Mobilizing a Missionary Movement: One Person at a Time - Part 3 of 3

the story continues (Part 3) …

So it had begun … we started to form a community out of a group of people who didn’t know each other, but they all knew us, a more difficult task than anticipated.

They were mostly unchurched people, individuals who didn’t have a church background and didn’t really understand the Gospel or those who tried to share the Good News with them. It made for an interesting interaction with our new friends … they didn’t always make a lot of sense to us, and our way of life didn’t make a lot of sense to them. It’s a missionary life!

The result was we asked lots and lots of questions and needed to explain a lot of things, and this only happened once the relationship grew to the point they felt secure in asking. They are the ones who need to ask if we hope to share Jesus with them. It’s not as easy as it sounds, especially with a group of people who struggle with trust.

We are still walking with them as we slowly assist them in their understanding of Jesus and His Gospel. We have found that Good News needs to actually sound and look like good news to the people we are talking with. What sounded good to us 20 years ago, or even yesterday, may not sound good to the people we are chatting with today. We are not changing the Good News, simply the way we share the timeless truth.

If they don’t understand and feel safely accepted they will never be able to ask their important questions. And if they don’t ask questions how will they ever hear what can radically change the course of their lives and bring transformation to them? Hopefully, in time, they will become part of His church as we grow and take shape.

This group was mixed with a few followers of Jesus who were courageous enough to join us and learn how to live as missionaries wherever we find ourselves. These women and men have been part of the testing of new ideas about church and desire for people who don’t know Jesus to have an opportunity to make a better and more informed decision concerning Christ.

We are creating a discipling culture for the people who want to learn and discover more about God. Our hope is that skeptics with questions will feel comfortable enough to hang out with us long enough to ask about the things they need to know.

It cannot be rushed or you lose their attention before the important story can be shared. It is about discovery, which is highly valued by those listening. It is about love, as we give people time to process the things they see, hear, and experience when they are with us. It is about Jesus and them more than about us.