Evangelists

Why ‘barefoot’ and ‘evangelist’?

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I often get questions about why I chose the title Barefoot Evangelist for my website. The questions are mostly about the ‘evangelist’ part, if we are being honest.

The ‘barefoot’ is pretty straight forward. I prefer preaching in my bare feet, and once overheard a person in a church I preached at referring to me saying “you know, the one who preaches barefoot”. I liked it, and it was honest. There were already about eight “barefoot preachers” on social media at the time – most from Canada, interestingly enough – so I went with something else.

Evangelist…

I have had people not want to visit my website because they thought ‘evangelist’ automatically meant it was narrow minded, rightwing, conservative, and spoke of a doctrine of hate. A friend of mine said she encountered that when she recommended my website, and she quickly corrected their assumption. To the best of my knowledge that person listened, watched, and signed up to follow shortly afterwards.

Evangelist, evangelical, and evangelism are Christian words. It is unfortunate that these days they are associated with only one way of behaving that has nothing to do with the way people expect Jesus’ followers to act. Some who have never experienced people who are genuine Jesus followers assume that all Christians fall into that category, and that is both unfortunate and inaccurate.

There are many communities calling themselves Evangelical, and use the words evangelical and evangelism, who understand the historic meaning and therefore are using the word accurately.

Simply put, it means “Tellers of the story of Jesus” or “Tellers of the Good News”. That’s it.

Traditionally the assumed writers of the four Gospels have been referred to as Evangelists. Those who were travelling missionaries in the earliest days were also known as ‘evangelists’ because the task they took up was to share the story of Jesus and encourage people to follow Jesus’ teachings. The word appears in the Bible associated with certain people. In Acts 21:8 it is associated with a man named Phillip. In Ephesians 4:11, we read that with Ascension the Holy Spirit gave the gift of being an evangelist to some people. And in 2 Timothy 4:5, the writer told people to carry on with the work of being an evangelist even when the world was more interested in other teaching that ‘suited their own desires’.

To tell the story of Jesus makes us evangelists. Some of us do it casually, some of us more formally. But all of us who share the Good News of Jesus are by default, Evangelists.

Sunday Reflection – August 17, 2025

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Trouble, not peace

Luke 12 49 I came to set fire to the earth, and I wish it were already on fire! 50  I am going to be put to a hard test. And I will have to suffer a lot of pain until it is over. 51 Do you think that I came to bring peace to earth? No indeed! I came to make people choose sides. 52 A family of five will be divided, with two of them against the other three. 53  Fathers and sons will turn against one another, and mothers and daughters will do the same. Mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law will also turn against each other.

54 Jesus said to all the people:

As soon as you see a cloud coming up in the west, you say, “It’s going to rain,” and it does. 55 When the south wind blows, you say, “It’s going to get hot,” and it does. 56 Are you trying to fool someone? You can predict the weather by looking at the earth and sky, but you don’t really know what’s going on right now.

Kids Korner: Following Jesus can be hard (August 17th)

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Read Luke 12:49-56 with your family.

One of the things we teach children is to be nice like Jesus was nice. But anyone who has been bullied or ignored can tell you sometimes being nice is not always the best answer.

The lesson today is very hard for adults to hear, so it can be even tougher for kids. God who is loving and kind is bringing fire? God is saying families will be seperated? Why is Jesus saying this will happen.

Well, Jesus did not say it WILL happen, Jesus said it WAS happening. As more and more people started to follow Jesus, their family did not always agree. The people who followed Jesus had a new vision of what the future could be like if we changed how we treated each other, and that scared a lot of their families and friends.

Jesus does bring division, but not because Jesus is mean. Jesus brings division because following God’s path turns us away from following the world’s path, and a lot of people really like the world’s path. After all, the world’s path is the one that tells them they can have all the money they want, they can live however they want, we don’t have to worry about strangers, and that people in trouble did that to themselves.

Following Jesus is going to be hard at times, but the end where everyone has enough to live and be happy, really is worth it.

Sunday Reflection – July 7, 2024

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Jesus’ message accepted by strangers but not family friends

Mark 6 Jesus left and returned to his hometown with his disciples. 2 The next Sabbath he taught in the synagogue. Many of the people who heard him were amazed and asked, “How can he do all this? Where did he get such wisdom and the power to work these miracles? 3 Isn’t he the carpenter, the son of Mary? Aren’t James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Don’t his sisters still live here in our town?” The people were upset because of what he was doing.

4  But Jesus said, “Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their relatives and their own family.” 5 Jesus could not work any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people by placing his hands on them. 6 He was surprised that the people did not have any faith. Jesus taught in all the neighbouring villages. 7 Then he called together his twelve apostles and sent them out two by two with power over evil spirits. 8  He told them, “You may take along a walking stick. But don’t carry food or a traveling bag or any money. 9 It’s all right to wear sandals, but don’t take along a change of clothes. 10 When you are welcomed into a home, stay there until you leave that town. 11  If any place won’t welcome you or listen to your message, leave and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them.”

12 The apostles left and started telling everyone to turn to God. 13  They forced out many demons and healed a lot of sick people by putting olive oil on them.

Kids Korner: Jesus comes home (July 7th)

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Read Mark 6:1-13 with your family.

It’s great when you have your friends and family and church support you, but not everyone has that experience. Jesus didn’t have that experience.

Jesus visited his mom and his brothers and sisters one time, but the people in the synagogue were not as happy to see him as his family. By then his reputation was known throughout Galilee, and the people who watched him grew up probably thought he was making himself too important.

You see, sometime when we have a very big message to share, like Jesus did, the people who knew us when we were younger forget that we grow up and learn new things. They always think of us as the kid we used to be.

The people around Jesus didn’t realize that no matter how he behaved when he was a child, he was now a grown up and had a special job to do. They didn’t understand Jesus or his job.

So Jesus didn’t waste time trying to convince them or anyone else. He even told his followers not to waste time if they weren’t accepted when they went out to share the message of God.

Some people are ready to hear it when you are ready to tell it. Others are not.

Sunday Reflection – July 3, 2022

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Old Rejections And New Followers

Luke 10 Later the Lord chose 70 other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go. 2  He said to them:

A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in. 3  Now go, but remember, I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. 4  Don’t take along a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals. And don’t waste time greeting people on the road. 5 As soon as you enter a home, say, “God bless this home with peace.” 6 If the people living there are peace-loving, your prayer for peace will bless them. But if they are not peace-loving, your prayer will return to you. 7  Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because workers are worth what they earn. Don’t move around from house to house.

8 If the people of a town welcome you, eat whatever they offer. 9 Heal their sick and say, “God’s kingdom will soon be here!”

10  But if the people of a town refuse to welcome you, go out into the street and say, 11 “We are shaking the dust from our feet as a warning to you. And you can be sure that God’s kingdom will soon be here!” 

16  My followers, whoever listens to you is listening to me. Anyone who says “No” to you is saying “No” to me. And anyone who says “No” to me is really saying “No” to the one who sent me.

17 When the 70 followers returned, they were excited and said, “Lord, even the demons obeyed when we spoke in your name!”

18 Jesus told them:

I saw ha satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19  I have given you the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and to defeat the power of your enemy ha satan. Nothing can harm you. 20 But don’t be happy because evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven!

Performed by Margaret Whisselle

Kids Korner: Jesus sends out 70 evangelists (July 3rd)

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Read Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 with your family.

We tend to focus on the 12 disciples that Jesus sent out to spread the news of the Gospel, and forget that before Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, he had sent out 70 people in pairs, to tell others about God’s message.

Unlike the 12 named apostles, we hear exactly the instructions Jesus gave these 70 evangelists: accept all hospitality, don’t push yourself on people who don’t want you, don’t take extra stuff to ensure your comfort, don’t take money, remember that your message is my message… God’s message.

All 70 came back and celebrated the experience. The number 70 was special – in the first century they believed there was 70 nations in the world, so by sending 70 people, Jesus was signalling to his followers that God’s message was for everyone in every nation.

We can learn from these 70 how Jesus wants us to share the message of God’s love, and the first thing we have to do is assure people that we bring peace.