I’m listing a few days worth of thoughts on mistakes I’ve made in the area of outreach. I’ve made plenty! I’ve had to pare the list down to just ten for this blog. As you look it over maybe you will save yourself some energy by not repeating my misfires.
#1 Mistake: Didn’t go fishing often enough.
Jesus said Peter would become a fisher of men as he followed in the kingdom. Fishing is what you and I have also been called to. Not going fishing often enough can be a mistake we easily make. That is, making the mistake of not being out in the community often enough. It’s all about frequency. To not go into the community frequently is the fastest way to fail at outreach.
My discovery is that we need to go out in an organized way over an extended time in order that adequate momentum will be generated. How long does it take for this momentum to be stirred up?
Go out weekly for six months. Go out with your team once a week for six months–that’s 26 times in a row–and just watch what happens. Momentum will occur. You will be GREATLY encouraged.
Planting any sort of kingdom seed takes time to bear fruit. Some seeds sprout faster than others. Outreach seeds tend to be slower in coming up and showing fruitfulness than those in other areas of the Church. Servant Evangelism, in particular, bears fruit a lot like a crop of asparagus. Asparagus takes a while to produce a crop. Other plants pop up soon but then fade away fairly quickly. Slow as they are at shooting up, once its shoots begin to appear, it produces fruit for years to come. It’s an enduring, long-term vegetable.
So it is with Servant Evangelism. Persevere with it. Keep going out to serve. Show up no matter what. Receive from God an indomitable spirit. Great results are coming!
