Tuesday, April 29, 2014


5 Outreach Principles You Can Take to the Bank

5 Outreach Principles You Can Take to the Bank
Why are some churches so effective at reaching people and making disciples, while others remain stagnant year in and year out?
Why are some churches so effective at reaching people and making disciples, while others remain stagnant year in and year out?

The answer to this question is not geographical, denominational, philosophical or generational. Today in the U.S., there are all varieties of churches in size, shape and color that are effectively reaching people in their communities.




Most are applying one or more of these five proven outreach principles. I would encourage you to do the same …

1. Outreach is THE priority.


Here is one reason why older churches are generally less effective at outreach than newer churches: The longer a church exists, the more concerned members become with self-preservation … and the less concerned with the church’s original reason for being.

Over time, churches become increasingly self-centered and self-serving. The result, not surprisingly, is that such churches stop growing.
This most important principle says that leaders must turn the focus of their congregation away from themselves, and back to their original mission—and Christ’s mission—of making disciples. This outward reorientation occurs through programming, praying, budgeting, staffing and honestly evaluating the church’s success at birthing new Christian disciples.

While there are many good things a church can do … and there are some important things a church should do … there is only one essential thing a church must do: “Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life” (Mt. 28:19, The Message).

2. Social networks are the vehicle.


There is a 2,000-year-old insight that any congregation can apply to reach more people. Here it is: Non-Christians come to Christ and the church primarily through relationships with Christians.

Christian friends and relatives bring twice as many new believers into local churches as all the other reasons … combined!

To apply this principle, encourage each person in your church to list their unchurched friends and relatives in the community. (The average person can list four to five.)

Next, encourage members to pray specifically for these people. A church in my home town distributed a 2″ x 3″ card reminding members to pray for one person on their list, at one o’clock, for one minute, during one month.

Third, encourage members to invite one of the people they’re praying for to an appropriate church-related event in the next six months. And remind members that they may be God’s only connection to these unreached people.

(For a detailed discussion on reaching friends and family, see The Master’s Plan for Making Disciples.)

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