Annual Conference Workshop: Community Engagement and Evangelism
Are you uncomfortable when you hear the term "Evangelism?" This presenter admittedly is. But that's mainly because we've long misunderstood what Jesus wants us to do in evangelism.
In this workshop from Annual Conference 2026, Rev. Bryan Tener of UMC Discipleship Ministries took a look under the hood of evangelism and discipleship to help us understand what they are and how we may already be practicing them– right in our own context and community. Tener explores how discipleship, community engagement, and evangelism work together to form disciples who embody and share the love of Christ in everyday life. Participants will discover practical ways to build authentic relationships in their communities, discern where God is already at work, and share their faith with humility and hope. Rooted in Wesleyan theology, he offered simple practices that help congregations move from programs to a culture of relational, everyday evangelism.
Tener began by asking to focus on what it is people are looking for. He suggested people are searching for belonging, purpose, connection, and hope. People want to be accepted first and foremost. Without being accepted, they are unlikely to build a relationship with you. People also want to know that they make a difference, that their life matters in this world.
To practice evangelism is to first "See the People", a theme of Discipleship Ministries. We need to see them, show them by our Wesleyan-inspired lives that they matter, and that their gifts matter. Tener read Luke 10 aloud and then paraphrased Jesus' message in these six actions:
- Go
- Stay
- Eat
- Receive
- Heal
- Announce Peace
Tener is an avid gym member and disciples through real, organic connection there.
"Our relationships cannot be forced," he said. They must be organic. If we are not authentic, people's intuition will instantly sense that and trust will not grow. "Trust grows over time," he said. Relationships must be life-giving, and any relationship requires an investment of time. He referenced Acts 17, saying that before Paul spoke, he listened, he learned, and he looked for God. Genuine curiosity is what drives us to invite others to share, and us to listen to their story.
He asked participants to examine their own lives, to explore how they feel belonging, mattering, and the sharing of life with others. Community is the fertile soil that allows us to "become something we could not become alone," he said.
In closing, Tener offered "Rules of Life for Witness." The rules are simple discipline; daily, weekly, monthly, and always, look for ways to learn about others by seeing, listening, showing up, and discerning. He reassured us that the Holy Spirit is already at work in us, and the invitation God offers is to join God in connecting with others in the slow and disciplined process of building Christian community.
