I Want To Find A Balance This Year.

With a new year often comes the opportunity to refocus on what’s really important.

For me, I’ve been enjoying family time for the past couple of weeks. Tomorrow, I start back into my role at the church, with anticipation for what God has in store for this coming year.

While I’ve been away, our new lead pastor has already started and I’m excited to get working with him. He’s a man who is not only focused on our flock, but our community (our neighbourhood and our city).

He knows the balance.

He knows the balance between discipleship and evangelism.

I really want this year to be marked with an outward mindset for our church. I’m praying that our staff and our congregation would make some serious attempts this year, to reach new people for Christ.

Too often, a congregation can get focused on internal community instead of the community. An ‘in the club‘ mentality takes hold at some point.

Soon many of the members and attenders no longer have an unbelieving acquaintance, never mind an unbelieving friend. When relationship with the outside stops…

Evangelism Stops!

As student ministries director, I believe it’s my duty and privilege to connect with local schools.

While serving in Alaska, I was encouraged to get involved in local schools instead of just focusing on our churched teens. This helped mould an internal balance within me as a youth pastor, between discipleship and evangelism.

Particularly, I had the opportunity to serve in a mentorship program at a local middle school. I would spend time helping students who were struggling with their school work; most of which was due to behavioural problems.

As is so often the case, many of these school struggles were the outcome of rough home lives.

My heart ached for these teens.

Though I couldn’t evangelise in the school, I’d typically focus on biblical principle without quoting Scripture to speak into their lives (i.e. do unto others…).

Eventually, many of them started attending the youth program at our church, which gave me full opportunity to tell them about Jesus. It was exhilarating!

This year, I know that I need to continue developing the core of our youth program through a variety of discipleship outlets. However, I hope to gain some opportunities to connect with teens in our local schools.

Balance Discipleship & Evangelism

I need to balance discipleship and evangelism. For pastors and ministry workers, I believe that working within the realms of both Believers and unbelievers keeps us well seasoned.

By daily connecting with the outside world through some outlet, we witness the harsh realization that so many people are facing an eternity in hell. We’re forced to recognise that we are there to provide the Gospel-bridge to an alternate fate.

This year, may we all find that balance between discipleship and evangelism.

Join the Conversation, Leave Your Thoughts

How are you planning on reaching others this year? What plans have already begun to take shape?