I wanted to start a thread where people could share how God’s been using them in their church, job, community, etc. So often we here about how crummy our schools or churches are. I would love to hear stories about how God is moving in our schools, churches, workplaces, communities, etc.
I’ll start. I love my church. It’s one of those churches that I never thought I’d go to. When I first went there everyone was raising their hands and I thought it was a bunch of emotionalism. But what kept me going there was two things:
1) Truth proclaimed from the pulpit that pierced right to the heart. Not just vague sermons, but things that I could apply immediately to my life.
2) Fruit of the spirit in the members. There were many people at the church who were younger than me, but had a more real relationship with God and walked in the fruit of the spirit like I had never seen before. I wanted what they had (more of Jesus).
One way our church has reached out to the community is through what we call Flatbeds. We’ve taken our church’s band on a Flatbed truck and done concerts in area high school football fields, local mall parking lots, and county fairgrounds. The Flatbeds have little to do with the novelty of a band on a truck and everything to do with God’s power flowing through a unified body of believers. After about 45 min- 1 hr. of music our pastor gives a message of freedom and healing from spiritual, emotional, and physical bondage. He gives an invitation, and people are set up with prayer teams (the invitation has been a little different every time-obviously must be Spirit-led). We always get their information (phone #s, email) to follow-up teams. I am an army officer and I am discipling a soldier who was saved at one of the flatbeds. I also keep in touch with a West Point student who got saved at a Flatbed while we was on a summer army internship.
Everything about the Flatbed has been scary. It was scary to invite people, scary to believe that we could go in public and declare the gospel. It was scary to know that if God’s Spirit was not there, it would be a total flop. People can’t believe when we invite them to a christian event at a local high school. But God has placed people in our church as Young Life leaders and high school teachers for that purpose. Many local principals were desperate after september 11 and recent school shootings and they find themselves at a loss to provide comfort to their students.
The summer flatbeds were a season of moving in faith and obedience as a church. Now we’re discipling the new (and old) members and God is constantly purifying us and equipping us for His work.
My reason for starting this thread is not to see who has the neatest idea for boosting church attendance or for having a really cool ministry. I wanted to share with people that God is moving in his church. He’s coming for the Lost and he’s revealing himself to His church. Jesus won’t stop until he has his spotless bride! I would love to hear how God is moving in different places in this country.
JasonBuursma
Dec 19 2002
06:40 am
I wanted to start a thread where people could share how God’s been using them in their church, job, community, etc. So often we here about how crummy our schools or churches are. I would love to hear stories about how God is moving in our schools, churches, workplaces, communities, etc.
I’ll start. I love my church. It’s one of those churches that I never thought I’d go to. When I first went there everyone was raising their hands and I thought it was a bunch of emotionalism. But what kept me going there was two things:
1) Truth proclaimed from the pulpit that pierced right to the heart. Not just vague sermons, but things that I could apply immediately to my life.
2) Fruit of the spirit in the members. There were many people at the church who were younger than me, but had a more real relationship with God and walked in the fruit of the spirit like I had never seen before. I wanted what they had (more of Jesus).
One way our church has reached out to the community is through what we call Flatbeds. We’ve taken our church’s band on a Flatbed truck and done concerts in area high school football fields, local mall parking lots, and county fairgrounds. The Flatbeds have little to do with the novelty of a band on a truck and everything to do with God’s power flowing through a unified body of believers. After about 45 min- 1 hr. of music our pastor gives a message of freedom and healing from spiritual, emotional, and physical bondage. He gives an invitation, and people are set up with prayer teams (the invitation has been a little different every time-obviously must be Spirit-led). We always get their information (phone #s, email) to follow-up teams. I am an army officer and I am discipling a soldier who was saved at one of the flatbeds. I also keep in touch with a West Point student who got saved at a Flatbed while we was on a summer army internship.
Everything about the Flatbed has been scary. It was scary to invite people, scary to believe that we could go in public and declare the gospel. It was scary to know that if God’s Spirit was not there, it would be a total flop. People can’t believe when we invite them to a christian event at a local high school. But God has placed people in our church as Young Life leaders and high school teachers for that purpose. Many local principals were desperate after september 11 and recent school shootings and they find themselves at a loss to provide comfort to their students.
The summer flatbeds were a season of moving in faith and obedience as a church. Now we’re discipling the new (and old) members and God is constantly purifying us and equipping us for His work.
My reason for starting this thread is not to see who has the neatest idea for boosting church attendance or for having a really cool ministry. I wanted to share with people that God is moving in his church. He’s coming for the Lost and he’s revealing himself to His church. Jesus won’t stop until he has his spotless bride! I would love to hear how God is moving in different places in this country.