| The shuttle van Evangelist I met one of the worlds greatest Evangelists the other day. He was on one of those uncomfortable limousines/vans/cattle movers they use these days to transport passengers from airports to hotels. The scene: On the road in Nashville, Tenn. The Evangelist was sitting beside me in the next to last row of the van. It was rush hour, giving the Evangelist extra time to do his job. When I got in, he was already engaged in zealous conversation with three women sitting behind us. What you need to do, he said with great excitement, is get the word out more. The advertising they provide us is great! Ah yes, Igniting Ministry, I thought to myself. I wondered what conference he was from. The ladies sitting behind the Evangelist were silent. The witnessing continued. I stared straight forward, not wanting to interrupt. I go out on every call, he said. Every one? the women gasped. Sure, replied the Evangelist. Its my job; its my calling. Thats the word he used. Calling. I wrote it down after he left the van. How many calls a day is that? asked the woman to my left. About 30 to 35, replied the Evangelist. Now I was amazed. Incredible, replied the women. I nodded my head in silent agreement. How can you look after that many animals? said the woman to my right. Animals? What animals? Nobody had said anything about animals. I thought we were talking about churches and church people, hospital visits, new member visits, that sort of thing. Oh, its not hard, said the Evangelist. You start at six in the morning and go to nine at night. Ive got some high-profile clients movie producers, directors, even a movie star or two and they demand hands-on care for their pets. Pets? How long have you been in the business? asked the woman behind me. Fifteen years, said the Evangelist. I won Pet Sitter of the Year last year. I was the first man to win it, and they had to make a new tiara for me because all the old ones wouldnt fit. I cant wait to give my crown away tomorrow night. Then the truth dawned. A pet sitters convention had invaded Nashville. Lucky me, I was seated next to the first male winner of the coveted Pet Sitter of the Year award. I never knew such a thing existed. I do now, only because the person sitting next to me on the limo/cattle car/ice box (the air conditioning worked too well) just could not contain his excitement. As it turns out, the three women were also going to be in Nashville for the same conference. They were from Northern Virginia, and were going to learn something, they all agreed as they exited the bus/van/phone booth, especially from Mr. Pet Sitter of the Year. [Note: This years Pet Sitter of the Year, according to the Pet Sitters International Web site, http://www.petsit.com/petowners/psy.asp , is Rosary Bovello, Gaithersburg Pet Sitting, Gaithersburg. I could find no mention of the Evangelist sitting next to me.] Evangelism. I never expected to find it in an airport shuttle van. Yet how important is it to our Christian way of life? I pondered Mr. Pet Sitter of the Years enthusiasm for his mission hours after I met him, and I dont even know his name. Coming in November is a great opportunity for you and your church to get as excited as Mr. Pet Sitter of the Year about evangelism; to connect or re-connect with the mission of Matthew 28: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life (Peterson translation). The Evangelism is a Verb conference will be held Nov. 22-23 in Columbia, and is sponsored by the Baltimore-Washington Conference Board of Evangelization. It is aptly named. Evangelism is something you do, a verb, an activity, a way of life. Bishop Felton Edwin May will be preaching Nov. 22 to get things started. Other presenters will touch on one of four workshops: Visions for Church Growth; Reaching People; Go and Make Disciples; and Getting Them Here and Beyond. For information on how to register, contact Esther Reaves at (410) 889-3292. The genius of United Methodism is its creative ability to combine social justice with evangelism. Thats part of what attracted me to the United Methodist Church 21 years ago. They are different sides of the same coin. Take one side away from the coin I dont care which one and it becomes a slug. The definition of evangelism that I use is one beggar telling another beggar where to find food. Me thinks youll find food at this conference. Just dont look for any dog biscuits. | 
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