The "One Hour a Week Movement" - The Kickoff!

My friend Martin and I have been using Sunday afternoons for several month to go to a lower-economic area that also happens to be near his church and invite people to visit his church.  We go for roughly an hour plus drive time.  We are typically able to knock on doors of 20-30 apartments/trailers/homes.

We start out by introducing ourselves in a friendly way, we joke that we're not selling anything, and we say that we're out inviting people to church.  We hand them a card about the church which is probably 5"x5" and has a brief description about the church, directions, address, phone number, and their Website.  If people are not there we tuck the card into the crack in the door because it may be a very long time before we come back through there so we might as well give them the information.

We always start off talking about the church because people can relate to that, they know what it is, and it doesn't confront them with anything personally.  We assure them that the church is a warm, friendly, and non-judgmental place and let them know casual attire is OK.  So, talking about church has been a good icebreaker for us!

As we are talking about the church or after that part of the discussion we listen to what God may put on our hearts for the situation and we look to see if someone is receptive.  If we get the feeling the Lord has provided us with an "open door" of a responsive person and we have an idea of something inspirational, encouraging, or even challenging to tell someone - we always make those comments as well.  The church conversation is just to have something to talk about- and yes we DO really want them to come to church but our ultimate goal is that God will lead us to people whom He has prepared to hear about the Lord.  We feel no performance pressure whatsoever- we just GO like the Lord said.

If possible we always try to go together- the Bible even says Jesus sent them out 2 by 2.  Going as a team allows us to encourage one another, relate to people in different ways, and by having two people as part of the regular outreach it provides accountability and safety: 1.) You never know what temptation or even danger may happen when someone opens the door, and 2.) By having two people involved if one person secretly doesn't want to go on a certain day- having the other person there keeps them focused!

We've been doing this for several months now, we do miss a week here or there if our kids have a recital or there is a birthday etc but we try to do it every week there isn't a strong conflict.  You can't beat yourself up if you miss a week- God isn't beating you up.

We have been able to observe several things through these experiences.  First, we find ourselves very excited when we are out there doing this and afterward.  Yesterday for example we felt like we drank an energy drink by the time we were done- we were pumped and it was over a hundred degrees!  Something else we've observed is that the Lord really goes with us and orchestrates the situation.  You have to remember that it is really the Holy Spirit's job to draw people to God so when you participate in an effort of evangelism you get to walk in the flow of His presence, power, and purpose.  Because of this you get to see miracles of various kinds happen.  I have no doubt that the Lord could lead us to pray for someone who is sick or injured although that has not happened yet.

Tomorrow I am going to write about 2-3 experiences we've had that show how the Lord opens doors and creates opportunities when we go.

For today however I am going to wrap-up and introduce you to the "One Hour a Week Movement".  This is a challenge my friend Martin and I are launching today.  We are encouraging every Believer to invest one-hour per week in local missions outreach.  One hour of evangelism per week.  Go to an area you feel a burden for, get some invites from your church (or print your own), and go invite people to church- all the while praying that the Lord will create opportunities for you to share your faith in Christ.  Its simple!  We will be using this blog to share stories, examples, and ideas so that YOU too can do this but you don't have to wait.  Find a Christian friend or family member- share this idea with them and plan YOUR first one-hour outreach.  As a reminder- its one hour of sharing - drive time is extra.

Ok, that's it- tomorrow I'll share stories.  Begin praying about what neighborhood God would have you start with!

Let's GO God.  Let's have a great week of seeking God, continuing to put God first, and trusting Him!