Reaching the Lost: Strategies For Success

One of the most powerful places on earth is your home. It is secure, warm, relaxing, and effective in securing a Bible study from a contact. The home is a place to develop relationships and obtain needed information to bring a soul to Christ.

The use of homes for prospecting contacts into Bible studies is biblical. Jesus went to the home of Zacchaeus to save his soul (Luke 19:5, 10). The early church held Bible studies in their homes. (Acts 2:46). Early Christians could not stop talking about Jesus in their homes (Acts 5:42). Private Bible studies took place frequently in the homes of early Christians (Acts 20:20).

Too often, we worry about the wrong things in our homes. Those whom we invite are not there to inspect, appraise, or take pictures for “Good Housekeeping.” The home is where hearts open and relationships blossom. Here are a few suggestions regarding the use of this evangelism tool:

• Identify families in your local congregation willing to use their homes for evangelism.
• Involve those outside of the home to help with cleaning, preparing, cooking, and serving. Widows are a great resource for younger families who need help.
• A little cleaning goes a long way. It is more important to make guests feel welcome than to make them feel uneasy because you have turned your home into a museum (please do not touch it).
• Focus on the two most important places: the living room and the kitchen/dining area.
• Have your Bible study materials ready and easily accessible if needed.
• The kitchen table is the best place to have a Bible study.
• If children come, ensure you have children/teens/adults present to assist.
• Have a toy box on hand to use if small children come.
• Food is relaxing and creates conversation, so always eat!
• If you cannot cook, do not like to cook, or do not have time to cook, go to KFC and put it on a platter because they will never know. Do not feel bad if you need to get food on the go from a local store!
• Focus on the prospects and not the house during their visits.
• Remove distractions and turn off noise-making devices.

Over the past 25 years, my family has repeatedly used this tool, with a success rate of almost 100 Percent. It is hard to resist the loving environment of the home. God created the home. Jesus ate in the homes of sinners. The early church used the home for Bible study. Our homes are a blessing from God designed to be used for His Glory.