EDITORIAL
Leading Mission | Andy Cook
A challenge every ministry leader confronts at one time or another is how to consistently build relationships with unchurched people when their time is dominated by ministry. Many of our relationships are devoted to other Christians, leaving us little time for those outside our faith.
Yet effective leaders recognize these relationships are critical in stewarding ministries. As Rick Richardson points out in You Found Me, 42% of congregations in decline or stagnation are not building friendships with people who don’t know Jesus. Ministry leaders modeling evangelism, then, is critical for demonstrating the gospel to their people and calling them to an active faith.
To address this challenge, leaders must embrace innovative solutions to get outside their ministry bubble and model evangelism. In this respect, let me offer three practical solutions.
Use online tools to connect with spiritual explorers.
We are on the edge of a digital frontier in evangelism as new ministries offer innovative ways to reach the unchurched and connect them to local believers. For example, while in line at the airport, I received a text from an app about a spiritual explorer wanting to talk about faith. Hearing this person’s story of loss and hopelessness, I started to build a friendship with him. His need to be heard and find answers was met just as I was looking for a chance to share my faith.
Recent Barna data suggests that U.S. adults are more likely to take their spiritual questions online than ask a friend. The ways our culture communicates are changing. As countless ministries are using new platforms to reach the unchurched, church leaders must embrace this new frontier to connect digitally.
Draw people in through hospitality.
As digital ministries grow, our societal need for in-person connection deepens. Study after study suggests we are confronting an epidemic of loneliness and social isolation. Churches can meet this need by opening their doors for events or meals that use hospitality to welcome people in.
As a longtime leader of Alpha in my church, I’ve witnessed the power that comes from inviting people into community. These discussion groups have become a great environment for in-person connection around shared meals and experiences, creating the space to practice hospitality. Never underestimate the power of hospitality in a culture starved of connection.
Invest in Your Neighborhood.
The first mission field to which God calls every Christian is our neighborhood. Every neighborhood is different. Relationships rarely go beyond pleasantries in the Midwest where I serve. In this respect, BLESS is a powerful app to overcome this cultural bias in mobilizing community witness. Through public information on my neighborhood, it provides me with a tool for greater effectiveness and strategy. At the intersection of traditional and digital strategies for evangelism, tools like this are opening new opportunities to reach our neighbors if leaders are willing to take a step of faith and knock on doors.
An enduring lesson in church leadership is that congregations take on the values and priorities of their pastors. Values both taught from the pulpit and lived out. Effective leaders must recognize the untapped potential that lies in ministry partners and their congregations and neighborhoods. As we step out and engage our communities, we are never more than one conversation away from seeing God transform lives.