It’s the people you meet and the books you read, right?
Over the last three decades, I’ve regularly met with various groups of young men in order to help them walk with Jesus. Two of the resources I’ve used is Discipleship Essentials and the more concise, Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple, both by Greg Ogden.
Shaping My Heart
Recently, during a meeting with some young guys, we came across this passage Ogden quoted from Pastor Robert Lewis. I’ve probably read it a dozen times, but last Sunday as we were reviewing the reading, it came alive again:
Unless the church rediscovers its primary role as bridge builder, the incarnational power of the gospel will remain hidden, and the credibility to reach a culture of cynical, experiential, and spiritual hungry souls will be lost…People will simply no longer listen or attend churches that seem incapable of living out what is preached. Bridges of influence—tangible and evident through the lifestyles and good works of believers—are the only answer. —Robert Lewis in The Church of Irresistible Influence
I love that phrase, “bridges of influence.” The distance between the life God created our neighbors to live and the life many of them are now living is bridged by our intentional pursuit of meaningful friendship and service motivated by love and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
As I was pouring into other young men, the Lord used Ogden, Lewis, and many others to work his Word into my heart as well. The Lord used the shaping influence of the people I’ve met, the books I’ve read, and the experiences I’ve had to lead me to this next season of ministry with the Everyone’s Wilson.
Building Bridges to Build People
So the aim of our community transformation work is simply to help Jesus-loving people build “bridges of influence” into every corner of our community. We want to inspire, equip, and unleash everyday missionaries to do what missionaries do everyday: love their neighbors in order to bring help and hope.
We pray for peace. We serve unconditionally. We love extravagantly. We remove every possible barrier to flourishing. And we bring abundant life to hungry souls.
That means we work together with all kinds of people who have all kinds of motivations, but who all care about our neighbors. We collaborate with community partners who are already doing good work, and we join with them to do our part to help them succeed.
It also means we see our neighbors, not as projects to fix, but as people to love. In the end, they will likely help us discover God’s best as much as we help them. All the while, we trust God to make us whole.
Crossing Your Bridges
So what “bridges of influence” are you building? What new friendship are you pursuing? What work is already in motion that you can join to make a difference? How can your church move into pockets of vulnerability? Our next steps together can make a world of difference.
Suggested Resources
Discipleship Essentials by Greg Ogden
Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple by Greg Ogden
Lessons from the East by Bob Roberts
Kingdom Collaborators by Reggie McNeal
To Transform a City by Eric Swanson
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