“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it.” - Matthew 16:18 (HCSB)
By James Gunter
Can you believe that summer is here already? The signs are everywhere!
- Kids are out of school.
- People are planning vacations.
- That reminds me....gas prices are up.
- Vacation Bible School signs are everywhere!
- Watermelons have arrived at the supermarket.
- Worship and Sunday School attendance is down.
Micah had the opportunity to participate in a special mission trip to the Do
minican Republic from June 11th to the 16th. This was unlike any mission trip our church has participated in before due to a change in our church’s strategy to be more effective in global missions efforts. The purpose of this first trip was simply to scout out some unreached people groups and to pray for God's direction in the future in training leaders who will eventually be instrumental in planting some Baptist churches in these areas. I am sure there will be more to share later.Well, I've shared a little bit about how Micah spent a portion of his summer and now, I'll share a little bit about how I've spent mine so far. My time has been spent in front of the computer. Not because I'm addicted to video games (I don't care for them at all), and not because I am surfing the web for that next “gadget” offer. No, my computer time for the entire month of June has consisted of gathering information so that we can contact local churches later on this summer and fall.
At this time, I have gathered information for 709 churches within approximately 50 miles of our offices. Now, the real work begins. The next step is to determine which churches we will be contacting directly and which ones we will use alternative methods to reach. The purpose of contacting them is to assist them in getting their Sunday School attendance up considerably. This will be achieved by conducting teacher training workshops designed to encourage and motivate their teachers and lay leaders. We have several themes to choose from, so maybe you'll see us at your church someday. Just in case you're the slightest bit curious, here's just a few of the topics we conduct workshops on:
- Teaching a Bible Lesson – practical tips and techniques to get your class involved in the lesson material during class time (and yes, we use these ourselves).
- Blueprint of a Leader – based upon the life of Jesus and the Old Testament book of Ezra. This study helps define our role as lay leaders within our local church in a very thought-provoking manner. You may just be surprised at one of the unsung heroes found in Ezra.
