There are some very fundamental reasons why outreach no longer works, reasons that are relevant in any age. But, as the facts indicate, it is working less with each year, with each generation. I sincerely believe we are at the point in the history of the church where we need to ask the hard questions that I hope will mark the end of outreach as we've known it and begin to think of evangelism as "withreach."

Withreach based in honor

Honor is what love looks like. Withreach honors every person for who they are as an individual and unique creation of God. In humility and respect, withreach comes alongside of people to reach together for the purposes of God, knowing that in any human encounter both can learn, both can give, both can receive.

Withreach shows honor by considering the presenting felt needs people have as well as the deepest dreams and aspirations of their heart. Withreach sees people as friends, not targets. The spirit and protocol of withreach should permeate every program, media communication, and individual relationship. In this way people come into the Kingdom naturally, with a better understanding of God's heart and ways.

Valuing the treasure inside

Withreach communicators develop their highest delight in discovering and honoring the special imprint of God within the heart of each person, that unique inner spiritual identity composed of gifts, personality, perspectives, insights, dreams and aspirations that ultimately define a person as who they really are. It's what we call heart or spirit.

Withreach is a quest for God's intended glory…the ‘glory of God is man fully alive' (St. Irenaeus). This is the prize. This is living worship. It is what gives God great pleasure.

Attendance, decision cards, good offerings, or large buildings--these will pass and they are window dressing to the deep spiritual encounters that begin and end with a conversation. Maybe the best thing to plan for, the best outcomes to measure, are conversations. And those can begin anywhere, with a knock on someone's door, or a card in their mailbox.

Immersing wholly into incarnational listening

I hate to say it, but if we asked unchurched people what body part most symbolizes the Church, they might say the mouth. It needs to be the ear. There are great rewards found in incarnational listening, but it means we have to leave the throne of our own agenda and take the form of a visitor in another person's world. And since we are not the Holy Spirit, listening is the only way we can find out what God is doing there, what he wants us to cooperate with.

Positioning for exponential growth

We live in a media-driven world. Media is the only way to strategically reach significant numbers of people, and with many, it's the only way. But in its most simple and pure definition, ministry and marketing is about starting conversations that create friends—long-term friends.

Love is patient. Don't destroy fledgling trust with an agenda. People have become quite adept at seeing through self-serving appeals. Are your strings showing? Don't allow impatience to sacrifice your reputation with people and with the community. They can hear it in your voice, your media. If you're a little patient, keep your agenda pure, and build right, look out, exponential growth will take over.

Intellectual honesty with everyone

Withreach language is free of double talk. There's no insider language. Since, as Dallas Willard puts it, we live in a God-bathed world, there's no inside to reach out of and no outside to reach into. The word "outreach" fosters a mindset that communicates volumes to those we want to reach. Imagine discussing your next community initiative with an unchurched person using the word "outreach." A little awkward, uncomfortable? The insider language reveals our insider mindset—a real turn-off. But it goes deeper. Over time the outreach mindset produces superiority. Withreach reminds us of the power of humility and the mutual rewards found in relationships.

Setting people free

For love, God relinquished control. Why don't we? The only genuine conversion and walk of a disciple is a work of the Spirit that leads to self-motivation. It can be inspired, but not coerced. Even responsibility and accountability too easily turn to the dark side. Withreach understands the power of God's dreams to self-motivate a life according to his purposes.

A human voice

I'm sure you've noticed by now, people don't talk the way religious folks do. To most, spiritual yearnings are "dreams." My spirit is, well ... it's me. The language of dreams (purpose, identity, passion, heart) defines the most relevant, responsive message you can ever use to build lasting relationships with the unchurched. Jesus wants to come into their heart, so that's precisely where he wants to send you. The Holy Spirit has already been there for a long time (nurturing, planting, calling) so you might want to work together.

Adapted from Mindstorm IdeaLetter from www.Breakthroughchurch.com.

C. Michael Johnson is president of Breakthrough Media (www.Breakthroughchurch.com) and over the past 26 years has coached thousands of pastors in reaching the unchurched in their communities. Author of several articles on pre-evangelism, growth, and community transformation, Michael invites open dialog with pastors and church leaders seeking holistic, city-reaching solutions, call: 800-595-4327; or e-mail him at: michael@breakthroughchurch.com.