When crisis strikes, as believers our light shines bright. The Church was created to minister to and meet the needs of people filled with fear and doubt. During the COVID-19 outbreak, Pastor Craig Groeschel preached a midweek sermon to encourage Life.Church attenders to do seven things to serve people in their communities. View his Midweek Worship Service and then use this simple framework plus social media images to spur your attenders to be Christ-centered and others-oriented.
7 Ways to Be Christ-Centered, Others-Oriented
1. Pray with someone you've never prayed with before.
Encourage your church to spiritually unite with the people around them. It’s easy to stay comfortable and pray with those closest to us. But imagine what God will do when we step out of our comfort zones and pray with someone we’ve never prayed with before!
2. Give to someone in need.
Help your church understand irrational generosity in a season that may seem chaotic. Simple things like making someone a meal or even giving away a roll of toilet paper can help your church see how God calls us to be generous in meeting the needs of others.
3. Serve someone.
Empower your church to use what they have to be a blessing to the people around them. Help them see that we were created to need one another and that as the Church, we can meet the needs of our community if we are willing to be used by God.
4. Encourage someone who is hurting.
We have no idea what one word of encouragement can do to make a difference in someone’s life! No matter a person’s background or current situation, everyone has the ability to encourage others. God can use each person in your church to lift someone up who may be down.
5. Post something about your faith.
Social media is a powerful tool. In this time where people need hope, we can give it to them! We can encourage our church communities to share sermon clips, Bible verses, or their favorite worship songs. Some may want to record a video sharing their faith journey with their social media friends. Social media can be a platform on which we all can spread hope and let our light shine for the world to see.
6. Invite someone to church .
The great thing about watching church online is that God can truly meet people where they’re at, whether in their living rooms or back porches. People can host watch parties on Facebook or choose to log on to the same service time together. Some families may even experience church together for the first time in this season.
7. Pray for those outside your normal circle.
We all spend a lot of time praying for our friends or family or even the issues that we’re facing in our lives. But, encourage your attenders to to step out in faith and pray for those outside of their normal circle. Whether that is the healthcare professionals on the front lines, missionaries across the world, or the neighbors in their backyards, we can take time this week to lift up more people to God in prayer.
We hope this Christ-Centered, Others-Oriented Challenge empowers your church community to shift their focus from a crisis to take a posture of serving others. If you’d like to encourage your church with this reminder that attitude is everything, feel free to use these resources! Here are some social media images for this Christ-Centered, Others-Oriented Challenge.
