Philosophy of Outreach

The purpose of the Church is to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to join with others who are “called out” in both the local and global realm to accomplish God’s purposes on the earth. While it is common today to define the success of the ministry of the people of God in terms of the number of those who are attending the church, the actual success of the ministry of those “called out” is best defined by whether they are actually “going” out (Matt 28:16-20).

 

The mission field needs Christians, and Christians also need the mission field. Every believer has the responsibility and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to be a witness for Christ in word and deed. Regardless of age, every Christian has a role to play in local, national, and international missions and outreach. Along with a desire to impact the world with the gospel of Christ, Lighthouse Baptist Church desires to have an impact in Truckee-Meadows region as well.  Our outreach ministries help our church reach its community in an organized way.  We are committed to sharing Jesus and His Truth with our community and the world. Our desire in local outreach is to cultivate a "culture of soulwinning." We desire to make gospel proclamation a part of who we are. We desire to preach the gospel in every legitimate biblical way, both in our daily lives, and as a church in organized events.

 

• VISION & MISSION STATEMENT

 

Our Outreach Ministry vision is, to equip the local body of believers with the necessary tools to win souls to Christ. This will be accomplished through teaching God’s Word, fulfilling the Great Commission by going out into the world, and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ within our community. The gospel is at the core of our Outreach Mission. As we reach out, we extend the good news about Jesus!

 

The Lord Jesus Christ is our supreme Example in the ministry of soulwinning, as indeed He is in every other aspect of Christian life and service. We cannot study His life without being impressed with the qualifications that marked Him out as the wise Winner of souls. From the manward aspect of His life and work, soul-winning was His first concern. He could say, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). And again, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28). The apostle Paul later could add, “…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Tim 1:15). If we would be successful in soul-winning, we must study Christ until the characteristics and spirit that marked and motivated His life are reproduced in us.

 

• THE SOUL-WINNER'S OBLIGATION

 

Every Christian should consider it the highest honor, and the greatest privilege to assist in the growth of the kingdom of God, by personal effort in individual soul-winning. He should realize, too, that it is not only his privilege to thus work for God, but that a most solemn responsibility rests upon him to do so. The true Christian, having found Christ to be precious to his own soul, desires, or at once seeks, as did Andrew and Philip of old, to get someone else to taste and see that the Lord is good.

 

Rom 1:14-15 reveals how this sense of obligation expressed itself in the life and language of the apostle Paul. Rom 1:14-16, "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

 

Paul viewed people—irrespective of their race, rank, or religion—as his creditors; he was ever restless until his debt to them was fully discharged. His sense of obligation is summed up in three short sentences: “I am a debtor,” “I am ready,” and “I am not ashamed of the gospel.”  Writing to the church at Corinth, he expressed a similar burden when he stated, “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16). Paul had a message that burned within him; and wherever he went, he had to offer Christ to the people. This sense of obligation has characterized all the great soul-winners and evangelists throughout the history of the church. It is said of D. L. Moody that he rarely went to bed a happy man if he had not talked to someone during the day about the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

• OUR PHILOSOPHY

 

The following principles explain the necessary and vital components of our philosophy of local outreach. These principles have direct impact on the kind of strategy we will employ in reaching people for Christ as they both determine and direct our approach to local evangelism. 

 

1. Outreach encompasses both the evangelistic and soulwinning ministries of the church to the community that lives and works within its immediate sphere of influence. Evangelism is done by inviting people to church and while at church the unbeliever hears the gospel message. Soulwinning is done by going out to where the unbelievers are, not inside church building.

2. Outreach ministries find their motivation in the commands to make disciples (Matt 28:18-20) and to be His witnesses in our city, in our state and country, and even to the remotest part of the earth (Acts 1:8); to do good to all people (Gal 6:10); to love our neighbors as ourselves (Lev 19:18; Luke 10:27-37); and to let our light shine before men in such a way that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father who is in heaven (Matt 5:16; see also Acts 10:38; Eph 2:10; Col 4:5; 2 Thess 3:13; Titus 2:14, 3:8; Heb 13:16; James 1:27).  We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20) and, therefore, we must be serious in our charge to spread the Gospel.

3. God has left believers on earth, rather than taking them to heaven immediately upon conversion, for the purpose of winning others to Christ. We have been saved and adopted into God’s family in order that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Pet 2:9). Christians must be involved in outreach ministries in their communities, not isolated from them.  We must take the initiative to build relationships with neighbors in order to serve others in the name of Christ and to proclaim the gospel. Separation from sinful lifestyles does not require isolationism with respect to unbelievers (1 Cor 5:9-10).

4. The greatest good a Christian can do for an unbelieving friend or stranger is to give them the gospel. Therefore, soulwinning should be the ultimate goal of every interaction that a person has with an individual.  Soulwinning is a responsibility of all Christians and must be a high priority as they go into all the world. The church should encourage soulwinning through instruction and scheduled opportunities to join with others to spread the gospel. The church may also plan and hold special events for unbelievers to hear the gospel. However, while Lord’s Day services should certainly include the gospel, the primary purpose of the church gathered is worship and edification of the believer rather than evangelism of the unbeliever.

5. Today numerous evangelistic and church growth strategies abound in the church which promise to build the church and bring in more people. We reject most of these strategies in favor of the faithful, fervent, and bold proclamation of the Word of God which alone has the power to genuinely save sinners (Eph 1:13; 1 Thess 1:5-8).

6. We are not seeking to just win individuals to Christ but are seeking to get those individuals actively involved in the life and ministry of the local church where they can be ministered to by the body and minister their gifts within the body (1 Cor 12:1-31).

7. As individuals, we must live godly lives and demonstrate the reality of the Gospel through our actions.  Keeping our conduct excellent among unbelievers is crucial for effective Gospel witness (1 Pet 2:12).

8. We must have an attitude of urgency when it comes to soulwinning. Eternity and souls are at stake in this evangelistic endeavor; therefore, we cannot become complacent about this. Like Paul, we must beg unbelievers to be reconciled to God (2 Cor 5:20).