Reach Out With Relationships

I am a strong advocate for Biblical generational community. However, I am also an advocate for homogeneous outreach where necessary. The Body of Christ is multigenerational, but society does not necessarily live or think that way.

Deciding where relationships in the small group are focused, where small group members have connection, or where members have a passion to reach out, is probably a good place to start when deciding on outreach. I say “when” because I am assuming that every small group is striving to reach out just as the Head of the Church did when on earth. It was, and is, by His Spirit, still His lifestyle.

Families would be a natural outreach. Very often links with children’s friends provide a natural connection. Most families are happy if the children are catered for and content within the context of the occasion.

Women or men reaching others through activities such a football, fishing, etc., would require some researching of the leisure activities of men/women that the small group is wanting to reach. Another idea is determining a hobby of one of the group members and then finding others who are interested in that same hobby or activity.

Sadly, we often overlook children and young people when thinking about outreach. Yet most people come to Jesus under the age of 15, and it would seem an ideal place to begin by, again, using existing relationships to make a regular visit, to the local park with balloons, to entertainment.

Above all, the outreach needs to have some ongoing element to it. This can either be through existing relationships, continuing with relationships made at the outreach, or through regular outreaches with the same people or at the same time and place. Intentional relationships are the key. It is the key to people’s hearts, and the key for the Kingdom.

How can a small group be a small group if it is not winning those He died for? He commanded us to go and make disciples. Now is the time.

Daphne


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