By Michael Smith – Senior Pastor at Rustic Hills Community Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Jen was an unchurched co-worker of Bev. Jen knew that Bev was a different kind of Christian than most of the “Christians” she ran across. Bev never criticized anyone for not living according to her standards and Bev obviously cared about her co-workers. Jen was pregnant and as the day got closer for delivery, it was discovered that the baby had serious kidney problems. Bev informed Jen that she would pray for the baby and have her church pray too. Shortly thereafter, Jen excitedly told Bev that the kidney problems had just disappeared! Soon before the baby was due another problem surfaced. The baby was upside down and backwards promising a difficult delivery, if not one that would be dangerous to both mother and baby. This time Jen asked Bev to have her church pray. Just before delivery the baby miraculously turned over. Delivery was normal and the baby and mom were healthy. It wasn’t long before Jen brought her new baby to church. She started attending regularly, joined a small group, brought her other children and husband and then brought her brother and his family. The connections continue. What happened?
Several important principles are apparent in this example.
Marketplace
In the Bible the marketplace was the place in the city where every important aspect of life took place. This was the melting pot for government, education, religion, business and philosophy. The marketplace is also where first century evangelism took place. Rarely if ever did the proclamation of the Good News take place in “church”. In America today, we have to understand that “church” is not a place, but a people, and God’s people are in ministry, not when they gather together for religious activities, but when they are at work.
Work is where most Americans spend the majority of their time. This marketplace is the average Christian’s most significant place of ministry. God has placed each one in a specific place for a purpose – to share the Good News of Jesus. Many Christians spend much time complaining about the godlessness of their workplace. They think that life would be much better if they could only work someplace where there were more Christians. At our church we tell people that God has placed you in that workplace to be the pastor/shepherd of that place. Those people are your flock. They are the ones God has given you to care for. It is a significant change in attitude and perspective when one starts to consider the marketplace as the key venue for ministry rather than a church building someplace.
Pray, Care & Share
There is an important process in sharing the Good News of Jesus with co-workers, neighbors and friends. It begins with prayer. We always want to talk to God about our co-worker before we ever talk to our co-worker about God. There is a spiritual battle that must be won in the heavenlies before any unchurched person is prepared to hear the Good News of Jesus. (2 Corinthians 4:4; 10:3-5)
After we have begun to pray for a person we look for God provided opportunities to express care and concern in practical ways. This may show up in practical expressions of kindness, but more likely is the opportunity to offer prayer for a person’s real or felt needs. When a co-worker expresses a need, we say “I will pray for you.” Many people will say “our prayers are with you.” It is a meaningless expression in our culture. But our co-workers quickly discover that you are a person who actually prays. Once we spend some time praying for the person we have an opportunity to return to them and ask them how the situation is progressing. “I have been praying for you every day. What is happening with…” What is more, God often does surprisingly miraculous and powerful things for people whom He is trying to reach.
Once we have developed a real friendship with our co-worker or neighbor, it becomes quite natural to start telling them personal stories of how God is at work in our life. It becomes quite natural to include them in gatherings of our church family or small group. It becomes quite natural to share.
(For more information on marketplace ministry see the writings of Ed Silvoso and Harvest Evangelism at www.harvestevan.org. For more information on Pray, Care and Share look into Lighthouses of Prayer at www.harvestevan.org or Houses of Prayer Everywhere at www.hopeministries.org)
(Michael Smith has been the Senior Pastor of Rustic Hills Church for the last 18 years. He is actively involved in citywide ministry in Sioux Falls and is a leader in state, regional and national ministries with the Church of God. He has been enthusiastically married to Beverley for 34 years and is the father of two adult children.)
