You don’t need to preach on a street corner in order to evangelize. You don’t have to become an extrovert before you begin evangelism. Now consider this question- what might so surprise our friends that they would question our motivations and provide us opportunities to talk with them about Jesus? The answer is missional habits. They are habits we foster in our lives that, in turn, shape our missional outlook.
By missional, I mean all that we do and say that alerts others to the reign of God.
In other words, mission derives from the reign of God. In that respect, the ideas of our mission and God’s kingdom are irrevocably linked. Mission is both the announcement and the demonstration of the reign of God through Christ.
Watch and listen to Australian spoken word artist Will Small deliver his message on the BELLS method. Check out more of his great work at www.willsmall.com.au
Mission is not primarily concerned with church growth. It is primarily concerned with the reign and rule of the Triune god. That is why those of us who are not gifted evangelists need to foster habits in our lives that draw us out into the lives of unbelievers and invite us to proclaim the reign of God.
Missional habits aren’t just just strategic, they’re consequential: Because of the universal reign of God through Christ, we bless, we open our tables, we listen for the Spirit, we learn Christ, and we are sent out on this evangelistic task. That being said, if our only habits as Christians are going to church and attending meetings, they’re not going to connect us with unbelievers not invite their curiosity about our faith. The trick is develop habits that unite us together as believers, while also propelling us into the lives of others. We also need habitual practices that don’t deplete our energy and burn us out, but rather reenergize us, replenishing our reserves and connecting us more deeply to Jesus.
There are five missional habits that do just that. They form what’s called the BELLS method.
- Bless
- Eat
- Listen
- Learn
- Sent
Watch the video above or dive into Surprise the World by Michael Frost to learn more about the BELLS method. It is a valuable resource for discipleship and evangelism and how to develop habits that don’t necessitate you becoming an extrovert or a preacher.
