Here is a great article I read this morning.
8 Ways to Easily Be Missional
Article by: Jonathan Dodson
Missional is not an event we tack onto our already busy lives. It is our life. Mission should be the way we live, not something we add onto life: “As you go, make disciples….”; “Walk wisely towards outsiders”; “Let your speech always be seasoned with salt”; “be prepared to give a defense for your hope”. We can be missional in everyday ways without overloading our schedules. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Eat with Non-Christians. We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal invite others. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversation. Cookout and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.
2. Walk, Don’t Drive. If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox, convenience store, or apartment office, walk to get mail, groceries, and stuff. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations. Attract attention by walking the dog, taking a 6-pack (and share), bringing the kids. Make friends. Get out of your house! Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Pray as you go. Save some gas, the planet, and some people.
3. Be a Regular. Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places. Get to know the staff. Go to the same places at the same times. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of left over pastries to our church 2-3 times a week. We use them for church gatherings and occasionally give to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a Regular.
4. Hobby with Non-Christians. Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try City League sports. Local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons. Teach sewing lessons, piano lessons, violin, guitar, knitting, tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.
5. Talk to Your Co-workers. How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form mom groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.
6. Volunteer with Non-Profits. Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!
7. Participate in City Events. Instead of playing X-Box, watching TV, or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, clean-ups, summer shows, and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.
8. Serve your Neighbors. Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police and Fire Stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative. Just serve!
aking of the music biz: I went to NAMM in Nashville which is a trade show for music retailers. At the tradeshow, I met a guy and his mom who own a company called Goldfish Guitars. The body of the guitar is shaped like a fish. Their logo....is the sign of the fish (an ichthus). This sparked my curiousity and so I asked if this was a Christian business or was this just a logo. They told me they were believers and had made something that they thought others could use. Within that motivation had to be some seed sowing as well. I mean...here they were (and me too) at a music trade show with every type of person imagineable in attendance....showing the love of God amongst guitars blazing and drum cymbals crashing. Thats market place ministry!!
We worked with the homeless population for over 1 year. We opened thrift stores and had many of the homeless helping in the stores. On Saturdays we would go yard saling to get merchandise for the stores. Man, that was fun!! We got to meet so many great people...both believers and non-believers (pre-christians I like to say). It's amazing how our conversation would always go from the natural small talk to things of the spiritual nature. I want to say it was just us...being us and letting the love of Jesus shine through. We used these "yard sales" as opportunities to sow seeds. If we can do it....anyone can do it. It's not turn or burn evangelism but a way to get into the community and let your light shine.
Have you ever listened to a good song and then it abruptly stopped. It's happened to me plenty of times as I was driving and the radio station got fuzzy....just when the good part of the song was coming up. You want to play a cruel trick on someone...play them songs but before each song gets to the chorus.... stop and go to the next song. Arrghhhh : )
“Evangelical leaders are very bullish on the future growth of Christianity, except in America,” said Leith Anderson, president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).