Are we better at winning new people than taking care of our own?

    I couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve been asked something like, “Before we go after more people, shouldn’t we take better care of who we have?”
    I think it’s an honest question, but in my humble opinion, it is fed by the devil himself. I really mean that. At the least, it betrays a complete misunderstanding of what it means to be in the Body of Christ.  Everything in the Bible about the church tells us that the church was put here to spread the Gospel to lost people––to be salt, light, and leaven to the world.
    Those of us in the church are surrounded by others who love us and would drop just about everything to help us when they know of a need. The church is our family and we are blessed in a multitude of ways to be a part of this family. Why would we not want to promote it and share that blessing with others?
    But when a family becomes self-absorbed, the blessings of unity, love and care, and especially mission, morph into a kind of disunified quest for personal wants, expectations and control. Churches without mission become hotbeds of political conflict. When we loose sight of our mission, we also lose our sense of purpose and the very thing we are unified around. Yes, we are united in Christ, but He brought us together to send us out with the Great Commission!
    You know something else, we take care of one another best when we are focused together on reaching others! I learned this as a dad. Our best family times together involved loving and caring for others. The best way to care for one another is to motivate one another (Hebrews 10:24) to fulfill the mission of the church together.
    Sometimes those in our midst fall through the cracks and do not get the care they are either expecting or sometimes should receive (just like in a biological family). We are people, and we don’t always find out about one another's needs, and sometimes neglect things we should not. But the reality is, those who come to church every week, get involved in ministry, and actively participate in a life group, rarely feel uncared for. Too often, the people who are quickest to be offended over the lack of care they receive, are dong the least to care for others. It’s like the old adage, “To make friends, be a friend.” Likewise: to receive care, be a caregiver.
    So let me answer the opening question: “No.” We should not FIRST take care of our own before going after new people. We should all together reach out with the Gospel of Jesus and in doing so, find our social, emotional, and sometimes material needs met by our brothers and sisters, whom we are connected with in this grand mission given by Jesus himself.
    “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).