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Participantswillneed:• Bibles• Participantnotes• Writingutensils

IllustrationOptions:• Severalballoonsor

inflatableballs• Blankpaperfor

participants

Instructor’sGuideLESSON6-2OvercomingOutreachObstacles

Objectives• Toidentifytheobstaclesintheircommunityandpossiblebridgesto

overcomethoseobstacles• TounderstandthatGodistheonewhosuppliesourneedsin

reachingouttoothers• ToprayforGod’splantoovercometheoutreachobstacles

LessonOverviewWelcome&WarmUp 10minutesDebrieftheBarriersGame 10minutesProblemSolvingRegarding“Bridges” 20minutesIsitAboutMoney? 10minutesWrapUp&Prayer 10minutes

BeforeYouBegin• Pray.AskGodtoopentheheartsofparticipantsandtohelpyoutoshare

fromyourheartaboutthisimportanttopic.• Gatherallmaterials(seeright).Makesubstitutionsasnecessary.• Readthroughthelessontofindplaceswhereyouwillbeaskedtogivea

personalstoryorthought.Planaheadtochoosepowerfulexamples.

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Instructor’sGuideLESSON6-2OvercomingOutreachObstacles

Welcome&WarmUp (10minutes)

PlayaGame:BarriersArrangetwo-thirdsoftheparticipantsinalargecircle,standingandfacingoutward.Havetheremainingonethirdoftheparticipantsmovetothecenterofthecircle.Askthemtosit(onchairsorontheground).Choose3participantstostandoutsidethecircle.Theymustbeontheirknees.Giveeachaballoonorball.Theirjobistotrytogettheballoon/ballovertheoutsidecircleofparticipantstothepeoplesittinginthemiddleofthecircle.Theparticipantsformingthecirclemusttrytostoptheballoon/ballfromgoingin.Playforseveralminutes,choosingnewoutsideplayersastheballoons/ballsreachthecentergroup.

Thegamewejustplayedcangiveusmanyinsightsaboutbarrierstopeoplereceivingthegospel.Today’slessonfocusesonhowtoovercometheseoutreachobstacles.Itispartof“ReachingtheUnreached”onthe1for50hand.

DebriefingtheBarriersGame (10minutes)

WhattheGameRepresentsImaginethattheballoonsrepresentthegospel,thepeopleinsidethecirclearetheunreached,peopleoutsidearemissionariesorevangelistsandtherestarebarrierstothegospel.

DiscussionQuestions

Haveparticipantsanswerthesequestionsingroupsof2-3forfewminutesbeforesharinganswerstogether.

Missionaries/Evangelists

• Howwelldidthemissionaries/evangelistsdo?• Wastheirtaskdifficult?Why?(Notenoughofthem,too

manybarriers.)

Unreached• Didtheunreachedknowwhatwashappening?• Didtheyallreceivethegospel?(Itwasdifficult.Andmanyonly

touchedthegospelonceortwicebeforeitwasgoneagain.Theymightnotbelife-longdisciples.Alotofthemdidn’tevenhaveachancetotouchtheballoon.)

Barriers

• WhataresomeofthebarrierskeepingpeoplefromreceivingandunderstandingtheGoodNewsaboutJesus?(language,governments,otherreligious,families,lackofunderstanding,wrongteachings,noonetotellthemaboutJesus,ortellthemhowtogrowasadisciple.)

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Instructor’sGuideLESSON6-2OvercomingOutreachObstacles

AlthoughthereareatleasttwobillionChristiansintheworld,millionsofpeoplearestillwaitingtohearaboutJesusforthefirsttime.Whatcanwedoaboutthisinourowncommunities?

ProblemSolvingRegardingBridges (20minutes)

Inordertoovercomebarriers,weneedtocreatebridgesthatcrossthem.Thinkofsomeoftheoutreachobstaclesorbarriersyouface.Workinsmallgroups(ifpossiblewithothersfromthesamecommunityorministry)toanswerthequestionsonp.2oftheparticipantnotes.Useaseparatesheetofpapertorecordanswers.Addothercategoriesyouthinkarerelevantorimportant.(Note:Itmaybebeneficialtohavedifferentgroupsstartatdifferentcategoriessothatallquestionswillbeaddressedbyatleastonegroupduringthetimegiven.)

CULTURE/RELIGION

• Whatarethedifferencesbetweenyouandthechildrenyouaretryingtoreach?Listasmanyideasaspossible.

• Whataresomeideasandstrategiesfor“overcoming/crossingthesebridges”soyoucancommunicateanddeveloprelationships?

LANGUAGE

• Whatarethedifferencesbetweenyouandthechildrenyouaretryingtoreachintermsoflanguage?(ForthosewhoneverbeentoachurchnorhearingJesusbefore,alotofChurch/Christianjargonsare“differentlanguage”.)

• Whatwillyoudotoensurethatchildrenunderstandyourvocabulary?

FAMILIES

• Inwhatwayscanfamiliespresentobstaclestoreachingchildren?

• Inwhatwayscanfamiliespresentopportunities?• Inwhatwayswillyouconnectwithfamiliesasyoureachoutto

children?

OTHERCHURCHES• Whatotherchurchesareinyourarea?Howwillyouroutreach

impactthem?• Whichchurchesmighthavepeopleinterestedinworkingalong

withyoutoreachchildreninyourarea?• Whatbridgesdoyouneedtobuildwithotherchurchessothat

“theworldwillknowweareChristiansbyourloveforoneanother”?(John13:35)

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Instructor’sGuideLESSON6-2OvercomingOutreachObstacles

TIME&PROCESS• Wherearethechildrenontheirjourneytowardbelievingin

Jesus?• DoweexpectthemtobelieveimmediatelyandfollowJesusoris

thereaprocessinvolved?(Manyofusconsiderpeoplesavedornotsaved(“in”or“out”).Weseldomrealizethatmanyare“ontheway”tobecomingbelievers…thatitismorethanaone-timeevent.Theprocesswillbedifferentforeveryone.)

After10minutes,havegroupsshareresponsestothecategoriesandquestions.

Thereisawaytoovercomeeveryobstacleandbarriertoreachingoutwiththegospel.Itmaytaketime,patience,courageandcreativity,butGodhasmadeaway.Yet,thereisoneobstaclethathasn’tyetbeendiscussed…andforsomepeopleitseemstobewhatstopsthemfromreachingout:MONEY!

Doweneedalotofmoneyinordertodooutreach?(Getresponses)Thinkofthefollowingexamplesabout“supply”fromscripture:

• HowmanymendidGideonneedtodefeattheMidianites?(300,Judges7:5-7)

• Howmuchfundingdidthediscipleshavewhentheywentouttwobytwo?(nothing,Matthew10:9,10)

• Howmanypeoplewerefedwithfiveloavesandtwofish?(5000pluswomenandchildren,Matthew14:21)

• HowmuchmoneydidJesusneedtodohisworkonearth?(nothing)• Howmuchmoneydidtheearlychurchneedtogrowfromafew

hundredtomillionsandmillionsinjustafewdecadesafterJesusdeathandresurrection?(nothing)

Discuss:Whatcanwelearnaboutministryandoutreachfromtheseexamples?

Thinkaboutwhatyouneedtostartreachingouttothechildreninyourcommunity.Give3minutesforparticipantstowritedowntheirneeds.Haveafewpeoplesharetheirlists.

Fromthescriptureexamples,weknowthatmoneyisnottheissueindoingoutreach.Whoisyoursourceofsupply?Godisthesourceofsupply,andHeisinterestedinhelpingusbringchildrentoChrist.AreyoureadytoseehowHewillsurpriseyoutomeetyourneed?

IsThisAboutMoney? (10minutes)

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Instructor’sGuideLESSON6-2OvercomingOutreachObstacles

WrapUp&Prayer (10minutes)

RemembertheparableoftheLostSheep?Matthew18:14says,“InthesamewayyourFatherinheavenisnotwillingthatanyoftheselittleonesshouldbelost.”God’sdesireisforeverychildtoknowhim.Theshepherdwaswillingtoovercomeeverybarrieruntilthatsheepwassafelyfound.Whataboutus?

Whatareyourbiggestchallengesrightnowwhenitcomestooutreach?Isittheculture?Isitthelanguage?Isitthefamilies?Isitfinances?Isitendurance?Isityourheart?

Taketimeinpairstoprayforeachother.Prayaboutthechallengesorthebarriersthatpreventusfromreachingouttothelost.Prayforwisdomandstrengthtoovercometheseobstacles.

Closeinprayer.

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ENRICHMENTLESSON6-2

OvercomingOutreachObstaclesBarriersGame

DISCUSSION:Imaginethattheballoonsrepresentthegospel,peopleinsidethecircle

aretheunreached,peopleoutsidethecirclearemissionariesorevangelists,andtherestarebarrierstothegospel.

Howwelldidthemissionaries/evangelistsdo?Wastheirtaskdifficult?Why?Didtheunreachedknowwhatwashappening?Didtheyallreceivethegospel?Whataresomeofthebarrierskeepingpeoplefromreceivingandunderstandingthe

GoodNewsaboutJesus?APPLICATION:AlthoughthereareatleasttwobillionChristiansintheworld,millionsof

peoplearewaitingtohearaboutJesusforthefirsttime.Whatcanwedoaboutthisprobleminourcommunity?

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ParticipantNotesENRICHMENTLESSON6-2OvercomingOutreachObstacles

ProblemSolvingRegarding“Bridges” Workonyourownorwithotherstoanswerthequestionsbelow.Useaseparatesheetofpaper.Feelfreetoaddothercategoriesyouthinkareimportant.

CULTURE/RELIGION• Whatarethedifferencesbetweenyouandthechildrenyouaretryingto

reach?Listasmanyideasaspossible.• Whataresomeideasandstrategiesfor“crossingthesebridges”soyou

cancommunicateanddeveloprelationships?LANGUAGE

• Whatarethedifferencesbetweenyouandthechildrenyouaretryingtoreachintermsoflanguage?

• Whatwillyoudotoensurethatchildrenunderstandyourvocabulary?FAMILIES

• Inwhatwayscanfamiliespresentobstaclestoreachingchildren?• Inwhatwayscanfamiliespresentopportunities?• Inwhatwayswillyouconnectwithfamiliesasyoureachouttochildren?

OTHERCHURCHES• Whatotherchurchesareinyourarea?Howwillyouroutreachimpact

them?• Whichchurchesmighthavepeopleinterestedinworkingalongwithyou

toreachchildreninyourarea?• Whatbridgesdoyouneedtobuildwithotherchurchessothat“the

worldwillknowweareChristiansbyourloveforoneanother”?(John13:35)

TIME&PROCESS• WherearechildrenontheirjourneytowardbelievinginJesus?• DoweexpectthemtobelieveimmediatelyandfollowJesusoristherea

processinvolved?

Isthisaboutmoney?Questionson“supply”fromBiblestories

• HowmanymendidGideonneedtodefeattheMidianites?• Howmuchfundingdidthediscipleshavewhentheywentouttwobytwo?• Howmanypeoplewerefedwithfiveloavesandtwofish?• HowmuchdidJesusneedtodohisworkonearth?• Howmuchdidtheearlychurchneedtogrowfromafewhundredtomillionsand

millionsinjustafewdecadesafterJesusdeathandresurrection?Whoisyoursourceofsupply?AreyoureadytoseehowHewillsurpriseyoutomeetyourneed?