Try to plant seeds of faith in good soil, with people who will be open to Christ's message. Recognize that people who are intellectual, moral, or wealthy have to get beyond their pride to see their need for the Gospel. But other groups of people will be more open to the Gospel message right away: those who are struggling with sin, the poor, young people, those searching for God through other religions, uneducated and powerless people, and those who suffer discrimination.
Seek out these people in creative ways, such as: by going on a ride-along with local police officers; attending local addiction recovery groups; or volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center, homeless shelter, food bank, or other place that helps people in need.
Stop trying to control the work of reaching out to lost people. Remember that it's God alone who causes faith to grow in people's lives. Rather than trusting in your methods and strategies for evangelizing people, trust the Holy Spirit enough to follow wherever God leads. Know that by releasing control, you're also overcoming limitations, since God can do far more than you could ever do on your own. Expect to be surprised sometimes by how God chooses to work. Trust Him for the results.
Follow the pattern of how living things grow as you disciple new believers in your community. Start at the molecular level, with the smallest effective group of people - two or three. Then build intimacy from there. Strive to grow from the micro to the macro and from the simple to the complex, not vice versa. Understand that starting with groups of two or three new believers offers your new church the strongest community, accountability, confidentiality, flexibility, communication, direction, and leadership. Expect these new pockets of faith to grow spontaneously through relationships, moving from one changed life to another. Don't dictate the way these young churches should be organized; instead, begin with life and let the structure emerge naturally, driven by the needs of demands of the new life.
