Intentionality
Ever since the conference this past November with Dr. Jeff Johnson, I’ve been thinking about a word he used over and over, Intentionality. When I look through the pages of Acts and see the thousands of people coming to Christ, it makes me wonder why that doesn’t happen today. It seems that all these disciples had to do was preach and people would turn their lives over to Christ. The Great Commission was happening spontaneously as the Spirit led them.
Today though, the mission field is a little different and the Great Commission cannot be expected to just happen on its own. Yes there will be times that people step through our doors miraculously and become a part of Body of Christ, but more and more we are finding that the people outside the doors of the church do not think they need Christ in their lives. Also we are finding that there are less and less ways that we come in contact with people. Drive-thrus, ATM machines, self-checkout lines, pay at the pump have taken the place of face to face contact. Most people do not sit on their porches anymore and many use their back or side doors instead of the front ones. Computers and e-mail are replacing phone calls and visits and this trend is continuing to separate us further and further from each other and community.
What does this mean for us? No longer will evangelism happen on its own. We now need to be more intentional than ever in how we reach out and do things. We have to be more intentional in praying. We have to be more intentional in how we greet others and welcome them into our midst. We have to be more intentional in making personal contacts with others. We have to be more intentional in listening for needs and opportunities we can help.
These are just a few of ways we need to be more intentional but there are many others. This year I’m asking that we begin to change some of our habits. At board meetings we will tithe our time. This means that if we meet for two hours, 12 minutes of that time will be spent in prayer for our church, our community, our empty pews, etc… At each February board and committee meetings, I’m asking that they begin looking over their whole year of events and programs and begin praying about and asking these questions, What does God want us to stop doing? What does God want us to start doing? And what does God want us to strengthen?
Also as we begin to intentionally reach out to our community more, I’m asking that each of you do three things. First, take a moment to think of 6 people. 6 people that need to know Christ. 6 people that need the Lord in their lives and begin praying for them. Pray for the voice to speak to them and show them the love of Christ. Pray that they will be shown the love of Christ each day. Pray that they will see their need for the Lord. As we pray for others God will speak to us as well on how we can reach out to them. If you can’t think of 6 people, pray that God begins to show you who your 6 people are pray that he does that.
Secondly, begin seeing every person as a person who needs the Lord., as a person you could form a relationship with in some way. Make extra time in your schedules to visit with others and not rush from here to there. Make a connection and begin to build relationships.
Finally, I’m asking that you be involved in some training events that will be coming up in the near future. The first training event will be on hospitality and prayer and will teach us how to better welcome the visitor and be a stronger community together. The second training event will be in your style of evangelism which we will find out through a personality assessment. Most of us aren’t people who will go door to door for the Lord, but using our own personalities that God gave us, we can still reach others with the love of Christ.
As we focus more on evangelism and being intentional about it, I’m looking for a few people that feel God calling them to be part of an evangelism planning and visioning team. This team will revisit the vision of our church and then begin a process of discernment and prayer for where God is calling us further.
God has a lot in store for us as a church. He is not done with us yet and I encourage you to be part of this thrust and support the ministries and vision God is giving to us. Thank you church for your commitment and may we begin to see our community changed by the love of Christ.
