Top 3 Lessons I Have Learned About Outreach in 2022

While conducting evangelism training throughout the U.S., I have learned and observed three lessons that are having an impact on congregations in this post-pandemic world.

Lesson #1: Believe there is low-hanging fruit that is ready to be picked.

One of my greatest joys leading an evangelism experience is to watch members discover that there are people only blocks away from church who appreciate their visit and provide contact information. 

Believe that the harvest is ready, and the workers are few. 

Believe that others have done the hard work of planting seeds of the gospel and you can reap the benefits of their labor. 

People are hurting and looking for answers. The challenge is that you need to go out into the fields to find them.

Lesson #2:  God can do a lot through a little.

We tend to be like Gideon. To defeat the enemy, we feel it requires a large army of volunteers. It was God that whittled the thousands down to three hundred and it took a miracle to receive victory. It doesn’t take a lot to make an enormous impact — because it’s only through God’s hand that miracles occur. Trust that God can do great things when faithful workers are few.

If your numbers are few, center gospel activity on creating personal engagements with the delivery of Good News. Invest your efforts in connecting with people God brings to you — and do not give up too soon. Resilience and consistency with a personal touch ought to be your themes of engagement.

Lesson #3: One soul at a time.

It’s a messy world. Lonely people are looking for community, hurting people are looking for hope. They are not looking to be judged but be valued. Entry points to communicate the gospel can be gained outside of invitations to worship. Yet, it is requiring a personal investment to earn trust, display love, and remove layers of distrust or misunderstandings about God. It requires searching for lost souls one sheep at a time.

It’s a great day to be God’s messengers.