If you are looking for ways to make sharing Jesus fun and effective, hosting a Matthew Party is a creative way to meet people and share God’s love. So what is a Matthew Party?
Remember the story of Levi the tax collector? After Jesus recruited him he was so excited that he invited all this friends over for supper with his new boss. Jesus sat down with ‘many publicans and sinners’ and they all got saved.
The most important pre-party preparation is prayer because it is an excellent way to hear God’s direction. Ask God who He is calling you to reach. Your neighbors? Friends? Co-workers?
It’s easy to think of reasons to have a party. The primary reason is to simply be friendly person. A neighborhood barbeque is a great place to start. You might team up with another Christian person or a couple to help co-host your party.
When sending out invitations, put yourself in the place of your guests and ask: Would I want to go to this party? Avoid using words such as ‘evangelism’ and ‘gospel’.
When Dan and Jane hosted a Neighborhood Party at their home last summer, they sent out invitations that said ‘Join the fun’; ‘Meet your neighbors’; ‘Bring the kids’.
Icebreakers are sometimes a relaxing way to start a Matthew Party; to get people comfortable. Participation should be optional. Don’t embarrass your guests.
Set the environment with relaxing background music. While food is always essential to a party, don’t spend excessive time in the kitchen. If you are challenged by the thought of having to serve alcohol, schedule your event for earlier in the day.
Set a start and ending time for your party. Leave your guests wanting another reason to get together in the future. It’s the first step to one more opportunity to share God’s love.
We live in a ‘garage door opener’ neighborhood. People come and go but seldom do they connect. If we are influence those who are far from God we will have to reject exclusivism and purposely build bridges into their lives.
A Matthew Party is a good way to start!
Remember the story of Levi the tax collector? After Jesus recruited him he was so excited that he invited all this friends over for supper with his new boss. Jesus sat down with ‘many publicans and sinners’ and they all got saved.
The most important pre-party preparation is prayer because it is an excellent way to hear God’s direction. Ask God who He is calling you to reach. Your neighbors? Friends? Co-workers?
It’s easy to think of reasons to have a party. The primary reason is to simply be friendly person. A neighborhood barbeque is a great place to start. You might team up with another Christian person or a couple to help co-host your party.
When sending out invitations, put yourself in the place of your guests and ask: Would I want to go to this party? Avoid using words such as ‘evangelism’ and ‘gospel’.
When Dan and Jane hosted a Neighborhood Party at their home last summer, they sent out invitations that said ‘Join the fun’; ‘Meet your neighbors’; ‘Bring the kids’.
Icebreakers are sometimes a relaxing way to start a Matthew Party; to get people comfortable. Participation should be optional. Don’t embarrass your guests.
Set the environment with relaxing background music. While food is always essential to a party, don’t spend excessive time in the kitchen. If you are challenged by the thought of having to serve alcohol, schedule your event for earlier in the day.
Set a start and ending time for your party. Leave your guests wanting another reason to get together in the future. It’s the first step to one more opportunity to share God’s love.
We live in a ‘garage door opener’ neighborhood. People come and go but seldom do they connect. If we are influence those who are far from God we will have to reject exclusivism and purposely build bridges into their lives.
A Matthew Party is a good way to start!
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