REACHING THE UNCHURCHED WITH THE LOCAL CHURCH
by Ron Clarkson
Reaching The Unchurched With The Local Church
Ron Clarkson
Picture this in your mind: Your working out at the gym and you've been playing basketball or racquetball with the same bunch of guys from work for a couple of years. You get out of the shower and one of the guys starts talking to you about what's going on this next weekend. You tell him about the yardwork, the Easter Egg Hunt and the park district game you have to coach. He knows you go to church, after all he's seen your I Love Jesus Tie Pin. He asks you, "What time is your Easter Service?" After all he knows when Easter is, it's the first Sunday after Christmas - that you go to church, anyway. He asks you again, what time is church? And for the first time in your life your thankful for your in-laws because you have to go to Deluth to visit them, so you say, "I think it's at 11, but were going to spend some precious quality time at the folks." Or maybe you aren't going out of town and you say, "the service starts at 11:00, but we usually leave about, 8:00 - 8:30, you know it's quite a drive to our church. Or he asks the time of your service and you tell him 11 and hope he asks no more questions.
Or maybe you are in a car pool and the same question comes up. Or your talking with your neighbor over the back yard fence, of your kids are playing together and that moment of opportunity comes - be honest with y-our s-elf, what is your gut level feeling? For some reason you hope you have an excuse, or you hope they don't pursue it, or can you say, "Our service is at 11:00, are you thinking about coming? That would be great, here's directions, my wife and I will be meet you in the foyer so we can sit together. Maybe we can go out for brunch after.
Would you feel confident and comfortable enough in your local church that you would welcome this kind of opportunity? Or would you be afraid? Afraid of what they might think, afraid of their being bored or intimidated. Afraid that some well intentioned brother ...
Ron Clarkson
Picture this in your mind: Your working out at the gym and you've been playing basketball or racquetball with the same bunch of guys from work for a couple of years. You get out of the shower and one of the guys starts talking to you about what's going on this next weekend. You tell him about the yardwork, the Easter Egg Hunt and the park district game you have to coach. He knows you go to church, after all he's seen your I Love Jesus Tie Pin. He asks you, "What time is your Easter Service?" After all he knows when Easter is, it's the first Sunday after Christmas - that you go to church, anyway. He asks you again, what time is church? And for the first time in your life your thankful for your in-laws because you have to go to Deluth to visit them, so you say, "I think it's at 11, but were going to spend some precious quality time at the folks." Or maybe you aren't going out of town and you say, "the service starts at 11:00, but we usually leave about, 8:00 - 8:30, you know it's quite a drive to our church. Or he asks the time of your service and you tell him 11 and hope he asks no more questions.
Or maybe you are in a car pool and the same question comes up. Or your talking with your neighbor over the back yard fence, of your kids are playing together and that moment of opportunity comes - be honest with y-our s-elf, what is your gut level feeling? For some reason you hope you have an excuse, or you hope they don't pursue it, or can you say, "Our service is at 11:00, are you thinking about coming? That would be great, here's directions, my wife and I will be meet you in the foyer so we can sit together. Maybe we can go out for brunch after.
Would you feel confident and comfortable enough in your local church that you would welcome this kind of opportunity? Or would you be afraid? Afraid of what they might think, afraid of their being bored or intimidated. Afraid that some well intentioned brother ...
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