When a new family moves into a neighborhood, this is one of the best times to approach them with friendship.  One time, we lived on a small street and got to help some neighbors when they first moved in.  Our son David let them borrow a water hose, and I befriended them quickly.  Then our daughter Amy began to watch their small son.  I prayed for physical healing for the wife a few times and she was healed each time.  Then Rick befriended the husband.  Eventually the whole family had encounters with Jesus and came to know Him.  God used each member of our family to reach each member of their family in a powerful way.

It turns out that the normal pattern in Acts is seeing large groups or households come to faith together.  Why do we not follow this pattern as the main way we evangelize?

There are many examples of this in the Old and New Testament.

Genesis 45:4-10- the story of Joseph and his family

John 4:16-43  – Samaritan village

Acts 16:13-15 – Lydia

Key questions:

What happens to families where only one person follows Christ?  How does the family view the believer?  How does the community view the believer?

What happens to families if they all decide to follow Christ together, within a short amount of time?  How does the community view the family of believers?

What does Christ command us to do in the Great Commission?  How will reaching families impact discipling?

So, let’s encourage one another to go among those who don’t believe!

Lots of groups of people are all around us.  We need to train ourselves to SEE THEM.

When you look at your community ask yourselves:

Where do people go to hang out together?

What do they do there?

How many of them go there?

How often do they gather?

When I lived in Bangalore, I noticed people hanging out at tea stalls and coffeeshops.  I would go out on Friday afternoons after the weekly Jamat at the mosque and have tea with some of my students during one of the best social times of the week for them.

Let’s pray for each other to reach families or households with the Gospel wherever we live.  God is with us.  Let’s go for it.