Through many of these episodes, like the one described in the previous blog post, our definition of evangelism at Circle Church was broadened to include more than just the act of counseling which ultimately assists a person in conversion.
We consider the effort of evangelization to include all the milieu which surrounds this occurrence: the feeding of hunger, the reaching out to emotional wounds, the establishment of relationships, the assurance of sincere interest, and the sustained follow-up.
Hospitality is one of the most pertinent and, at the same time, most overlooked tools of outreach. We consider the person with the developed gift of hospitality to be on a par with the individual who is able to exercise a gift of leading people to Christ. Often the two go hand-in-hand.
I personally am an example of the latter, but I would not be able to exercise this gift effectively had needy individuals never been entertained in the homes of other Christians, invited to church, and included in activities. This is an example of the interdependence of the body which our Sunday evening services at Circle Church sought to assist.
Of course today, many churches have abandoned the evening service. But, I wonder if they have substituted specific training to encourage their members to use this time on behalf of the kingdom of God.
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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about? Or, what will you preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon? David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions. We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
