NOTE: This was an email I sent out to the leadership team at The Journey a couple of weeks ago. For those of you, who are seeing it twice, my apologies. For those of you reading it for the first time, may it challenge you as it does its author.

This past Saturday morning, the creative team met at Panera Bread on Main Street and hashed out the details of a sermon series I’m ridiculously pumped about, coming up in June. (If you think I’m giving it away, think again!)

An hour and a half or so in, the discussion segued a little to the need for us to balance reaching for people who don’t know Christ with caring for those who do. It’s a classic conundrum for newer, growing churches: how do we accelerate our passion to impact unbelievers while deepening our ministry to those who already follow Christ?

It’s a challenge we need to face, and with excellence. That’s why we’re pursuing Life Groups (I’ve received a lot of positive feedback regarding our spring mini-semester that will be wrapping up this week). I’m becoming increasingly persuaded that life change happens among a few; groups are a must as we move forward in shaping a means of ongoing discipleship for believers. I think we need to add to that a new height of spiritual maturity on a leadership level that enables us to nurture our teams and connect with people, mentoring and empowering spiritual growth. I think we need to pray fervently for the health of the body of believers we’re a part of and living out servant-leadership among. And finally, I think we need to equip and release followers of Jesus to befriend each other and help each other – far beyond what a handful of pastors can do on their own.

Unfortunately though, it seems to me that in tackling this challenge of balancing outward and inward ministry, the number of churches that end up growing too inward compared to the number that grow too outward is startlingly disparate. Most churches don’t grow more passionate about reaching unchurched people as time passes; rather, altogether too frequently, they have to fight harder and harder to keep the vision of seeing a lost world reconciled to Christ on the front burner. And it’s a vision that often ends up bowing instead to a tireless parade of programs, opinions, and deep-rooted spiritual selfishness.

I guess that’s why I see the need to remain a tireless advocate for an outward vision, and for the lost people it seeks to reach. I harp about it because, as I mentioned above, most churches – and most Christians – just don’t grow gradually more outwardly focused. Instead, churches like ours start because people want to reach people… and x amount of years later they plateau because now people want to be safe and comfortable.

One of the things that came up Saturday morning was our individual “reach” personalities; how we each reach out differently… one size doesn’t fit all. That’s something I haven’t thought enough about; and I want to pray earnestly about helping equip unique personalities to impact people uniquely.

However, guys… we can debate the personality-based methods, but if we’re going to follow Jesus, we can’t debate the core responsibility. Think about this – really take a minute or two and honestly (repentantly?) answer the following questions. I join you in the soul-searching:

• Do you care passionately about where the people around you will spend eternity?

• I’ll bet like me you worry at times over how you’ll pay your bills, raise your kids, or get all your stuff done in any given day or week. Do you ever worry about your neighbors being lost? Does it ever keep you up at night?

• When’s the last time you cried while considering a lost person’s spiritual condition?

• How much of your praying is spent asking God to fix stuff for you; and how much of it is spent asking God to spare the souls of the people you work with?

• Do you notice if a week goes by without you intentionally reaching out to someone around you for Christ? Does it bother you?

I have a confession to make. It really isn’t my personality to connect relationally with people. I dig my office, my computer, my space. I drive Susan crazy because I’m always asking, “do you think I connected OK with that person?” It just doesn’t come naturally to me. Sometimes I’m a little over the top with our neighbors – Susan had to tell me to stop inviting one family because I was overdoing it. They came – probably in spite of me rather than because of me. That’s why I’ve poured my heart out in prayer, asking God to override my personality, change me, take away my hang-ups and make me a soulwinner. And slowly, He’s turning me into one. And He’ll do the same for you if you’ll pray the same thing; He wants you to be an influence more than you know.

Susan has been blowing me away with this lately. She’s talked to our family doctor about The Journey; and he’s planning to attend. She gave three invite cards away at a bridal shower this past weekend; and talked for some time with people about it. She held a book party at our home a couple of weeks ago so she could purposefully connect with a lady she met this past winter who sells children’s books. She’s made friends with a new neighbor across the street. And a few years ago, she would’ve told you it wasn’t her “personality” to do any of that. Urgency and eternity trump personality.

Here’s why this makes spiritual sense. Happiness and fulfillment are funny things: the more we chase after then to the neglect of being crucified with Christ the more they elude us. The more we forget them in order to give our lives away for Jesus and people… the more they come to us. I think God designed it that way. The happiest, most content and satisfied people I know are the people who lay their lives on the line every day for something bigger than them. The most miserable, selfish, discouraged people I know are the people who constantly focus on how miserable, selfish, and discouraged they are.

So I’m advocating once again for us to keep our vision outward. Broken record? Maybe. I’ve been called worse. Let’s dig deep into ministering to believers; but never at the cost of reaching lost people. Whatever we’re going to worry about or work on this week, let’s make sure people Jesus died for are near the top of the list. And let’s refuse to use our personalities as excuses for removing ourselves from the great mission of God.

I believe in you. Deeply. I write to inspire you to the greatness God has placed in seed-form within you. I’m challenging you and I both to live at another level. We’ve accepted too much mediocrity in the body of Christ over the years as a whole; it’s time to front it out, tear it down, and replace it with consistent passion and purpose. Life is short, Jesus is real, and the world is waiting – are you on board?

Comments

[ellen stevens]

glad i found your site. i love to see that God is stirring people all over. toby and i (The Journey in Alaska) just watched your BOTT video, and love your heartbeat. thanks for sharing, pursuing, chastising, and inspiring.