Archive for: outreach
Recently, I was talking with a man who’s heading up one of our outreaches called the Wild Game Feast. He was commenting on my statement that I’ve been in evangelism for thirty seven years and how I’ve never seen people more approachable to the Gospel. I thought his response was interesting.
He told me how he spoke to his college and career group and mentioned to them that there’s obviously always fear in evangelism. Sometimes fear comes because we are expecting things from people that, interestingly enough, never happen. He went on to stress how people seem to want to talk about spiritual things. They simply want to be approached in the right way. By that, he meant that people will be most interested in what you want to tell them when you come to people with
1. A caring spirit
2. An attitude of grace, and
3. A genuine concern.
I couldn’t agree more. I often tell people that it’s not that they don’t want to be approached. They simply want to be approached in the right way. Sometimes when people seem uninterested, it’s because they feel like it’s being “jammed down their throat”, or forced upon them. That rarely ever works. But when you come “up from underneath” them, and they sense sincerity about you, it’s amazing how open they are to talking. As you talk, it’s easy to find one way or another to talk about spiritual things, and ultimately the Gospel. In our day when people fear cancer, terrorism, and the uncertainty about the economy, they’re even more open and approachable.
I encourage each believer I meet to just begin a conversation with non-Christians with the objective of hopefully talking to them about Christ. Take it one step at a time and show your genuine concern in them. When they sense they’ve met a friend, they might be interested in talking about your Friend!
It’s reported that six out of ten high school graduates disengage from spiritual activities by their early twenties. I heard this stat recently from my coworkers, who are burdened about reaching my generation, the Millennials.
Unfortunately, this stat did not surprise me. Many of my friends that went to church in high school and college are no longer involved in a faith community. It can be tempting, at least for me, to just accept this status quo.
Further, when discussions about reaching this new generation come up, it often feels as if we (as people) like to wave our fingers at other generations and say, “My gen is better than yours because of ______.” As a Millennial, I have heard my generation labeled as “lazy,” “selfish,” and “unspiritual.”
It’s hard to avoid shallow thinking and labels when it comes to discussing perceived generational differences. USA Today had a recent article about Millennials and our faith. In it Mark Driscoll provides a good model for how to talk about the younger generation in a redemptive, thoughtful way.
“…Young people are more spiritually honest. The days of feeling some sort of cultural pressure to adhere to historic Christian truths is simply gone. Subsequently, we may not be seeing younger people less devoted to Jesus Christ but simply more people being honest so that those who in the past would have professed faith they did not possess or practice are simply being honest which is more admirable than being a hypocrite.”
Whether or not you agree with Mark Driscoll’s reason for the increase in spiritual disengagement, it’s vital for us to treat younger generations with loving concern rather than condemnation. Not only for the ones that have disengaged, but for those who were never engaged. If we can do things to change this pattern, we should do them.
This week Larry, David, and AJ are going to give us some ideas on how we can reach out to teens and young adults. David and AJ are both parents to teenagers so I’m interested to hear their thoughts.
There will be greater insight into this vital issue if it’s a dialogue. Please let us know what you think – How can we awaken young adults towards pursuing a life-long zeal for God?
In the latest issue of Christianity Today, there is a very interesting article I would recommend to anyone who is caught up in the debate over cultural relevance vs. church tradition. Some of you may be scratching your heads and asking “what debate”? Others may be ready to go up in arms over the issue. Either way, you’ll find this adapted excerpt from the book Beyond Bells and Smells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy by Mark Galli thought-provoking.
Now, I have not read the book so I can’t fully recommend it— although this article has intrigued me enough to add it to my reading list. Nevertheless, there are some great points to consider about liturgical worship. To avoid confusion over terminology, the author provides his definition for those not familiar with traditional orthodox liturgy:
“By “the liturgy,” I mean the prayers, responses, and shape of worship one finds in Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox services, and to a lesser degree, in Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, and other mainline churches.”
“It is precisely the point of the liturgy to take people out of their worlds and usher them into a strange, new world—to show them that, despite appearances, the last thing in the world they need is more of the world out of which they’ve come.”
In addition, there is a strong explanation for the role of cultural relevance and traditional liturgy in the church today. Mr. Galli does a good job of articulating the strength of liturgical worship without denigrating the importance of cultural relevance; particularly in the area of outreach.
“The liturgy does not target any age or cultural subgroup. It does not even target this century. ..Instead, the liturgy draws us into worship that transcends our time and place…
We are in the habit of thinking that our culture—the reality we strive to be relevant to—is the measure of meaning. …there is no question that we have to be culturally sensitive in our outreach. But the liturgy wants to show us a deeper logic and relevance…
The history of liturgy has been in part about finding words and ritual that help people in a given culture express their thoughts and feelings to God in ways that make cultural sense. ..Liturgical churches know that as profound a reality as is the surrounding culture, there is an even more profound reality waiting to be discovered.”
I think this emphasizes a point we often overlook—evangelism and outreach should not be limited by orthodox tradition and boundaries, and orthodox tradition in worship should not be limited by cultural sensitivities.
Check out the article at ChrtistianityToday.com—let me know what you thought…
“The liturgy, from beginning to end, is not about meeting our needs. The liturgy is about God.”
AJ Rinaldi speaks with Dan Southern, who served over 18 years as a Crusade organizer with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. In that role he traveled extensively, speaking and preparing community leaders for the crusades. Following his work with Billy Graham, Dan spent twelve years as President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Tract Society during which time he wrote several impactful pieces.
In addition to his work in evangelism, Dan enjoys speaking on the topics of leadership and discipleship, and has recently published a devotional book called “The Message of Leadership”.
Currently, Dan is the president of Stephen Baldwin’s Breakthrough Ministries, or BTM; a multi-faceted, cutting edge outreach program that includes skateboarding, BMX, motocross, live music and multimedia entertainment.
Is outreach a part of your Church DNA? In order for a church to be effectively outward-focused, it must be aware of the main entry points for the unchurched in their community that they are trying to reach. There are two main entry points for the unchurched according to Barna Research.
The worship service is the main point of entry for the unchurched in your community. Research shows that 40% of unchurched families will first encounter the church by visiting on a Sunday morning. In fact, the first impression of a church is extremely important, because most visitors evaluate the atmosphere above the content. Therefore, the church’s goal should be to do everything possible to minimize the potential frustrations and distractions. Everything from the parking, to the crowds, and even a warm welcome all contribute to minimizing frustrations and distractions.
Another entry point into the church for those who are unchurched are church outreach events, one of the most effective ways for a church to reach out to their community. These events serve as the means for individuals to build a relational bridge to families in their neighborhoods or workplaces. Options for a church trying to implement relationship-building opportunities with the unchurched include holiday outreach events, outreach small groups, and music productions. And as always make sure that your church body knows that these events exist for them to have an opportunity to invite an unchurched friend. People will visit an outreach event that would never consider visiting your church on a regular Sunday morning. Because of this fact, the gospel should be shared at these outreach events. If you host a concert, have the lead singer or have a pastor share the gospel. If it is a Christmas or Easter event, don’t let them miss the reason we celebrate! If it is an outreach small group, share the gospel every time a new couple joins your group.
Due to the fact that many Christians do not have significant relationships with those outside of their Christian bubble; as a church, give them a head start by making outreach events a priority in your planning and in your budget. I could take one glance at your budget and tell you what your priorities are as a church and you can, too. And remember, outreach should be more than a department in your church; it should be a core value that finds expression in a majority of your church programming. It should be part of your Church DNA.
Scripture says that we should make the most of every opportunity. Take the next exit, and don’t be an inwardly focused church! Knock out the stained glass windows that keep you from seeing those outside of your church! Go beyond the walls of your church and live the Great Commandment while fulfilling the Great Commission.
There are a myriad of books aimed at pastors that focus on the purpose of the church. What many of these authors do not realize is they are promoting their priority DNA type. Some of the titles include, “The Connecting Church”, “The Disciple-Making Church”, and “The Equipping Church”. With all of these biblically-based books on the purpose of the church, how can you effectively decipher what DNA elements are essential for your community?
I recommend we look at the life and mission of Christ to determine what our mission should be. The first thing that we can learn from the Gospel accounts is that our Lord Jesus Christ saw his primary task as that of Savior. Jesus says of himself in Luke 19:10, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” What does that mean for the church today? It means that we need to look beyond the walls of our church and find those in need of a Savior. Sadly, most churches today are inwardly focused. If they were evaluated in terms of the familiar parable of the lost sheep, they would be more interested in shepherding the 99 than “seeking and saving” the one lost sheep. We need to be what one author calls, “an outward-facing force”. If reaching the lost is a priority of Jesus then it should be our priority as the church.
One of my favorite selections from Scripture that encourages outreach and evangelism is found in Colossians 4:5-6: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” With God’s blessing we must successfully make the most of every opportunity to connect with our community for the purpose of encouraging to place their trust in Christ for their salvation. Build relationships with outsiders or unbelievers for the opportunity to minister to them, invite them to church, and share the love of Jesus in word and deed.
