England, Here She Comes ... in 2021

Back in January, we found out that our church's student ministry would be traveling to England for their biennial international mission trip. Dorothy was, of course, excited. Rich and I were beyond ecstatic. We had several weeks before been reminiscing about our time living in England and traveling abroad, and talked about how cool it would be for Dorothy to have a similar, though age-appropriate and Spirit-led, adventure. We felt that England, as opposed to more exotic, previous destinations like Kenya and Dominica, would be a good starting point for Dorothy's international travel experience. (One of my dearest wishes for my girls is that they travel as much as they can, while they can. The world is a big place once you get out into it, and traveling opens up your mind, heart, and soul in ways that staying Stateside never could.)

And so our preparations began. The requirements in and of themselves were daunting. Going on this trip would be not be for the faint of heart. Dorothy hit the ground running, though, memorizing scripture, having gospel conversations with friends, inviting them to church, and participating in fundraising activities. She also finished required reading of "Organic Outreach" by Kevin Harney, a book I am trying to finish right now.

The opportunity for her to go on the trip impacted our entire family. Our dinner-time conversations more often than not usually wound up being about evangelism, and what it means to share the gospel with your peers, in a foreign country, without your parents around. We half-joked that though traveling to England would be less of a culture-shock than other places, Dorothy would have to work harder in England than she might in other less affluent countries to get folks interested in talking about Jesus. It would be an eye-opening trip on a number of levels.

And then came the coronavirus, and the announcement that the trip has been postponed to the summer of 2021. It was bittersweet news that wasn't unexpected. Rich and I had been praying all along for God's will to be done, hearts across the pond to be softened, and Dorothy to be truly ready and willing. And now we see God's hand at work, pressing pause on an experience that we'd built up as perhaps too much of an adventure and not enough of a Christ-centered mission.

As we've reflected on the delay, we can only be optimistic about how better prepared Dorothy will be. A year older, perhaps she'll be less homesick. Perhaps God will present her with local mission opportunities in the mean time to hone her Gospel-sharing skills. Perhaps the English teenagers she'll interact with next summer will be so much more receptive after having spent months in a state of lockdown. Ultimately, we know God's hand is moving in these preparations and His will will be done. It's going to be exciting to see how He uses Dorothy and her church friends for His glory!

All that being said, I want to share one final thing - Dorothy's book report on "Organic Outreach." She turned it in with her application, just a few days before the trip was postponed. I'm sharing it both for posterity and so that we can look back at this time and realize that the delay was part of His plan all along. Thanks for reading!

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Dorothy Dennard’s Organic Outreach Essay 

Getting people saved and creating followers of Jesus is the main goal of Christianity. However, many Christians just leave it at that, a thought. They don’t go and make followers of Jesus. They get intimidated by the fact that they could be rejected, or possibly left out completely, having lost a friend because they were “too religious and that’s all they talked about.”

I am as guilty of this just as much as any other Christian. However, there are ways that we can naturally present the gospel to people and not come on too strong or aggressively. As Kevin Harney calls it, Organic Outreach (OO). Many factors play into getting somebody saved correctly so that there are no misconceptions.   

   

If you truly love someone, God has commanded you to tell them about the great news of Jesus. In OO, Harney says, “Instead, we are to love people with the love of God. When our hearts beat with the heart of the Father and when a passion for lost people rises up in us, we will be compelled to search and do all we can to reach out to those who are lost in their sin and are far from God.” (Harney, 24)

They need to know that God loves them so much that he sent His Son to die for them and to cleanse them of their sins. God could have made us get to heaven through blood sacrifices with lambs; and if we didn’t, we would go to hell. But He loved us so much that He sent his only Son to be brutally beaten and killed on a cross for us.

You also need to make it clear that Jesus is the only way. We cannot get to heaven through our good works. If that were the truth, all of us would be in hell, because nobody is perfect except Jesus himself. Clarifying this with the person you are witnessing to will help to avoid any misconceptions or misunderstandings.  

   

Also, make sure you are on fire for Jesus! Don’t be, as Pastor Matt says, a “lukewarm Christian.” Being very passionate about Jesus is a surefire way to make you stand out in a crowd of ordinary people. This will naturally make you look more spiritually alive than others. In OO Harney states, “But if you become attentive to this aspect of your spiritual life and are intentional about raising your outreach temperature, you will see it go up consistently. The results will be more regular and more passionate outreach to those who are far from God.” (Harney, 63)

Matthew 5: 13-16 says, “’You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.’” In other words, we have to ask ourselves: “How can people know we are Christians if we don’t act like Christians?” They can’t!

As with any task, many different tactics can be used to suit your style. Do whatever makes you feel the most comfortable. Use your spiritual gifts, whether that be singing, art, or you might already be good at social things, too! In OO, Harney claims, “Your unique way of doing outreach grows organically out of who you are. The key is to invite the Spirit of God to direct you as you look for approaches that match your wiring and personality.” (Harney, 83)

Try something that might get people’s attention! As long as you don’t leave anything out, you do you! The only thing you can’t do is keep making excuses to not go out and share the good news. That is the thing that holds everybody back. “But what if they don’t want to talk to me any more after that?” “What if I mess it up?” “I don’t know, I’m really busy.” These are all very common excuses that are most likely used by the common Christian. Be sure to avoid excuses.   

  

Not leading somebody to salvation fully is not a failure. You have planted the seed and you need to continually water it little by little, and eventually, they will become interested and start doing their research, and perhaps even come back to you with questions. If they don’t end up becoming interested, don’t take the blame for them not becoming saved! (It’s the Holy Spirit, after all, that does the saving.) You did all that you could do, and now you just have to wait, hope, and, most importantly, pray! Pray for their salvation. In OO, Harney explains, “Allow yourself to be creative and flexible, but always make sure that you are spending time praying regularly for revival and for people to experience the life-changing grace of Jesus Christ.” (Harney, 99)

Prayer is the most effective way to help them become a Christian. Also, whenever you are with that person, ask them if you can pray for them on the spot! Ask them if they have any prayer requests. This will strengthen the bond between you, and they will hopefully become more open to religious conversations.   

  

Being a Christian altogether is not going to be easy. Being a good Christian role model will come with many sacrifices. In OO, Harney says, “If we want to be salt and light in this world and bring the presence of Jesus into our homes and communities, we must choose to serve those in need and sacrifice whenever we can.” (Harney, 139)

The Bible mentions many things that are unholy and should be done away with once you get saved, such as any harmful addictions, any toxic friends or relationships, or changing your attitude if you’re the one who’s being toxic, etc. There might be other sacrifices that you may need to make to free up your schedule so you can talk to people. Get rid of unnecessary events that are getting in the way of your outreach. Making these sacrifices will make you a good Christian role model. After making these sacrifices, it will be easy to relate to people when talking about the bad things you felt you needed to get rid of. (Though it’s also important to emphasize when witnessing to people that we are all sinners, even after we get saved. Jesus doesn’t expect us to live perfect lives, but he does expect us to live for Him.)

  

Since being a Christian is all about leading people to Christ, many things play into a natural way of doing so. However, many people give up at the first step - talking to someone. They make excuses constantly, so they feel better about not going out and leading people to Jesus. However, there are many different tactics so that talking to people about Jesus is easier, and it is easier to avoid misconceptions. Kevin Harney calls it, Organic Outreach.