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Volunteers unload food truck for local groups

By Staff reports

lakenewsonline.com

Posted Mar 02, 2010 @ 06:30 AM

Last update Mar 02, 2010 @ 11:37 AM

Osage Beach, Mo. —

When all was said and done, nearly 200 volunteers turned out to lend a hand to those in need in a community-wide event spearheaded by Faithbridge Church in Osage Beach. 
The goal was to partner with Feed the Children to distribute food to as many agencies and families as possible. 
When the trucks loaded with the supplies arrived Saturday, there was no shortage of help as volunteers dispersed the food and sent it on its way. 
While some of the food and hygiene supplies will stock the shelves of food pantries, other supplies will be handed out through the Buddy Backpack programs at schools. 
The response was incredible, according to Faithbridge Senior Pastor Buck Cueni-Smith. 
Everyone was ecstatic with the outcome, he said. From the volunteers who showed up to unload the trucks to the others who were at the seven locations where the supplies were sent, everyone really helped out.
The food program was made possible through the church’s 2009 Christmas offering.  
“This was a service project people would really get involved with,” Cueni-Smith said. 

About the  drive 
Faithbridge is partnering with the international hunger relief organization Feed the Children to provide the items for the Food Drop.  
Other groups volunteering with the loading included Lake Ozark Fire Protection District, Kiwanis, Boy Scouts, Big Brothers and Rotary.   
The following organizations and neighborhood groups will help coordinate food distribution to individual families, in addition to receiving food for their own kitchens and pantries:
Eldon Eldon Food Pantry
Lake Ozark Hope House
Osage Beach School of the Osage
Camdenton Camdenton Schools, Lamb House, Citizens Against Domestic Violence
Greenview/Sunrise Beach  Share The Harvest
The Food Drop was timed this year for the tough months of January and February, when donations typically drop off and the need is greatest. 

About the church
Faithbridge Church is a new church. It is a ministry of the United Methodist Church.
Faithbridge meets every Sunday at 9:45 a.m. All are welcome to check it out, a membership not needed and no perfect people allowed. 
The idea behind the name, Faithbridge, is that the members want to bridge the gap between God to People, People to God, and People to People. Faithbridge’s worship is provided through scripture, music, media, and drama performances. The church also provides childcare via the Children’s Ministry, which has a program for children infant and older. 
Location 885 College Blvd, Osage Beach, MO, 65065
Phone 573-348-9454
Mon-Thurs: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sun: 8:30-11 a.m.
ONLINE www.faithbridgelakechurch.com

Good Press, Again!

This article was written in THE LAKE TODAY newspaper.  I thought it was worth sharing.  Once again, good press for Faithbridge.

Church, music ‘Come Together’

Beatitudes use Beatles’ songs to minister to wider audience

By Deborah Wolfe 
The Lake Today 

    “A lot of people put up the manger scene after Christmas and write the message of Jesus’ birth off as a cute story,” Faithbridge church Pastor Buck Cueni-Smith said, “but the birth of Jesus started a revolution and the Beatitudes are not only the way Christ lived his life but also the way he expected us to follow him." 
    Cueni-Smith was referring to the fact that many people don’t realize the Christmas season continues long after the giftwrap and garland are put away. In the coming weeks, Faithbridge church will recognize this process by incorporating Christ’s teachings in the Beatitudes with the music of the Beatles. 
    This may seem like an odd combination to some, but Cueni-Smith believes popular music can help people grasp the meaning of sometimes difficult Biblical teachings. 
    “The 12 days of Christmas are actually the 12 days after Christmas with Jan. 6 marking the epiphany, which is the beginning of Lent,” Cueni-Smith explained. “Epiphany literally means ‘to make known’ or ‘to reveal’ and our goal is to make Christ teachings known through the music of our culture.” 
Common thread 
    The idea of combining the message of the Beatitudes with the music of the Beatles came to Cueni-Smith after attending a performance of “Let it Be Christmas” at a fellow church. Taking a deeper look at the lyrics of other classic Beatles tunes, he found a common thread in the messages he felt could help him reach a broader audience. 
    “There is a Christian calendar that is established to go through the process of awakening,” Cueni-Smith said. “By incorporating Christ’s message with popular music, it magnifies our ability to enlighten a larger and more diverse group of people.” 
    This past Sunday’s introduction to the Beatitudes was supplemented by the tunes “Let it Be,” “Help” and “Revolution.” Cueni-Smith believes the story of Christ birth was the beginning of a revolutionary life that modern-day people should model their own lives after. 
    “People at that time were praying for a warrior king, but what God did in sending this little baby was revolutionary,” Cueni-Smith said. “God built a bridge through an infant in the complete opposite way that took everyone by surprise.” 
    Just as the song “Help” recognizes that you can’t do it by yourself, Cueni-Smith stressed the church should play a central role in assisting members of the community regardless of their religious beliefs. Through Faithbridge, he hopes to take the church back to being a center for community activities and he recently offered the use of the church as a shelter to families in need of refuge from the bitter winter weather. 
    “I like to wear out buildings,” Cueni-Smith said. “We have showers here and plenty of space for people in need. The church should be the hub of a community.” 
Entertainment Meets Ministry 
    Services and activities that combine ministry with entertainment play an important part in releasing people from the fear of entering a church full of foreboding and forbidding. While Faithbridge stays true to its Christian mission, Cueni-Smith said they try to keep the atmosphere relaxed and welcoming. 
    “Because church has gotten complicated some people are intimidated to go to a church building,” he explained. “We’re trying to produce events for the community that people won’t feel threatened that they are going to be preached at or judged.” 
    The church’s initial outreach attempt began in 2009 with a blues jam held on the Longest Night also known as Blue Christmas to recognize people who have lost loved ones through death, divorce or separation, those who are lonely and those who incurred a job loss or suffer from seasonal affective disorder. 
    Other activities have helped the young church rapidly build its open-door reputation throughout the Lake Area. 
    “We had an overwhelming turn out for our hog roast that included entertainment by a blue grass band,” Cueni-Smith recalled with a laugh. “And even though it rained during our drivein movie night, we had about 20 cars in the parking lot with people watching ‘Herbie the Love Bug.’” 
    Whether it takes Beatles tunes to teach the Beatitudes or 
employing the creative talents of tattoo artists to render chalk drawings of Christian tattoos they have etched in their customer’s skin, Cueni-Smith vows to continue to find innovative ways to reach out to the Lake community. 
    “It’s about being culturally relevant as a church,” Cueni-Smith said. “But we are committed to producing programs that will bring the outside world in.” 
    He stressed that music will always play a pivotal role in bringing seekers to Faithbridge. 
    “If you have an excellent music ministry, the preaching can be simply adequate and you will still get the message across,” Cueni-Smith said downplaying his abilities as a preacher. 
Concept Context 
The Beatitudes series began Sunday and will continue through the first Sunday in February. Though the concept has been well-received by most congregants, Cueni-Smith admits to a bit of consternation about a long-ago comment made by former Beatle John Lennon claiming the Beatles were more popular than Christ. Although later reports agreed Lennon’s remark was taken out of context, Cueni-Smith’s time spent as a circuit minister with the British Methodist Church outside of Birmingham, England, impressed upon him the enormous effect the group had on the English culture and left him wondering how the world would change if the church could have the same impact. 
“My biggest controversy with the Beatitudes series is from Christians because of Lennon’s remark but that was taken out of context and in a way he was right,” Cueni-Smith said. “If the church could gain the popularity that the Beatles had in England at the height of their fame, we could rival that comment.” 
More information about the Beatitudes through the songs of the Beatles and other Faithbridge sponsored events can be found online at www.faithbridgelakechurch.com or by calling the church office at 573-348-9454. 

FAITHBRIDGE CHURCH 
    For more information about the Beatitudes or Faitbridge events:     
• www.faithbridgelakechurch.com 
• Church office: 573-348-9454

    COURTESY OF BUCK CUENI-SMITH 
Beatitudes band members Mark McPheeters on guitar (left) and Larry Cox on bass (center) provide rhythmic background to Urban Poet Jeremy Shields as he raps to the congregation during the Beatitudes sermon series at Faithbridge Church in Osage Beach on Sunday.

Married 15 years, Pastor Buck Cueni-Smith moved to the Lake Area in 2009 to develop programs at the new Faithbridge church. The couple has 11-year-old twin daughters and a 6-year-old son.

Totally Overwhelmed With the Season

No apologies for not blogging these last several months. We have been having fun.  My last post was a video trying not only to brighten your spirits, but also to brighten my own.  October was brutal for Faithbridge Church. We expected attendance numbers to dip after the tourist season here at the lake, but we didn’t expect it to be cut in half. We started to question, pull data, and make excuses.

Then November came.  Oh my, where did they all come from.  And not just the ones coming to “check us out.”  People came that like what they saw and wanting to go deeper in to what are vision stands for. New contributors were added weekly.  People bringing friends and spreading the news about Faithbridge Church.

In November, we supplied Thanksgiving Dinner for 15 families.  The groceries signup was filled after the first Sunday it was announced.  A far cry from last year when we had to take money out of the budget to buy groceries for each basket.  Then in December, we did it again, but we also provide a weeks worth of groceries to feed the family while school was out.

During this time we started talks with an organization named FeedtheChildren.org.  We decided to set our Christmas Offering goal at $5000. If we were to reach this goal, it would purchase about 75% of a semi-truck full of food.  Feed the Children was founded in 1979 by Larry and Frances Jones, the mission of Feed The Children is to deliver food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty or natural disaster. Since their founding, Feed The Children has shipped food and relief supplies and other essentials to children and their families in all 50 states and 119 countries, supplementing almost 800,000 meals each day. 

We became a truck sponsor on December 15. Truck sponsorship allows Faithbridge Church to sponsor a truckload of food, personal care items and other necessities to children and families in need. Each truck sponsorship delivers 400 boxes of food, 400 boxes of personal care items, and 400 boxes of Avon products. The food, hygiene and Avon boxes are individually packaged for convenient distribution and contain a wide variety of essential items such as canned vegetables, pasta, soup, lotion, soap, etc. We need Individuals, businesses, schools and other community groups to partner with us. After the Christmas offering goal of $5000 we are asking to community to make up the rest of the $8,100, that underwrites the cost of transportation for an entire semi-truck of pre-boxed product and see our community changed for the better.  I’ll come back to this later.

Another overwhelming thing, was that we were overran with cookies.  Last year one of our members, E.G., thought about sending cookies to all the police stations, Sherif post, EMT and fire stations, and the hospital to spread cheer to all that have to work Christmas.  This year, after 26 people baked 3-5 dozen each we added nursing homes and the toll booths on the toll bridge.  It was wonderful to see people get involved in this outreach and we delivered the cookies after the Christmas Eve Service.

Which brings be to Christmas Eve. Last year our Christmas Eve service was our “come and see”. Now that we opened in May we had no idea what to do and how many people would show up. To find out what we did go to www.faithbridgelakechurch.com. It was a great and awesome experience that 160 people enjoyed. During the service we took an offering for our Christmas offering.  This brings us back to the Feed the Children Food Truck.

With still one more Sunday to collect on the Christmas offering we have collected $6100.  Once again I was brought to tears.  God is good and he is doing something with Faithbridge Church in the Lake Community.  I wonder what 2010 will be like.  Thank God and Thanks to all!

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

             Last night we met at church to go out and walk to pray for our mission field.  If you haven’t caught it by now, the mission field is area, town, zip code, radius, or anything in your context to focus on making disciples.  Our mission field is very diverse and polarized: not a lot of middle class, not a lot of Gen-Xers, not a lot of “you aint from around here, aren’t ya?”.  Just the two extremes of about everything you can imagine.

            The first thing we did was read Luke 10 and gave some instructions that we are praying for our community and that we may get to know their needs and wants as a church.  We may pray for people to come to our church, but the main focus of this prayer walk was to open our hearts to what this community need in a church.

            Then we broke up in groups to go out in to the mission field. Each group received a card that had a description of where to visit, scripture, and some ideas on what to pray for.  The seven areas that we prayed were:  

1)    Government buildings

 

            The government shall be upon his shoulder, Isaiah 9: 6;

Pray for kings and all in authority, 1 Timothy 2: 1-2.

 

 

Pray that they will trust God even during those times when they find themselves fearful of walking across a difficult path. ...Pray that God will give them wisdom to know when to lead and when to follow. "He who walks with the wise grows wise." Proverbs 13:20

 

2)    Other Churches

           

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many.

I Corinthians 12: 12-13

I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.  For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst. Matthew 18: 19-20

 

 

Pray for cooperation and that we may see the good in all of our doings.  We pray for that people find a fit in a church where God meets them and that they may grow in grace and knowledge of God.

 

3)    High places that look over the lake, golf courses, places where people have recreation

 

I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

Now when he saw the crowd, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him and He began to teach them. Matthew 5-7

 

We pray for those enjoy life and may not know God.  Look over and pray what may be the first contact with God, his creation. May we and they that use this wonderful creation be good stewards.

 

4)    Neighborhoods

 

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. I Peter 4: 8-10

Depend on the Lord; trust Him and He will take care of you.                                                                                                                                                              Psalm 37:5

 

Think of the many people who are walking with you through this life. Pray for the specific needs of those in this neighborhood. Trust that the God of the universe hears your prayers, sees all and knows all and will never leave them to walk alone.

 

5)    Schools

           

Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

           

Pray something like, Blessed are you, O Lord our God. You give us time for growing and learning and you give the gift of education. Help them also to serve you and work toward a faith-filled future.  Amen.

 

6)    Hospitals

 

Always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1 

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. Matthew 4:23-24

 

Pray for those who do not have family with them to be with them in this time. Pray for the Hospital doctors, nurses and staff.  Pray that they exemplify your love and care. Pray the God’s will be done and that all be done to uphold a quality of life.  "And surely I am (walking) with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:20

 

7)    Businesses

 

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.

Colossians 3:23

            Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings…                                                                                                                                                             Proverbs 22:29

 

Pray that even when they are exposed to worldly things they will recognize the presence of God walking beside them. Pray for business ethics and that God is in the commerce and that no one get exploited.  "Walk in the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess." Deuteronomy 5:33

 

I think people we surprised of what they felt as they prayed.  Feedback was good.  The fun thing, besides meeting back at the frozen custard shop, was that the groups traded cards to pray on the way home or throughout the week for other places that they didn’t pray for that night.  Now remember you heard it here first.  Prayer Trading Cards, if the Christian Capitalist hear about this you will get prayer trading cards with pictures of Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Ed Young, and the rare find of Jesus Christ. Oh I can see it now, opening my pack of prayer cards looking for the rare Jesus card, but being satisfied with a flour covered, stale piece of gum.  Praise God!

Thanks for praying.  

Lifegiving Blueprint

First of all let me apologize for the hiatus that I have taken from blogging.  To let you know I have been in preparation to move.  I have been called to lead a re-start.  A re-start is a new church start that has not gone as well as it should and needs to take some time to reflect and refocus.  Through a re-visioning process, I will hopefully get the church back to basics and to simplify the things that lead to making disciples.

I feel that I have been called to do this.  I felt that my first calling was to be an architect.  After two years invested in architecture, I finally gave in to God’s call and discovered God’s will for me.   

Discovering God’s will for your life is definitely more of an art than science. Actually it bears a closer resemblance to quantum physics. No one gets an “A” and only a select few seem able to understand it. At any rate, God does honor attempts to see His will for our lives. In fact, He wants us to know while you may not find any verses in the Bible with your name, there are several clear signals you can consult as you seek God’s plan for your life.

These seven points offer clues as to what you were created to be and do in life.. And they're not hidden in a secret Bible code or cryptic interpretations of ancient prophecy. They're embedded in the fabric of who you are. Just take a look at your­self, and you can learn a lot about your calling in life. God made you. He wired you the way you arc on purpose. And He has given you a unique place in the world for a reason.

Creating a blueprint for your life is sim­ply a matter of collecting the right clues and placing them in a central location to use as reference. A blueprint is a rough draft ... a picture of the end product as seen by the Architect. With a blueprint for life, suddenly there is a place to turn for reference when making key deci­sions. There are written plans to help you recognize when things are on track and when it's time to take the next step in life. There is guidance for establishing a strong foundation, developing your in­ner wiring (DNA), even tending to the cosmetic details. When the house is built according to the plans, it will fulfill every purpose the Architect intended.

PASSION

What makes you passionate? Are there certain things that seem to bring fulfill­ment or awaken your ambitions? If money were no object, where would you choose to focus your time and energy? These can be important clues as to where God would have you apply yourself.

GIFTEDNESS

What special gifts or skills are you equipped with? Are there abilities that stand out in you which could indicate a function you might perform in the world? What are the things you do best? Is there anything that comes effortlessly for you while others struggle to keep pace? What can you do that no one else can? Some­times God gives us special talents so that we can perform certain skills that sup­port His master plan.

RESOURCES

What resources or possessions do you have that can be leveraged? Do you have money, a position of influence, a vehicle, or an education that could be a building block for something you pursue? Perhaps you have key relationships with certain people that might be useful in developing one of your passions into an idea, a pro­gram, or a business. Could it be that God has given you access to resources that will play an important role in unfolding His plan for your life?

OPPORTUNITIES

What opportunities are sitting on your doorstep today? What opportunities are looming on the horizon? Have new doors opened? Have old ones closed? Might these be an indication of where God is taking you next? Change can be intimidating, but God will often use our circumstances to open doors in our life or to close them.

YOUR PAST

How has God used you in the past? Did it seem like His hand was on your efforts? Which ones were successful? Did you gain valuable experience that would be helpful in a similar arena now? You may already be doing what God wants you to do. And even if you aren't, God almost always gives us a track record that leads logically toward the areas where He will use us in the future. One of the best indi­cators of the future is often the past.

KEY ENVIRONMENTS

Are there certain environments in which you tend to thrive? Is there a certain area of the country that gets your juices flow­ing? Do you have a favorite city? Are there particular people or personality types that make you productive? Is there a certain office arrangement or housing situation that enables you to flourish? Sometimes these factors are decided for us, are limited by finances, or must defer to other priorities. But sometimes our preferred environments can lead us toward God's plan for our lives.

GOD'S WORD

There is no place where God has spoken more directly to the issues in our lives than in Scripture. This is the cornerstone of our search for our purpose. Because of God's Word, we don't need to ask if it's God's will for us to cheat on our taxes, or become a drug dealer, or divorce our spouse to marry someone else. In addi­tion to the obvious "do"s and "don't"s, there are many principles that suggest how life is supposed to work. The more you know about Scripture, the easier it is to discern God's will.

WISE COUNSEL

If you were to ask the mentors in your life, what would they say you should do? Preferably, you should ask people you trust, people who have already been where you aspire to go, and people who have nothing to gain or lose by your deci­sion. Iron sharpens iron. If God is lead­ing you toward something, He will often confirm it through the suggestions of others you trust.

CULTIVATING A CULTURE OF PEACE

Churches all around the world are changing the way they respond to conflict. As a result, their churches are cultivating a culture of peace. In the process, they are discovering the wonderful blessings promised in James 3:18: "Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." This harvest James referred to involves a wide variety of relational fruit.

When a church teaches its people to live out the gospel in the conflicts of daily life, people are more willing to admit their shortcomings and ask for help before a crisis occurs. Members are encouraged to go to each other to discuss problems instead of letting them fester—causing resentment. The church is protected from division, and offended members are less likely to leave. As a result, church growth is improved.

Pastors and other church leaders can experience many benefits as well. When leaders fulfill their responsibilities more fully, respect and appreciation for their work grows. As they are taken out of the day-to-day "complaint loop," they can spend less time dealing with disgruntled members and more time on forward-moving ministry. When members learn to stop gossiping, leaders are subjected to less criticism. As conflict declines in a church, stress on the leaders are often reduced. And when respectful discussion and reconciliation are the norm, pastors and other staff are less likely to burn out or be forced out of their jobs.

Of course, no church sees all of these benefits at once or all the time. Even Paul and Barnabas had a falling out! (See Acts 15:2.) So we should not be surprised when members forget what they have learned, leaders are inconsistent, or our efforts seem to have been wasted. Even though we stumble, we need not fall. As God helps us back to our feet, we can learn from our mistakes, forgive one another, and continue to grow. When we do, God can use both our mistakes and our forgiveness to encourage others.

A church that has a culture of peace usually has seven essential characteristics:

·         Vision: The church is eager to bring glory to God by demonstrating the reconciling love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and therefore sees peacemaking as an essential part of the Christian life (see Luke 6:27-36; John 13:35; 1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:12-14).

·         Training: The church knows that peacemaking does not come natu­rally, so it deliberately trains both its leaders and its members to respond to conflict biblically in all areas of life (see Gal. 5:19-21; Luke 6:40; Eph. 4:24-26; 1 Tim. 4:15-16;Titus 2:1-10).

·         Perseverance: Just as God pursues us, the church works long and hard to restore broken relationships (see Matt. 18:12-16; Rom. 12:18; Eph. 4:1-3; Matt. 19:1-9; 1 Cor. 7:1-11).

·         Accountability: If members refuse to listen to private correction, church leaders get directly involved to hold members accountable and seek repentance, justice, and forgiveness. (see Prov. 3:11-12; Matt. 18:15-20; 1 Cor. 5:1-5; James 5:19-20).

·         Restoration: Wanting to imitate God's amazing mercy and grace, the church gladly forgives (see Matt. 18:21-35; Eph. 4:32; 2 Cor. 2:5-11).

·         Stability: Because relationships are valued and protected, leaders serve fruitfully year after year and members see the church as their long-term home (see 1 Tim. 4:15; Heb. 10:25).

·         Witness: Members are equipped and encouraged to practice peace­making so openly in their daily lives that others will notice, ask why they do it, and hear about the love of Christ (see Matt. 5:9; John 13:34-35, 17:20-23; 1 Peter 2:12, 3:15-16).

Don't Freak Out!

It is my firm belief that the beginning of the Christian year, Advent, is the best time to be an evangelist. Though, I don’t like the term, it is what it is.  Now companies are picking it up to help with the branding of the corporation, i.e. Apple/Macintosh.  We are to be evangelist.  We have an entire month to promote, converse, and invite people to meet our Lord and Savior.  Easter gives us a day.  The church has so many non-threatening services, programs and events during Advent to invite.  Here is a seven point process to prepare you to invite someone to something religious this Christmas.

1.      Pray- Prayer is the key to effectively sharing your faith. Through this direct pipeline to God we can get the courage we lack, the wisdom we need and the answers we lack when it comes to sharing our faith.Here are a few things to pray for… Pray for the wisdom to know how to approach your friend, neighbor, acquaintance, or. James 1:5 makes this promise, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

2.      Get real- Nobody likes a fake. Get real with your friends as you invite. Let them know that you also struggle. People need to know that Christianity is real and doesn’t resemble Tammy Faye’s fake eyelashes. When we are perceived as “know it all’s” or religious we turn more people away

3.      Remember The Biblical Journey- Become a guide of sorts who brings their fellow sojourners along the way to pause and ponder the landscape of the story of the Bible, the gospel message. Acknowledge the twists and turns, break ups and make ups, mystery and intrigue but the driving message of the plot is that from the ashes of sin comes the redemption of humankind through the death of Christ and His resurrection from the dead.

4.      Remember Your Personal Journey- Remember one thing that changed the most when you became a Christian and share it.

5.      Don’t Remember for Them - Remember that for some it’s a short jump to salvation and for others it’s a long journey. You don’t need to have all the answers to witness. Learn the answers along the way. As you get asked questions that you don’t have the answers for you can learn the answers.

6.      Get creative - When inviting it is important that you get creative. Take a few minutes and read Acts 17:16-34 and you will see how creative the apostle Paul was in sharing his faith with the Greek philosophers on Mar’s Hill in Athens. He used a creative opener, quoted pagan poets whom his audience was familiar with, tried to find common ground and then shared the whole story of Christianity from creation to the cross and beyond!

7.      Discipleship/Partnership - We wouldn't imagine taking a brand new baby and leaving it outside in the cold to fend for himself! But oftentimes Christians do that exact same thing with spiritual newbies. Babies need shelter, warmth, care and food. So do your friends you invite. If you have the privilege of inviting your friends sit by them, find the scripture in the Bible for them, notify them of thing that may seem strange or foreign before they happen to lower the shock value, and introduce, they may know others there to help with comfort ability.

To Early to Think about Christmas?

Yesterday, I was in Radio Shack and the Christmas music was playing. I came back to the office to start thinking about Advent and the Christmas Season. Before the holidays get busy, and you don't really want one more thing to think about, I want you to know this truth, the holidays are an onramp to drawing new people to your church with both your regular worship times and special Christmas events.

So here is that one more thing-the following ideas are to help you make sure your services remain focused on worship while enjoying the unique aspects of the Advent/Christmas season.

1.      Create an atmosphere: While you want to plan appro­priately for crowds, you also want your holiday services to have an intimate atmosphere. Dim the lights, add candles, and even consider ways to introduce fragrances (pine, holly, or cinnamon) as part of your services.

2.      Pursue excellence: Stop before anything dips below a level of quality you're willing to accept. The push for quality or excellence isn't about impressing; it's about Christ being the focus, and not distracting worshipers. A simple acoustic guitar or piano played well sounds better than a whole platform full of instruments played poorly.

3.      Involve children in the service: This sends a message- particulaely to guests-that your church is about all ages. Again, aim for the highest level of excellence possible (although people are pretty forgiving of how children sound when they sing, speak, or perform dramatically).

4.      Incorporate drama/video: Done well, drama can lead wor­shipers to focus on Christ. Done poorly or halfheartedly, drama can detract from worship. Videos are good for reflection. You do not have to add anything, let them speak for themselves.

5.      Consider the time: For special holiday services, you don't have to be bound by the time constraints of your regular services, but check the schedule of local events and local sport teams.. If you know you'll have a lot of guests for a special service, perhaps you'll want to aim for a shorter duration-with a meditation rather than a full-fledged sermon. If you know a service will draw a smaller group of mostly regular church attendees, you might decide to go slightly longer than normal.

6.      Decorate: If you're holding special services that typically draw a lot of guests, extend seasonal decorating of your wor­ship center to your church lobby and exterior. Holiday guests may see church services as "events" that help them celebrate the season, and you can attract them by enhancing the atmos­phere. Art and creativity can also be a form of worship.

7.      Prepare spiritually: Make sure that worship leaders and other participants prepare spiritually at least as much as they prepare musically or dramatically. A proper spiritual attitude toward worship allows the Holy Spirit to work through those taking part.

I truly hope that this will enhance your Advent/Christmas season.  I’m a true believer that Advent/Christmas is the best time for evangelism.  It gives you a whole season to invite, where Easter only give you one day.  Blessings.