outreaching

As a youth minister, one of my responsibilities was to do activities that would be considered outreach. Basically, I had to create events or opportunities for students to bring their friends to church. More often than not it was something fun to do like laser tag, or bowling, or going to a movie. It was meant to be a “non-threatening” activity anyone could participate in regardless of spiritual belief.

However, as I have reflected on ministry, part of me wonders if the church is doing outreach backwards. It seems to me that, as a church, we should be working on how to create an environment where people not only want to be but, want to invite people to. What good is it to have an awesome outreach event or activity but to never have unbelievers darken the door of the church? Creating an environment where people are welcomed, known, included, challenged, and have an opportunity to grow seems like a better outreach program than a one-time event that often becomes a social time for church members.

Think about the places you give your time and money to participate. Maybe it is a gym, a restaurant, a hair salon, or a book club. What makes you want to talk about it with friends? What makes you want to invite people to participate? If our worship services or Bible studies don’t elicit that type of enthusiasm from our people, we may need to reevaluate what we are doing.