Several years ago as I was mapping the steps of discipleship and the things that our church did to help people go to the next level in their spiritual walk. I realized that our church did little to help our members build relationships with unchurched people.

This was made even clearer to me when I asked the members of our church to write down the names of unchurched people in our area that we could begin praying for their salvation. Many members confessed that they did not know of anyone locally. It seems in our churches that we focus on building a strong fellowship in our classes that we forget the main reason God has for our church is to reach out into the lost world and touch lives. Jesus said that He would make us “Fishers of Men”

Here are four ways to build a relationship with unchurched people:

1. Invite them to your house for dinner.
2. Invite them to go to a ball game with you.
3. Find out what they like to do and go do that with them.
   1. I had a neighbor who loved to fish. He had a boat and He longed for company to go fishing with him.
   2. I went to a college baseball game one day because the guy I was trying to develop a relationship loved college baseball.   It gave us hours to sit and talk.
4. Have an outdoor BBQ and invite several couples including some that are unchurched.

Dr. Mark Yoakum is the Director of Church Ministries for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. He has served as Minister of Youth, Minister of Music, Minister of Education and Executive Pastor in churches in Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas.