National Random Act of Kindness Day

If you have spent time around me (Pastor David), you know I am a huge champion for Acts of Random Kindness or Servant Evangelism. On February 17th, we are observing National Random Acts of Kindness Day. Believe it or not, there is a Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. Their website is pretty interesting click here. The church is celebrating the day by making Business Blast Baskets for the businesses that surround our church in Massillon. We will deliver them on the 17th and say thank you for being our neighbors.

I appreciate the FBCM Women’s Bible Study group for championing this project, but you can do any kind acts throughout the day.

Now, doing acts of kindness is great, and we do use the word "random," but that does not mean there is no point in what we are doing. We are using these acts of kindness as a tool for evangelism.

What is Servant Evangelism?

Servant Evangelism, simply put, is small things done with great love that will change the world. You may have seen our A.R.K. showing up all over the place. Over the next few months, we will do a lot of servant evangelism. We want to show Massillon God’s love in practical ways.

The Power of Kindness

One of my friends and mentors is Steve Sjogren; he was the founding pastor of a church that grew from a handful to an average attendance of 7,500 in just fifteen years. What makes this story unusual is that it happened in Cincinnati — a city that has long been known for its in-your-face unfriendliness! Mark Twain spent a good deal of time in this city on the Ohio River and often commented about how rude people were. When this church launched, Cincinnati was ranked America's third most unfriendly city. After serving about twelve million people over those fifteen years, the city's tone changed, and that change had permanently impacted the city in innumerable ways. Servant Evangelism connects people to people in a natural, easy, low-risk, high-grace way.

You can check out Steve’s Blog here

Who says no to a Coke on a hot day? Or a warm coffee on a chilly day? Especially by someone who is smiling, happy, and having fun. Servant Evangelism wins the heart before it confronts the mind. A small act of kindness nudges a person closer to God, often profoundly, as it bypasses one's mental defenses. The average Christ-follower is willing to hand a stranger a can of cold Coke on a hot day (low risk). Grace is seen in the typical reaction. “Oh, thank you!” “This is so nice!” “I can’t believe this is for free!” And “Why are you doing this?”

Kindness builds the bridge for a person to receive a touch of love from God. It is simple, practical, effective, inexpensive, and fun! I am inviting the people of First Baptist Church to live the Jesus-style life of noticing and responding to those around us with kindness, love, and generosity. National Random Acts of Kindness Day is a perfect way to get started.

Servant evangelism is …

• Scriptural. Jesus commands us to love our neighbor and to make disciples in all nations. (Matt. 22:39; Matt 28:19-20) Servant evangelism is a method of evangelism that reaches people through the love of Christ. • Effective. Servant evangelism is authentic and non-threatening! Through one act of kindness, we can share God’s love. • Radical. Jesus’ ministry was radical. Most of all, Jesus was a servant! He even humbled Himself to wash His disciples' feet. In John 14:14, Jesus also commands us to do so: “And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.” • Visible. We are a visible witness as we serve the community by sharing the practicality of Christ’s love. Our joy often prompts people to ask questions about our message! • Easy. Anyone can do servant evangelism. You do not have to know everything about the Bible. All you must do is understand the love of Christ. It is as simple as offering someone a gift as an example of Christ’s love.

Don't forget to grab some ARK cards on any given Sunday at FBC. If you want some more ideas for yourself or a group, you can download a PDF with lots of ideas here: FBC SE Ideas.pdf