Whether you’re a small group pastor, coach, leader, apprentice (or whatever term is used in your church) it is absolutely vital that you lead your ministry and your own group to embrace outwardness. Honestly, I’m not much for the buzz word “missional” (although I couldn’t really tell you why), so I prefer to use the term “outwardness” instead. Regardless what you call it the rest of your ministry will never get an outward focus until you, the leader, get it. So my first suggestion to individual small group leaders and ministry leaders is for you to develop a heart for outwardness.
The first step to going out is falling down. Outward focus doesn’t start with some big missions event. It begins with a small move from the couch to your knees. Fall on your knees and ask Jesus to change your heart. Ask him to break you and give you a longing to see others changed by Jesus when you and those you lead reach out and personally touch them with God’s love.
Jesus wept over the people of Jerusalem and then sacrificed everything for them. We (me included) calously drive passed panhandlers without even looking at them. We pass elementary schools without considering how we can bring Jesus to the precious children there. We put accountability software on our computers to protect us from porn but we don’t give any thought about demonstrating God’s wonderful love to those who are enslaved by it. We talk about the menu for our next small group meeting, but we don’t talk about what to do with the leftovers. We put extra food in the fridge or the trash while there are hungry people throughout our city. We study eschatology but refuse to think of the actual reality of Hell.
The first step to going out is falling down. Fall down and pray that your heart, and the hearts of those you lead will be broken, changed, and awakened by the pain in our world that only Jesus’ beautiful, powerful love can heal.
Next time I’ll write about the second step. For now, jut practice step one: Fall Down.
