The team, convened by Ardon Michael, president of the Men's Fellowship, met on Saturday, June 14, for an orientation session conducted by Interim Minister Titus Presler. The group took as its biblical foundation Jesus words to his disciples, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people" (Mark 1:17). Canon Titus defined mission for the group as ministry in the dimension of difference and defined evangelism as telling our story in the light of God 's story.

The evangelistic outreach of visiting homes in the neighborhood was related to St. Simon's mission statement, which highlights an aspiration that the parish be a beacon for the community. Titus noted that St. Simon's has a strong internal community but that last winter's Vestry retreats had raised the question whether the parish was effective in having an impact on the wider community of New Rochelle and the neighboring towns.

On June 22, the team members went door-to-door in the neighborhood prepared to ask the question, "Is there something you would like us to pray for in church this Sunday?"  Team members introduced themselves and
stated that they were from St. Simon's Church. The open-ended question was designed to catalyze a conversation that would have both the vertical dimension of relationship with God and the horizontal dimension of community care.

Team members Ardon Michaels, Herman Harvey, Cuthbert Barker, and Canon Titus went equipped with a carefully designed parish card that connects with people's spiritual longings and offers St. Simon's as a resource.

Click here to see the card.  Another member of the evangelism team is Junior Warden Richard Francis, who attended the orientation but was not able to go out on the initial visits.

Evangelism is one aspect of the broader mission that the parish is organizing and which will includes outreach to local colleges and service to major communities of need in the local area. See other news items for how St. Simon's is seeking to reach out to human need.