Thursday, November 09, 2006
Lesson 2 Personal Evangelism, Community Evangelism, Church growth
Many years ago, I took a seminar on church growth, and the instructor asked a question that has haunted me ever since. The question was and is, "If the congregation where you attend were to close it's doors today, would it make any difference to the people in the community?" Would the church's closing make any difference to the lonely? Would it make any difference to the hungry? Would it really make any difference to the lost? I've thought about those questions a great deal and I am determined to encourage congregations of the Lord's people to make a difference and to realize that in making a difference, we can have a great opportunity to teach people about the Lord. You see, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. My brethren we can make a difference we are children of Almighty God. Gal.3: 26&27, and I don't believe God has ever given me a job to do that He hasn't given me the strength to do it. Eph.3:16.
Before we get started in some methods of reaching out, let's make sure we understand what reaching people for the Lord is not. It is not difficult academics. It is praying about, working and developing a genuine love for people. Especially lost people. So let get started, Lets do it.... Prayer.
When new people move into to the neighborhood, this is a great opportunity to make a positive impression for the Lord and His Church. Do you remember when you first moved into a new place. You didn't know anybody. You may have changed your routine because you knew "everybody is looking at me". You may very well remember the first person who spoke a friendly word to you. If someone brought you a meal or a special dish or mowed the lawn, you remember. When we reach out to new members in the neighborhood. You have opened a door of opportunity to teach.
What about friends or a friends family who may be in the hospital or nursing home. As my parents were and have been hospitalized several times, it was so good to know that someone cared for the parents that I loved. Again doors of opportunity are opened. It has been my experience that very short visits to the hospital are appreciated. A short greeting, possible a short prayer and "I'll be checking on you". Usually that's sufficient.
Card writing, birthday, anniversary, get well, sympathy can be very effective. We all have different talents and some people are very good in reaching people thru cards. What person doesn't appreciate the fact that you have taken time to send a heart felt message to someone? Again, card writing, a great door opener.
Have you ever heard the one making the announcements ask the visitors to sign a visitor's card? Did you look at the one in the rack in front of you? Was it marked on ? Was it wrinkled? Did you cringe hoping the one in the visitor rack was clean?
If we want the card to be important to the visitor, it needs to be important to us. Now for some reason responding to a visitor's card sooner rather than later works best. Responding at the first of the week for some reason just seems to encourage a visitor to visit again rather than waiting until the end of the week. When responding to a visitor's card a brief visit by two Christians working together can work very well. On the first visit, I rarely go in even when the invitation is obviously sincere. I do ask if I can call or come back very soon for a "little longer visit." I just want the visitors know they were more than worth my effort to stop by. Perhaps a visit or stopping by can't be made, a nicely worded card or short letter may well be appreciated. Again the sooner the better. A short telephone call to a visitor will often prove beneficial in getting a visitor return. Remember you are interested in them. Especially on our first call, if they initiate more conversation, be a good listener. Whatever you do don't use this call to talk on and on and on....
As people in the community and visitors at worship grow in appreciation of you, your opportunity to teach and invited them to church will grow.
We will discuss this more later, but, 'PEOPLE DON'T CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE and WHEN YOU GO TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE YOU CAN TAKE THEM WHERE YOU ARE GOING.''
This concludes lesson 2. We have a couple of bible studies tomorrow and as we proceed we will be teaching you as best we can some methods to use and some ways to get Bible Studies. In the mean time study your Bible, and pray to Our Father. God wants people to be saved and you are interested in being an instrument of God. That's a great honor. Don
Many years ago, I took a seminar on church growth, and the instructor asked a question that has haunted me ever since. The question was and is, "If the congregation where you attend were to close it's doors today, would it make any difference to the people in the community?" Would the church's closing make any difference to the lonely? Would it make any difference to the hungry? Would it really make any difference to the lost? I've thought about those questions a great deal and I am determined to encourage congregations of the Lord's people to make a difference and to realize that in making a difference, we can have a great opportunity to teach people about the Lord. You see, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. My brethren we can make a difference we are children of Almighty God. Gal.3: 26&27, and I don't believe God has ever given me a job to do that He hasn't given me the strength to do it. Eph.3:16.
Before we get started in some methods of reaching out, let's make sure we understand what reaching people for the Lord is not. It is not difficult academics. It is praying about, working and developing a genuine love for people. Especially lost people. So let get started, Lets do it.... Prayer.
When new people move into to the neighborhood, this is a great opportunity to make a positive impression for the Lord and His Church. Do you remember when you first moved into a new place. You didn't know anybody. You may have changed your routine because you knew "everybody is looking at me". You may very well remember the first person who spoke a friendly word to you. If someone brought you a meal or a special dish or mowed the lawn, you remember. When we reach out to new members in the neighborhood. You have opened a door of opportunity to teach.
What about friends or a friends family who may be in the hospital or nursing home. As my parents were and have been hospitalized several times, it was so good to know that someone cared for the parents that I loved. Again doors of opportunity are opened. It has been my experience that very short visits to the hospital are appreciated. A short greeting, possible a short prayer and "I'll be checking on you". Usually that's sufficient.
Card writing, birthday, anniversary, get well, sympathy can be very effective. We all have different talents and some people are very good in reaching people thru cards. What person doesn't appreciate the fact that you have taken time to send a heart felt message to someone? Again, card writing, a great door opener.
Have you ever heard the one making the announcements ask the visitors to sign a visitor's card? Did you look at the one in the rack in front of you? Was it marked on ? Was it wrinkled? Did you cringe hoping the one in the visitor rack was clean?
If we want the card to be important to the visitor, it needs to be important to us. Now for some reason responding to a visitor's card sooner rather than later works best. Responding at the first of the week for some reason just seems to encourage a visitor to visit again rather than waiting until the end of the week. When responding to a visitor's card a brief visit by two Christians working together can work very well. On the first visit, I rarely go in even when the invitation is obviously sincere. I do ask if I can call or come back very soon for a "little longer visit." I just want the visitors know they were more than worth my effort to stop by. Perhaps a visit or stopping by can't be made, a nicely worded card or short letter may well be appreciated. Again the sooner the better. A short telephone call to a visitor will often prove beneficial in getting a visitor return. Remember you are interested in them. Especially on our first call, if they initiate more conversation, be a good listener. Whatever you do don't use this call to talk on and on and on....
As people in the community and visitors at worship grow in appreciation of you, your opportunity to teach and invited them to church will grow.
We will discuss this more later, but, 'PEOPLE DON'T CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE and WHEN YOU GO TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE YOU CAN TAKE THEM WHERE YOU ARE GOING.''
This concludes lesson 2. We have a couple of bible studies tomorrow and as we proceed we will be teaching you as best we can some methods to use and some ways to get Bible Studies. In the mean time study your Bible, and pray to Our Father. God wants people to be saved and you are interested in being an instrument of God. That's a great honor. Don
# posted by Missions with Don&Rosemary @ 5:43 PM 
