Simple Outreach Infusions
Kevin Harney
By Robin Maguire with Kevin Harney
Every month the key ministry leaders at Shoreline Church in Monterey, CA receive an outreach infusion. It is an intensive 25-30 minutes focused on inspiration, accountability, learning and planning for personal and church evangelism. This happens in a large group, small group and sometimes one-on-one training time. It is so important that they say, “We will keep infusing our leaders with outreach passion and equipping every thirty days until Jesus returns!”
Here is the powerful part. Each of these leaders is expected to do the same with their ministry team (both staff and volunteer). In short, what they learn in their monthly infusion, is passed on to others. They multiply workers for the harvest of the Gospel.
Two months ago, I led the infusion training with 14 leaders. Our focus was on the power of testimony. One of the leaders, Robin Maguire, decided to write a short encouragement to all the small group leaders in the church. She leads adult spiritual formation and one of her areas of focus is small groups. She was taking what she learned and multiplying it into her area of ministry. He is what she sent to all of her leaders:
Sharing Your Testimony
Walking with Jesus every day means accumulating a rich collection of testimonies. We experience His help, His provision, His guidance — and those stories belong to the people around us. A testimony is simply a story, and people love stories. I think God walks us through both the mountaintops and the valleys, in part, so that we have something real to offer someone else.
The key is matching the story to the moment. If someone is wrestling with loneliness, and you have experienced God’s presence holding you up in a hard, quiet season, share that! If someone is wondering whether God actually provides, tell a story about provision. Our testimonies are not one-size-fits-all. They are targeted, personal, and powerful precisely because they are true.
God’s people carry an endless supply of stories. The world carries an endless supply of need. That intersection is exactly where testimony does its best work. The next time you find yourself with someone who has not yet come to faith, pay attention. Listen for the ache underneath the conversation. Chances are, you have a story that speaks directly to it. Step in with confidence. People are hungry for evidence that God is real and that He shows up. We can provide the evidence from our life experiences!
This is the genius of the 30-Day Infusion model. The vision and practice of outreach spreads through the whole church…every ministry. On the OOI website you will find a multi-year infusion training curriculum available at no cost. Learn more here and consider leading this in your church.