Outreach without the Agenda
The Church Bubble
I attended the online Small Church Ministry Women’s Ministry Conference. Laurie Graham was the speaker for the mainstage. She spoke on the topic Outside the Bubble: Why Our Outreach Isn’t Working and What We’ve Been Missing.
In the first session, she asked us what came to mind when we hear the word Outreach. Most answers included programs, events, or committees that brought new people to their church. She stated that those were all good answers, but she challenged us to consider whether we may have defined Outreach incorrectly.
Most of us believe that Outreach means bringing others into the church, and we think that will work better if we have more money, more time, and more volunteers. The church bubble insulates us from the very place where our faith grows. The church bubble keeps us staying within our church walls, where we may be comfortable. Check out this quote from her session…..
“You can be deeply involved in your church and still incredibly disconnected from your community.”
Read that again, let it sink in. If we are doing Outreach events — expecting people to come to us, the church — then we need to consider if that is what Jesus practiced. What did His outreach look like? Was He inviting people to synagogue? Or was He fellowshipping with them? Visiting? Being present? Connecting?
Who do you have a relationship with outside the church bubble? Someone that you regularly talk to or meet with without an agenda to convert them? Outreach is choosing proximity (if distance is an issue), building relationships where there aren’t any, with no pre-conceived agenda (be honest).
That is what Jesus did. We are created for connection. Build relationships where there are none. Keep your eyes open to see people around us who could use your outreach. Fellowship. Visit. Be present. Connect.