What should the target of our ministry be? Should we have a target or should we do ministry with the shot gun approach?
If we were to focus on a target in our vision planning, which should it be?
If we target geography, that would mean we would target areas like Mitchellville, Bowie, Crofton as our primary target area(s).
If we were to target age groups that would mean we would focus on reaching children, youth, young adults, or older adults.
If we were to target a segment of our society we might reach out to young couples, divorced persons, families with children, seniors or others.
What do you think we should do?
Posts
When Quoting Scripture Inflicts Harm
6 years ago
5 comments:
I saw this exerpt from a sermon I found online. I thought this paragraph was quite pertinent to the question at hand.
""Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but keepers of the aquarium." (Paul Harvey). Our job is not to be aquarium keepers, but to go and fish for men."
Just something to think about
"What should OUR target be?" - Is that even the right question? I think the question should be, "What should MY target be?" Each Christian is responsible, each has his own gifts, and each has his own ministry. Each man, woman, and child who knows Jesus should pray for discernment, courage, and provision to meet the needs of their neighbors, be they fellow workers, friends, classmates...whoever their neighbor is. The church as a whole should encourage one another in each and every one of these individual ministries, to encourage to continue in good works and to equip as needed, be that financially, educationally, or simply moral support. If the body as whole wants to do a collective ministry, fine, too.
Im not a fan of targeting a group based on age, segments of society, etc...
Remembering what was said about a Churches DNA, I think that is where our focus should be. Making MT.Oak what we believe God wants Mt. Oak to be.
If we build on that, the appropriate people will come and stay.
So if I had to pick. I would say geographical, that would encompass everyone in the area of the Church.
With regards to specific target areas, I think Jesus' parable of the good Samaritan makes it clear that whoever is our neighbor should be our focus of ministry.
For Mt. Oak, I suggest the collective body be concerned about reaching out to and helping those close to "home base". This might entail the Mt. Oak youth repair squad visiting churches and synagogues and offering to help out, visiting homes and offering the same (a la the effort in Ireland recently), or signing up to help keep Church Rd. clean. Offering programming to the Bowie cable station? Producing plays for the community...all that stuff that requires a team effort.
Individual members have their own neighbors, e.g. fellow workers, classmates, nextdoor neighbors, fellow people waiting in line at Wal-Mart and the grocery store. Strike up conversations with people, get to know them, love them (really mean it), and share the love of Christ with them as the Lord leads. Perhaps making the effort to frequent local small businesses rather than the big chain stores and, while there, leaving a tract, sharing a verse as appropriate, or sharing comfort with a smile or encouraging word. By your concern and actions, perhaps you will provoke them to jealousy and encourage them to know the Lord you know.
I guess I think we should see where God leads us. He may want us to go in a direction that we may not have considered. Marilyn
Post a Comment