What does it mean to be a ministry that goes beyond the walls of our church?

Well, let’s say we offer some ministry at Bethany, and then do some effort to invite people in the community to come to our church. That’s great! Let’s always be doing that, a lot of that!

But note that is still an approach where we are inviting people to come to Bethany, and while it’s important, we miss out on ever meeting the people who are in the community around us but never respond to our advertising.

A fully “beyond walls” ministry would be one that actually goes OUT into the community and connects with people in the neighborhoods around us through some common interest or they are our neighbors on the street where we live, or people we tend to see as “regulars” at the coffee shop where we hang out, or a book study group we’re involved in, or maybe some community service project and we engage participation of the community around us, or… (the possibilities are endless).

In other words, in a beyond walls ministry, we are literally DOING our ministry beyond the walls of our church. It’s not as hard as it might seem. Remember, it’s not about us and our abilities. This is God’s Holy Spirit working through us, and with God, all things are possible.

Consider Matthew 18:12-14: “If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders off, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine and go after the one? And if he finds it, doesn’t he make far more over it than over the ninety-nine who stay put? Your Father in heaven feels the same way. He doesn’t want to lose even one of these simple believers.”

Leave the 99. That’s what Jesus did.