Stuck in the Church

In a lot of churches today, we get so focused on our community within that we forget the community outside the walls of the church building we attend.

Jesus told us to go and make disciples of all men. He gave us the command to be ambassadors for Him. If what I read in the Bible about the Great Commission is right, then I know I cannot settle in for a long winter’s nap in my favorite pew.

I know that a large percentage of people think they are not called to be evangelists, but we all can do the work of evangelism. We are called to be witnesses in the earth. That means we are to testify to the goodness of God and to tell that He came to give eternal life. We want to win the lost so that none will perish. When we find this good news for ourselves and live for Him, we are to share what we have learned.

Perhaps you like to pray. Then you can be a part of “prayer evangelism.” You simply share with someone about your life as a Christian and ask if you could pray for them about anything. Sometimes people are more receptive to having prayers said for them than talking with them about the gospel.

This is not a new thing, but I had not heard of it termed this way until recently, so I just pray for people. I remember doing this in a doctor’s office. A waiting patient shared with me what was wrong. I asked, “Would you mind if I prayed for your healing for this situation?” The response was a definite yes.

If your church has a neighborhood picnic, an outdoor concert, or a beach entertainment event, you can minister God’s love. You might even capture the attention of teenagers and young people using bike stunts or skateboarding. There are ways to reach out.

Two local churches in my area are doing these very things because they know we have been stuck inside the church for too long. It is time to go outside and get involved in bringing others into the kingdom first and then hopefully inside the church, where they can have fellowship with the Lord and their new friends In Christ.

In the story of the wedding feast we read:

Then the master said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and urge and constrain [them] to yield and come in, so that my house may be filled.  Luke 14:23, Amplified Bible

Copyright © Cathy Irvin 2005, used with permission.