May will see the launch of the next phase of Connect09 dubbed "the hallway challenge'. The campaign's slogan " Remember the Essentials " focuses attention on the backbone gospel resource for Connect09: The Essential Jesus.
Much of the focus so far has been on a corporate level " encouraging church leaders to organise doorknocking campaigns and neighbourhood events. The new strategy helps church members find new contacts who would otherwise have no connection with churches by tapping into their existing networks.
"The idea is to encourage ordinary people to do extraordinary things," explains the Rev Andrew Nixon, executive director of Connect09.
By this, Mr Nixon means that he hopes all Sydney Anglicans will seek every opportunity to put a copy of Connect09's gospel of Mark "magazine', The Essential Jesus gospel of Luke or the Colin Buchanan-presented Good News Parcel Company DVD into someone's hands.
"Every one of us should have a pile of gospels ready on our landing pad where we keep our wallet, keys and mobile phone," he says.
The aim of the Hallway Challenge is to encourage church members to stop, pray for an opportunity and be prepared to share a gospel resource with friends and other contacts.
The campaign was developed after internal focus-group research found that ordinary Sydney Anglicans believe in evangelism but don't actually do it.
"We worry we don't know what to say " that we will mess it up," explains Mr Nixon. "Yet our greatest mistake is not that we say too much, but that we are not taking opportunities. This campaign takes out the fear factor, and makes it easy."
The strategy is set to be a real boost to specialist churches who were left confused by the neighbourhood-based campaign. For example, school-based congregations find doorknocking their parent network impossible due to privacy laws.
"I think this idea will be a real winner for all network ministries," says Mr Nixon. "Connect09 is not about either neighbour or network " it is very much "both/and'. Members of school-based churches can doorknock their streets; and people in parish churches have valuable personal networks."
Overcoming doorknocking fears
Asking ordinary parishioners to go "doorknocking' has been a very tough sell, admits Geoff Bates, rector of Quakers Hill Anglican.
"I think the biggest issue is fear and lack of priority of time," he says. "It's not easy to change the culture of the church to look outwards."
A real turning point, says Mr Bates, was inviting Connect09's lay ambassadors Vince Williamson and Paula Vouris to come and speak to the congregation.
"If the Big Day In put Connect09 on the agenda then the visits from Vince and later, Paula made Connect09 achievable," he said. "They showed everyone that it was possible for people just like them to be involved."
One of Mr Bates’ parishioners, who asked not to be identified, said they had been very reluctant after a negative experience doorknocking 20 years ago.
However after being convinced to visit 80 houses in their own tight-knit circuit-style street, they were blown away by the response. That very afternoon, one of the women they had visited earlier dropped by asking to borrow their wheelbarrow to move some dirt in her garden.
"I guess she thought I was a Christian so I'd say "yes'. I lent it to her of course, and she ended up telling me her whole life story."
There were other surprises, like the street's resident "scary-looking bloke' with body-piercings, who took The Essential Jesus because he felt it was something his "missus would love to read'.
What was the difference this time compared to 20 years ago?
"Having a male and female couple helped," they said. "But the big difference was that these really were our neighbours. We started by saying we live in the house with the grey fence. Most knew our house and some knew about us already."
When interviewed by sydneyanglicans.net, the couple were planning to revisit their neighbours to drop in an Easter egg and a short note remembering the reason for the holiday.
"In my experience doorknocking to invite people to church is a waste of time. You are just another person trying to sell something. You have to go there to give them something they actually want. That could be as simple as an invite to a Colin Buchanan concert."
Sharing these stories has helped convince many other parishioners to come on board with their Connect09 strategy, says Mr Bates.
To help address the turn-off factor, Quakers Hill don't talk about "doorknocking' but "connecting with neighbours'.
"We have tried to make people responsible for people in their local vicinity," he said. "It is hard to give someone a New Testament cold turkey. But if you have a context for giving it to them it becomes a lot easier… we've learnt this by the school of hard knocks."
The focus on loving your neighbourhood has turned things around at Quakers Hill.
"We have been given 18,000 Bibles to hand out, and about 80 people have agreed to help," he says. "We certainly haven't got 100 percent of people on board. But this time last year we had zero people involved in doorknocking."
How to visit neighbours the ‘right way’Professional research commissioned by the Connect09 leadership among focus groups of non-believers has found most Aussies are open to the ‘right’ form of home visit from their local Anglican church.
Here are their home visiting tips:
"¢ Be Local. Be loud and proud about the fact that your church is local.Much negative doorknocking experience results from people bussed in to sell something.
"¢ Be open about Anglican affiliation. Australians are suspicious and negative towards many religious groups, but especially positive towards the "Anglican' church. Wear something " such as a t-shirt or badge " that clearly shows you are part of the church group.
"¢ Don’t see it as a "phone book drop'. Trust will often be built up over several visits. Australians are open to receiving a Bible, but people like to have options presented and to be able to proceed at their own pace. Build up trust over several visits rather than forcing a book on them at the first one.
"¢ Be ready to help. Be ready to care for your neighbours’ needs: phrases like "helping others', "unconditional giving', "holidays [kids] care', "provide cultural activities' were given by the focus groups, who also showed that a small minority of people may ask you to point to trained counselling options.
"¢ Listen respectfully and take a "no' on the chin. The research shows people are really turned off by those who keep pushing once they have said ‘no’. Don't question, don't try to have the last word " just leave.
"¢ Respect mealtimes. When you arrive is important. If it's a time that is inconvenient you will annoy more than you attract.
"¢ Respect fears of elderly. While young people are more open to doorknocking or even being approached in the street, we need to be sensitive to older people, who are more cautious, and can be worried about safety.
