Reaching Out

Ignorance regarding the issues facing your local community is no excuse for your lack of involvement. In order to advance Christ’s Kingdom and fulfill the Dominion Mandate of Genesis 1:28-29 you have to obtain reliable intel. To do this requires a series of targeted strategies.

What You Need to Know

 
Tap into the mind of the community. You can only know what people are thinking by what they are saying. Take a poll. Asking questions is a sure fire way of getting to know what is on people’s mind. This can be done in a number of ways.

Tactics
Getting to know the issues that are driving conversation and concern in your local community is essential if you are going to offer solutions. You cannot offer solutions to abstract problems. Issues are never abstract. They are concrete. If you are going to resonate with the people you must concretely identify  the “hot topics” so that you can push the right solution buttons. Consider the following suggestions.

1.      
Take a poll. This can be done in a number of ways either through casual conversation or in a more formal manner. By using a simple but targeted three question questionnaire you can identify where the citizenry stands on certain issues. For a more general poll you can simply ask for people to identify three issues that they are most concerned about in their neighborhood. This will assist you in giving more specific solutions to the specific problems they identify. Probe your audience. Ask the right questions to get the necessary feedback.

2.   Taking a poll and filling out questionnaires is only good if you can re-connect with the people you poll. Ask them to give you their email address so you can send them the results. If that seems too intrusive you can give them a card with a blog address or a web address that they can access for the results. The blog should offer both the polling statistics and a series of solutions addressing  some of the concerns. The blog can also invite subscribers so they can keep apprised of future polling statistics.

3.   After polling a group on a select number of topics you may wish to write an op-ed piece in the local newspaper explaining some of the results of your investigation. Use this venue to offer some Biblical solutions to the concerns and to invite readers to visit your blog.

4.   Setting up an email account is also a good idea. This can be used for people to send in their suggestion as well as their complaints. Remember, people love to tell others how to fix the ills of society. They also love to complain. Give them a forum to do both.

The Goal

First: Gathering  intellectual and emotional data from each individual to use as a platform to address pressing social issues.

Second: Use your query to get inside the minds of the local folk in your local community so that you will be able to relate to them on these issues from a solution oriented position.

Third: Appeal to their a priori knowledge in hope that they will become part of the ground swell for change at your direction.

Fourth: Establishing yourself as a leader by asking the right questions and offering plausible solution.

Finally: Set up a platform where the people can go to be heard - a web page, email link or blog site.

Nothing ever happens by doing nothing. Now reach out and ignite a movement.