3. What is the spiritual make-up of your city?
Spanish missionaries built a chain of missions across California in the early 1800s. Our church is across the road from the San Luis Rey Mission and many of the people in my church are former Catholics.
What is the spiritual heritage of your area?
Take time to understand the people in your community so you can connect with them. Don’t assume that they are resistant to the gospel; “God has set eternity in their hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). You just haven’t tapped into their hearts yet.
Step Two: Who are the receptive people?
“Most unchurched people aren’t atheists. They are just turned off and too busy.” Rick Warren
There are two groups of people we can easily identify as receptive.
1. People who are facing change.
Look for people who are in transition or under tension. They are more receptive to a new relationship with Jesus.
People can be experiencing a positive change like moving into a new home, getting a new job or having a new baby. Or they may be experiencing a challenging change like divorce, death, job loss, illness or addiction. Whatever the source, people experiencing change are more open to new relationships and new activities.
Are there any other groups of people dealing with change that are specific to your area? We have families facing military deployment. Husbands want to get their wives settled in church before they leave for seven months; wives need support and friendship. These families are open to church and to Jesus.
2. People who are like us will be more receptive to the gospel.
The principle here is to pursue the people you are most likely to reach.
What’s your own personal demographic, pastor? What are the demographics strongly represented in your church? Those are the people who will be receptive to an invitation to your church. The first unspoken question every visitor asks is, “Are there people here like me?” If they are like you and others walking past them, they are more likely to stick.
Don’t worry about reintegrating people who have left your church. That is a strategy to kill momentum and growth. Graciously let them go.
“God has called you to feed sheep, not corral goats.” Rick Warren
Step Three: What are their needs?
When your church reaches out to meet people’s needs, you win the right to share the love of God as the source of their help.
The needs around us are primarily emotional like stress, depression and worry; and relational like hurt, betrayal and brokenness. You want to offer love, acceptance, purpose, forgiveness and self-esteem.
To discern your next step in meeting needs, first see which needs you are already meeting. Ask yourself these questions:
- What ministries is my church doing to help others?
- How are people in my church involved in meeting needs in the community?
- What programs in the community could my church partner with?
- How is my denomination or association involved in meeting needs?
- Where is my heart? What would I like to do to meet needs?
- What resources does my church have available to meet a need in our community?
- Do we have a person with leadership skills with a passion for a need?
- Start with what is most obvious, and put more people and resources into it.
“Your church will never grow beyond your capacity to meet needs.” Rick Warren
