Sent) 
with singing, scriptural lesson, team preaching by missioners, and symbolic action.

Cost: $1800, plus transportation, room and board

Rev. Thomas Ryan, CSP, served 14 years as director of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism and 5 years founder-director of Unitas, an ecumenical center for spirituality, before answering the call of his Paulist community in 2000 to establish and develop the work of a Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations in Washington, D.C. Tom is the author of fourteen books and over 125 articles in a wide variety of journals, and editor of the quarterly online journal Koinonia.

Rev. Dr. John Armstrong is the president and founder of ACT 3 Network, a mission for empowering leaders and churches for unity in Christ’s mission. He is a minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America. He is also an adjunct professor of mission at Wheaton College Graduate School and the author/editor of thirteen books, including Your Church Is Too Small: Why Unity in Christ’s Mission Is Vital to the Future of the Church and The Unity Factor: One Lord, One Church, One Mission.  www.act3network.com. 

If you are interested in this faith renewal event for a cluster of local congregations in your town or city, contact Tom Ryan at 202-269-2511 or  [email protected].