2012! Wow! Can you believe it? The new year is here and for many of us it is a time to declare that this next year will be different from the last. I know of one pastor who challenged his congregation to commit to doing five new missional activities during 2012. That’s a great challenge.
Another friend of mine, Dr. David DeVries, (www.MissionalChallenge.com) is a great communicator and teacher on how our primary task as Christians is to make disciples…Disciple makers that make disciples. He really believes that we ought to reach out to where people are and engage them with the gospel…in deed and in word. It makes sense to me. We will not reach very many souls if we simply wait for them to show up in our church services. In one of Dr. Dave’s blogs he wrote about 4 ways that we can show people outside the church that we care about them. The following list is from his blog:
1. Serve
How can you meet genuine needs? Can you offer to babysit your neighbor’s kids? Can you help your neighbor with a home-improvement project? Find out a need in their life right now – and offer to help meet that need. (If you don’t know what they might need – Ask them!)
2. Time
How could you give someone the gift of time? People are busy. You probably need more time in your day. Think of ways to give someone more time. Offer to pick up there kids and give them a ride home from practice or school. Offer to let someone go in front of you the next time you are standing in line at Starbucks or the grocery store. That’s a gift of time. Give up a close parking spot to someone so that they don’t have to walk as far – especially if it’s someone that you know.
3. Affirmation
Encourage others. Send an encouraging note, email, or text message. Tell them something you appreciate about them. Acknowledge their efforts. Celebrate their progress. Affirm their kids. These things are always encouraging. Give them the gift of your affirming words.
4. Gifts
Who doesn’t like gifts? I do – and I’m so grateful when someone gives me even the smallest gift. It’s a tangible expression of care. If you like getting gifts, others you know probably do too. Can you bake an apple pie for a neighbor? Can you buy a cup of coffee? Can you give someone a gift card? Gifts can open up an amazing opportunity for conversation.
I must admit that his list of four ways to care for others is simple, very simple! Yet how many times do we let an opportunity to do one of those four things simply get pass us? Maybe a good resolution for this new year would be to do all four for someone outside of your church family before this winter is over. And come Spring, recommit to do all four again. And when Summer comes…well you get the point.
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” — Jesus (Mt 25:35-36)
