The Table

Missional New Year

Our goal as followers of Christ is to be missional all year round.  Holidays, like New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are no exception.  In fact, it’s these times in particular that our real values tend to come to the surface.  So, at The Table, we want to continually encourage members to view these events as missional opportunities – opportunities to share the love of Christ with our friends, neighbors, coworkers and families.

Here are just a few suggestions of ways to reach out on New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day:

• Offer to babysit the kids of your friends or neighbors so that their parents can have a "date night" on New Year's Eve.
• Offer to host a slumber party for your kid's friends on New Year's Eve to give their parents a break
• Have a small gathering at your home on New Year's Eve, and don't just invite other Christians!  Intentionally invite people you would like to build relationships with this coming year.
• Invite your neighbors over for brunch, or to watch football together on New Year’s Day.
• Know someone who has to work on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day?  Surprise them by bringing them lunch or a goodie basket of cookies and eggnog.
• Offer to help your neighbor dispose of their Christmas tree.  Or, schedule a day to help them take down their Christmas lights.
• Spend New Year’s Eve writing notes of encouragement to missionaries who are out of the country and away from family this season.  Invite others to join you.  Make a party of it!
• The New Year is often a time of renewal.  An opportunity for a fresh start.  Rather than making “resolutions”, pray about the year ahead asking the Lord how He wants to use you in 2009.  Does He want to send you on your first mission trip?  Does He want you to begin a discipleship relationship with someone who is searching?  Is He leading you towards getting involved in a particular ministry?  Is He asking you to take first steps towards reconciliation with someone whom you’ve had a broken relationship?  Make a new commitment to the Lord.

 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  ~Romans 12:1-2