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GO YE!
MISSIONARIES
ALL!
Equals
Alternate
Title
NO CHILD OF
GOD LEFT BEHIND!
Alternate
Title
EVERY CHILD
OF GOD A MISSIONARY!
MATTHEW 4: 19
Follow me,
and I will make you fishers of men!
Pray that God will call some to be Christian Politicians!
By Jerry Rogers
225-275-3961
In Memory of
Dennis Landry
And Lonnie
Newell
These two
men are now in heaven
and I miss them. They were fellow members
at
in
About Dennis and Lonnie
I learned many valuable lifeway lessons from Dennis Landry and Lonnie Newell. My life was inalterably changed and blessed by the both of them.
Dennis was not a preacher or teacher. He was inspired by the Holy Spirit to start a
worship ministry in the Louisiana State Prison at
Dennis also founded a preaching ministry in the prison. Since he did not preach, he again came to me to ask that I preach there every Saturday night.
He came to know many of the inmates personally and they had great respect for him. His constant reaching out to them to accept Christ often resulted in their professions of faith during the preaching services.
This ministry became known to other churches who asked to perform the preaching service one Saturday a month. Very soon every Saturday night was taken by a church. These churches also joined in the personal witnessing effort and would bring some of their members to sit with the inmates during the service.
This prison ministry continues
today and will ever be a memorial to Dennis Landry. Dennis started mission fission in
The program Dennis started in
I miss Dennis and speak of him often. Whenever I preach I tell of Dennis and the difference he made for Christ—the One who made an eternal difference for him. I do look forward to seeing Dennis again.
Lonnie was the most unique Sunday school teacher that I ever knew. I sat in his class often. He would always start with the regular Sunday school lesson, and would remain with the lesson for about ten minutes. He would suddenly stop and appeared to be in deep thought. Sometimes he seemed to be on the verge of weeping. He then would change the subject from the lesson to a soul-felt message. He loved Jesus with a mighty love.
Lonnie would, in effect, plead with the class, preaching that if we would just love Jesus with all our hearts, pray to Him, keep Him very close to us all day, every day, what a wonderful life we would have. What a difference we could make for Christ, who loved us so deeply, who died for each one of us while He was suffering great pain. “Christ is in heaven, this very minute; He is preparing a place where you and I will live for eternity. All we have to do is accept Him as our savior.”
This same message in different words would continue Sunday after Sunday until lesson time expired and then he would fervently talk with Christ in prayer to close.
Lonnie was asked to preach one Sunday evening at a small church in West Baton Rouge Parish. After the service, his wife, two children and another child (who had been invited by his daughters to go with them) were in his Volkswagen, stopped at a red light waiting to enter Highway One when a southbound car left the road at high speed and crashed into the Volkswagen and killed them all.
Whenever I preach, I tell of Lonnie and the difference he made for Christ. I miss Lonnie. I do look forward to seeing him again.
FOREWORD
It is my opinion, and the opinion of countless others, that many of our forty two thousand Baptist churches are comfortable churches. They are satisfied with their present membership, programs, pastor, facilities, funding, and their level of spirituality. I guess all churches have a comfort level to some degree. Whatever that degree is, it indicates a number of church members that are left behind.
The focus of this book is not concerned only about the church, but about each and every member of every church, learning to witness as Christ would lead them. In the same spirit that public schools wish no child be left behind, churches should desire that no Christian child or member be left behind, not a single one.
Each member of the church has talents and abilities that differ from the others. It is in realizing those personal talents and abilities that they will be happy and effective, as a unique witness for Christ. It is reasonable to assume that a Christian soldier that has lost a leg in combat is better (than one who is not a soldier and has not lost a limb) to witness to another soldier that has also lost a leg or limb. So it is with all personal characteristics, talents and abilities.
Many authors are writing books and articles about the large percentage of churches that have become lethargic, stagnant, plateaued, shrinking, or dying. The pastor seldom preaches to a lost person, the choir seldom sings to a lost person, the Sunday school teacher seldom teaches to a lost person, the invitation is seldom given to a lost person, and everyone in the church seems satisfied. These churches in their present character have become spiritually ill, because they have forgotten that Christ came primarily to seek and save the lost.
I have been checking many churches’ websites to ascertain their level of outreach. The spectrum extends from those that are doing much to those that are doing nothing. Some of the large churches appear to be a bookstore, for there is nothing else on there website.
I think you know, as well as members
in every church, what Jesus gave by his angel to John in Revelation to write to
the seven churches in
It is said that learning to witness is similar to a child learning to walk. A child does learn to walk and talk. A child of god likewise learns to walk and talk spiritually for Christ as he matures. It takes time, experience and companionship of the Holy Spirit.
This book is my effort to create in every church a strong love for lost souls and for those souls that are weak and without achievement, purpose, or direction.
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
your own selves.
James 2:17 Faith that doesn’t show itself by good work is no faith at
all, it is dead and useless.
I John 2:3 And how can we be sure that we belong to Him? By looking within ourselves, are we really
trying to do what He wants us to do?
The Church is not a Museum for the Saints;
The Church is rather a Family of Brothers and Sisters;
The Church is a Christian Education Seminary;
And the Church is a Hospital for Sinners!
Jerry Rogers
CORROBORATIVE RESEARCH
An analysis of the drop in church
attendance
Author G. Jeffery MacDonald of the Religion News Service
Booming megachurches may grab headlines, but the bigger story of the American congregations is one of the accelerating declines, according to David T. Olson, director of the American Church Research Project. Based on data collected from more than 200,000 churches, he projects that by 2050, only 10 percent of Americans will be in church on any given Sunday.
Olson,
who’s also director of church planting for the
Why do you say the
American church is in crisis?
The big problem is
Polls suggest more
than 40 percent of Americans are weekly churchgoers. Why the discrepancy between those findings
and yours?
The pollsters ask people questions about what they’ve done in the past week. I look at who actually showed up, according to head counts taken during worship. I think head counts are much more accurate. People want to look good for the pollster, causing something called the “halo effect,” and that definitely happens when the subject is religion.
Why is church
attendance such a critical factor to measure?
Part of following Jesus is being
connected in an authentic, consistent way with a group of Christians so that
it’s not just as individualistic act.
It’s a communal relationship with accountability. So when I see that percentage going down, it
lets me know that the number of people
following Jesus in that way is diminishing in
Are certain types of
churches faring better than others?
Yes. Since 2001 especially, mainline Catholic churches have been experiencing sever decline. They are declining much faster than they were in the 1990s. Evangelicals are still growing numerically, but that numeric growth is not keeping up with population growth.
What accounts for the decline that you’re describing?
Churches
tend to stay pretty stable. So even
though the community around them may be growing or be in transition with new
people coming in regularly, churches often don’t notice those things happening
and are pretty happy to just stay the same.
From 1990 to 2006, there were 68 million new births in
Is the problem mostly
a matter of style? Are evangelicals
doing better because they’re often more amenable to using new technologies and
forms of worship?
Strategy and style are not the issue. The real issue today is: Does a particular church have the ability to communicate the story of Jesus in a way that really connects with the people? In my observation, American churches are not doing a very good job of thinking about how to tell that story in ways that really engage people in their communities.
Are churches not
reaching the unchurched? Or are they
losing people who’ve just drifted away?
It’s some of both. Christians are increasingly cocooned and live in environments where they may not know many people who are not Christians. And there are plenty of people who grew up in a church environment and now say, “You know, this just isn’t working for me anymore.”
Pray that God will call some to be Christian
Politicians!
PREFACE
I an ashamed and distraught! I have a Masters Degree in Divinity. I’ve had both Greek and Hebrew. I’ve pastored a small church. In course work, I’ve had Old Testament intensive, New Testament intensive, and other semester studies in each of the gospels. You name it and I’ve probably had it. Furthermore, I’ve preached revivals, taught Sunday school, preached at many churches, etc, etc. Ad infinitum!
All of the above are totally without merit or purpose, because everything is peripheral to the single truth that God sent His Son to earth to seek and save the lost That’s all, end of sentence, case closed. Nothing could be simpler or more profound. We-- all of us-- have beaten around the bush considering everything, teaching everything, writing about everything, but the central fact that Christ was crucified, I repeat CRUCIFIED, for the propitiation of our sins—not for the church or any of the church’s programs. The church in every consideration should be geared to seeking and saving the lost. Secondarily is the function of the church to edify the saints and their fellowship.
To be a Christian, we have to go where He would go, do what He would do and say what He would say. We have to be like Christ. We have to seek to save! We have to win lost souls to Christ. Not the Church or the pastor or the missionaries only, but you and I.
Christ has forgiven me for my sins of omission, my lack of understanding and my lack of accomplishments for Him. Nevertheless, I am still very ashamed and distraught that it has taken me so many years of my life to realize the priority of His commandments.
Pray that God will call some to be Christian Politicians!
Contents
Dedication 2
Foreword 5
Collaborative Research 7
Preface 10
Contents 11
It Is Time 12
Go Ye! Missionaries All 21
Follow Me 26
Church Revitalization 38
Revitalization Workshop 44
Outreach Questionnaire 45
Outreach Programs 48
Foreword: Announce the Sunday prior to preaching this sermon that you would like for every member of the church to be at the worship service next week. “My sermon next week will probably be the most important sermon that I have ever preached.” Emphasize attendance also in the Sunday school, the evening service, and prayer meeting. Have a committee to call every member during the week to remind everyone to attend.
IT IS TIME!
IT IS TIME TO
REDEDICATE OUR LIVES!
This morning I am going to preach on the need for all of us here assembled to rededicate our lives to Christ. I do now rededicate my life and my soul to this church and to Christ. It is my firm belief that we have not been as close and loving toward each other and Christ as we need to be. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are washed in His precious blood. We have professed our faith in Him. We have been baptized, signifying death to our old life, burial, and resurrection to a new life in Christ.
I believe with all my heart and soul that the superlative need today is not for more Christians, but for better Christians. Then we will have a harvest of professions of faith and many more Christians. May this church’s entire membership, henceforth, be Christ-like in their daily walk.
Like the church at
The churches in question were in many respects quite
commendable, and the Lord does not hesitate to point out their good qualities. The Church at
It does no violence then to conclude that the seven churches
of
Would that in the life of every mature Child of God could be seen the same desire to serve that was evident in the early manifestation of his love for his Lord! But such is not the case. It is sad to relate, the average older Christian must confess that the fires of service have burned low. The flow of service that gushed from his life when first he drank from the Living Water has long since ebbed, and in some cases dried up completely.
The personal devotion of His followers to Him seemed to be the final test of their discipleship. Before leaving His little group of followers to take His place at the right hand of the Father, He selected Peter from the others and put to him this final test of loyalty: “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” With this question, Jesus placed personal love for Himself beyond all else.
Many thousands of God’s children find themselves impotent today for the lack of their person devotion. Church after church has lost its testimony because there is no longer much distinction between its members and the men and women of the world. They are not consumed with their personal love for Christ beyond all else.
Does Paul consider himself to have apprehended spiritually? Does he think that he has gone as far as he can go in his service for the Lord Jesus Christ? Listen to his own words after years of faithful and courageous service:
Philippians 3: 13, 14
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus.
REQUIREMENTS FOR
REDEDICATION
II Chronicles 7, 14 If
my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray,
and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I
hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
When God determined the plan of salvation for the helpless sinner, He made the way as easy as possible. There is nothing to do, only believe. This helpless sinner, of course, has already humbled himself, is at the moment praying for forgiveness and expressing his faith, is seeking Gods face, and is turning from his wicked ways.
When God sets forth the rededication requirements for his own people, He does not make the way easy. There is no amount of work of itself that will accomplish rededication. The requirements are harder than the requirement for salvation. Christians have made their way easier and easier until they are no longer close to Christ. We have lost our first love. To return to our first love we must first humble ourselves, then pray, then seek His face, and then turn back to Christ from our more worldly life.
First, it is time to be humble.
It is one thing to be humble before men. It is another thing entirely to be humble before God. The word humble is hard to explain. But we all know very clearly what it means. If all Christian leaders, deacons, committee members, etc. were all humble before God, their service in those endeavors would be enjoyable, harmonious and fruitful.
The man that is a child of God is so because there was a time in his life when he realized that in the eyes of God he was nothing, a worthless, hell-deserving sinner before his Maker, who cried out for salvation.
Rededication becomes necessary when anyone under any condition loses sight of the grace of God in his Christian experience. As long as the Christian lives, he is nothing in himself. By grace are we saved and by grace we must live. No matter how long the Christian lives, he is still nothing in himself. By grace was he saved and by grace he must live.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to thee for dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
I’m only a sinner and nothing at all,
But Jesus Christ is my All in all.
The stories of all men that have been used greatly of God have all possessed real humility.
Second, it is time to pray.
JAMES 5. 16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much.
Humility is first; prayer is second. Prayer is not prayer at all until the one praying is humble. Prayer is a waste of time unless it emanates from a humble soul.
Jesus gives the example in the story of the Pharisee and the publican. Both men prayed, but God answered only the publican. The Pharisee prayed from an exalted position in his own mind. There he stood, in a public place where everybody could see him, and prayed, “God, I thank thee that I am not as other men.” According to Jesus, God did not hear the pharisee’s prayer because the man was lacking in humility. The publican, on the other hand, standing far off, apparently hoping that others would not see or hear him, cried out in the deepest humility, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” God answered this prayer because it stemmed from a heart of sincere humility.
Someone has proclaimed that “Prayer
is the force that moves the hand that moves the world”. Tennyson states that “More things are wrought by prayer
than this world dreams”. It must be remembered that humility
before God is the switch that turns on the power of prayer.
The one who deeply loves, Christ and walks with Him all the day and all the way is often in prayer. There have been articles and books written by the volume, many songs sung and written, and a multitude of sermons preached on the subject of prayer. Prayer, however, is as simple as breathing to the true Christian. Prayer is simply being in the presence of God and talking to Him. God said to “be still and know that I am God”. In today’s world, we have every singly minute occupied by work on our job, caring for the things we have, responsibilities to our selves and families. And when unclaimed time is available, we watch TV, read a book or paper, or talk on the phone. God is worked into our schedule on Sunday and then back to work again. We must be still and know that He is God.
There are many true stories of other days and the wonderful movement of God’s Spirit over large areas. Why was there so much conviction of sin in those days and so little conviction of any kind today? The answer lies in the deficiency of prayer power today. Where there is fervent prayer there is deep conviction and vice versa.
Charles G. Finney’s preaching was always marked by many conversions. Often his sermons were interrupted by the conviction of those who could not wait until the sermon was over to come forward. Finney always had a group of Christians who prayed fervently before and during his sermon for the lost to come forward to profess their faith.
Joshua’s army was smaller and had inferior equipment compared to Amalek’s army. He worried that his army was not equal to the occasion and he might loose. Joshua consulted Moses about his problem. Moses suggested that “you take your army into battle against Amalek while I go with Aaron to the top of the mountain, and there I will uphold the rod of the Lord while you fight the battle.” You know the rest of the story: how, because of the long battle, Moses’ arm grew weary and the rod began to slowly lower. Amalek began to overpower Moses and was winning the battle. Finally, with the help of Aaron and Hur to hold Moses’ arm high, Moses’ contact with God was renewed and Joshua was victorious over Amalek. Joshua won the battle because there were three men on the mountain who stayed in contact with God on His behalf.
Third, it is time to “Seek My Face”
Whenever the Lord was pleased with the conduct of the Children of Israel, His pleasure was expressed by saying that His face was turned toward them. If the people were disobedient to the command of God, their disobedience caused Him to turn His face from them.
When Moses instructed Aaron how to bless them, he told him to say, “The Lord make his face shine upon thee”, invoking the favor of God.
The Psalmist expresses the same
idea when he says, “The eyes of the Lord
are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the
Lord is against them that do evil.” When
When God tells His people to seek His face, He is urging them to live in such a way that His face can be turned in their direction, and at all times they can enjoy the smile of the Lord because they are living in the center of His will. The guiding principle of Christ’s life on earth was that God’s will be done.
Finally, when He was about to be crucified-- by far the worst thing to happen to Him in His earthly life-- He asked “If Thou be willing, remove this cup from me.” Christ then added “Nevertheless not My will, but Thine be done” and He again subjected His will to that of His Father.
We often think that the greatest call of all is to full-time Christian service, maybe to be a missionary. That is not true! The ministry is not necessarily the greatest of Christian callings. The missionary is not necessarily the most important work. How can we say this is not true? Then if this is not the greatest calling, what is? The best calling to each Child of God is to be in the center of God’s will. It may be behind the pulpit as a Christian minister. It could be on the mission field. It may be on a farmer’s tractor or a clerk in the department store. It very well might be a teacher or a housewife. It could be in the hospital as a nurse or doctor. The greatest call is the one in which you will serve God’s purpose and will for your life. Fifty-one years ago, when I was visual education director in the Baptist Book Store at the New Orleans Baptist Seminary, I well remember the most popular and successful film we had was “The Missionary to Walker Garage.”
Fourth, it is time to turn.
It might be possible for a Christian to be humble before the Lord, to spend a great deal of time in prayer, and to read God’s word earnestly in an endeavor to find Gods purpose for his life and yet refuse to turn from some form of sin, some habit, some practice, some feeling, something that prevents him from completely turning to what was his first love when he was first saved. We cannot have wrong relations with man and right relations with God. We cannot live wrong and die right.
If we are to rededicate our lives, we must turn from our sins of commission and omission, humble ourselves, pray, and seek God’s face.
When we rededicate our lives to God, it has to be completely or not at all. We cannot be partly forgiven or be partly restored. We cannot, of course, be partly saved or be partly rededicated.
May our prayer now be “Lord, as
far as I know, I am completely right with Thee.
Now Lord, begin to manifest Thy peace and Thy power through me. I rededicate my life and my soul to
Thee. Lord, not my will but Thine be done.
The love for Jesus and the love
of Jesus cure all obstacles to having a successful, meaningful, life of soul
winning. Gambling, drinking, illicit
drugs, cursing, dancing, smoking and any other fleshly or earthly pursuit are
negated by the spiritual joy and gratification of soul winning.
Jesus came for one purpose, to
save the lost. His entire ministry was
focused on seeking and saving the lost and training the apostles and disciples
to do the same.
There is nothing wrong with
teaching Sunday school, being a deacon, singing in the choir, etc. These ought we to do but not leave the soul
winning undone.
Check outreach programs on page 48 and find the one you would like to
do!
Pray that God will call some to be Christian Politicians!
GO YE!
MISSIONARIES ALL
Matthew 28: 18-20
INTRODUCTION:
It is said that all of the Old Testament points forward toward the life of Christ. I believe this is true. All of the New Testament relates to the life of Christ and his crucifixion.
Examples of the apostles, the early Christians, and many other fervent disciples attest to their dedication the teachings of Christ. They began to follow the Great Commission for the rest of their lives. Many thousands have given their lives in service unto death, executing the Great Commission. Their lives were the fruition of their deep consuming love for Christ. None other has ever had a happier life of eternal value. Read the book The New Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. It will give you the courage of your convictions as no other book can.
Now it is your time and my time to make the Great Commission our call to serve Christ high behest. “The call is given, Ye host arise, evangelize, evangelize. The world that now is darkness lies, evangelize, evangelize.”
John 14: 31 That the world may know that I love the Father, and the
Father gave me commandment, even so I do, Arise, let us go from here.
John 14: 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who
loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him,
and will disclose Myself to him.
It is now the time to serve our master’s great
commission. “In Christ’s spirit we are to become all things, to all men, that by
all means some might be saved.”
I . ALL POWER. 18
All power (authority) is given to me over heaven and earth.
Christ makes this statement to us that we may know that “we can, with his power, do all things through Christ who strengthens each of us”. To what degree Christ has power after the crucifixion that he did not have before the crucifixion is a matter of much study and discussion. Nevertheless his power (authority) is now “all”
Each of us-- you, me, she, and he-- all have the necessary power,
together with Christ’s Holy Spirit, to enable many that are lost to become
Christians. The truth is that the lost
will spend their eternity in the fiery pit of Satan’s Hell unless we
intercede. This should move all
Christians to action. “Arise, let us go from here.’
We all have eternal lives and each of us gets to decide where we will spend our eternal life. Many have not decided for Christ. They have not decided for or against Christ. Their indecision is a decision for Satan. A lost person must choose Christ if he is to receive the gift. Satan does all that he possibly can to maintain the state of indecision in a lost person, because no decision is the same as a decision for Satan.
II GO YE THEREFORE 19-20
Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations (people),
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
This sermon is about how each of us will go. We are not told how we are to go or exactly what we are to do, or what methods and criteria are best to use. We are only told that we are to go. The methods that work best to convert one lost person may not be the best approach or methods to convert another lost person. The Holy Spirit grants us his indwelling presence to guide each of us in those ways that will best utilize our talents and time.
John 14: 13-15 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the
Father will be glorified in the Son. If
you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.
Success is guaranteed because “his word shall not return to him void.” You know and rely on that every time you go. I repeat, your success is guaranteed!
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was
lost.
It is not the work and the purpose of the choir just to sound good, or the work of Sunday school just to make us knowledgeable about the Bible, but rather all parts and programs of the Church are to work together toward the edification of the saints and the salvation of the lost.
During the war between the north and the south, many rich people paid for someone to take their place in service and combat. Even though we make offerings for foreign and home missions so they will have the personnel and equipment they need, this does not substitute for going ourselves.
No one else will walk the same highways and byways that you do. Nor will they walk them in the same way and at the same time that you do. Each of us is peculiar to our own personal mission field. No one else can walk it for you.
How can we teach them if we don’t have them? We can’t, therefore we either have to get them to the church worship service, Sunday school, etc., or we will have to go to each of the lost to seek and save them.
III. I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, 20
And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of time.
You are commissioned to work (the
Great Commission).
You are to work with Christ.
You are to work with Christ in his
field (the world).
The need for you to work is great.
The time for you to work is now.
We are to work until Jesus comes
to judge the works of the saints.
God’s program for the Church is: come and worship, go and work.
The earth is not our home. It is a foreign country. We are Christ’s ambassadors here on earth but for a short time. When our ambassadorial service is done here, then God will call us to our eternal home.
John 17: 4 Christ said, “I glorified Thee on the earth, having
accomplished the work which thou hast given me to do.”
May you and I be able to say, “I glorified Thee on earth, having accomplished,
to the best of my ability, the work which you have given me to do!”
Jesus, you gave your life for me and I will give my life for you, even
unto death!
To God be the glory, Only one life,
He gave us His Son. It will soon be past,
If we tell that story,
Only what’s done,
Precious souls will be won. For Jesus will last.
JR
Give us a watchword for the hour,
A thrilling word, a word of power:
A battle cry, a flaming breath,
A call to conquest or to death:
A word to rouse the Church from rest,
To heed the Master’s high behest.
The call is given, ye hosts arise,
The watchword is EVANGELIZE!
To fallen men. A dying race,
Make known the gift of gospel grace,
The world that now in darkness lies,
O
Pray that God will call some to be Christian Politicians!
FOLLOW ME
Matthew 4:19
INTRODUCTION;
One day as Jesus was walking along
the beach beside the
A little farther up the beach He saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets; and He called them to come too. At once they stopped their work and, leaving their father behind, went with Christ.
To be a Christian is this simple-- you must follow Christ! If you are not following Christ, fishing for the souls of men, then you are not like Christ (Christian). To seek and save lost souls in the reason that God sent Jesus to us, for we would all be damned to the cauldron of Satan’s Hell without His saving grace. We would not be washed with His blood from our sins.
If you are a Christian (like
Christ), then you are following Him and fishing for the precious souls of
men. It is that simple. If you are a Christian, you immediately know
that this is true. You know that you should be following Jesus. If you are not following Christ you are
backsliding. If this is the case, Christ would say to you as He said to the
Church at
May we all love Him more deeply and more completely than ever before! Let all of us in this church, individually and, as brothers and sisters in the family of this church, become fishers of men. Follow Him!
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was
lost.
I. IF YOU HAVE NO FISH!
Ezekiel 33:7-9 “Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a
watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from my mouth, and
give them warning from Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall
surely die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked
man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. But
if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way, and he does not
turn from his way, he will die from his iniquity; but you have delivered your
life.”
Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications,
prayers, intercession, and giving all thanks, be made for all men.
From the words of R.G. LEE., “An immortal soul is beyond all price.” There is no trouble too great, no humiliation too deep, no suffering to severe, no love too strong, no labor to hard, no expense to large; it is worth it if it is all spent in the effort to win one soul.
God loves the soul more than all creation. He fashioned it after His own image, and made it like unto Himself. Every soul has departed from God and gone astray, and God has bought every soul back again with a price.
That price was in and through and
by Jesus Christ. God loves every soul
with an everlasting love.
In the 10th chapter of Luke in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus
states verse 3: “Thy will be done on earth as in
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread….
(Verse 5-9) Which of you shall have a friend, and shall
go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend lend me three loaves. For a friend of mine in his journey is come
to me, and I have nothing to set before him.” Jesus said, “Though he will not rise and give him,
because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give
him as many as he needeth. And I say
unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and
it shall be opened unto you.”
What an embarrassing situation this must have been to have a guest at midnight, and not even a crust of bread to feed him. What a tragedy that he was not prepared in this hour of his friend’s need! How much greater the tragedy is when we are found empty-handed in an hour of spiritual hunger. It is indeed a sad commentary when so many Christian people in the midst of a world of men and women who are starving spiritually and are crying out for help while the Christian is found with no spiritual bread to give.
I am mindful of a young girl whose mother has long since died, and is separated from her father, who has unsuccessfully attempted suicide on two occasions. I am mindful of the twenty thousand children that will be abused tonight. I am mindful of the more than fifty thousand homeless souls that will sleep in shelters and on the sidewalks tonight.
In this, our “Christian” nation, I wonder why there are not enough Good Samaritans. Luke 11:10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. I know this is an imperfect world. Some are working, but by far the great majority of church-going Christians are inactive-- or not in church at all.
Many millions have been ushered into the eternal unknown without having been saved. Most have lived in a Christian country all of their lives. Some were even members of churches. Many souls are lost each day because Christians are found wanting in an hour of eternal need.
Never before have there been so many spiritually hungry people in the world. God grant that this may be the earnest prayer of every Child of God: “Give us day by day our daily bread, that the longing of our hearts may be satisfied and may we have bread for the spiritually famished souls with whom we come into contact each day.”
When a million-million eternities have each lived their endless ages and rolled into the unthinkable past and time is no more, the soul will still be living, a conscious personality endowed with perpetual life reunited with the body.
God has said:
Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he
who is wise wins souls.”
II.
COMPASSION
Compassion was the heartbeat of our Savior’s ministry.
Matthew 9:36 “And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them,
because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd.”
Heaven is geared to redemption.
Luke 15:7 “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
Luke. 16:28 No man whoever
had a glimpse of hell would ever want a fellow human being to go there.
We probably will not be asked to suffer like Job or be martyred as each of the apostles was (with the exception of John, who was poisoned but survived). None of us will ever be burned at the stake, or fed to the lions, or crucified. We do not expect to be flayed to death with knives like Bartholomew; I seriously doubt if we will be beheaded like John the Baptist or James the Elder, son of Zebedee. James the Younger, son of Alphaeus, was martyred by being sawed to pieces. Judas’s death is well known to us all. But it was not his betrayal that put Jesus on the cross, it was our sins. Jude was killed with arrows at Ararat. Matthew laid down his life for his Master. Peter was crucified upside down, as he felt unworthy to be crucified in the manner of Christ. Philip was hung. Tradition says that Simon was martyred, but not how. Thomas is said to be killed by a spear. All of the above were traveling the then-known world for one reason only: to seek and save the lost.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was
lost.
Luke 10:2 These were His instructions to them: “Plead with the Lord of the
harvest to send out more laborers to help you, for the harvest is so plentiful
and the workers so few.”
I have such a deep respect and awe for the Holy Scripture that I often become emotional when I anticipate reading it, or while I am involved in reading it. To think of God’s inspiration and instruction to the forty souls who were called to write the Bible — God breathed the words in the heart of each of them.
From the very first scripture, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” to the last scripture “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen” there is one eternal theme: the person and works of Jesus Christ.
Check outreach programs on page 48 and find the one you would like to
do!
Pray that God will call some to be Christian Politicians!
I.
We all know what the word mission means. We are well acquainted with home missions and the North American Mission Board, and with foreign missions and the International Mission Board. These mission boards are affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. These two mission boards together are supporting over 10,000 missionaries on the home and foreign fields. I would imagine every denomination has both home and foreign mission programs.
My point with this sermon is that every church is performing a mission and every person is a missionary. These missions are either for good or for evil or, in the religious vernacular, for Christ’s sake or for Satan’s sake.
Fission is another concept entirely. Once the mission is begun it begins to multiply itself repeatedly. For example, one mature Christian leads one other person to the Lord in the first year. The second year, the two from the first year, wins two more each to the Lord. The third year the four Christians wins four more and then the eight Christians win eight more. If this fission continues for twenty-four years, there will be 335,544 new Christians spread throughout the world.
Every Christian’s and every Church’s mission fission is either in a negative or a positive mode-- and sometimes both. There are those that are slowly dying, and those that are growing rapidly. Each Christian probably has two missions competing with each other. He has a negative mission expanding from sins of both commission and omission, and a positive mission, which is growing slowly if at all.
The work, or lack thereof, by Christians and churches is now populating both Heaven and Hell. It is conceivable that the Lamb’s book of life does in fact record the ultimate fission of every sin and every virtue we have ever committed in our lifetime. This adds a very heavy weight to the way we think about our actions. When you and I stand before God’s throne of Grace, we will find that His throne is also God’s judgment seat. Oh, how this child wants God to be proud of me and oh, how I dread God being aware of my sins of commission and omission. Assuredly my time and space will one day be before his throne just as my time and space is here behind this pulpit at this moment.
Proverbs 29:1 He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall
suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.
Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us
therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of
light.
Isaiah, 55: 6-7 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon
Him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man
his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon
him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
II. REAL CHRISTIANS
Is the world growing better or worse? In truth, it is growing both better and worse. The wheat and the tares both are growing until the harvest. Real Christians are studying their Bibles, drawing nearer to God, and separating themselves from evil and are witnessing.
The Spirit of God is stirring among the saints. It is time for the Sunday-morning church-goers to take Christ home and to work with them and act Christ like always. It is one thing to sing the national anthem and quite another to go into battle. There is a need for the Church to call Christians to break up their fallow ground and craft their mission for the harvest.
This mission fission concept, in truth, has applied to every person in the Bible. They have all, except one, personified their lives with the bad and the good. With some we only know of their good and with others we only know of their bad. We have all sinned and come very short of the glory of God. We are weighed and found wanting.
This, then, is the precise moment for each of us to resolve to keep His commandments, to trust and obey. To deny Christ’s call again, at this time, is assuredly weakening our resolve to ever answer His call to dedicated service. Certainly, it is later than we think, and if ever we Christians are to witness, to know the Lord better, to glorify Him and help others, now is the time.
Sin will never let you go. If it is to go then you must let it go through Christ’s forgiveness. We cannot undo what is done, but Christ can.
WEAK
William James fathered American
psychology and philosophy in the eighteenth century. He often said “What difference does it make
if it doesn’t make any difference?” At
first the statement seems trite and elementary at best. Given further examination, the statement
begins to have increasing significance in every consideration. What difference does the Church make if the
Church makes no difference? What
difference does Christ make if Christ makes no difference? What difference do you as a
Christian make if you as a Christian make no difference? The most profound statement that a Christian
can make is that “I want to make all the
difference I can for Christ who has made an eternal difference for me!”
Psalm 119:126 “It is time, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy
law.”
Hosea 10: 12 “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy: break
up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain
righteousness upon you.”
In these two texts are suggested both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. The world’s situation today demands that the churches be revitalized. Christians cannot sit at ease in these dire, dismal, and desperate times. We must awake to the urgency and emergency of this day in which we live. We will sit up all night with the sick. We will do whatever is required to meet an emergency. Yet we live in a world that is sick unto spiritual death and we seem uncaring and inactive. We need to man the lifeboats to save mankind from drowning.
Philippians 1: 21 For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Galatians 2: 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh I
live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
All Christians are called according to His purpose. Both our churches and our personal missions may know that “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Our victory is guaranteed and our missions will have fission.
STRONG
“There shall be showers of blessing;
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from our Savior above.
There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain.”
Jeremiah 29:13 “Ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for
me with all your heart.”
Our God is the Rewarder of those that diligently seek Him, but we must be diligent, in dead earnest. No matter how crowded our schedule, we had better put God at the top of it: “Now is the time to seek the Lord.” Hosea tells us how we are to seek the Lord: “Break up the fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness upon you.” If the Lord is to rain righteousness, we must prepare the soil of our hearts. Think not in terms of tens or hundreds of souls saved through your discipleship, but in thousands through your mission fission extension of your discipleship.
Proverbs 28:13 “He that covers his sins shall not prosper; but
whosoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.”
The great Welsh preacher Christmas Evans tell how he was riding on horseback through the mountains one Saturday, on his way to preach, when he became convicted for a cold heart. He tethered his horse and spent about four hours in soul-searching and prayer before God. His soul was revived with the joyous experience, like the “breaking up of a hard winter,” and he went on his way to preach on Sunday, with the result that a gracious revival began and spread over all the community. Let us all remember our deep faith when we were first saved and return to it. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Once we have the joy and happiness of Mission Fission we will surely find it addictive. Nothing else will give us the high as that of leading a lost soul to salvation.
Surely we need something like “the breaking up of a hard winter” in our hearts today. Will you confess that your heart is fallow? Will you acknowledge and forsake the sins of omission that God points out in your heart. If you do not feel like repenting, will you ask God to help you do what you ought to do? There shall be showers of blessing, precious reviving again. Exhilarating happy days will be ours again.
Richard Curtis led three large
rafts from the Ohio/West Virginia area down the
My purpose of relating this great
story is to point out that all of the Baptist churches in
CHURCH REVITALIZATION
I. REVITALIZE;
verb; revitalized, revitalizing, revitalizes,
To impart new life or
vigor: to revitalize each church member’s life, thereby revitalizing the
church.
The difference between a revival and revitalization is that in the revival, your focus is to save lost souls; whereas in revitalization, your focus is to give new strength, success, purpose, and vigor to those already saved in the church.
11 SCRIPTURE
Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in
Ezekiel 33:7, 8 “Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a
watchman for the house of
Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has
become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to
be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.
You are the light of the world. A
city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under
the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in
the house. Let your light shine before
men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
who is in heaven.”
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus said to them, saying, ‘All authority has
been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end
of the age’.
111. PURPOSE: The Bible says that God is love. He loves you completely as only God can. He loves you in spite of you faults and failures. There are no instruments, words, or phrases that can measure or express fully His love. He gave his Son whom He loved from the beginning, His only begotten Son, as the propitiation for all your sins. He washed you in the blood of His Son. Think of that for just a second. He washed you in the blood of His Son. One cannot imagine how deeply God must have suffered as Christ was beaten and tortured. How his heart must have cried out for the crucifixion to stop and He could have stopped the crucifixion, but did not. Why? Because he loves you and he loves every drunk, murderer, rapist, thief, every living being, and He wants us to love everybody as He does.
Do you love Christ? Do you love God? Does the Holy Spirit reside in your soul and cause you in your love for Christ and God to love the lost and needy enough to serve and witness as Christ would want you to do?
The ultimate purpose of our outreach program is to demonstrate the many methods of witnessing. There are one or more methods from which each of us may select a pro-active plan of witnessing that will lead lost souls to Christ, and add joyful purpose to your life.
We are all brothers and sisters in
the family of Christ. You and other
born-again members of this church are the aggregate of this church. The church is not this building, this land,
or any other physical thing. The
spiritual church is the group of baptized, by the Spirit and water, born again believers that utilize this property. Let us pray for each other and the success of
this church in glorifying God...
Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he
who is wise wins souls”.
John 14: 13-15 And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that
the Father will be glorified in the Son.
If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.
Matthew 4:19 “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”.
Acts 20: 24 But life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the
work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others of the Good News
about God’s mighty kindness and love.
1V: SINS OF OMISSION
It is not that we do things that
we should not do, but rather that we do not do the things that we should.
If fruit of the spirit is not evident in our lives, we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us, and we are failing to recognize God’s divine presence that dwells within us and who is eager to reveal Himself to the world.
John 15: 1-4a I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no
fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be
even more fruitful. You are already clean
because of the word I have spoken to you.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
In the parable of the vine and the
branches as told by Jesus, we are taught that a branch that produces no fruit
is of little value. As believers in
Christ, we are given the power of the Holy Spirit to produce fruit which is “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” Gal 5:22b-23
In producing fruit in our lives, we need not master all that God has commanded us to do at once. Just as a new baby struggles in its first attempts to crawl, when we are born again in Christ, our ability may not match our desire to be fruitful. But as the parable is told by Jesus, we learn that if we are persistent in our efforts, God will prune away the sins which hinder us so we may become even more fruitful, revealing the glory, power, and love that is found in Jesus to those around us.
Our relationship with God is not only one of being aware of what evil we do, but also being aware of the good we don’t do. The good things we are called to do are not to be done only when it is convenient for us, but at all times. Just as we are called to be constantly aware of temptations and sin in our lives, we are also called to constantly pursue the fruits of the spirit. Just as we do not have the pleasure to skip work or pay bills when due, we must serve Christ in a timely manner. The sin of omission is as harmful to our spiritual well being as the sins we know not that we do.
Matthew 5:14-16a “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light so shine before men.”
Once we have accepted Christ into our lives, our salvation is complete. We can be confident that a time will come when we will enjoy eternity in Heaven. We are called to let the joy that we have found in Christ shine upon the world. As a radiant point of light, the fruits of the spirit should be most visible by those who are closest to us and should be seen by all who look our way.
THE SIN OF OMMISSION
by Margaret E. Sangster
It isn’t the thing you do dear,
It’s the thing you leave undone
That gives you a bit of a heartache
At setting of the sun.
The tender word forgotten,
The letter you did not write,
The flowers you did not send, dear
Are the haunting ghost at night.
The stone you might have lifted
Out of a brother’s way,
The bit of heartsome counsel
You were hurried too much to say;
The loving touch of the hand, dear,
The gentle, winning tone
Which you had not time nor though for
With troubles of you own.
Those little acts of kindness
So easily out of mind,
Those chances to be angels
Which we poor mortals find-
For life is all to short, dear,
And sorrow is all to great,
To suffer our slow compassion
That tarries until too late;
And it isn’t the thing you do, dear,
It’s the thing you leave undone
Which gives you your heartache,
At the setting of the sun.
Check
outreach programs on page 48 and find the one you would like to do!
Pray that God will call some to be Christian Politicians!
Revitalization
Workshop
Agenda: This portion of the workshop is time consuming. It may end the first day’s program and start a second day’s program.
Record of
Salvation experience: Use chalkboard
·
Revival
·
Worship
Service
·
A church
program
·
Personal
Contact
·
Bible
study
·
Literature
·
Short
term mission
·
Vacation
bible school
1. Record each person under the proper heading. If they share two headings then record ½ under each. When all have been entered reduce each the number in each heading to a percentage of the total present.
2. Have a volunteer to make appropriate notes that might be useful in future workshops.
3. Have a discussion on each heading to determine how that method of witnessing may be improved in the future and how we may be involved in that improvement.
OUTREACH
QUESTIONAIR
Complete the following questionnaire
to determine if there is need of revitalization.
How many have been added to the total Sunday school enrollment in the last year? Divide last year’s beginning enrollment number by the number of increase during the year. The answer is the number of people involved to enroll one more person in that year. Example: 140, last year’s enrollment, divided by 10, the number of increase, equals 14, the number it takes to enroll one new member per year.
How many have been baptized in the last year? Divide last years active membership by the number baptized during the year. The answer is the number of members it takes to win one more person in that year. Example: 140, last years membership, divided by 10, the number baptized, equals 14, the number of people it takes to lead one other person to Christ in the last year. Another way to look at the same numbers is that it takes one member 14 years to win one person to Christ.
Many authors are stating that our
churches have become comfortable! The
pastor seldom preaches to a lost person, which means that the invitation is
seldom given to a lost person. They say that our churches are similar to the
seven churches of
Now let each of ask ourselves if we were involved in that increase of 14 in Sunday school or the increase 14 that were baptized?
Does the 14 increase in Sunday school or in baptism evidence that the fields are white unto harvest? I have heard it said of those in the church that “we just don’t have any opportunities”. Others have said that our church field is not growing therefore our church is not growing. Many say that there are so many distractions, like television, ball games, parties, traveling, plus the responsibilities in the home and family today that they do not have time for Christ or His Church.
Can we make the church more desirable for each person and each family than any of their present activities? No other organization or activity can add real value and purpose to people lives like Christ’s church.
I believe the fields are whiter to harvest than ever before in history. The workers are fewer than ever before in proportion to the size of the harvest. Every church and individual should feel that they can do better and harvest more.
Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he
who is wise wins souls”.
Matthew 9:36 “And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them,
because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd.”
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was
lost.
Luke 10:2: These were His instructions to them: “Plead with the Lord of
the harvest to send out more laborers to help you, for the harvest is so plentiful
and the workers so few.”
I John 2:3 And how can we be sure that we belong to Him? By looking within ourselves, are we really
trying to do what He wants us to do?
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hears only, deceiving
you own selves.
John 4: 35-36 Do you not say, “There are yet four months, and then
comes the harvest”. Behold, I say unto
you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white for
harvest. “Already he who reaps is
receiving wages, and is gathering fruit for life eternal; that he who sows and
he who reaps may rejoice together.
Read again Revelation chapters 2
and 3. Does your church resemble these
seven churches in any way? How can these
similarities be corrected? This question
will take time and much thought to fully relate those churches to your church
and resolve the deficiencies that may exist.
OUTREACH
PROGRAMS
Obviously every outreach program is not workable for every church. Study all of the outreach programs. Choose those that seem right for your church. After determining the abilities and talents of your church and its members, you can then merge those considerations into a list of outreach programs that are achievable.
The pastor is the overseer for the entire program. The pastor will need one person, who will be the Church Outreach Leader (sometimes this person is called The Evangelism Director) to shoulder the entire program.
There will be a booklet on each outreach program. This booklet describes the purpose, character and possibilities of each outreach. The name of the team leader and each member of team will be recorded together with their home address and telephone numbers. There is space to document the date, activity and comments of each meeting. These records will be valuable to future team leaders and allow progress comparisons to previous years.
1. SUNDAY SCHOOL OUTREACH:
Team leader: ____________________
Contact all old members. There may be some that are infirmed, handicapped, without transportation, or just lethargic because they have been inactive and seemingly no one cared.
Get or print extra supply of S. S. books.
Have S. S. director encourage everyone in the worship service to come to S. S. Lesson material is available in the vestibule for them as they leave the worship service each Sunday.
Have each S. S. teacher and department to promote increasing their attendance however they deem best. When a church-area census is completed, it will be extremely helpful.
If home visitation is appropriate with some prospects, have those from the S. S. best qualified to make the visit.
Pray for the entire S. S. outreach program to be successful, not for a numbers increase in attendance only but rather that Christ purpose and desire might be glorified in the increased attendance and enrollment. Prayer availeth much.
If a survey of the church’s outreach area has been completed, then a visitation program for the church and S. S. might be organized to reach those who are unaffiliated.
2.
Team
Leader ______________________________
Concentrate on getting these children from non-affiliated families to VBS and the results are almost guaranteed. Secondarily, this will also give the church an inroad to invite the parents to a fellowship supper, to Sunday school, or to the worship service. Their recognition in the worship service and further opportunities of contact might well result in their salvation and membership.
It would hardly be possible to take full advantage of the VBS possibilities to enrich the lives of children and families in the church community and those that will work with them.
3. CHURCH MONTHLY FELLOWSHIP SUPPER OUTREACH:
Team Leader: _____________________________
The threefold purpose of the church is evangelism, education and fellowship. It would be hard to imagine anything better for all-around fellowship than a monthly supper in the fellowship hall for everyone.
There is just no end to materials available for fellowship themes, games, other activities and variances to make this a wonderful social. All other programs will become more successful when the happy enjoyment of these fellowship activities blends into the classroom and auditorium.
There will no longer be strangers in the church. New prospects for the church, once invited and attending these fellowships, will feel right at home and very likely will want to join this church. It is a rare person that does not need, or desire, more happiness and quality close friends in their lives.
If you do not have such a fellowship in your church, you just don’t know what you have been missing. Many of us can remember the youth fellowships after the Sunday evening worship service. They were a big part of our lives and if we stop and think about it we miss those times. They are the “good ole days” so to speak.
You can probably envision those, right now, that should serve on this committee. They are a natural fit. What a great ministry they will have to all the rest of us. They will assist all of us in our own ministries and responsibilities.
As the attendance in the worship service and Sunday school increases, one may assume that the fellowship activities were a large part of these increases.
4. TRACT PROGRAM OUTREACH:
Team
Leader:_________________________
This program is most suitable for prayer meeting and training union.
Sunday school is basically for Bible study and it should not do anything to weaken its primary purpose.
Each tract should be introduced and explained why it was chosen. Discuss the situations in which the tract has been most successful.
How and where should the tract be presented?
Consider a general handout to present everyone. These are good in just about every atmosphere and are easily and inexpensively prepared by the church.
A team leader will manage the inventory of the tracts, literature and Bibles for the program.
Have members that are participating to share their successes, in the tract distribution program, in prayer meeting, and/or training union.
Remember that Christ said that his word shall not return to him.
5. ASS0CIATION SPORTS OUTREACH:
Team
Leader: _______________________________
If your interest is in a basketball league, a soccer league, or a flag football league, Google or Yahoo “Upward Sports”. This site is very comprehensive in every detail needed to have a successful league.
Sports on the associational, elementary, middle school, high school, and public level exist in virtually every community. There is no better venue for young and old to develop friends and influence those friends toward a right relationship with God. This gratifies every other relationship and involvement in their lives.
Sunday school, the worship service, and every other facet of the church is benefited by way of these new members.
Just imagine-- we can create a blood brother or sister through sport programs which will add to our Christian purpose.
Particulars concerning the equipment, schedules, rules, transportation and the like will be formulated by the Sports Team Leader. This program’s calendar should be somewhat full year-round.
6. LADIES’ BIBLE STUDY—MEN’S BIBLE STUDY—OR COED BIBLE STUDY OUTREACH:
Team Leader: _________________________
Whether you have Ladies’ Bible Study and a Men’s Bible Study or a Co-ed Bible Study is usually determined by the size of the church.
7. HANDYMAN OUTREACH:
Team Leader: ______________________________
The handyman can. He will repair small carpentry, electrical, and plumbing problems for you and save you from calling the expensive tradesman. Just call the Handyman team leader when you have a leaky faucet, a bad electrical switch, a fence board or a threshold that needs replacing.
This program is for shut-ins over sixty years of age, single moms and for others with special physical limitations. We do not do routine work like lawn maintenance or window washing.
8. CAR CLINIC OUTREACH:
Team Leader: _______________________________
Church men service cars at the church once a month for the elderly, single moms, and others who need this assistance. The men check for transmission fluid, tire pressure, water, antifreeze, oil, and the proper function of the windshield wipers.
9.
Team Leader: _________________________________
This is a designated building, somewhere in the association area, that functions, with all volunteers, to house the association Cloths Closet, Food Distribution, and other specific daily needs of the indigent. This facility may have a rest room available for those who wish to change.
10. SUPPLY TEAM OUTREACH:
Team Leader: ____________________________________
These ladies makes drawstring bags, or gather old suitcases, to fill with a blanket, Bible, towel, soap, washcloths, cap appropriate for the season, socks, tooth paste, tooth brush, and comb for the needy.
This gathering is for distribution
by the
11. CLOTHES CLOSET OUTREACH:
Team Leader:
____________________________________
The clothes closet room in your church, from which you may occasionally distribute clothes to the needy. This room is used also to prepare clothes to be distributed by the associational clothes closet.
12. CRISIS ASSIST OUTRICH:
Team leader:
______________________________________
This group gathers information on jobs known by members of the Church to be vacant or will become vacant. This information is as thorough as possible. Individual sheets with phone numbers and other contact information are available to supply the interviewee on each job.
The church nursery may be made temporarily available to a single mom who is having financial problems. She may pay what she can afford.
A family may not be able to pay the price for a church-sponsored outing. The church benevolence committee may assist in such instances.
13. PRESCHOOL MOTHERS’ OUTREACH:
Team Leader: ________________________________
This is a once a month meeting, of church and non-church members, to study the Bible, to have fellowship, and to possibly work in crafts. The pre-school children will have Bible stories and games suitable to their age.
14. REALITY HOUSE OUTREACH:
Team Leader: ____________________________________
Reality House is a residential facility for women who are trying to rid themselves of drug addiction. Two children are permitted to live with them while they are in the program. Your church may support the Reality House in many ways. You can provide Bibles, clothes, and seasonal gifts for the women and the children.
Weekly Bible classes for the mom and the children can be scheduled.
Just real friendship, prayer, and love, are always appreciated. These fields are extremely white for harvest.
Monthly offerings are especially valuable for the support for the overall program.
15. CENSUS OUTREACH:
Team Leader: _____________________________________
A comprehensive census of the entire church area is invaluable. Use census sheets provided on the CD Rom. This CD has instructional information about taking the census, the goals of the census, and an invitation letter from the pastor and much more.
A training seminar should be held for all census takers that carefully explains all of the rules and opportunities.
Tell them of the programs offered by the church. Explain that membership is not required. Leave literature about all the programs of the church.
16. NURSEING HOME & ASSISTED HOME OUTREACH
Team Leader: _______________________________________
Teaching, preaching, praying, tract & Bible distribution, and fellowship, this outreach needs them all.
This outreach program, very probably, will not increase the membership of the Sunday school or worship service but is at the top of the list in the pure sense of the meaning of o-u-t-r-e-a-c-h. You are growing your church beyond your facilities.
17. MOM- & DAD-TO-BE OUTREACH
Team Leader: ______________________________________
A mothering and fathering seminar, sponsored by the church, will be taught by a qualified and successful Christian mother. Classes are to be open to non church members.
There will be one pre-birth seminar for mom and dad.
There will also be a seminar on child’s first year for mom and dad.
Hopefully there will also be one seminar to cover child’s years two through five for mom and dad.
18. HOME VISITATION OUTREACH
Team Leader; ___________________________________
This is the ultimate outreach. Some training and experience is necessary but no other outreach can be more productive that witness directly with a family. The training is very enjoyable. The success when visiting is exhilarating. The blessings will fill your soul to overflowing. Your closeness with Christ is on a higher level than you could have imagined.
For Work
sheets on outreaches call Jerry Rogers at 800-896-1759 with your email address or
postal address.
NOTES
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