Reimagining Church Outreach

Are you a frustrated church or nonprofit leader with years of experience and yet fail to see real change in the lives of those you serve? Do you find yourself discontent with the status quo of how things are done but cannot seem to figure out what changes will really make the difference? Are your staff, partners, and volunteers feeling burnt out and disinterested in the work they once loved? Have your donors lost interest in your vision and failed to see any return on their investment? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this book is for you. You will learn why your efforts have only afforded you the thrill of seeing immediate, short-term gains. You will learn why many of your efforts fail and how to successfully reset yourself and your leaders to reimagine the way you have always done things. You will understand why your mental models serve as catalytic precursors for transformative social change to occur. Sherita has a Kairos word for the Body of Christ concerning the failures of outreach and a collaborative and Servant Leadership approach to a solution. Her well-researched, biblically-based manuscript demonstrates that challenges and failures are systemic, and thus the strategy for a transformative solution must collaboratively address the systems. Sherita addresses the biblical social role of the Church, church leadership, and Body of Christ and demonstrates how Servant Leadership is necessary for bringing about community and social transformation. "Long gone are the days where we could depend on the government to solve all of society's ills. Instead, we, as Christians, must recognize our responsibility to identify and participate in solving the many complex problems of our world." She even presents a case study demonstrating how lives transformed through discipleship can naturally flow into transforming an entire community. This furthers the credibility of the ideas and solutions presented in the manuscript. The manuscript is framed from a belief of the author: "I believe God is calling His bride to join Him in higher endeavors that not only fill the belly but transform lives by guiding them out of bondage into the freedom of life in Christ Jesus." Dr. Diane Wiater Regent University

Sometimes talking about Jesus with your friends can feel like trying to close a deal on a sales call, pushing something on people they may not really want. But what if you thought of it more like inviting them on a spiritual journey? Imagine being free to be yourself and free for the Spirit to work in you. Imagine that it doesn't depend on you a...

A seven-session study guide that corresponds to the Reimagining Evangelism DVD.

This text is a comprehensive introduction to mission and ministry in the contemporary Church which enables students to prepare for ministry in a changing church within a changing world.

Nearly all churches and ministries consider themselves dedicated to evangelism, and many explicitly include outreach in their mission statements. But few are actually bearing fruit. Kevin Harney diagnoses this problem and offers guidance for multiplying the outreach impact of churches. Organic Outreach for Churches provides direction for local congregations to weave evangelism into the fabric of the church. Commitment to the Great Commission is not simply about sending money and prayers to missions or holding occasional events to reach out (although these things are good). Organic outreach happens when evangelistic vision and action become the domain of every ministry and the commitment of every person in the congregation. This will not happen accidentally. There is huge spiritual and practical resistance to such changes. But the only way evangelism will become an organic part of a church is when every leader and each member is gripped by a commitment to proclaiming the gospel. This book is a roadmap for pastors and leaders who wish to infuse evangelistic passion into every aspect of their church's life.

This ground-breaking book proposes a major paradigm shift in our understanding of evangelism. Rather than trying to close on a deal, pushing something on people that they may not really want, we should rather invite friends to go on a spiritual journey where their doubts and questions are taken seriously. Collaborating with the Holy Spirit, and rooted in meaningful community life, we can share stories that are life-changing.

Within a changing social and political context, the role of the church in public life and the response of Christians to social issues has taken on renewed energy. Churches have entered enthusiastically into community engagement projects such as foodbanks and night shelters, with a broad understanding of this as mission. Missional Pastoral Care offers much needed reflection about the nature of mission and about expectations for missional outcomes. Using the stories of team members within the Eden Network (which emphasises an ‘incarnational’ approach to urban mission) the book demonstrates that at its best mission happens in a shared life rather than being about ‘us’ telling the listening world. A timely and provocative call to churches, missional groups and those training for ministry to reflect more deeply on their practice and theology, the book insists that mission is about difference, love, locality and long-term consistency and, at its best, is slow, complicated and messy.

Rookies may be fun to watch, but there is no substitute for experience. When the pressure mounts, you go with the veteran. That's why Growing Your Church Through Evangelism and Outreach can be such a vital resource. It is written by pastors and church leaders who spend their lives looking outward and helping others do the same.