From the Pastor:
Reach Out in Prayer
It is estimated that 60 % of the people in our community do not attend church. Stop and consider what persons God may be calling us to reach out to on His behalf. I ask that you take a few moments to make a list of the persons you know who are not actively involved in a church, especially those you feel you may be able to influence. To help our memories, here are several categories of persons with whom each of us as contact.
Think of family members-- spouse, parents, grandparents,aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, nephews, and nieces. Think of neighbors--next door neighbors, elderly persons in the neighborhood, and the new families on the block.
Think of persons you know through sports or hobbies-- people with whom you bowl, golf, of play tennis. Think of people you at work-- supervisors, employees you supervise, secretaries, clerical staff, students you teach, clients, new staff members, and colleagues you see once in a while Think of friends with whom you dine out--single friends, parents of your child's friends, old friends from school, and friends of your spouse.
Think of casual associates-- your dentist; your doctor; your realtor; your life insurance agent; your child's teacher; merchants; service or luncheon club members; persons who belong to clubs, associations, or professional groups you attend; babysitters; sales representatives who call on you frequently; and persons who graduated from the same university as you.
Think especially of persons who are undergoing personal life stresses of some kind. These individuals often find helpful answers to their problems from within the Christian faith-persons who are recently divorced, families with new babies, families that have experienced a recent death, families in which someone has lost a job or has suffered painful business reverses.
Take your list of names and pray for each of those people every day for the next two (2) weeks. Ask that God's Holy Spirit would touch their hearts and that they would be receptive to God. Now, invite them to come to church with you. Offer to pick them up or take them to lunch afterward.
I also challenge you to share your story of how God is at work in your life with more people. You will never know what God can accomplish until you become a part of His work.
Yours in Christ,
Jimmy
