What if you knew that by taking ten steps across a room and saying hello to another person, you could impact his or her eternity? It has nothing to do with methods and everything to do with taking a genuine interest in another human being.

Bill Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois

Just Walk Across the Room Participant’s Guide
Copyright © 2006 by Bill Hybels
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Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN-10: 0-310-27176-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-310-27176-5
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Introduction
Shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared to his disciples on a
mountain in Galilee. The wide-eyed group sat with rapt attention as
he delivered a few standing orders to be carried out until he returned.
Remember what they were?
“Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of
life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have
commanded you.”
Matthew 28:18 – 20a, MSG
Immediately after recognizing what’s commonly referred to as
the “Great Commission,” the next thought that crosses your mind
(if you’re like many Christians)
is smothered with obligation . . . or
worse yet, with guilt. I know I should be accomplishing the Great Commission,
but I can’t seem to get past that first word . . . Go.
We go all the time. We go to work, go home, go out to eat, go shopping,
go to sporting events, go to bed. But something deep inside us
knows that Jesus’ “go” carries with it a very different connotation.
His “go” means our feet have to get unstuck from where they’re currently
planted. It means we have to agree to action. It means we have
to accept a little risk and stick one foot in front of the other to engage
with another human being . . . having no idea where it all will lead.
A daunting task for some, to say the least.
Friends, if your desire to “go” and reach out to the people
around
you is strong, but you find yourself perpetually stuck in “stay” mode,
this study is for you. Statistically, only 10 percent of any congregation
would raise their hands if asked who has the formal gift of
evangelism or who does any evangelizing on a regular basis. Which
means there’s a substantive number of believers sitting around you
each weekend who are all locked up when it comes to pointing those
outside the faith toward God.
Just Walk Across the Room: The Four-Week Experience is a campaign
designed to raise the value of evangelism for everyone in your
church. This means that at the end of four weeks’ time, they will have
a fresh understanding of what “evangelism” really means, as well as a
dose of inspiration regarding how to get it done. In addition to having
some unexpected fun this month, I think you’ll come away from the
experience anxious to “go” in ways you’ve never before dreamed.
One closing thought before you dive in: Jesus’ mountaintop speech
to the disciples that day didn’t end with his memorable series of commands.
Probably detecting a little nervous energy in the audience, he
concluded things with a single promise (and aren’t we all glad!):
“I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to
the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20b, MSG
As you work through the material over the coming weeks, remember
that evangelism isn’t something you have to “gear up” for. Fundamentally,
evangelism is about submitting to God’s agenda in a social
situation, in a conversation, in your moment-by-moment life. And,
like Matthew’s gospel says, he will be with you every step of the
way.
Bill Hybels
Founding and Senior Pastor
Willow Creek Community Church
The Single Greatest Gift
[Look to Jesus] Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used
to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking
the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled
himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!
Philipp ians 2:6 – 8
Before You Meet
1. Read the introduction and chapters 1 and 2 in the Just Walk
Across the Room hardcover book.
2. Complete the “Simple Steps We All Can Take” activity introduced
during the weekend worship service
(see page 10 for
details). Note: If you are using this small group curriculum
outside of the Just Walk Across the Room four-week campaign,
simply disregard any item with a footprint symbol beside it.
3. Begin praying for one or two people
for whom you want to
take a “walk across the room” during this four-week experience.
Beginning on page 69 of this participant’s guide, you’ll
find space to log your prayer requests and the answers you
receive.
Simple Steps We All Can Take
If you are a Christ-follower, consider how you wound up
in the kingdom of God. Most likely, your story involves
someone, somewhere who took a risk to walk across a room
in order to point you toward faith. Maybe they extended a
hand of friendship or engaged you in conversation. Regardless
of the details, the end result was you submitting your life to
God. If you still maintain contact with this person, then fill out
and mail your “God Used You to Help Point the Way” note of
gratitude to him or her today.
If you’re not in touch with this person any longer, you may
instead choose to mail your card to someone who epitomizes
what it means to be a walk-across-the-room person, actively
living out their faith in their day-to-day lives.
Big Idea — The Single Greatest Gift
The single greatest gift Christ-followers can give to the people
around
them is an introduction to the God who created them, who loves
them, and who has a purpose for their lives. Nothing beats it — not
monetary gain, not job opportunities, not recognition or accolades.
This is what evangelism is — constantly watching for ways to give
that gift to someone living far from God.
The Single Greatest Gift 11
Session One Overview
This week, as you view

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Excerpted from Just Walk Across the Room: Four Sessions on Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith by Bill Hybels, Hybels
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