Making Rounds
One of my former interns is now finishing his final year of Medical school. He recently told me that the part he enjoys the most is ‘making rounds.’ Interfacing with patients is the best way to quickly reach a proper diagnosis. It also proves to be an integral part in process of healing. Medical research has found that patients are more likely to recover when they have direct contact with their physician.
We can learn much from this concept of making rounds.
Any ‘outflow-oriented’ church-planter, pastor, or leader desiring to influence and impact their God-given community must develop the practice of making rounds.
‘Making rounds’ is the regular, intentional practice of noticing and running into people time and time again in order to serve your way into their heart so you have the opportunity to introduce them to Jesus Christ. It is a lost art that needs to be recovered if we are to live and serve the way Jesus did things.
Learning to make rounds is so rewarding. For the past six weeks, since relocating to the Tampa area, I have made it part of my weekly routine to stop by the local branch of my bank.
I have noticed that all of the tellers are from South American countries. By practicing my limited knowledge of Spanish, sharing photos of my family [I believe a family photo is a powerful tool that communicates that you are safe and not a predator], and asking them a few questions I have had the opportunity to pray with a half dozen of the tellers.
There are also a number of people I have been running into time and again who have come to me. One example is Carmen. She is from Venezuela and managers a local day laborer company. Coastland Tampa hired her company for a few projects and I had the opportunity to interface with her. I learned that she is recently married and extremely interested in spiritual thing. Over the last month she has stopped by our outreach office to ‘touch base’ and talk about her spiritual journey. My wife and I have schedule a double date with Carmen and her husband. I am convinced that they will be part of the Coastland Tampa community.
The key to making rounds is learning to notice your way into people’s lives. Pay attention to people’s names. Look them in the eyes. Notice their surroundings – photos on their desks. Notice their glasses, the latte they are drinking, etc., etc.
Here are a few other lessons I have learned along the way of making rounds.
Anticipate those ready to be harvested will be downcast.
“When wheat is ready to be harvested” - what Jesus was referring to - the heads leaned down… So too when those ‘ready’ for input or even harvest come our way, they are often downcast… But it is necessary that we look past their initial mask to what they are really experiencing in life… most are good at the mask-wearing thing.
Ask probing questions.
The fastest way to get down to brass tacks is to ask a couple of probing questions:
“How you doing?”
Then wait for a few moments - after they say the expected “Great”
- Ask again, “No really, how are you doing?”
When they tell you about what they are into / how they are approaching life with it’s problems, simply ask them,
“So how’s that working for you?”
Then let them talk… trust me they have a story to tell.
Listen to their stories.
It is imperative that we listen. Jesus listened his way into untold numbers of lives - like the woman at the well in John 4. I love verses 39-41:
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days [bold and italics mine]. And because of his words many more became believers.
Interesting that given the women’s reputation, Jesus stayed two days with them. Why? Because, he understood the value of making rounds – noticing, serving, asking, and listening.
I invite you to join the movement of noticing people by making rounds.