Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he put himself in places where he could connect with lots of people from a variety of backgrounds.
The woman at the well, the Samaritans in Sychar, dinner parties with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus spent a lot of time with many different people. Even the 12 disciples Jesus chose were a diverse group of imperfect people who went on to turn the world upside-down.
To have an effective, growing ministry, we need to continually be connecting with new people in our workplaces, neighbourhoods, community groups, and the different places we do life.
There are many ways you can connect with people around you.
But, perhaps the most effective way is to build strong relationships with people – it is here that you can show God’s love, pray, and care for your friends.
My family has identified 100 houses around ours and look for ways to connect with them, get to know them, and start spiritual conversations. We drop off biscuits at Christmas, flowers at Easter, and look for other opportunities to care for them – like helping a neighbour move house.
Our neighbours, as with yours, are not just those whose houses are near our own. Neighbours, by definition, are people in relationships, the people near to you.
You may have programs that help connect outwards like special interest groups like a play group, a craft group, English lessons, or a market. Door of Hope Church in Launceston uses their amazing site, The Old Woollen Mill, to connect with as many people as possible in their community. You could learn more about that by joining us at Multiply where Door of Hope Church will welcome us and show us their disciplemaking pathway.
To find out more about or register for Multiply Disciplemaking Churches Conference , head to https://powertochange.org.au/multiply
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