Outreach - Writing for the Cherokee Scout

We have been asked to write for the “Mustard Seed” column in the Cherokee Scout. If used effectively, this can be an opportunity for Gospel outreach to the community. The purpose of this page is to ask how we can make this an effective tool for for the Lord.

Audience/Content

Thinking through the audience for the Cherokee Scout, it will be helpful to keep the following in mind.

1. Deal with issue of “false assurance.” Much of the audience in Cherokee County (majority?) assume that they are Christian, but their basis for making that assumption is not the grace of God found in Xp. It would be helpful to expose these areas of false assurance, while pointing to the one ground that we have for salvation.

2. Avoid assumptions of “eternal state.” The column should be able to speak to both the unbeliever and to the true believer, even though there may be cases in which a column is primarily oriented toward one or the other. Faith & repentance is a daily need for all - it is an absolute requirement for the unbeliever to come into a relationship with Xp, but the need for daily repentance is alway a present need in this life. This is an example of a column which makes an assumption in an unhelpful (and even destructive) way (especially see the last paragraph).

3. Identify with the people. In order to speak to this audience, it is helpful (not really necessary, but helpful) to provide some sort of “kinship” with them, where possible.

4. Speak into the problem areas of their lives. Many here have certain “elephant sized” problems facing them, and speaking into the context of those obstacles can help to gain a ready audience:

   1. Parents with kids facing drug problems

   2. People with drug or alcohol abuse issues

Submissions