STRATEGY: COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION

From: SteveAIMS@aol.com (Steve Miller)
You asked me how one brings together a community for world evangelization. I feel there are several areas the Lord has been showing me that need to change in our approach to missions mobilization.

  1. Recognizing Prov. 19:21 and applying it. "Many plans are in a man's mind, but it is the Lord's purpose for him that will stand." This applies to the individual, the community as well as individual churches. Looking at what grace and calling is on a community and how that can be channeled for world evangelization is a starting place.
  2. We have these grandiose plans for mobilizing entire regions on networks or nations for the gospel and often overlook the potential one community can have.
  3. Taking a long term perspective on mobilization. Our culture pleads for instant results. The bigger more grand and quicker the better. Our focus is on the task and not on people.
  4. Relationships are a key. Building trust and sharing vision takes time. Often there are walls and barriers in a community that need to come down. Healing and reconciliation of pastors and churches often does not happen overnight.
  5. Favor and timing of the Lord. It will only happen if God makes it happen. If we go forward in our abilities and talents we will build a work that will crumble. Some times we need to sit back and pray and let God work.
  6. Focus more on God's heart than on the need. I have found very few people challenged to action by the fact there are 2.1 Billion people who have never heard the gospel. But many when touched by God's heart seeing one needy family or small child.

 

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