Don't miss this summer's opportunities to reach others for Christ. These ideas will take you from "Easy, anybody can do this" to "We will have to stretch to do this."
1. Start your next small group meeting by handing out paper to everyone and having each person list local friends, family, co-workers or neighbors that they would like to see come to Christ.
2. Compile the lists into one list and commit to pray for them every week in your small group.
3. Your first outreach is for each person to invite one or more people on their list to see Duck Commander at church the weekend of July 20/21. In its season finale Duck Dynasty had almost 10 million viewers and out-pulled American Idol. Don't miss this opportunity!
4. Have each member of the group plan one activity with one or more other people in your group and have each person in this "mini-group" invite people on their list to join them at the activity. While everyone is having fun the subject will come up about how people know each other and "voila!," that's the perfect time to invite the "others" to come visit the group.
5. Hold group events that are outdoors and fun, like a beach party, or indoors and family friendly, like family movie night. Do this instead of your regular meeting. Then have everyone invite the people on the list and while you're all eating food or laughing over popcorn and a movie the new people are figuring out that you're a fun bunch. Afterwards, have each group member with a guest at the event invite those people to your next group meeting now that they know more people in the group.
6. Do a serving activity with your small group, like helping the homeless (see next article), and everyone invites people on the list to serve with the group. Many, many small groups have had their friends, family, co-workers and neighbors serve with them and end up joining their small group and going to church with them. Just invite and keep inviting. They will come.
The key to all of these ideas is to reach out. It doesn't take great boldness or courage; just a friendly smile and an invitation. At the end of the summer, do a tally and see who you impacted by just reaching out in fun and friendship.