When Doors Are Closed
Every Home for Christ began seventy-six years ago with a passion to see every single person on the planet reached with the hope and love of Christ. Early on, we got pragmatic about that passion. We weren’t just saying we wanted to reach everyone. We had a practical plan to get it done—and that plan was home-to-home evangelism. If we went everywhere people lived, we reasoned, then we could reach everyone.
Yet, over the years, and as our ministry expanded to 155 nations, we learned a difficult truth: if we only reach people in their homes (or other places of residence), we will not reach everyone. Countless barriers make home-to-home outreach unsuitable in some contexts. Many people don’t have homes. When doors are closed, people can get left behind.
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So, we’re always asking: What happens when the doors are closed? The answer is always some form of this: we have to find another way to reach people behind closed doors. If we’re serious about reaching everyone, everywhere—and we are—then we must reach them even when the door is closed.
But that’s where it gets complex.
Doors are closed for countless reasons, and many of those reasons are legitimate. Literal doors are closed, and so are the doors of hearts and minds. Doors might be closed for safety, or they might be closed for fear. They might be closed because the hearts behind them have been hurt or taken advantage of.
The call of Christ—the impetus of evangelism—is not to trespass our neighbor’s boundaries. Instead, Jesus invites us to follow him in seeing our neighbors: understanding their hesitations, respecting their boundaries, considering their stories, and earning their trust. This is a slow and costly process, as all relationships are. This is what it means to love our neighbors.
As a global ministry with both passion and a practical plan to carry Christ to everyone, everywhere, in every generation, Every Home is a network of believers who show up to love our neighbors. When the doors are closed, we pay attention. We take time to listen and to find out what it will take for the door to be opened.
That’s why you’re such an important part of this fellowship. Not only do you love the neighbors in your world, but you help believers across the earth go the extra mile to love their neighbors—even when the door is closed. Your gifts and prayers are a vital part of seeing doors open in hearts, minds, and homes. Thank you for joining us.
