Seasonal community outreach isn’t a topic of widespread discussion but it’s a very practical component to the ministry of a church planter. Host Clint Clifton talks with John Ames leveraging holidays to engage the community for gospel impact.

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There’s not a whole lot that everybody in your community agrees on but even people who aren’t Christians recognize Christmas season. Statistically speaking, in the U.S. people are a lot more likely to go to church or at least to be introspective about spiritual things around holidays. @ClintJClifton

When you start to listen to and engage your community, you hear the values already in play. People are very excited during Thanksgiving or Christmastime about the idea of just pouring out resources to others and that people are entitled to compassion and kindness during that time. — John Ames

Almost 20 years into church planting, I almost won’t do an event if I don’t have a community partner and I think novelty is not nearly as important as I thought it once was. @ClintJClifton

I really like returning to that theological understanding that God is already on mission where where you’re going. Your goal is not to come in and create something new. Your goal is to find out where God is already at work in the community. — John Ames

Sometimes we can get all excited about something we’re going to do but we don’t ever think about the person we’re serving. We just think about us and how it’s going to make us feel. — John Ames

Some of it is just taking an event that’s already happening and looking for ways to make it more personal by leveraging your members to sit next to a stranger and engage them in conversation. @ClintJClifton

When you provide events that pull people in and engage that shared common interest, you’re already a step ahead. — John Ames

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