If you haven't heard it yet, you are sure to hear it more and more" that 60 per cent of non-church goers in this nation have no close friend who is involved in a church. What is your immediate reaction to that statistic? Mine was one of surprise " I expected a much higher number, perhaps 80 per cent or higher.

This is probably explained by my own personal experience " until God brought me out of the darkness of atheism into the light of his Son (at age 17), I did not know anyone (at least not knowingly) who was a church goer. But if I have read them correctly, the reaction of my church going friends is that 60 percent is alarmingly high.
However, your reaction or mine is relatively unimportant. What on earth are we going to do about it? You don't have to be much of a strategist to conclude that we Christians must "reconnect" with our wider community. To reach the untouched 60 per cent may be a difficult or even daunting task. We don't know them and they don't know us! Yet we must find ways to connect with them. (I have to say that, since, humanly speaking, I may not know Christ today if that one church goer did not connect with me 34 years ago). But the very nature of the gospel moves us to reach out to them with Christ's love.
On the other hand, our statistic is one of great encouragement. 40 per cent of non church goers DO have a church involved close friend. What a tremendous opportunity! The "bridge of friendship" is already there. We just have to show them the "bridge of life" and introduce them to Jesus Christ.
Of course this is not a case of either/or, but both/and. We seek to make new connections, new friendships, as well as pray that God would use our existing relationships. Both will require great love and boldness. The good news is that there are opportunities all around us, limited only by our imagination and passion for the lost. This month’s Southern Cross shows how some in the Western region are seeking to connect with people and connect them to Jesus Christ.