Outreach… I don’t know what comes to your mind when you hear the word outreach thrown around in relation to the church and ministry, but I think most people are a little reluctant. Outreach can feel like something you have to do to people you don’t know, concerning something they have not necessarily expressed an interest in, at a time that is probably inconvenient for both of you. Outreach can seem like something that is forced upon both the ‘outreacher’ as well as the ‘outreached’. Outreach can tend to feel manufactured and out of place. Because outreach can feel like all of this we tend to shy away from “doing it”… and “doing it” might be the biggest problem… because “being it” might be a better idea.
Let me explain. The Lord has definitely called us all to boldly take the profound message of His love and sacrifice to the whole world. In Him, and in Him alone, can we find the grace we need to deal with our alienation from God. It is a message that every man, woman and child needs to hear. In fact, statistics have suggested that people need to hear the message of Christ on average at least 7 times before they make a decision trust Christ with their lives. My experience has shown me that is pretty accurate. Furthermore, I have found that people need to hear the message of Christ from a number of different angles and from a number of perspectives. As a result we need to be vey intentional and purposeful in announcing the message of Christ to those around us.
However, people need to see the message of Christ lived out in the lives of ‘the already convinced’ as they go about their daily lives. It may even be most profound that the skeptic and inquirer will ‘hear’ the message by watching the ‘already convinced’ live out the love of Christ by the way they relate to people and take interest in others without expecting anything in return. You see, simply walking with God out of the sincerity of our hearts and keeping our eyes open for opportunities to act out His compassion for mankind will go along way in providing opportunities to explain the deep set hope that abides in our hearts. And since God’s mercies for us and others is new every morning that makes today and everyday a perfect opportunity to reflect and radiate His mercy toward those around us. That is the launching pad for outreach… and a foundation for the message of a risen Savior who has given His life for our families and neighbors.