I want to share a study that Randy and I have used in both small group settings and a large group setting. Bill Hybels has such an incredible heart of outreach and he shares practical ideas and thoughts in this dvd series called "Just Walk Across the Room". Hybels makes the point that it's really not that hard to reach out - sometimes it simply involves walking across the room. ... Read More »
Outreach
31 Days: Day 19 – A Community Prayer Project
Our church has been in a season of prayer for our community and I can't help but want to share in this space what God is doing. It started with a vision for a prayer series Randy had for our church. He had this in his heart for months before starting it in August. What was awesome is that the movie "War Room" came out just as Randy began the series on prayer. Our church went ... Read More »
31 Days: Day 17 – Use your talents to reach out
Outreach is a heart attitude. It's not an event. It's not a church line item. It's a place of heart that aligns itself with the heart of Jesus in loving people right where they are. Sometimes people come to us in our churches but most of the time they don't. We as Christ-followers must go to them. People who need to know Jesus are all around us. They are next door to us. They ... Read More »
31 Days: Day 16 – The Ministry of Presence
The ministry of presence = showing up and simply being there. It's a powerful statement even when words aren't used. To just be there. Sometimes words are exchanged and God's word is part of that and many times not. Don't feel the need to fill in the silence with words, scripture, stories of how you understand but really you have no idea (and that's not your fault). Silence ... Read More »
31 Days: Day 14 – Come To My Table – God’s Hospitality & Yours
I was introduced to Sue Donaldson author of Come To My Table just a few months ago. Our introduction was timely because hospitality was something I was struggling with. Still kind of am. This and this are just two examples of my less than stellar hospitality moves and there's more where that came from but we'll just leave it at that. Yep. What Sue helped me see through her ... Read More »
31 Days: Day 13 – I got a “C” on my outreach opportunity today at Sam’s Club.
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. Colossians 4:5-6 Three things come to mind when I see this verse: Be alert to your responses. In line at Sam's when the lady in front of you takes 25 minutes to check out her three ... Read More »
31 Days: Day 12 – Love your neighbor (without being weird)
Today I'm so excited to share with you (and give away a copy) a book that I have loved reading over the past few weeks. How to Love your Neighbor without being weird by Amy Lively has been so much fun to read. It has made me laugh out loud and has opened my eyes to incredible things as well. Amy paints herself in the beginning as an unlikely candidate to be spreading Jesus ... Read More »
31 Days: Day 11 – Reaching out in church
Outreach doesn't have to take place outside the walls of our church or church family although that's where we normally tend to place outreach. We have plenty of opportunities within our own church walls to get outside of ourselves and focus on loving those around us. One of the first things I think about is new people visiting church. For those of us who have been churchin' it ... Read More »