(Note: Join us for some practical faith sharing ideas at our upcoming free Webinar with Bill Tenny-Brittian March 26. Bill’s book Hitchhiker’s Guide To Evangelism is full of more practical relationship building ideas.)
Continuing in our series Building New Relationships, we turn today to the third Sphere of Influence: Where do you play?
Where do you play?
Consider the natural relationships you may already have with
- People you meet at your kid’s sporting events.
- People you play a sport with.
- People in your social club (e.g., knitting, reading, bridge, poker)
- People you consistently see at the same stores you visit.
- People in your volunteer organizations.
Not always easy
For example, I used to visit a local Dunkin Donuts nearly every weekday morning to have my quiet time. (No worries, I usually only drank a cup of coffee).
Within a few weeks, I noticed the same group of people meeting and talking for several hours each morning (they arrived before I did, and most left after I did). The group would ebb and flow as people would visit for a while, then leave to their morning obligations. But several were there the entire time, nearly every day.
It wasn’t easy to break into this group, rather, they had to let me in. This is where prayer helped prepare the way.
After a while, they initiated conversation with me, as another regular attender. This led to several new relationships, some of which continue to this day, and some of which have provided some business for us.
Since I have moved to a different city, these folks are not in the course of my life anymore. I still see a few when I visit and have had the opportunity to talk about my faith and calling with several of them over time.
Parent Teacher Student Organization
A friend of mine serves as volunteer for the school’s PTSO. This puts her in contact weekly with over 40 other parents, and regular contact with many more.
One purpose for volunteering with this group is to build relationships with other parents that can provide the natural opportunity to talk about faith. Some of those relationships are getting deep enough to talk about personal things.
This weekend, several of them have registered to attend one of the church’s outreach events. This event has nothing to do with the PTSO, but the relationships built during the year and prayed over have helped several women to say yes, I’m coming.
Let me ask you this:
Where do you like to spend your non-work social time?
Who among those friends are unchurched?
Who can you be praying for today.
Would you share additional ideas on where you find such relationships outside of your neighborhood and work?
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