Our church is experiencing something we have only seen one other time in its History. Numerical growth from new Christians.
How did it happen?
Well it wasn't because we had a bunch of Programs to engage people.
People are being engaged by Love.
and it isn't because we taught a bunch of lessons on things only Christians care about.
People are being educated where they live, by people who are living it.
We didn't have a revival meeting to revive us.
People are excited about Jesus because some have repented of sin while others have truly come to understand how amazing God is.
So what has brought so many amazing people to our church over the last several months?
One thing. Prayer.
2010 was a year of prayer for us as a church.
We were motivated by many difficult circumstances that put us to our knees.
We were moved by many unseen problems that caused us to seek Him.
We were mastered by many situations that MADE us seek Gods hand.
Its not surprising as whenever Gods people were moved to pray, it moved God which moved man.
The bible proves this over and over and over again.
But there is one danger the bible also teaches.
When men stop praying, God stops moving on their behalf.
It happened to us in 2002 when we saw amazing growth but it only lasting for a few months. Though our church lived on that growth for 7 years after that, it eventually died as people fell away.
We cannot stop praying as a people so I thought I would give you some things to pray for.
1. We are wanted to go to two services in the morning. One at 9:00 am and one at 11:00 am. To do that we are going to need to pray for people to fill those services.
2. We are wanting to double our home Groups on Sunday Nights. That would be three more at 20 people per group. For that we need people to fill those places as well as leaders to lead them. Pray that God would raise godly couples to lead these.
3. We want to add a staff member. We need another Pastor to share the load of ministry. For that we need a doubling of our offerings as well as for God to send us the right man for our needs.
4. We need teachers. We currently need three teachers to rotate with the other teachers as well as back ups for our teen leaders and 5-7th grade teachers. We don't want bodies, we want people who are passionate about helping parents lead their children on a faithful walk with God. This doesn't even count for the growth that we PRAY will happen.
5. We need general laborers. Men and women who are willing to serve faithfully in many of the little places. Sound and Video, Coffee Cart, Clean up, Ushers, Parking lot. The key is that we don't need selfish people who only want to serve when they want, where they want, and who they want, but who will serve wherever service is needed.
6. Each home group needs mentors. Spiritual leaders who can take a new Christian on for six months of one on one discipleship.
7. Each home group needs Prayer Leaders who not only pray for their group but bring those requests to the church body to pray about.
Prayer will be the only way God helps us with these needs.
It was Prayer that got us here, it will be Prayer that keeps us here.
Let's Keep Praying!!!!!
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