A Worthy challenge

[damo1]

from damo1

high there how i can relate to you as we are just looking at this as our church we only have 40 members and we are doing what we can to introduce the church to the community we live in

when my pastor took over he was working full time and we had to think hard if we can pay him as a full time pastor as he could not do al the work that needed to be done while working full time and he shared to us in church how he felt it was time to pull back and ask god for some guidance and foucus on what needs to be done in the church

we get people comming but many wil not commit plus we lost sevral members as well due to one person but they were talked to by our pastor and leader ship team

what we are doing as a church is this

every second sunday we have an open day we get the barbeque out people in the church make things at home to bring to share

we are on 3 acres were i am and we have also looked at what you stated

we are also thinking if its right to broad cast put an add threw the secular radio station hear were i am as i know they do this for the local people

we have printed out pamphlets and have put these pamphlets in the mail boxes around our community stating who we are

our pastor has put up a challange to were he has asked every one to bring a friend to church and this is working

from 40 we have grown now to 8o as we do a head count each sunday

before church starts we have coffe and goodies for people to eat this way people can get to know us before the service starts and its working very well

our sunday school has grown from 5 kids to over 25 kids know as we get young kids comming from with in the area

we also have a bus that is used to pick people up who have got no transport to come to church and we have alocated drivers for this service we are providing its a 22 seater

for 8 weeks we are going to fast and pray and trust god for a brake threw as we are looking at doing a walk around our area and praying over our area we are also going to rededicate the land we are on back to god as well and as a group of people we are also asking the holy spirit to search our hearts and we have a list that we are going over in our prayer meetings and humbly crying out to god

we are also running a work for the dole program which is for people who are on a welfare payment and are long term unemployed and its working very well as we are using this also to help those that are on a center link payment this is what it is caled hear in Australia and we are able to share i help supervise this we have two young men for 26 weeks

we also are working together in unity and encouraging each other to use our gifts

so this is what we are doing our selves as a church hear

from damo1

[AndrewA]

I attend a small house church in Clinton, Tn. We feel the desire to tell the world about Jesus, but, that seems like a tall order for a house church with about 15 memebers.

15 Members , thats 3 more than Christ had. WHy are numbers important? To be honest You dont have to resort to gimmicks. Did Paul , Peter, John etc go around handing out pens with "Jesus Loves You" etc on them? Did they go around giving out T Shirts with Jesus Is My Saviour etc written on them? NO.

I would rather be in a church with a dozen members who are spiritually filled born again and doing things according to scripture than a church with 100 people of whom most are spiritually dead and simply go along out of religious ceremony and tradition.

The best thing you can do is simply go out and get involved and make yourself known to the community. Start with local business and shops, go around and speak to shop and business owners, and people who work in them tell them how much they are valued in the community and that you are praying for them etc.

Run a few open days or a course like ALpha where public can just come in and learn about God and Christianity, are there many poor families or single parents on welfare etc, why not organize a free funday for the community, set up games stalls like hoopla, coconut shy etc, everything is free or limit people to x number of goes by handing out a booklet with vouchers in, one booklet per person /child etc, if money allows end it with a BBQ etc.

There are plenty of other ways your little group can go out and spread the Gospel. However do not take your eyes of what God requires of you, in other words do not fall into the trap of gimmicks and obsession with numbers. Pens with slogans and verses on them can be useful in some ways, but there is nothing like talking to people. You do not need gimicks to tell people about how wonderful GOd is.

If someone says "how are you" or something similar, which is standard polite greeting, then you simply use that moment to tell them about how God has blessed you that day, there are plenty of other ways in which you can slip in to conversations about God in your life , which is more productive and thought provoking than commenting on an object etc or something written on your T shirt, which can create barriers before you even open your mouth.

At end of day God will reward and Bless you if you do go about things the right way and do everything for his glory.

[Guest]

Here's something else you might try. Get some tracts (or make one of your own) with or without contact info on it. This works great. I was on the road a lot and would try to leave one where ever I stopped during the day while traveling. You wouldn't really need church contact info on them unless they were used locally, though. Most people wouldn't call a church 4 states away, but things have changed with all the cell phones with free long distance.

You can also see if there are any homeless shelters or dining rooms in your area where people can volunteer time. Then the tracts can be handed out face-to-face. I mention this because while I was in a shelter there was an old man who used to stop by the kitchen where we had lunch and hand out tracts or offer and encouraging word. That makes a big difference when you are the one in need and you can tell someone is being genuine.

On church size: size doesn't matter! I believe that I wouldn't have come to Christ at all had it not been for a few people who were willing in God's strength to live the gospel out in front of me. There were many people I think the Lord used to "get my attention" as it were, but the thing that got my attention was that they were not fakes -- they were genuine. Get a few folks together, pray, and hit the streets and you'll see some results -- but some we probably won't see until we get to Heaven.

[evetsegap]

I attend a small house church in Clinton, Tn. We feel the desire to tell the world about Jesus, but, that seems like a tall order for a house church with about 15 memebers.

15 Members , thats 3 more than Christ had. WHy are numbers important? To be honest You dont have to resort to gimmicks. Did Paul , Peter, John etc go around handing out pens with "Jesus Loves You" etc on them? Did they go around giving out T Shirts with Jesus Is My Saviour etc written on them? NO.

Please let me explain. We are not using the pens to substitute our face to face witnessing which we pray we are able to with every word we speak and every action we take. We are putting something out there that hopefully will make somebody think, somebody who we may have never have had the opportunity to speak to. If just one of a thousand pens prompts one soul to be saved then we are blessed. This is just the first of many things we will do. We are not able to touch a cloth so that it can be taken to somebody far away to be healed. We can't walk past somebody and have our shadow fall on them and them be healed. (Acts chap 5&19) The Lord has not yet blessed us with the ability to use these types of miraculous "gimmicks". So until then we will use the simple ink pen and what ever other "gimmick" that, through prayer and petition to God the Creator, we think of. Thank you for you other suggestions. Peace in Christ.

[evetsegap]

[evetsegap]

Here's something else you might try. Get some tracts (or make one of your own) with or without contact info on it. This works great. I was on the road a lot and would try to leave one where ever I stopped during the day while traveling. You wouldn't really need church contact info on them unless they were used locally, though. Most people wouldn't call a church 4 states away, but things have changed with all the cell phones with free long distance.

You can also see if there are any homeless shelters or dining rooms in your area where people can volunteer time. Then the tracts can be handed out face-to-face. I mention this because while I was in a shelter there was an old man who used to stop by the kitchen where we had lunch and hand out tracts or offer and encouraging word. That makes a big difference when you are the one in need and you can tell someone is being genuine.

On church size: size doesn't matter! I believe that I wouldn't have come to Christ at all had it not been for a few people who were willing in God's strength to live the gospel out in front of me. There were many people I think the Lord used to "get my attention" as it were, but the thing that got my attention was that they were not fakes -- they were genuine. Get a few folks together, pray, and hit the streets and you'll see some results -- but some we probably won't see until we get to Heaven.

I would love to get a great bible tract. Have you seen this video? I Got Off at George Street I want to do this simple yet efective type of witnessing, and would love to a good tract to use.

I want to thank you and everyone else for your prayers, encouragement and suggestions. I praise Jesus for each and everyone of you guys. Please continue praying for us.

[evetsegap]

from damo1

high there how i can relate to you as we are just looking at this as our church we only have 40 members and we are doing what we can to introduce the church to the community we live in

when my pastor took over he was working full time and we had to think hard if we can pay him as a full time pastor as he could not do al the work that needed to be done while working full time and he shared to us in church how he felt it was time to pull back and ask god for some guidance and foucus on what needs to be done in the church

we get people comming but many wil not commit plus we lost sevral members as well due to one person but they were talked to by our pastor and leader ship team

what we are doing as a church is this

every second sunday we have an open day we get the barbeque out people in the church make things at home to bring to share

we are on 3 acres were i am and we have also looked at what you stated

we are also thinking if its right to broad cast put an add threw the secular radio station hear were i am as i know they do this for the local people

we have printed out pamphlets and have put these pamphlets in the mail boxes around our community stating who we are

our pastor has put up a challange to were he has asked every one to bring a friend to church and this is working

from 40 we have grown now to 8o as we do a head count each sunday

before church starts we have coffe and goodies for people to eat this way people can get to know us before the service starts and its working very well

our sunday school has grown from 5 kids to over 25 kids know as we get young kids comming from with in the area

we also have a bus that is used to pick people up who have got no transport to come to church and we have alocated drivers for this service we are providing its a 22 seater

for 8 weeks we are going to fast and pray and trust god for a brake threw as we are looking at doing a walk around our area and praying over our area we are also going to rededicate the land we are on back to god as well and as a group of people we are also asking the holy spirit to search our hearts and we have a list that we are going over in our prayer meetings and humbly crying out to god

we are also running a work for the dole program which is for people who are on a welfare payment and are long term unemployed and its working very well as we are using this also to help those that are on a center link payment this is what it is caled hear in Australia and we are able to share i help supervise this we have two young men for 26 weeks

we also are working together in unity and encouraging each other to use our gifts

so this is what we are doing our selves as a church hear

from damo1

I pray your efforts will be blessed. God is able to use anything to advance His Kingdom. He was able to use a talking donkey, certainly He is able to use secular radio, pens or as Jesus said even rocks. If you think about it, doesn't the same faith that flowed through the prophets, apostles and all the saints before us, flow through us? Isn't our faith unshakable?

I mean think about it we are children of the CREATOR. AMEN

[Marnie]

Ye of little faith. Luke 19:40, Jesus said "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." As I explained in the post before this one this is only one part of what we hope will be multi sided ministry. This idea came about as a result of weeks of prayer and what we believe were confirmations of our ideas. We believe that "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.", "Everything is possible for him who believes." and that we can do everything through him who gives us strength. The King of kings and the Lord of lords is able to make rocks cry out, and He is able to do the same with our ink pens.

Well buddy, you asked for opinions. Look, do what you want. It's a harmless idea that and I reckon every church in America has pens and calendars and tracts, etc., so go for it. I'm not the enemy here and I really don't want to be a wet blanket. The old maxim is true, without regard to the Scriptures you (mis)applied, "Early to bed, early to rise, work like heck and advertise."

[evetsegap]

Ye of little faith. Luke 19:40, Jesus said "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." As I explained in the post before this one this is only one part of what we hope will be multi sided ministry. This idea came about as a result of weeks of prayer and what we believe were confirmations of our ideas. We believe that "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.", "Everything is possible for him who believes." and that we can do everything through him who gives us strength. The King of kings and the Lord of lords is able to make rocks cry out, and He is able to do the same with our ink pens.

Well buddy, you asked for opinions. Look, do what you want. It's a harmless idea that and I reckon every church in America has pens and calendars and tracts, etc., so go for it. I'm not the enemy here and I really don't want to be a wet blanket. The old maxim is true, without regard to the Scriptures you (mis)applied, "Early to bed, early to rise, work like heck and advertise."

The bad thing about typing a response is that you aren't able to see me smile or hear the tone of my voice. I only meant to make the point that with God all things are possible. Peace in Christ.

Edited October 3, 2007 by evetsegap