We all agree that our desire is to see unbelievers trust Christ, grow as disciples and become faithfully involved in a local church. In the present culture, how then should we approach outreach? Here are a few thoughts:
- Relationships are key. The gospel is meant to be shared through relationships. Otherwise, evangelism would be as simple as posting scripture on bulletin boards across the world. Now, more than ever, the greatest tool to reach nonbelievers is through genuine, authentic, relationships.
- Love speaks loudly. We must follow Christ’s example to love unbelievers. This doesn’t mean we overlook sin or diminish the weight of God’s judgment. In fact, true love will be greatly concerned by the sin and the coming judgment faced by those without Christ. The gospel makes no sense without the message of God’s judgment. However, the message of God’s judgment without the gospel is not good news. Love shares the entire message.
- The church must meet people on their turf. Surely Christ exemplified this in His incarnation—leaving Heaven to walk the earth. Any outreach strategy must include dispersing from congregation to community.
- Meet people where they are. In the same way that the church must be willing to enter unbelievers’ geographic turf, we must also be willing to enter their cultural turf. If your church advertising implies “only those who look, act and dress like us are welcome,” that’s not gospel outreach—it’s legalist recruiting. However, when used to communicate a willingness to meet people in the midst of their brokenness, despair, chaos and need, advertising can help a church open doors into people’s lives.
But be ready—when the door opens, it might not be “nice, neat and clean.” Ministry is messy. Don’t even advertise if you aren’t willing to walk through the door, roll up your sleeves and love on sinners. Because if that is the case, you’ve got bigger problems than determining what message will go on your billboard.
