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"U've Gotta Start in Jerusalem B4 U Go 2 Judea, Samaria and the Ends"
Posted by
dcheshier
,
24 March 2013
·
1264 views
Recently our church added a new approach to get our people to "Be Light" and embrace 'til the whole world knows'. Previously we have led/promoted missions experiences to various places around the world while praying, believing that The Father would call... a few to go, some to give regularly, many to pray and the heart of all to be given to missions. The 'go to them' method.
This year in an intentional way, exceeding our prior efforts, we are seeking to connecting our people to their 'Jerusalem'...the 'look around you' method. This may seem obvious but increasingly we have found our people to be unaware of their neighbors.
Mt. 22:39 "Love your neighbor as yourself"
In this instance we are praying, believing that The Spirit of God would move in a way that all will be involved, many will go on to reach 'Judea', some will venture further to 'Samaria' and a few will go to 'the ends of the earth'
We are in a smaller, mostly rural community, only 50 thousand people in the county, that has been hit hard by tragic death in the last 10 months. A tragedy does not go unnoticed. For example: A child was crushed by a falling tombstone while at VBS; a teen killed in a car accident; a young sheriff's deputy was gunned down investigating a domestic dispute; a young firefighter, father and husband committed suicide; a middle age pastor died of a blood clot; a state highway worker was run down by a car; a beloved coach/teacher succumbed to pneumonia; a drunken college student drowned; a middle age mom and a young man died in house fires; just to name a few. We are asking our people to take 'ownership' for those around them to include the following.
The people who 'protect and serve' (firefighters, law enforcement, medics, ambulance service, hospital and forestry service) have been hit hard and shaken to the core. One of these groups is the 13 volunteer fire departments scattered around the county. Our people are 'adopting' the fire district in their part of the county. They will prepare and serve a meal at the fire stations monthly meeting on a regular basis and care for the firefighters in numerous ways. This is just one of many ways our people are 'loving their neighbors' this year.
As you endeavor to imprint the Great Commission on the hearts of your church I encourage you to consider developing a heart for those 'next door' to them all the while praying that the whole world will know.
This year in an intentional way, exceeding our prior efforts, we are seeking to connecting our people to their 'Jerusalem'...the 'look around you' method. This may seem obvious but increasingly we have found our people to be unaware of their neighbors.
Mt. 22:39 "Love your neighbor as yourself"
In this instance we are praying, believing that The Spirit of God would move in a way that all will be involved, many will go on to reach 'Judea', some will venture further to 'Samaria' and a few will go to 'the ends of the earth'
We are in a smaller, mostly rural community, only 50 thousand people in the county, that has been hit hard by tragic death in the last 10 months. A tragedy does not go unnoticed. For example: A child was crushed by a falling tombstone while at VBS; a teen killed in a car accident; a young sheriff's deputy was gunned down investigating a domestic dispute; a young firefighter, father and husband committed suicide; a middle age pastor died of a blood clot; a state highway worker was run down by a car; a beloved coach/teacher succumbed to pneumonia; a drunken college student drowned; a middle age mom and a young man died in house fires; just to name a few. We are asking our people to take 'ownership' for those around them to include the following.
The people who 'protect and serve' (firefighters, law enforcement, medics, ambulance service, hospital and forestry service) have been hit hard and shaken to the core. One of these groups is the 13 volunteer fire departments scattered around the county. Our people are 'adopting' the fire district in their part of the county. They will prepare and serve a meal at the fire stations monthly meeting on a regular basis and care for the firefighters in numerous ways. This is just one of many ways our people are 'loving their neighbors' this year.
As you endeavor to imprint the Great Commission on the hearts of your church I encourage you to consider developing a heart for those 'next door' to them all the while praying that the whole world will know.
- Dennis Whalen, David Manske, Don Sappington and 1 other like this
