Creative and Spirit-Empowered Small Group Outreach

By

Mark Speeter

-

May 10, 2017

There are many biblical ways small groups around the world are effectively reaching the lost. Here are a few ways our Antioch Lifegroups have done fruitful outreach:

• Party Evangelism – Lifegroups throw fun, clean parties in the homes or the city, and invite their friends.
• Service Evangelism – Lifegroups band together to serve a need in the community, looking for opportunities to serve alongside other non-church people (Matt 5:16).
• Strategic Lifegroup Location Evangelism – For a season, host a Lifegroup at someone’s house who has a network of unchurched friends and invite them (Luke 19:1-10).
• Creative Evangelism – Mark 2 shows us a group that did whatever it took to get their friends to Jesus. Write down names, and think together and come with up creative ideas to do “whatever it takes” short of sin to get people saved and connected!

All these have been fruitful, but this last one has been crucial for us:
Spirit-Empowered Outreaches – While most growth happens through reaching relational networks, Lifegroup members get transformed by learning to be bold and Spirit-led with strangers. As we look at scripture, we see ordinary men and women boldly proclaiming the gospel and seeing extraordinary fruit by the Spirit’s power. We try to set a culture where being Spirit-led is part of a daily walk with Jesus. Therefore, just as Jesus empowered His disciples for ministry (Acts 1:8) and led them to the harvest (John 21:6, Acts 8:29), so as we walk with Jesus, He will do the same through us. Here is how that will play out in a Lifegroup night:
Pre-Outreach:

• Short equipping – We believe every Christian should know how to clearly preach the gospel, yet most don’t. Therefore, we seek to train every member in a simple tool like Billy Graham’s “Steps to Peace With God.”
• Worship and wait upon the Lord – Worship to connect with God and calm anxiety. After some songs, we will ask the Spirit to give us things to look for and then we write it down. For example: color (orange), name (Frank), item (umbrella and dog). Below is how that might play out.

Outreach:

• Word of knowledge: Something specific we couldn’t have known. For example, last week on an outreach, some church members got the name “Julio.” Within an hour, they met Julio, and he and his son both got saved.
• Healing – As we do outreach, we ask if they have pain we can pray for. This last week, some church members prayed for a guy with chronic knee pain, and after getting healed, he gave his life to Jesus!
• Prophecy – God wants to speak unity over people (1 Cor. 14:3).
• Highlight – As you go, the Spirit may cause someone to “stand out” to you.
• Gospel – We always accompany God’s power with the actual preaching of the gospel, and then knitting people into the life of the church.

Post-Outreach: Celebrate and debrief
Our Lifegroups will regularly do these outreaches, and it sets Lifegroup members free from fear and shows them that God really does show up when we take risks!
This article originally appeared here.