Starting the missional journey 

How do we reach our communities for Jesus? William Wade has continued to reflect on this question since last year's Baptist Assembly. He offers this reflection and video

Inspired by a recent visit by Lynn Green to the CBA, I reflected once again on the most-asked question from Assembly 2022: how do we reach our communities for Jesus? For those still seeking to answer this question practically in their own setting, and perhaps unsure where to start, here are a few observations that might help continue the conversation started with that missional question last year.
 

Get involved

We cannot effectively reach people that we are not involved with. Very few unchurched people are going to wake up on a Sunday morning, dress in smart clothes, go to a building they’ve never been in before, to meet with people they don’t know, to sing songs they have never heard, to listen to a ‘lecture’ and to drink tea and coffee that is half the quality of what they can buy on the high street.

That is the unchurched perception of church.

That means we must go out into our communities and break free from only having a friendship circle that is contained within the local church. We cannot have access to people’s lives if we are not involved.

So, how do we get involved? I would say choose your area of involvement. If you like arts and crafts, join a local arts and crafts group; if you like books, join a local reading group; if you like sports, join a team. Choose something that you have a passion for.

As I have a boxing background, I have been able to get involved with training, coaching and making friends in local boxing clubs, mixed martial arts clubs and gyms in general.

If we’re not involved in people’s lives, we will find it hard to make an impact. It may cost us to dive into the community in this way, but it is the first step in seeing missional transformation in the community.
 

Have the conversations

You will find that getting involved will naturally lead to conversations. I would suggest not jumping in immediately with a memorised Billy Graham sermon. Take the time to talk, and especially to listen. There may be a period of small talk, but this is all part of the missional journey. Ask questions and take on board the thoughts, feelings and (un)beliefs of others, without needing to immediately jump in with defending the honour of God. He is better at that than we are.

Ultimately, an invitation worth offering as you get to know someone is, ‘Tell me your story.’ This will really help in finding out why someone thinks and believes the way they do. It is also really helpful for focussed prayer.

The great thing about hearing someone’s story is that usually at some point they will ask you the same question, and this is a great point to share something (probably not everything) about your story.

Be honest and transparent; but do also, in a considerate and respectful way, share that Jesus has made a difference in your life. Try to stay away from jargon and remember that paraphrasing the Bible is ok. You don’t need to quote chapter and verse – the Holy Spirit is great at helping them understand what you’ve said.

 
Embrace the clash

There will be a clash at some point. You are coming from an entirely different worldview than them, but here’s the blessing – you’ve invested in a friendship first, and so your posture is one of relationship. You are probably talking over coffee and carrot cake at this point rather than standing shouting in the street.

The ‘clash’ is a conversation between friends rather than a loud confrontation between distant strangers. You can disagree well because you can listen well, because you have developed a posture of investing in each other’s stories.

The dreaded clash at this point tends to be nothing more than an initial disagreement that is left for a while to go on chatting about what you have in common.

But of course, God doesn’t leave it at that. That little section of the story of Jesus that you shared can now be watered by God even when you’re not around.

I was a missionary evangelist to British Forces for 14 years and have seen this work and now we are seeing serious growth in our church in Cuffley. That’s not because I’m a super-evangelist; it is because our people have been jumping into the community and rubbing shoulders with the unchurched. They’ve been taking their time on the missional journey; they’ve been investing in relationships and listening to others’ stories and when they are asked about their stories, they tell them, and they include a bit of the Jesus story, too. And it’s working.

Let’s not drop the ball on this vital question from last year’s Assembly. As Lynn reminded us, the mission carries on and people still need Jesus. That means walking into the lives of strangers, getting involved, sharing stories and at some point speaking of Jesus. Thankfully, he is great at doing the rest!



William unpacks these reflections in a short video - access it on YouTube or below: 
 

William Wade is the senior pastor of Life Church in Cuffley, Hertfordshire. 

Image | Jonny Gios | Unsplash

Do you have a view? Share your thoughts via our letters' page.