This Is for Everyoneনমুনা

The power of relationships in reaching your world.

Up to this point we have covered a whole range of topics, all of them focusing primarily on the foundation beliefs for reaching people in your world. 

However, the next question you might ask is what is the best approach to do this?  

You might be thinking, “Okay, I understand the need, I firmly believe the message, I’m on board for the mission, I see the potential and I notice the opportunities I have, what’s next? Should I rent a billboard on the highway and put a scripture verse on it? Should I stand up in the Woolworths checkout and start to share the gospel? Should we get the biggest name preacher we can think of? Should I make up a T-shirt and wear it 24/7 that tells people to repent?” 

Now, there is nothing wrong with any of these things, but statistically, the most effective way to evangelise and reach people in your world is through relationship.

In other words, the best approach is to pursue what can be labelled “relational evangelism” 

This style of evangelism places building a relationship with the individual over necessarily communicating why they are wrong or what they should believe. It is with the firm conviction by faith that building a relationship with someone and genuinely caring for getting to know them, will always soften a person’s heart and lead to the opportunity to have deeper conversations, and eventually spiritual ones.

It can be summed up in the statement: 

“What’s more important in outreach is relationship before revelation – people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Did you know that in a survey of 8000 church attenders, the American Institute of Church Growth found that 75% – 90% of people who attend church for the first time do so because of the influence of a friend or relative.

Even Jesus took time to build relationships with those who needed to be restored to God. All through the Gospels, Jesus takes time to build relationships with sinners, knowing that through a physical relationship with Him, they would come to repentance and faith. Jesus didn’t withdraw from a world damaged by sin, but rather He willingly stepped into it.

Let’s follow the example of Jesus and seek to build genuine relationships with those in our world who need to know the love of God revealed in the person of Christ. This happens by believing that through our relationships we may, by our service and love, open the door to converse about Christ.