Frank Almonte

If I was to testify about the four spiritual aliens (called my family) whom I live with on a daily basis, I could tell you that there is never a dull moment in our lives. I live in a house where boredom will never want to visit, where monotony could not find a room, and where the ordinary wouldn’t leave his luggage.

Our home is busy with creative people. As I often wondered where all of our children’s uniqueness derived, I had to realize that from generation to generation in both my family and wife’s family, there was and still remains some creative minds that has made their mark on society.

I believe that all children of God who are followers of Christ, should understand what they have inherited from their God and Father. At the moment of our salvation, our daddy in heaven has spiritually deposited in us his image and DNA in order to do a great missional work in our time that reflects who HE is through us.

We should be encouraged to know that our God has gifted each of us, through the extraordinary redemptive work of Jesus Christ, with the power of the Holy Spirit, to use his creative abilities to share our faith with others for his glory praise and honor.

So as Christ-followers who already have the creative power of God dwelling inside of us, it would be ideal to answer the questions for ourselves: How does God want us to access the creative ideas that he wants us to have to evangelize in different ways with others who are far away from Christ? Let’s consider these questions.

First, when will God hear from you first?

In other words, are you prayerfully discerning where God is creatively leading in seeking the lost? Luke 11:9-10, 13 says,

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Since all of creation comes from the Creator, it only makes sense that we seek him for our creativity. Our time in devotion with God should always be spent in prayer for the lost who don’t know Christ as Lord and Savior.

God is the only One who creatively knows how to give us directions to reach the lost for his glory. In our prayers for reaching the lost, we should be asking God for his guidance in….

• Who he would like us to reach out to so they can come to him?
• Where he believes we would be effective for his glory?
• What he would desire for us to do in helping someone find their way back to him?
• When he would like us to begin in reaching out to someone who needs to know him?
• How he would like us to proceed in sharing him with those who far away from him?

If you’ve noticed, throughout all the prayer emphasis about sharing faith with someone, the focus has always been completely about God. Whenever our prayers are God-focused, it helps us to discern creatively and become in tune with God for his glory.

Second, what has God put in your heart?

In other words, are you passionately desiring big, God-sized dreams in order to creatively reach the lost? Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” What’s been a unique, longing, aspiring and life-stretching goal that you keep thinking about for God? What is that “Shadow Mission” that hovers over you, that you believe that God has stirred up in you, that you just can’t shake? Dr. John Fuder, professor of Moody Theological Seminary, once said that “Whatever Break God’s Heart, Should Lead Our Hearts.”

Third, where are you already heading for God?

In other words, what are you doing as your normal and necessary function now for God’s glory? Matthew 28:19 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

As we go through the life that God has given us, let’s make disciples. I believe that God wants us to make creative what is already a natural part of our life. Here are several ways we are already serving or can be serving God in our lives.

• We are all Servants for Hire. We go to work at our jobs to make a living. As we go to and from work, whether we are at lunch, on the train, the bus, Uber, we should engage people. As you go, make disciples.
• We are Servants for our Health. We work to maintain healthy lives. As we go to the health food stores, to the gym, walk, and go to the doctor for check-ups, we should engage people. As you go, make disciples.
• We are Servants at our Home. We work to maintain a balanced lifestyle in the community where we live. When we join condo associations, invite people over to share a meal, a barbecue, a flowerbed party, or wine tasting, we engage people. As you go, make disciples.
• We are Servants to our Happiness. It should be okay to live and have fun. Whatever makes you as a person smile, laugh, and have enjoyment, invite and engage people to join you in your fun. Again, as you go, make disciples.

Finally, have we asked others to give us a hand in sharing our faith in God?

Ecclesiastes 1:9 says, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

Creative thinking should be shared. The ideas that are being created now aren’t new to God. Don’t be afraid to ask other believers what missional vision or opportunity that God has already given to them.

What is working in other churches that is fresh, unique, and could be duplicated on a different scale? What new thing is God doing in the life of other people?

Sometimes, it can be a great blessing to glean from others where God has already added value to his kingdom. It can be really cool to even have an “Outreach Brainstorming party.” That could be an ideal small group fellowship that can be explored among members of a church.

When people are able to be creative in what God has given them, it is easier for them to be involved, take ownership, and be accountable to the very mission that they helped create.

This can be a creative approach to recruit and empower younger or new believers in Christ. I would advise caution when seeking to reach out to those who are far away from God in this area. When someone is new to missional outreach events, it would be wise to create opportunities where there is a beginning, a middle, and an end to whatever event you may want them to participate in. It shouldn’t be on-going with no end.

After the conclusion of the missional outreach event, create a celebratory fellowship moment of what God did through the team. This can be a great motivation for those who participated to desire to participate in another creative missional movement again in the future.

Creativity doesn’t have to be boring in our missional evangelistic outreach. It doesn’t have to be something old, something new, something blue, and something true. Make it fun for everyone. Just recently, a pastor of a church tasked each generation and asked some of the ministries of the church to create a catchy, invitational theme that could be memorable to invite people.

Here are ten creative possibilities (From A thru K) to consider as you creatively reach out to engage and invite others to know Christ.

A… A.iming the Art….To Show the Awesome. Painting & drawing art to take to kids at children’s hospital.

B… B.illiards, Bowling, and Root Beer with the Boys. A Father-and-Son outing.

C… C.inema With the Seniors (Citizens). Going to the movies with older saints of the church.

D… D.ining to Dance. Let’s eat and work it off in aerobics/walking, or learning to dance.

E… E.ve of Elegance. A play, musical, a medieval dress event. A murder mystery dinner.

F…. F.un With the Funnies – Comedy shows, magic shows, carnival, circus.

G….G.ame with … Kool and the Gang – A ball game, a board game night

I…. I. think I Can Sing? Karaoke night.

J…. J.ust For the Taste of It. Going to food festivals in different communities.

K… K.indness to All Kinds. Good Samaritan clothing drive, food drive, hot chocolate or cold water outreach.

What are some ideas that you believe could be effective in sharing Christ with others?