Day 87: Don't Do Outreach?

“I hope you do not teach our kids how to do outreach.” This is what a mom told me one year just days before I was to teach at family camp for a week. At this point in my life I was a lead pastor (senior pastor) and looking forward to not dealing with those parents that make a youth pastor’s life miserable. I was all geared up for a week of 14 messages and complete worship set. The truck was loaded and ready to go out to camp the next day…then the call came in late that night. This lady told me how she does not agree with outreach and that the youth should spend all their time learning, not doing. This took me back to my days of youth pastoring….it reminded me of the few parents that would make a youth pastor want to quit because they critiqued EVERY LITTLE THING that was done.

Sadly this mom was serious and sadly this is the stance some churches can have as well. Anytime a church or Christian says “we don’t need to do outreach” is the day that church needs to seriously re-evaluate their ministry and perhaps read the bible. For the individual I would just ask to please back that statement up with scripture. Outreach is a necessary thing for the church to be doing. The church or individual that makes a statement like this is the person or church that is so scared of the world surrounding them that they have become socially retarded because they never leave their Christian bubble.

I think of how Jesus was in scripture, he would have no problem hanging out with other Christians….as we should. But, Jesus also flowed very smoothly among the unsaved with such grace and love that it was a beautiful thing.