By Lane Corley
You have a network of people that only you can influence for Christ. The term used for these people is Persons of Peace. A person of peace is someone who:
- God is drawing to Himself and opening their heart to the Gospel. (see John 6:44; Acts 16:13-15).
- Is open to hearing your story, God’s story and the Gospel.
- Welcomes you. Invites you in to their life and relationships.
- Has an interest in spiritual things and / or are interested in your life as a believer.
- Opens doors for you to meet others and gain more opportunities to share your faith.
At any given time, we all have in our network persons of peace that we can share with and lead to next steps in their faith. These should be our first priority because we already know them and have a relationship with them. We can also DISCOVER NEW Persons of Peace around us. God is in the world reconciling people to himself (2 Corinthians 5:15-20). He’s always at work around us drawing people to himself (John 6:44). Here are some ways to Discover New Persons of Peace:
- Pray expectantly to meet persons of peace throughout your week. When we’re praying for opportunities to be a witness, our eyes are more open to the opportunities around us. Pray everyday for God to show you where and with whom he is working.
- Initiate relationships with new people. Study after study show that people are lonely. Most people want relationships and appreciate kindness. In line at the store, walking around the neighborhood, wherever you are, take the time to initiate relationships. Stop. Ask questions. Invite people into your life. You’ll discover persons of peace by being a relationship builder.
- Learn to fish for spiritual interests. Develop a way you explore peoples spiritual interest. Questions may include: Do you have a church you attend? Do you have a spiritual background? Or just being a good listener can clue you in to spiritual interests in peoples lives. Listening for change talk (“I need to make some changes in my life) or for first steps of interest in spiritual things (“I’ve been reading the Bible lately” or “I’m looking for a church”).
- Observe people’s behavior. In Acts 8, Phillip saw the Ethiopian Eunoch reading the scroll of Isaiah. Along with the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Phillip used this behavior as a springboard for spiritual conversation. We can discover people of peace by observing unusual kindness, observing someone reading a sacred text, overhearing a conversation about spiritual things.
- Serve with the purpose of finding Persons of Peace. Every outreach effort of a local church should have as one of its goals, discovering persons of peace. You can also discover persons of peace by serving in your local community. Often, God’s work in our lives leads us toward generosity. Like Cornelius in Acts 10, who was a God-fearer and was known to be generous, even helping the Jews with synagogue building projects. Get involved in volunteer opportunities around the community and discover persons of peace.
- Proclaim the Good News. We should use every means necessary to boldly proclaim the good news of Christ. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17. As we actively share about our faith in every conversation, on social media, and with our actions, we will find that Persons of Peace will find us. And today, more than ever, people are looking to discover truth, not in a building or through an institution, but through a relationship.
Don’t get discouraged with those who lack spiritual interest. Keep looking. Keep waiting. Keep watching. That’s what Jesus instructed his disciples to do (See Matthew 10:11-14). Be confident that God is working. Connect with people. Get their info and get ready to help people with next steps in the faith. Which is where we’ll pick up next week!
Lane Corley is a church planting strategist for Louisiana Baptists and pastor of the Bridge Church in Madisonville. This editorial first appeared on Corley’s blog site.
