Why Life Lessons Over Lunch?
There are many ways to approach marketplace ministry—from office Bible studies and small groups to industry prayer breakfasts and evangelistic events—and each has its advantages. Life Lessons Over Lunch is not the “be-all, end-all” workplace ministry, but it does fit well with North Point Ministries’ overall ministry strategy.
At North Point, our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We do that by creating environments where people are encouraged and equipped to pursue three vital relationship: Intimacy with God, Community with Insiders, and Influence with Outsiders. Life Lessons Over Lunch helps create practical steps for people in this pursuit wherever they are in their spiritual journey.
Life Lessons Over Lunch was created primarily to reach those who are disconnected from God and/or church. By creating a non-threatening environment in which they can hear Biblical principles taught in a practical and relevant way, Life Lessons can help “seekers” take their first steps toward connecting with their heavenly Father. Likewise, those who have been driven away from the faith as a result of bad church experiences or their own choices have the opportunity to re-engage with God even if they’re not quite ready to step back into church.
For those who have already begun a relationship with Jesus Christ, Life Lessons Over Lunch offers them an opportunity to be encouraged and challenged in their faith during their workday—at at time and location where they may need that encouragement most.
But even more than encouragement, what many believers need is a vehicle for engaging with God’s call for them to be a light in their world. At North Point, we believe that participating in the Great Commission is for every Christian. We focus our efforts on relational evangelism. We have found that God’s message of forgiveness through Christ is most effectively conveyed within the context of personal relationships, so we encourage our members and attenders to invest in those around them. The relationships that develop pave the way for Christians to invite their unbelieving friends to environments that will help them connect with God. We call this strategy “invest and invite.”
We also recognize that accepting an invitation to church or a small group may be a bigger step than many people are willing to take—especially if they have “church baggage” in their past. Life Lessons Over Lunch provides an invitation opportunity that is much easier to accept—after all, the invitee gets to stay on their own turf, where there’s familiarity and safety. It’s also an easier invitation for the believer to extend. We have found that even those who do not consider themselves “gifted as evangelists” can invite a co-worker to join them for lunch (especially if it’s free).