Ideas To Reach Your Friends

In the Bible Jesus commands us to love our neighbour but quite often we either get too busy and preoccupied to think about loving our friends and neighbours, or maybe don’t know how. Have you ever thought of serving your friends with the love of God? It’s practical, simple and something Jesus did while on this earth.

Try some of these ideas and see how they might help in creating opportunities to share Jesus with those around you:

• Write and send notes of encouragement in the mail to your friends. These are especially good when you know they may be going through hard times.

• Send an email to them. It doesn’t have to be long, just a short e-mail letting them know you are thinking about them and that you prayed for them.

• Leave a Time Out bar or other little chocolate treat with a connect card on their door step or somewhere they will see it.

• Invite them around for BBQ/Dinner and spend time getting to know your friends better. You may do this on Wednesday night and you could even call it something catchy when you and your mates get together every week.

• Go out with them to a restaurant, invite them out or organise it, this is a great way to stop and share together. Be sure to put you phone away, though so your full attention is on your friend(s)

• Organise a day out, it might be to the zoo, cricket, football, markets or shops. Whatever it is, it is all about connecting, spending time and being a friend.

• Catch up at a coffee shop, there are plenty of these around, keep it simple, and enjoy the company of your friend(s)

• Begin an interest group. It might be photography, movie, book or craft. There are many ideas for interest groups. If you are a mother this is a great way to get and give support to other mothers just like you. Advertise in the community and get together to share with one another.

• Start a playgroup in your community, it might be in the local church, school or even your home (if it’s big enough). It doesn’t take much and can make a real big difference allowing you to connect with your friends while the kids play.

• Take them some food if they are going through a tough spot in their life. We all have hard times, but who is there to help us through them? For many it can be no one! Just a little bit of food can make a world of difference.

• Offer to do their shopping if they are having a baby or unwell. Something so simple yet some significant.

NOTE: Be sure to include connect cards with any outreach event you may do, this should include the name, address and phone number of you or your church.

For assistance in regards to any of the ideas or for connect card samples please contact the Personal Ministries Department by calling (07) 3218 7777 or email gregpratt@adventist.org.au