If you haven’t taken a stab at Kindness Outreach, the summer is the perfect time for doing a “Lab” – that is, to do some experimenting to learn a few lessons about how to build a heart connection with the those in your community.
Any season has its advantages for connecting with people, but the summer works well for both servers and those they serve. The weather is better, so people are outside more, and in general, there is a bit of a “Vacation mentality.” This could be the ideal time for your people to take a stab at reaching out.
Here are a couple of pointers to keep in mind.
A. Relax.
As we show God’s kindness we are planting seeds more than harvesting crops, at least to begin with. Don’t pay attention to the conventional stats you might be tempted to count, like “How many came to church this month because we served them.” Trust me, they will come, so don’t worry.
Right now the goal is to learn how to enjoy reaching out with the kindness of God “…that leads to a radical life change.” As we reach out in fun, doable ways, we will catch the “Virus” of God’s love for others – and begin to see them with new eyes.
B. Have fun!
We have been wired by God to enjoy life. We may need to “Practice,” but as we stick with it, before long, we’ll be having fun like pros!
If we aren’t having a good time, we can’t disguise the truth. Those we touch will pick up on that, they’ll be turned off and won’t want to have anything to do with the God we are inviting them to follow.
Here are a couple of summer “No-Lose” projects to try on for size:
Give Away Bottles of Water
There are lots of places and ways to serve thirsty people in warm weather.
Dollar Car Wash
Wash a car, then give drivers money for the privilege of serving them. Mind-blowing!
This is great for involving numbers of people (a minimum of 10 or up to as many as you want if you are able to do several cars at once).
To get the detailed explanation of these and many more projects, pick up “101 Ways To Serve Your Community.” It’s available on Amazon as an instant kindle eBook purchase, or in a paper version as well.