Every Encounter Is an Opportunity to Make Disciples!

In southern Mozambique, where I live and minister, the greeting process is different from greetings in many other areas. When we meet people along the way or when we go to their homes, it is our custom to take time to share information about the entire family. While the younger people in the cities normally ask surface-level questions, those who live or grew up in rural areas will engage in a more in-depth greeting. A rural greeting includes conversation about every family member (spouse, children, siblings, and parents) as well as their health and well-being. This is a way for families to find out how they might help each other. Personally, I like this process because it connects people and provides opportunities to extend aid, if needed.

A Missional Greeting
Our mission in the Church of the Nazarene is to make Christlike disciples in the nations. As believers, each of us has this special opportunity and responsibility. This means we are to go everywhere and share what God has done in our lives. When we read the Scriptures, we see that Jesus called, walked with, and taught His disciples while also preparing them to continue His mission in the world. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” In this verse, Jesus is calling His disciples to be His witnesses by sharing the things they’ve seen and heard in His presence. 

We are Christians by the grace of God, and because we are Jesus’ disciples, we obey His command to go into the entire world and share about Him. The Church is invited to continue to carry out the Great Commission to the lost world. We can do this by being witnesses and ambassadors, and by sharing our personal life experiences as followers of Christ. Believers make disciples by sharing and passing on the faith that was shared or passed on to them. We are where we are today because other disciples of Christ played a relevant role in advancing the kingdom of God. 

From a Greeting to the Gospel

I have shared with you the experience I have from my community. I believe that many of us have not always made good use of the opportunities to share the gospel and make disciples. So what might it look like if we have conversations beyond the casual greeting and share more about our journey with Christ? Could we dare speak about how the Lord has blessed us, giving evidence to specific answers to prayer? 

In addition to sharing the gospel, we must also live a life that bears witness of God’s presence in us. Our lives of obedience to God can encourage people to ask why we are different from others, leading to more conversations about God’s love and grace. It’s important for others to see that there is continuity between our behavior and our witness.  

I would like to invite the church to be intentional about making disciples by telling others what Jesus has done for the world while also highlighting our personal experiences.