Lessons from 30 Minutes in the Harvest

The title of this post is not a mistake.

Just this past Sunday we saw God open up multiple doors (both literally and spiritual) with only 30 minutes out in the harvest.

Our home church sets aside the 5th Sunday each month to train whoever is willing in how to share the Gospel. Then we are prayed for and commissioned to go out and engage people with the Gospel.

This particular week we had 8 people on our "go" team and we visited an apartment complex near the church. In 30 minutes we knocked on several dozens of doors, but God brought four clear follow up opportunities out of those:

• We met a believer who was home sick from church that morning. He was open to us visiting again and praying together.

• We met a young woman (and several friends and relatives with her) who was seriously considering entering into witchcraft as a religion. She heard the Gospel and while she didn't respond yet, she realized that our meeting her that morning was not an accident. She claims that instead of witchcraft she is going to go the opposite direction and find out more about Jesus.

• We met a cultural Christian who had several physical ailments. After praying for him and sharing the Gospel he was open to a follow up visit for us to study the Bible with him.

• Last, we met a young lady who didn't have any prayer needs, but was open to us sharing the Gospel with her. She claimed that her parents were Christian yet also said she had never heard the Gospel. She was also open to a follow up visit.

Lessons learned:

• We need to share the Gospel. I don't know how "Christian" the last young lady's parents were, but it speaks of a bigger issue that she could live in a county that is 24% evangelical and have not heard the Gospel. We can't share the Gospel if we don't know how.

• We need to be willing to take a step of faith and go where God leads. Admittedly 4 out of the 8 people on this team were very nervous, but stepping out in obedience led us to people God had prepared.

• Last lesson that we will apply going forward: We won't be going door to door there again unless all four of these follow up opportunities dry up. The goal is to nurture, disciple and train them to reach their own apartments. I've seen people label #NoPlaceLeft as a door-to-door evangelism method, but that's a poor understanding of a #NPL vision. Our prayer is that one or more of these follow up opportunity repents and believes the Gospel, starts to follow Jesus in obedience through simple discipleship, gathers as part of a healthy church, and then takes the Gospel to their own friends, family and apartment complex. Door-to-door is an entry strategy, not the only strategy.

What lessons are you learning from the harvest? Do you and your church need training?