In my previous blog entry, I started a conversation about how to grow our church. I suggested that there is no single key to growing our church. Rather, there are many pieces which must all be in place for successful growth to occur. The first piece is for each of us, as Christians, to passionately live our faith (notice, I did not say, “perfectly live our faith”). Once we reach the point where we are living our faith, what’s next?

Before moving on to the next point, let me just plug my first point a little more. ☺ George Barna is a Christian research specialist who does all kinds of interesting research on churches, politics, culture, etc, then writes books. He wrote a book a few years ago called, Growing True Disciples. In his book, Barna did a study comparing the lives of Christians with the lives of non-Christians. The results are startling . . . we’re no different! Non-Christians give just as much $$ to charity as Christians. Christians live just as immoral lives as non-Christians; the divorce rate is actually higher in the church! Barna’s point is this: why would anyone want to become a Christian if it doesn’t mean life-change? If becoming a Christian has no effect on my life, I’ll stay an unbeliever and sleep in on Sunday morning. Using the divorce rate as an example, a secular wedding counselor might actually recommend to a prospective couple not to join a church - their marriage will stand a better chance of surviving if they’re not Christians . . . this is ridiculous! Paul called us to be transformed from the world, not conformed to it (Romans 12). Until we are different, we will never succeed in reaching our lost friends. We have to show them that faith in Christ changes lives. We do that by passionately living our faith (my first point).

Okay, that soapbox is done. What do we do once we are living our faith? Our church’s philosophy of ministry is built on six core values (how many can you name?). Among these is building relationships. I humbly submit to you this: the only way we will ever have a significant impact on the lost in our community is through building relationships with them. Not only must we build our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we must also build relationships with the lost.

Have you ever seen a street preacher? I have. How effective do you think that street preacher is? Wouldn’t his time be better spent witnessing to his unsaved friends? This is a fairly logical and obvious point. If we want to reach people with the message of Christ, we have to be in a place where we have influence with an unbeliever. How do you reach the point of influence? By building a relationship! Follow the steps: (1) I begin to passionately live my faith. (2) I get to know my unsaved neighbor, building a relationship with him. (3) At some point, God presents me with an opportunity to share the Gospel with my lost friend, who trusts me because I have built a relationship with him. What’s more, all this happened outside the church!

How many people do you know or have contact with regularly who are unsaved? Everybody knows at least one person, and if you don’t, shame on you!

Continued in part 3 . . .