Laurelglen Bible Church

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Outreach

“I have come to seek and save what was lost.” These words from Jesus are quite clear on His purpose. Does your purpose include His purpose? In other words, is it your desire to participate in His overall purpose for the world?

You’re probably thinking, “I bet Phil’s gonna talk about evangelism.” Yeah, you’re right, but hopefully I won’t make you feel guilty.

Here’s why. Many people don’t understand the difference between a spiritual gift and a spiritual role. The Bible teaches clearly that all believers have one or more spiritual gifts, things like mercy, teaching, evangelism, administration, giving, etc. When you have one of these gifts you perform this function with a greater enthusiasm and effectiveness than other believers. And when all of us are operating in our areas of giftedness, we as a church are accomplishing a lot for the Kingdom. It’s like each person on a team doing his or her part.

So what is a “spiritual role”? It’s doing the same things, but in a smaller way. God says we should all extend mercy, even if we don’t have the gift of mercy. God says we should all give, even if we don’t have the gift of giving. We just don’t do it to the same degree as those with that gift.

The same applies to evangelism. There are “evangelists” listed in the Bible, and there are “witnesses” listed too. God has called some to be evangelists (Ephesians 4:11). But Jesus said we will all be his witnesses (Acts 1:8), and Paul calls us “Christ’s ambassadors.” (2 Cor. 5:20) Every believer is called to have a role as a witness in everyday life, but not everyone has the gift of evangelism. God has called you to serve and to practice evangelism as a lifestyle outside the church in your own circle of relationships.

This is no-guilt evangelism. It’s understanding your part in getting the message out, even if you don’t feel like a pro. How that is done will very from person to person. I believe the first step is to be personally prepared to share your faith. That’s why we put a lot of emphasis on Evangelism Explosion training (see below).

We also want to provide you with opportunities to reach out as part of LBC. That is why the various departments such as children, youth, men’s and women’s ministries all plan outreach activities. We plan other outreach opportunities for individuals to get involved in, programs that are broader than any one specific department. Our “Say Yes!” Center is a good example of the broad program.

The key is to find a place to serve as you personally demonstrate the love of Christ, both inside and outside the walls of the church.