The fourth step in our Faith Walk at The Park is connecting others to Christ. When you are in love with someone, and they are in love with you, you can’t just sit there! If you sit there too long with all that passion building up, you’re going to explode!
At The Park we work hard to find ways to connect others to Christ that are not creepy!
The best way to do this is build genuine relationships with others. It’s that easy. Be a friend. Not for the sake of putting the Jesus whammy on them in the end…that’s called “bait and switch”….and there’s nothing much more ugly than that! Instead, be a friend, be willing to serve your friends in any way you can. Then, when the opportunity comes around and they ask:
• Why are you spending money like that?
• Why do you spend your time helping those people?
• Your family is as screwed up as my family…how do you deal with it?
• How in the world were you able to forgive her for that?
Or the classic…
• There seems to be something about you…what is it?
Then you can respond to your friend and tell them the truth…."I am in love and it effects everything I do. I have wanted to tell you but I didn’t want you to think I was too much of a freak. So here it is…I love a God who won’t let me go! Want to know more?"
That’s just how I do it…
What’s your style? How would you say it?
One more option…We also coordinate “Elbow Events”. Often when a few folks are headed in the same direction we plan an elbow event that helps folks get connected to Christ. Usually there are 3 or 4 simple steps….1. Plan an activity that five of you want to do together2. All five of you invite a friend to go along…someone you know who does not have a church…now you have 10 folks3. Plan a follow up BBQ or Saturday night together4. Simply invite them to worship
Some easy examples….
• Work on a Habitat for Humanity House
• Have a cook out the next weekend
• Go to a Cincinnati Reds / Bengals / UC / Xavier game
• Follow up with a second game at someone’s house that month
• Go fishing, to the YMCA, find a service project, scrapbook, girls night out
• Then find an opportunity to be together and keep it simple
• Purposefully ask them to tag along with you to The Park for Sunday worship
That’s just how I do it…
What’s your style? How would you do it?