We rejoice in how God has given us 22 souls since April. God has shown us where to work. It's like finding your favorite fishing hole. Once you know where to find the fish, you keep going back! God has blessed again and again.
Our greatest concern is discipling these new believers. Many of them have never held a bible in their hands or been to church. Isn't that amazing? We live in the bible belt and yet these folks might as well have been living in a foreign country where the gospel is hard to find. I believe it is because very few Christians are sharing their faith with others.
David
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Christmas is a Time for Sharing Christ
There are probably no better times than Easter and Christmas to share our faith with others.
Christmas is one of those holidays that you can talk about from Thanksgiving all the way to New Year's. People are busy but they are aware of the fact that Christmas is about Christ. They may not admit it, but they know!
This is our time to share our faith with boldness and clarity. But boldness without gentle love and compassion won't go far, so be gentle, but be bold. The boldness is for you and the gentleness is for them.
Share your faith and watch how many people will actually listen. It's not about preaching, it's about sharing. Just do it! Watch God work!
David
Christmas is one of those holidays that you can talk about from Thanksgiving all the way to New Year's. People are busy but they are aware of the fact that Christmas is about Christ. They may not admit it, but they know!
This is our time to share our faith with boldness and clarity. But boldness without gentle love and compassion won't go far, so be gentle, but be bold. The boldness is for you and the gentleness is for them.
Share your faith and watch how many people will actually listen. It's not about preaching, it's about sharing. Just do it! Watch God work!
David
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Starting New Works is the Best Test
The researching of new works in our fellowship is a very difficult task. I'm sure that most of you all realize that there are probably more works being started than we are able to report. But we cannot know for sure. So far this year 5 new works in the USA have been reported. I have very little information from the international scene. We pray for more churches to be started everywhere.
All of our salaried and designated fund missionaries, national and foreign are asked to fill out a 'missionary statistical report form' where basic information is reported from their fields of labor. This is where the number of souls saved on their field is reported. From this the secretary treasurer of missions compiles the total number of souls saved every year which he reports to us at the national meeting. I praise God for the thousands of souls reported saved every year! This statistical report form would be an excellent tool to gather much needed information regarding the starting of new missions and churches in our associated work. Presently there is no place for this information to be reported.
The best test of missionary work has always been the planting of a self-sustaining, self-supporting, self-governing, scriptural church in the region(s) where the missionary is working. This usually begins with a mission which eventually constitutes (organizes) into a New Testament church at some future date. Sometimes with the best of efforts and intentions it doesn't happen. Sometimes a mission fails to organize, sometimes an organized church ceases to exist. This is all part of doing mission work and church planting. But it is still the best test of successful missionary work whether they are planted or whether they die.
I am always delighted to see the number of souls that are reported having professed Christ. But it is a proven fact that the true test of successful missionary work is whether or not reproducing churches have been planted. I believe that an additional two lines on the statistical report form requesting "the number of new churches started" and "the number of new missions started" would enable us to do our research more effectively. We should probably include the number of new works that have closed their doors or disbanded as well but some think that it is 'negative' information. This is research work. True research is honest about the good information as well as the 'negative' information. Most state minute books report church statistics that include, among other things, the number of members dismissed or removed from the church roll. That's negative but it still gets reported.
If these two simple lines requesting information concerning the number of new missions and churches being started is added to the report form we will then begin to understand how to better assist our missionaries and churches to better accomplish the Great Commission. Starting new works is still the best test for successful missionary work.
All of our salaried and designated fund missionaries, national and foreign are asked to fill out a 'missionary statistical report form' where basic information is reported from their fields of labor. This is where the number of souls saved on their field is reported. From this the secretary treasurer of missions compiles the total number of souls saved every year which he reports to us at the national meeting. I praise God for the thousands of souls reported saved every year! This statistical report form would be an excellent tool to gather much needed information regarding the starting of new missions and churches in our associated work. Presently there is no place for this information to be reported.
The best test of missionary work has always been the planting of a self-sustaining, self-supporting, self-governing, scriptural church in the region(s) where the missionary is working. This usually begins with a mission which eventually constitutes (organizes) into a New Testament church at some future date. Sometimes with the best of efforts and intentions it doesn't happen. Sometimes a mission fails to organize, sometimes an organized church ceases to exist. This is all part of doing mission work and church planting. But it is still the best test of successful missionary work whether they are planted or whether they die.
I am always delighted to see the number of souls that are reported having professed Christ. But it is a proven fact that the true test of successful missionary work is whether or not reproducing churches have been planted. I believe that an additional two lines on the statistical report form requesting "the number of new churches started" and "the number of new missions started" would enable us to do our research more effectively. We should probably include the number of new works that have closed their doors or disbanded as well but some think that it is 'negative' information. This is research work. True research is honest about the good information as well as the 'negative' information. Most state minute books report church statistics that include, among other things, the number of members dismissed or removed from the church roll. That's negative but it still gets reported.
If these two simple lines requesting information concerning the number of new missions and churches being started is added to the report form we will then begin to understand how to better assist our missionaries and churches to better accomplish the Great Commission. Starting new works is still the best test for successful missionary work.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
20 souls saved in 10 months
Praise God for His amazing blessings!
As of last weekend we now have 20 that have made decisions to repent of their sins and trust Christ as their Savior. But the work is only just beginning. Although we have not seen all of these new believers come to church yet several have been several times. It is a brand new experience for these folks. Most of these new believers have never held a bible in their hand, sung a Christian song, or attended any kind of a church ever! Wrap your brain around that thought for a while and contemplate the challenges that it brings.
The number one challenge is to move them from the community into the church meeting place. We are learning that we may have to bring the church to them through Bible study or small groups for a while until they can understand what church is about. So pray for us.
God has used our people doing the simplest thing there is to reach people in our city: opinion polls. It doesn't work for everyone but it sure works for us. My challenge to you is, find what works and work it till it doesn't work anymore.
David
As of last weekend we now have 20 that have made decisions to repent of their sins and trust Christ as their Savior. But the work is only just beginning. Although we have not seen all of these new believers come to church yet several have been several times. It is a brand new experience for these folks. Most of these new believers have never held a bible in their hand, sung a Christian song, or attended any kind of a church ever! Wrap your brain around that thought for a while and contemplate the challenges that it brings.
The number one challenge is to move them from the community into the church meeting place. We are learning that we may have to bring the church to them through Bible study or small groups for a while until they can understand what church is about. So pray for us.
God has used our people doing the simplest thing there is to reach people in our city: opinion polls. It doesn't work for everyone but it sure works for us. My challenge to you is, find what works and work it till it doesn't work anymore.
David
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