I loved going home to the UK this Summer – the church I grew up in is known for its amazing music – and this Advent season it didn’t disappoint.  The choir at St Alphege was spectacular and their Christmas Services are full of visitors.  My church here in Australia has fantastic Christmas activities but I wonder how many of our visitors come back in the New Year?

What about your church?  Have you got a plan to reconnect with these new or lost people? 

What would it take to connect with these awesome people – that have an interest in Christianity – but aren’t part of a regular faith community?

Many of you may have anticipated this issue – compounded by Australian summer holidays – and provided newcomers with an information pack about what you do and how you can meet their needs.  You may have chatted to them after the service or activity and personally invited them to come again.  You may have even managed to grab their contact information (Woo Hoo!!).  

So now is the time to follow up…..  and for those of you who grabbed some contact information a great way to get to know someone is over a cup of coffee  (yes, I do live in Melbourne and a cold drink may be more relevant for you or even a bubble tea depending on the culture of the area you are in).  This “get to know you” cuppa is a great start to start showing God’s love and care to someone.  The purpose of the meeting is to connect with them and find out more about them, their life, circumstances and where they are on their spiritual journey and what their needs are.  The fact that they are willing to meet with you indicates that they are at least curious.

Some great questions to ask are:

• Tell me a bit about yourself?
• What made you come to our church ?
• Did the message make sense to you? (if they came to a Christmas service)
• How do you think our church can help you?  (let them identify their next steps first, this helps them own it)

It might be good to have some resources to have with you such as your churches worship times and activities that you have such as playgroups, English classes, and Alpha.  They may be ready to come to church and it is always nice to have someone that you know there for the first few times you go who can introduce you to other and help them feel part of the community.  Sometimes someone isn’t quite ready to join corporate worship and an offer to read the bible with them over a cuppa using a Discovery Bible Method to discover the basics together using a tool like in MyFriends.network can be great way to help someone along their spiritual journey.

But what if you didn’t collect peoples contact details?  Ask your congregation who they asked to come to celebrate Christmas at church.  Did any of them recognise any of the visitors … Ask your church members to arrange for a cuppa to connect with their friends, family or neighbours and show God’s love to them through prayer and caring from them – meeting them where they are at on their spiritual journey and supporting their needs – intentionally living like Jesus.

MyFriends helps everyday Christians connect intentionally with their friends and give them the tools, skills and confidence to have spiritual conversations with their social networks. Contact Fiona.Dunn@Powertochange.org.au to learn how to run MyFriends at your church or join us over zoom for an online MyFriends course to find out what its all about.

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Faith-building, says Suan Lee, doesn’t always require dramatic events; instead, it often flourishes in the simple, everyday interactions we have with others. Suan emphasizes the importance of genuine presence and heartfelt care, echoing the famous saying, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This genuine care, Suan explains, is guided by the Holy Spirit and constantly covered in prayer.

She has found remarkable success in integrating faith into casual settings, like at her local gym, in exercise classes, and at a cafe. One of Suan Lee’s key strategies is to make the most of ordinary interactions. Whether she’s chatting with gym-goers or meeting up for coffee, she emphasizes the importance of being present and open to where God leads. She notes that real faith growth happens when people feel truly heard and valued, and this is made possible through a foundation of prayer and the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

By using Discovery Bible Studies (DBS) in these relaxed environments, Suan Lee creates spaces where people feel comfortable to explore faith. Building faith in everyday moments involves lots of prayer, attentive and active listening, and building authentic relationships.

These informal settings are just the beginning. Starting with informal gatherings like cafes and Bible study groups is a great way for new believers to begin their journey. These settings can lead people to find their place in a church community, where they can receive the support and structure needed for spiritual growth.

If you’re eager to build others on their journey of faith, getting involved and being present in these spaces is an excellent place to start! Suan Lee’s story is a powerful reminder that meaningful connections and genuine care, nurtured through prayer and spiritual openness, can lead to profound spiritual growth.

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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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When some of their leaders, including pastors, assistants, other key ministry staff and elders did the MyFriends training, they quickly realised that it was about how they live, looking for opportunities to share their faith.

Dorothy Roberts, Generation Minister at Door of Hope, caught the message that MyFriends is about faith as a lifestyle that creates opportunities to share Jesus.

“I have to be what I want to multiply,” she explained.

Door of Hope piloted moving a young adults small group that had done the Alpha course straight into MyFriends training. This immersed them into having a sense of community and allowed them to learn how to share their faith.

The effect of MyFriends is seen in Door of Hope’s children’s ministry, where people are now learning and teaching about living a lifestyle which invites their friends to experience Jesus. They’re also starting a youth Bible study group in which they teach the basic skills of living a life that makes disciples.

Dorothy is encouraged by the positive impact that the MyFriends training has had on their congregation.

“We see this as an incredible tool for a church to equip their people,” she says.

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At Jules’ church, the playgroup ministry was in decline and after COVID only one or two families were coming regularly to the two weekly sessions. The playgroup team wanted to revitalise the ministry and use it as an outreach ministry – showing God’s love to local families.

The team attended the MyFriends training and learnt to intentionally look for ways to love, pray and care for all their families from the moment they showed interest in coming to playgroup.

This caring heart and welcoming nature changed the culture of playgroup. They also had a child focused space with lots of activities at the church’s first Christmas Makers Market.

Fast Forward six months – all the playgroup spots are full and have a waiting list! At the last “All In” Creative Family service over 50 children attended.

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