Being the Church Beyond Sundayنموونە

Expanding the Church’s Reach

The Church should not be a one-sided relationship in which we simply attend to receive a message for ourselves and then forget about it until the following Sunday. Our society, along with our local church family, urgently needs intentional relationships beyond one day a week.

Acts 2:42 shows that the early Church exhibited many characteristics of a family. We should aim to cultivate the same authentic relationships (in and outside the Church), strengthened by our shared faith in God.

As men, we are sometimes less socially connected than the women in our lives. I want to challenge you today to step outside your comfort zone and try the following methods to extend your church community beyond Sundays.

Think of your community as an extension of the Church’s reach.

Volunteer for outreach events. Serve meals at a soup kitchen, collect toys for the Christmas toy drive, or offer your skills to an elderly neighbor who needs help.

Turn existing ministries outward towards the community.

The Church should not operate as a hidden group. We must challenge every church program to focus on community outreach and service. Community outreach could include programs like a church daycare, food and clothing drives, refugee support, or practical service in other ways.

Meet them where they live.

Some people are not comfortable coming to the Church. I remember several years ago when we convinced some non-believing friends to enroll their kids in a CPR course offered by our church. I was picking up my kids at the same time as my unchurched friend was picking up his. I went inside the church building while my friend waited outside because he felt uncomfortable entering the building. We need to find opportunities to connect with like-minded people outside the church where they feel more comfortable participating in church-sponsored events.

Prayer: Father, help us see our community as an extension of the Church’s reach and encourage us to reach out to those seeking genuine relationships. Amen.

Reflection: Is there a program at your church that could shift its focus from internal matters to serving the community externally as well? What does that look like?