How can Reaching America Ministries equip us to reach our neighborhoods and cities? 

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Reaching our cities and neighborhoods with the Gospel begins with a profound desire to introduce others to Jesus. We want people to see Jesus in us, and we want them to know our Jesus in a personal way. 

 

Reaching our cities, neighborhoods, counties and nation necessitates we sow the seed of the Gospel in a systematic and measurable way. Jesus told us to start at home and work our way to the ends of the earth. The ministry of Reaching America encourages and equips today’s church to leave the relative comfort of our buildings and begin planting the seed in the fields around us. We offer a five-part methodology. 

 

1. Direct hearts and minds to the people in our immediate circle of influence. 

 

Our methodology begins with a 40-day devotional book called Why Pray? written by John Devries, the founder of Reaching America Ministries. Before we reach out to our city or neighborhoods, we are first called to be witnesses in our own “Jerusalems”. This little book reminds us that prayer is more than just words, it’s a loving relationship with the heavenly Father—a relationship we want others to experience. The author also introduces the church to the joy and power of prayer as we pray for the multiplication of the church while developing our own homes into houses of prayer. There are additional on-line resources for the Why Pray? book on the Reaching America web site. These include; preaching/worship ideas for six weeks, a Why Pray? Listening Journal with questions for small groups, and 6 video promos to introduce the theme for each week. 

 

2. Define a geographical ministry area.

 

Reaching America encourages churches and small groups to define their geographical perimeters for ministry, which includes a specific number of households and other areas of interest such as schools, colleges, businesses etc. A list of current names and addresses in every zip-code area in the United States are made available to churches and small groups. 

 

3. Develop prayer-walkers and disciple-makers.

 

Reaching America Ministries offers a helpful booklet in order to develop a proactive prayer ministry. Prayer prepares the “soil” for the seed of God’s Word. In addition to the prayer booklet, RAM offers a booklet to prepare interested church or small group members to be disciplers and small group leaders for the people who respond to the Gospel message. 

 

4. Distribute the seed of the Gospel in the targeted ministry area! 

 

Reaching America offers a number of attractive, and applicable Bible study booklets that introduce the entire Gospel message from Creation to Completion. These booklets fit inside a card-sized envelope and are hand-addressed and are mass-mailed to every household in the targeted ministry area. Each booklet contains a postage paid return card for people to respond and ask for the next free adult, teen or child booklet or Bible study. Disciples who are trained to do the follow-up, send out the next booklets and begin developing relationships with the respondents. Disciples pray and work toward the goal of studying the Bible with them and forming small groups. 

 

5. Deepen your involvement in the area.

 

Throughout the years, foreign missionaries have found greater receptivity to the Gospel message if a tribe or a village was first saturated with prayer and God’s Word. After a church or small group saturates its target area, RAM encourages churches to reenter the target area and continue sowing the seed of the Gospel with other mass-mailings or other neighborhood ministry methods that present the seed of the Gospel message.