Outreach

I wrote these thoughts last month in the middle of our annual Faith Promise Missions Conference. This year, like most years, we were privileged to have a number of missionaries and fields represented in our conference. They are sharp, articulate people desiring to go the mission field and share Christ with the multitudes. The only thing holding them back is the financial resources necessary to go and be sustained on those fields.

Special days, such as Easter Sunday, are a great time for extensive soulwinning in your community. But sharing the gospel is not just a once-or-twice-a-year responsibility for the local church. It is to be our great priority. It is the mission with which Christ left us.

What should we pray for as a soulwinner? Obviously, one of our main prayer requests would be that people would be saved. However, I believe there are three other areas that we need to focus on in our prayer life as we go soulwinning.

Who doesn’t like a good deal? My girls are great shoppers, and they often find incredible deals. When they return from shopping, they cannot wait to tell me what they paid for an item. The story is then repeated to family members, friends, and acquaintances.

Can you really be ready for everything life throws at you? Growing up I heard my mom say a thousand times to get ready for school. “Get your books, lunch, and school clothes out before you go to bed,” she would say.

Perhaps you, like me, have noticed that many people are more willing to come to church at Christmastime than at any other time.

One of the great blessings of being part of a local church that is reaching people with the gospel is the combined efforts that result in fruit. One plants, one waters, and God gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). It is, of course, a joy to be part of any of those stages, knowing that all make a difference.

I firmly believe that Christ’s last command must be our first priority. I believe that every Christian individually as well as corporately with their church family should be actively engaged in sharing the gospel year round.

I believe that every Christian has a desire to lead others to Christ. From the moment of our salvation, this desire is wired into us. It is the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Yet like most Christians, you must work to maintain an intensity in this area.

Approximately 1,500,000 Americans now serve in the U.S. military. Of that number, there are approximately 1,138,000 serving on U.S. soil at any given time.

There is a quote that I remember hearing repeated frequently during Bible college: “Always make sure to keep the main thing the main thing.” Yet, all across America, and, yes, even on the mission field, the main thing seems to no longer be the main thing. I am sure you have guessed what I am talking about—soulwinning!

I believe that as an ambassador of Christ I should be ready to seize every opportunity to share the gospel everywhere I go. But I also believe in setting aside scheduled time to do it—for myself and for our church family.

Buildings don’t just happen. And neither do churches. As spiritual leaders, undershepherds of Christ’s churches, it is our responsibility to labor with purpose and intention. One of the greatest indicators of the health of a church is its heart for souls and diligence in outreach. Christians who love the Lord and are grateful for their salvation want to share the gospel message with others!

True biblical Christianity is far different from what we see in most modern churches. When we read the New Testament, we are brought face to face with the fact that every believer is expected to be a participant, not an observer, in world-wide evangelism.

The Lord gave us a phenomenal Sunday last week, and how we praise Him for it! After a Sunday of such abundant fruitfulness, I not only feel grateful, I also feel very responsible. I want to follow up on guests and nurture young Christians to grow in Christ.

When I came to Lancaster, California, I had one goal in mind—reach this community with the gospel of Jesus Christ! Every pastor or leader in ministry that I know has the same goal. You want to reach your community with the gospel.

One of the great privileges of serving God is that we are laborers together with Him. Sure, He has given us the command to preach the gospel, but He didn’t leave the work entirely up to us. While we find the ears to hear, He is working on hearts.

How many times while witnessing have you heard someone say to you, “I’ve always been a Christian”? How did you respond to that statement?

The eighth chapter is a key part of the book of Acts. It begins by telling us about the radical changes that came to the believers in Jerusalem when an onslaught of persecution rained down on them. It was a very important transition for the mother church, with powerful effects and important lessons for believers in our time.

I have yet to meet a church leader who didn’t desire to impact his community for Christ. The very reason we invest our lives into the work of the local church is that we believe in the power of the gospel and the love of God for every person.