Christianity is very inefficient. American culture wants things to run smoothly, asking questions like, How do I maximize my impact with the least amount of effort? The Christian faith is exactly the opposite. Jesus calls for our maximum effort, not the minimum, and living faithfully involves being willing to die, to sacrifice, to give up my life for someone else. It’s inefficient and slow, both of which are counterintuitive to the American mindset.

Living on mission in the US requires undoing some of our cultural bias. In order to be efficient, we build mega churches, host large-scale conferences, and spread our message online to ever wider audiences. There’s a place for that kind of efficiency, but it can’t be our only approach. What we don’t often do as Americans is engage individuals in our immediate spheres with intention. Ministry like that comes naturally in a place like Haiti—we go on short-term trips, and it’s almost second nature to strike up a conversation with one of the street vendors, asking Would you like to know more about Jesus? When we shift the context away from productivity culture, it becomes natural to give your entire life for one person. That’s inefficient and slow, but that’s what Jesus demonstrated over and over again.

The church in the US has a limited impact when we appeal to only one part of a person, like the intellect. In contrast, when you’re in a discipleship relationship, you engage someone in direct accountability, building an emotional connection through two-way communication that resonates deeper than listening or reading can alone. God’s design for church growth is not primarily broadcast and publication-based ministries, but personal discipleship relationships (Matt 28:19–20).

One of my prayers as I minister in the US is, “Lord, show me the people who are in need,” because a person in need is open to being helped. If we believe that crisis in life is something the Holy Spirit uses to open people’s eyes to their truest need, then we have a clear opportunity to say, “OK, Lord—who?” You don’t have to go to Haiti to encounter need. The lost in America need Jesus as much as the lost around the world, and it’s our privilege and responsibility as Christians to reach out with the love of Christ wherever we find ourselves—whether 500 miles away or five blocks from home.

Visit our Support Us page for information about how you can partner with us.