Why do so many congregations make a good start with missional living, only to see it soon fizzle? It is no longer a mystery.

Congregations are perfectly calibrated for the results they are currently getting in mission, discipleship and multiplication. And most congregations are not getting very good results - no matter what their mission statements may say or how much mission passion they may have.

Why?

There are four unforced errors most congregations are committing that are keeping them from seeing better results. What are they? (And what are simple remedies we can use to reverse the errors?) Last week we looked at the first and biggest reason.

1) We think studying what Jesus says is the same as doing what Jesus says. You can read the post here.

Unforced error #2 is just about as big.

2) We never seem to get around to building an actual friendship with someone who is living without Jesus’ grace and truth.

It sounds obvious when we say it out loud, but we cannot effectively join Jesus on His mission until we are investing in at least one friend who is living without His grace and truth.

Think about it. How many lost people would each of us need to invest in every year to double the size of our congregation’s redemptive impact annually?

The answer? One.

Not hundreds. Not dozens. Just one. One is not a crazy goal. Even people who don’t naturally like people can humble themselves and invest Jesus’ love in one person who needs it.

“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house…” Matthew 9:10. (also Luke 15)

Remedy: Identify your “ONE” and invest in friendship.

Make it a congregational priority that each person spends regular, unhurried time building a friendship with at least ONE neighbor, coworker or fellow student who is living without the grace and truth of Jesus. How? Share some food, share some laughs, share some stories. It works.

Then the next time you gather with fellow Jesus-followers (at home or at church), begin by taking ten minutes to ask, “Who’s your One? How’s it going?”

If you would like to unpack this more, email me at finkeonthemove@aol.com

[more next week]