Well, it’s true, we have used pretty much every idea in this list here at re:vive. But I think, based on my experience of what’s been happening here in Grantham, that WHAT you do must be secondary to WHY and HOW you do it.
What I mean is that, if you’re going to have social events, have them with these three aims: To have fun, to make new friendships, to build existing relationships.
We don’t make friends with people to evangelize them. We make friends because we love to have friends. We believe that God has sent people our way for his purposes. Sometimes that means just being there during a difficult period in someone’s life, sometimes God blesses us with longer lasting, deep relationships and opportunities to enthuse about our great God!
Another thing we’ve discovered is that there is no division between spiritual/secular activities in God’s book. It’s all his time. So when we have a social event we invite God to be present. (He comes anyway but when he’s invited he has some special permissions!) With the Holy Spirit circulating at any event you run, people will enjoy whatever it is you’re doing! AND there’ll be something else they can’t quite put their finger on. They won’t quite get why just hanging out made them feel so good!
At re:vive we have invested ALOT of time and energy and money on social events. And now we are doing Bible studies, Small groups, baptisms and Discipleship as a result! Praise God.
God bless
Lee
re:vive
peter
Thanks Lee.
Gordon Lethbridge
We’re doing the same here in Totton, Southampton. From recent social events where we have made friends and deepened relationships we have had two people put there fingers on why they felt so good. In so many words they both said “I have never felt so loved”. Wow! that really excites the planting team.
Well, it’s true, we have used pretty much every idea in this list here at re:vive. But I think, based on my experience of what’s been happening here in Grantham, that WHAT you do must be secondary to WHY and HOW you do it.
What I mean is that, if you’re going to have social events, have them with these three aims: To have fun, to make new friendships, to build existing relationships.
We don’t make friends with people to evangelize them. We make friends because we love to have friends. We believe that God has sent people our way for his purposes. Sometimes that means just being there during a difficult period in someone’s life, sometimes God blesses us with longer lasting, deep relationships and opportunities to enthuse about our great God!
Another thing we’ve discovered is that there is no division between spiritual/secular activities in God’s book. It’s all his time. So when we have a social event we invite God to be present. (He comes anyway but when he’s invited he has some special permissions!) With the Holy Spirit circulating at any event you run, people will enjoy whatever it is you’re doing! AND there’ll be something else they can’t quite put their finger on. They won’t quite get why just hanging out made them feel so good!
At re:vive we have invested ALOT of time and energy and money on social events. And now we are doing Bible studies, Small groups, baptisms and Discipleship as a result! Praise God.
God bless
Lee
re:vive
Thanks Lee.
We’re doing the same here in Totton, Southampton. From recent social events where we have made friends and deepened relationships we have had two people put there fingers on why they felt so good. In so many words they both said “I have never felt so loved”. Wow! that really excites the planting team.
God bless
Gordon
The Watering Hole