Discipleship Lesson 11: Outreach

Outreach is a form of service and a fundamental part of our faith. It is the process of us spreading love and sharing Jesus with the world we live in. Often it is paired with evangelism, though the two are not the same. Outreach is the act of service while evangelism is the sharing of the Gospel (we will cover evangelism in depth in the final lesson). Outreach can be seen as Christians doing what Jesus commanded us to do in Matthew 22:39 when He told us to love others. And by engaging in outreach efforts, we will find ourselves growing spiritually, as well.

Outreach efforts vary from church to church and from organization to organization. It is important to understand that outreach efforts will depend upon the community in which they are being initiated. If you live in a highly affluent community where people are well off financially, you are not going to be starting a food distribution outreach. It wouldn’t make sense because the people of that community don’t need assistance with the basic needs of providing food for their families.

In an outreach program, the organization makes efforts to reach out to the community they wish to serve to improve well-being and raise the quality of life for those individuals. It aims to bridge gaps and break down barriers, fostering a sense of community and support. It is the practice of looking to the people around you, beyond yourself, and then sharing the love of Christ as you serve and connect with those individuals in need.

There are many examples in the Bible of outreach. We see in Matthew 14 that Jesus feeds a crowd with five loaves of bread and two fish. In Mark 2 we see the story of some friends who are so determined to help their paralyzed friend that they tear off the roof of the house Jesus is in to lower their friend down to, because there was no other way to get to Him.  There are other examples scattered throughout that tell of ordinary people who make every effort to help others. Tabitha (Dorcas) used her skills as a seamstress to help clothe widows. We see her story in Acts 9.

Any outreach effort should begin with a needs assessment. Ask yourself “What do the people in my community need the most?” It is important to determine the needs before trying to establish outreach opportunities. Once you have determined what is needed, you’ll want to look at what services are being offered by others in your community. There may be an opportunity to partner with them!

Starting an Outreach Program

Here are some steps to help you and your church establish an outreach program.

1. Assess Community Needs – Determine what your community needs. Ask them. Go directly to those you wish to serve and talk with them. Find out what they want, what they would need to improve their lives, what they may be lacking.
2. Define Your Program Mission – Outline your outreach goals and how they align with your church’s mission statement and vision.
3. Develop a Plan – Determine exactly what you will offer, how you will do it, what it will cost, and how you will raise funds or gather resources to make it happen.
4. Identify Your Recipients – Once your program is developed, determine where you will do your outreach. Most likely this will be the people you spoke with in step 1, though you may find other areas that are just as needy, if not more.
5. Build Relationship and Establish Partnerships – Work with community leaders, other organization, and the local community to help support your proposed program.
6. Determine Communication Methods – How will you get the word out about your program? How will you garner support? How will you inform your recipients of the services you offer? You will need to determine how you will get word out for each step.
7. Execute your Outreach Plan – Implement the activities you have proposed and begin impacting your community with your services.
8. Measure and Evaluate Outcomes – You don’t know how effective you are with your program if you are not measuring the outcomes and evaluating the feedback you are receiving. Take the time to look at everything – how much did you raise or receive, where did support come from, how many volunteers did you have working the event, how many families did you help, etc.?

Outreach Ideas

There are many ways to impact your community by doing good. These are just a few suggestions for consideration.

• Adopt a Block – Select a neighborhood that could use some help and provide them with what they need. Maybe they need help cleaning up their yards and keeping grass mowed. Or perhaps they could use assistance with food boxes. Find out what they need and then provide that service to them.
• Support Homeless Shelters – Help provide what the local shelter might be lacking. If they need food, help provide that to the people who are staying. If they need job training, set up a program to offer that service. Clothing drives, distributing toiletries, shoes or jacket drives, and toy drives are all important outreach efforts you might assist with.
• Organize an event – Encourage people in your area to join in efforts to better the community through special events. Some ideas might include graffiti removal, street cleanup, yard work, canned food drives, Trunk or Treat, etc. Be creative in your thinking and then ask the community to help support these efforts.
• Plant a community garden – Encourage the community to participate in the planting, tending, and maintenance of the garden. Then they can benefit from their efforts when harvest time comes.
• Back to School Distribution – Collect supplies that kids will need to help them start the school year. This includes backpacks, school supplies, lunch boxes, and more. Then hold an event where you pass them out to the community.
• Drive Through Prayer – Adopt a busy street corner and set up a prayer station where people can drive up and have someone pray for them.
• Church outdoors – Find a local park or field and hold church services there. Invite the community to bring lawn chairs and blankets to join.
• Outdoor Bible Studies – People are naturally curious when a group gets together in a public space and holds Bible Study. This is a great way to engage people who may be reluctant to go to church building.
• Adopt a nursing home – Provide regular visits to the nursing home you have adopted and encourage the residents. Provide them with any items they may need. It is amazing how even cards made by children will brighten their day and put a smile on their face.
• Host a Free yard sale – Encourage people to bring things to “sell” and then offer them up for free at a community event.
• Support foster care – Many children in the foster system do not have their own things. Provide some of the items they might need that will make their stay in foster care better.
• Hand out water or ice cream on hot days – Pass out something cool on a hot day to help people cool off a little. You can do this on a street corner or at a park.
• Lunches for agricultural workers – Stop by a field and provide lunches for the workers. Or provide water or Gatorade.

Study Questions

1. What is outreach? How is it different from evangelism?
2. Why do you think churches offer outreach programs?
3. What are some examples of outreach programs in your community?

Think About It

If you could establish an outreach program in your community, which one do you think you would create? Why?

Discipleship Program Index | Lesson 10 | Lesson 12

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