One of the new opportunities for St. John’s in 2023 is to call Dan Potaznick to be our quarter-time Associate Pastor for Outreach. Dan is being called to the Grand Canyon Synod office for ¾ time as the Director for Development & Strategic Development (telling about the good work God is doing through the Synod and encouraging support). St. John’s has the opportunity to call him to help us develop and implement a plan for outreach, especially to people who don’t identify with any religious tradition. Dan has a wealth of experience communicating and building relationships with people who are not involved in congregations.
We will have a congregational meeting to consider a call to Dan on January 29 at 9:45am in the Sanctuary.
What is “outreach” anyway? Sometimes people have a vision of going door-to-door, knocking and asking if people know Jesus and if they are a part of a community of faith. Other people may think of caring for the needs of neighbors as “outreach,” such as the Food Pantry, Family Promise, or the Shower Ministry. Both door knocking and providing needs for neighbors are outreach only if they help build relationships.
Following Jesus is all about relationships: with God and with others. If we are knocking on doors and getting to know a person’s name, their dreams and fears, then we are building a relationship that will help us introduce them to Jesus, the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins.
But if we aren’t building relationships, then it’s not outreach. We can offer showers to people struggling with homelessness, but unless we take the time to get to know them and help them know us, to build trust and demonstrate care, it’s not outreach. We become service providers, like a truck stop that provides showers for truckers passing through.
If we aren’t helping build relationships with Jesus, then it’s not outreach. Before introducing people to Jesus, we first need to have a relationship of trust and care with someone. If someone doesn’t think we care about who they really are, they won’t think Jesus cares about them either. But once there is a relationship, then we can introduce them to Jesus. This is not optional for Christians or the Church: Jesus said “Go, make disciples” (Matt 28:19-20), not “Go, make a club or service group.”
In what ways are you building relationships with others? Are you taking time to ask people’s name and share your own name? Are you talking about your dreams and asking about others? Are you willing to share your fears with another person and listen to what keeps them up at night? What can you share about your experience with God?
It’s a good way to start a new year: focusing on building relationships. That’s outreach!
Trusting God makes all things new,
Pastor Peter
