reaching people
Monday, 28th July 2008
I can’t remember exactly how the quote goes, but I heard it a few days ago.
“If you want to reach people that no one else is reaching, then you have to do things that no one else is doing.”
Actually, I think that’s exactly how it goes.
What a measuring stick. Now I have one more thing to process and wrestle with.
Thoughts?
Scott Fillmer
Monday, 28th July 2008 at 5:14 am
yeah, and thanks for giving the rest of us the same thing to now wrestle with
Tree Cooper
Monday, 28th July 2008 at 6:00 am
I don’t know. I agree with the general thesis of the quote – we MUST be constantly relevant and fresh. Stagnant water is worse than no water. But also, Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun. And I tend to value consistency as well.
What if one of these, “people who have never been reached before” is someone who has at least been contacted before. What if I connect with the “unreached” in my particular way and then Bob comes along and tries to connect with our “unreached” person in his particular way (a way that is new, but just for the sake of being new)- in the process de-value-ing the first approach. Now what we have is a divided house? maybe?
Now, there is a big difference between consistency and beating a dead horse. Sooner or later, we have to stop trying one approach because it is simply not effective for change. But, the opposite is to give up on an approach because it didn’t work the first time. Maybe, our “unreached” friend just needed to hear the same message twice?
andi
Monday, 28th July 2008 at 6:28 am
perhaps the idea that you are “doing” is not necessarily new…just doing what we should be doing. I think sometimes we are not reaching that person because no one is doing what we should be doing. Like being Jesus to them- being their friend, hanging out with them when they are drunk and need a ride home, going with them to see that movie that you know you will hate because you value being with them and spending time to get to know them…sometimes I think we have to find a “new” fabulous way to do something when we should just “do” instead of waiting to do while we are figuring out the “new” way to do it…
hope that makes sense…
Biscuet
Monday, 28th July 2008 at 8:20 am
You know i agree so much with that post. I have a million thoughts. I’m thankful for Andi’s comment. Now we need another lunch to process what it means to do what no one else is doing. But i think the answer has something to do with loving people like they’ve never been loved before.