When we identify the mission God has given us, we must embrace the people He has placed around us, both personally and geographically.
Communities look different everywhere you go. Some are filled with high-rise apartment complexes, while others stretch across long country roads. Some are richly diverse with international populations, while others are made up of families who have lived in the same place for generations. But no matter what a community looks like, every person in it matters deeply to the Lord.
As leaders, one of our most important roles is helping women learn to view their community through what I like to call God goggles—seeing people through the same lens God does. God looks past brokenness and sees potential. He sees fearfully and wonderfully made image-bearers, not problems to be avoided or projects to be completed.
When women begin to see their community the way God does, evangelism becomes less intimidating and more relational. It becomes a natural response to love.
Embrace Your Personal Community
The first step in embracing community is helping women identify who is already within their personal community, their everyday circle of influence. This is the mission field God has intentionally placed right in front of them.
I live in a neighborhood of about 110 homes. Over the years, we’ve seen an influx of people moving from out of state who now call our little corner of the world home. When I moved there, I recognized that God had strategically placed me in this neighborhood for a reason. It wasn’t accidental. It was purposeful.
Spend time helping women identify their own circle of influence. Encourage them to think intentionally about the people God has already placed in their lives.
Family
For many women, some of the greatest gospel opportunities begin within their families. My husband and I raised three children who are now young adults. We prayed for them every day and still do. We had hard conversations about sin and brokenness, and we continually talked about the Lord’s faithfulness in our lives.
Children are observant. They are watching how we live and calculating whether they want to follow our example or do the opposite.
When my son was 17, he realized that his faith was not his own; it was our faith. And he knew that wasn’t enough. During a season of learning and wrestling, we had a conversation I will never forget. I asked him if he had made a decision about faith in Jesus yet, and he said, “No, Mom, I haven’t decided yet. But I do know this: if I do decide to follow Jesus, I want it to look like yours and Dad’s faith—sold out and all in.”
By God’s grace, he now lives his faith that way.
Parents, siblings, and extended family are all part of our personal community. These are people who know us well and need to experience the hope that comes from a relationship with Christ. Faith lived consistently over time speaks loudly.
Neighbors
Whether they live next door in a subdivision or miles apart on a rural road, consider your neighbors. My neighbors come from all over the world. Some were born and raised in South Carolina, while others moved from New York or Bangladesh. We may not share the same beliefs or values, but we share the same space. And that shared space creates opportunity.
Look for simple ways to build connection. Learn their names. Meet their pets. Ask about their families, work, and hobbies. Be present. One of my favorite ways to welcome new neighbors is by baking cookies and delivering them when someone moves in. Don’t be afraid to make the first move. Most people are grateful when you do.
Building a foundation of relationship creates space for gospel conversations later.
Coworkers
Coworkers are the people many of us see more often than our own families. We spend hours together in meetings, over meals, and in high-pressure situations. Coworkers often feel like family because they see us at our best and our worst.
The question is: Do they see Jesus in us?
Are we purposefully displaying the gospel in how we speak, respond, serve, and lead? God has called us to be a light everywhere He has placed us. When we put on our God goggles, we begin to see coworkers not just as colleagues, but as people navigating everyday stressors and challenges, people who need hope.
Encourage women to speak truth gently, become trustworthy teammates, and establish genuine friendships. Many within their circle of influence may not yet have a relationship with Jesus. That’s why it’s so important to pray intentionally and build relationships with purpose.
Embrace Your Geographical Community
Beyond personal relationships, women are also called to embrace their geographical community, the places they frequent in everyday life. This includes coffee shops, gyms, restaurants, retail stores, and schools.
Many of us are creatures of habit. Without thinking, we go to the same places and interact with the same people over and over again. Encourage women to see these familiar places as opportunities for spiritual impact rather than routine stops.
Everyday Places
Local schools are a great place to start. Teachers carry heavy responsibilities and face constant pressure. If your ministry can find ways to bless one or more teachers, the impact can be significant.
Another place to embrace is a favorite local restaurant. My family has been going to the same pizza place nearly every week for years. We know the owner, most of the waitresses, and even some of the regular customers. When we walk in, we hug, catch up on life, and share updates.
Over the years, we’ve attended a wedding, celebrated a son’s wrestling debut, and prayed with almost everyone there through difficult circumstances. It’s been a privilege to walk alongside them and share in their spiritual journey. That relationship didn’t happen overnight; it grew through consistency and care.
Practical Ways to Embrace Your Geographical Community
So, what does it actually look like to embrace your geographical community?
Start by learning names—waitresses, teachers, gas station clerks, and hairdressers. Names communicate value. Serve others as a way to build relationships. When my hairdresser got married, I asked for her wedding registry and bought her a gift. It was a small act, but it communicated care.
Prayer is another powerful tool. Ask people how you can pray for them—and then actually do it! The next time you see them, follow up. Ask about the situation they shared. Prayer reminds people they are not forgotten.
Women can also partner with existing outreach efforts. Often, God is already opening doors to meet tangible needs. In our church, a first-year teacher shared that several international teachers arrived with only what they could carry in their suitcases. That simple awareness gave our church an opportunity to step in with supplies and support right when it mattered most.
Encourage women to brainstorm opportunities where they can cross a relational bridge and share the gospel naturally.
Seeing Community as God Does
When women embrace their community, both personal and geographical, they begin to see people differently. They notice needs they once overlooked. They recognize opportunities God has been placing in front of them all along.
Embracing community is not about adding more to already busy schedules. It’s about living with awareness and compassion in the places we already go. When we lead women to put on their God goggles, they learn to see others as fearfully and wonderfully made, deeply loved by the Creator, and worthy of pursuit with the hope of the gospel.
Creating a culture of evangelism begins with mission. It grows through intentional relationships. And it flourishes when women embrace the communities God has entrusted to them.
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This article was adapted from a session of the “Creating a Culture of Evangelism for Women” online training course. To learn more or take the course, click here. Also available in Spanish.