In
the early Church, Christian families were strong forces for evangelisation
in their localities. Obviously the household would be made up of extended
family, servants and slaves. Once they had become believers they saw
it as their duty to act as a lighthouse illuminating the surrounding
darkness.
Today it is perhaps less common to have entirely Christian households.
We could however take the example of the early Christians and make
it a priority to pray regularly and specifically for the localities
where we live. We may even wish to ask people in our neighbourhoods
if there are any specific prayer requests. It is sometimes good, if
appropriate, to let people know that you have been praying for them.
This month I want to highlight the importance of the home as a place
for evangelism. So often we associate outreach with Church based programmes.
However, in our increasingly secular society the gap between society
and the Church is ever widening. A home based event can therefore
be a useful bridge for some people. The home is a natural environment
for those not used to Church or formal worship. Jesus often went into
peoples homes e.g. Zaccheus, Simon, Martha and Mary. Homes provide
a relaxed and informal atmosphere where people can feel at ease and
relationships can gradually develop.
If you feel called to use your home for evangelism, the challenge
is to put on small events that are easy to plan, cost very little
and are relevant to those you invite. If you wish to invite those
in your locality who may never have had any formal contact with Christianity
or the Church then a low key user friendly approach is vital. Initially
it is probably best to think of one off events which you might put
on four or five times a year rather than a series of meetings. People
today are often cautious about commitment and are hesitant to commit
themselves to a regular fixture. However, they would perhaps be more
attracted to a one off Christmas, Easter or Pentecost event.
Planning your event
It is important to give time, thought and prayer to who you plan
to invite. Would you go for a wide range of people e.g. your immediate
neighbours or would there be a target group e.g. Single people or
those living alone in your locality. The target group would probably
determine the appropriate time to hold the event.
Try to think of a type of event which would appeal to your chosen
audience. Will the invitation be informal i.e. put the word around
or something written which requires a reply? The latter will give
you an idea of expected numbers. Remember to stick to the allocated
time slot and allow time for eats(?), drinks and chat.
Think about the appropriate starting point for your invited audience.
Will the event be primarily a social event with some low-key Christian
content or something more up-front which expects some sort of a response?
Ponder how you will introduce the Christian element will it be, for
example, through a natural testimony or perhaps a thought for the
day. It is good if you can get Christian friends to cover the event
in prayer if possible praying for your guests by name.
In the next article I will give ideas about the type of content which
you could use. The key thing is that the evening should be enjoyable
and fun and leave people with a sense of, this has been good, we must
do it again sometime.
