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A SEAN special training course for
local churches
This short course has the very specific aim of focusing on the theological
imperative of doing deeds of mercy as an integral part of mission, on an equal
footing with the proclamation of the gospel by word of mouth.
It is a specific tool for motivating
and enabling a local congregation to become involved in taking Christ's heart
and compassion into the world.
Clearly, there is no greater act of
love and mercy than to guide a person to saving faith in Jesus Christ, but this
course takes for granted that the students are Christians who are already
engaged in sharing the wonderful news of the Lord Jesus with others as a normal
part of their daily life.
On the other hand, sadly all too
often, deeds of mercy have become the neglected aspect of sharing the gospel
with others, although such deeds are an absolutely essential element of mission;
indeed, they alone can fully authenticate our proclamation of the gospel.
If our engagement in Christian
mission is to be genuine, deeds of mercy must certainly go hand in hand with the
proclamation of the word; they should be spontaneous outpouring of our love for
Christ, in constant and organised acts of kindness to others, and especially to
the disadvantaged. So word and deed must ever go together, in perfect balance.
The biblical way of sharing Christ by
the effective proclamation of the gospel has already been fully taught in other
SEAN courses, e.g. 'Abundant Life' (lesson 12) and the 'Life of Christ' (book 2,
lesson 10A), both supported by the widely used evangelistic leaflet 'How can I
get to know God?' (or, for children, 'Through the Gap', published in the 'Feed
my Lambs' course).
This present course concentrates on
how you can best complement your words by adding deeds of mercy to your
Christian witness. In so doing you will be following the example of our Lord
Jesus Christ in his perfectly balanced mission to mankind and obeying his most
solemn mandate to us:
As the Father has
sent me, I am sending you. (John 20:21b)
The Mission, Mercy and Me?
course consists of a student's book and a group leader's manual. The latter is
an integral and essential part of the course, and covers not only guidance for
the best way to run the group meetings, but also Bible teaching, discussion
topics, and project-planning.
The 'Study Book' includes
sections on:
The Study Method - (including home study, group meetings and practical
assignments)
Home Studies 1-5, on:
>>> Our call to mission and mercy
>>> The power of the Gospel
>>> Who is my neighbour?
>>> By word and by deed
>>> Setting up a 'mercy project
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