Christian Community - The Outreach Gifts

The Apostle John writes in 1 John 3:16-19, "We (Believers) know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion how can God's love be in that person? Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth so we will be confident when we stand before God."

These verses are about loving one another, which all of us are called to do. John uses rich people as an example, but this verse can equally apply to those who have special hobbies, talents, and skills. It's not a message only for those with money to give. It's a message about reaching out to people.

Outreach, like missions and evangelism, is one of those “church words” used so often that we hardly ever talk about its definition or its application to the Christian Community. What is Outreach?

• Some churches use Outreach to talk about local ministry, as in “A part of our community Outreach is to send volunteers to serve in a local soup kitchen.”
• Some churches use Outreach to talk about benevolence as in “We ‘reached out’ to this family who lost everything in a fire, and we have helped them find temporary housing.”
• Some churches use Outreach to talk about evangelism as in “Our Outreach ministry provided 2,000 evangelistic brochures at this year’s fall festival.”

So, what does it mean?

The reality is that Outreach looks like all three of those definitions.

Outreach is giant umbrella that covers any possible effort (missions, ministry, evangelism, benevolence, events, fellowship activities - everything) to build relationships beyond the church family toward the goal of seeing people acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and then move toward their own involvement in a Christian Community. The end-goal of all Outreach is to grow the Christian Community with believers on the journey to being disciples.

Satan does not want that to happen. And, you and are eased into poor thinking and poor doing.

• We fall into the trap of "donating" or "serving" and then disappearing. Bringing donations to LICS is simply a service project unless those donations are  ultimately used to build relationships through which Jesus can be shared with some. Changing the oil of widows at our church is simply a service project unless there is intentional effort to build relationships through which Jesus is shared with oil change recipients. There's no blessing in short-changing the Outreach experience. The blessing comes in seeing the Kingdom enlarged.
• We fall into the trap of being distracted with our own lives. I can hear Satan cackle from the darkest corner of hell over how busy we become with no time left over for real ministry Outreach. Each of us knows people who need Jesus and each of us knows people who need connection with a Christian Community. But, we say to ourselves, "I'm so busy. I don't have time to invest in others right now." If you and ignore the spiritual condition of others long enough, we will become hard-hearted toward Outreach and subsequently Evangelism.
• We fall into the trap of the what-ifs: What if they aren't Baptist and I offend them in some way? What if they say 'no' when I try to talk to them? What if I invite them to intersect my community and they have a bad experience? What if I get the reputation of being a Jesus freak? What's the blow-back on me if people in the neighborhood start whispering about us - 'They've gone off the deep end?'

Within our Christian Community are those who have the Spiritual Gifts of Outreach ministry. These good people love to build relationship with others, and will find it a joy to talk about faith and Christian Community. And, while we should all have a heart for lost people, those gifted for Outreach are the ones who set the pace, who provide the example, and who encourage all of us to step out and build relationships. Those with Outreach-focused gifts will be those possessing the Spiritual Gifts of Apostleship, Evangelism, Prophecy, Compassion, Servanthood, Healing, Miracles and Tongues.

What if you and I don't build relationship with other people? What if you and I don't talk to others about Jesus? What if you and I don't invite people to engage Christian Community? What if no other person in Lexington ever ministers to that hurting family and invites them to faith? What if you or I represent the last chance for someone to come to Jesus and escape eternal punishment? What happens if that family isn't led in faith, those young people grow up outside of faith, marry others outside of faith, and a generation is raised up outside of faith. How many hundreds of people could be saved by your involvement with just one Lexington family? How many hundreds of people could be lost because I ignored the lost or grew timid in my own faith? I can't bear that responsibility. I must share Jesus. I hope you are convicted likewise.

One life can make a difference.

Today, I serve more than 4,000 North American congregations as they seek to build relationships with people toward a goal of sharing Jesus. I have been ordained to the gospel ministry. How did all that happen? It happened because in a valley of unemployment, depression, and poor decisions, one believer reached out and said, "Where are you with Jesus?" And, then he poured his life into mine. And, in that man I saw the reflection of a Savior who said, "Come and follow me." One life reaching out to another life.

Do you have one of the Spiritual Gifts that can lead others in Outreach? Do you have one of the Spiritual Gifts that can model Outreach, showing us what it looks like and leading by your own example. We need you; the Kingdom needs you. Here are the Spiritual Gifts that drive the Outreach of the Christian Community:

• Apostleship - The gift of apostleship compels people to reach out to new and unfamiliar groups and individuals to invite them into relationship with God and community.  Apostles share the story of faith in other lands, cultures, and traditions, as well as welcoming the stranger in their own land.  Apostles extend the hand of friendship to those of other generations, nations, and languages.  Many apostles desire to be missionaries.
• Evangelism - The gift of evangelism is the gift of faith-sharing and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to those we meet.  Evangelism is primarily a one-to-one or small group experience, grounded in building relationships with others and inviting them to make a decision for Christ.  Gifted evangelists do not force their faith on others, but offer relationship with God as a gift, and are ready to tell the story of God and Christ in their own lives.
• Prophecy - The gift of prophecy is the ability to speak God’s word to others, or more appropriately to be open for God to speak God’s word through us.  Prophets do not predict the future, but offer insight and perspective on current conditions and how things might turn out if changes aren’t made.  Prophets are incisive, clear, and often controversial, communicators.  Prophets see things that others often don’t, and they have the courage to “tell it like it ought to be.”
• Compassion - The gift of compassion moves people to action on behalf of those in need.  Compassion is not a simple caring about others, but such a radical caring that we have no choice but to make sacrifices for others.  Those with the gift of compassion rarely ask “Should I help,” but instead focus on how to help.  Compassion makes us fundamentally aware of the Christ in others and springs from our desire to care for all of God’s creatures and creation.
• Servanthood - Servanthood is the gift of doing for others, sometimes to the exclusion of meeting personal needs.  Servants look for ways to do for others both within and beyond the congregation and community.  Servants do not choose to serve, but serve from a sense of identity and call.  Gifted servants never feel put-upon or taken advantage of, but see each opportunity to do for others as a way to be true to self.
• Healing - Servanthood is the gift of doing for others, sometimes to the exclusion of meeting personal needs.  Servants look for ways to do for others both within and beyond the congregation and community.  Servants do not choose to serve, but serve from a sense of identity and call.  Gifted servants never feel put-upon or taken advantage of, but see each opportunity to do for others as a way to be true to self.
• Miracles - The gift of miracles is not about performing miracles, but about living in the miraculous reality of God’s creation.  Those gifted with miracles never doubt the power and presence of God in creation, and are able to help others see and believe in God’s power.  The gift of miracles does not focus on the extraordinary, but sees the miraculous in the mundane and normal.  Living in the spirit of the miraculous, people see God in nature, in relationships, in kind acts, and in the power of love.
• Tongues - The gift of tongues is a communication gift that allows people to speak foreign languages and convey concepts they never formally studied.  People with this gift “pick up” the ability to communicate across barriers of language, culture, age, or physical limitation (some people with the gift of tongues work with the deaf or blind).  The gift of tongues is not a “secret” prayer language, but a way to communicate the faith to people in a known language.

(Source: www.umc.org)