Operation Cookie Connection

We are about to do our 1st "Operation Cookie Connection". Its an outreach to a small mobile home subdivision located near the church. We are baking cookies, bagging them and delivering them to the folks in the subdivision.

Remember the Magi...they brought gifts to Jesus. When? It was around the time Jesus was 2 years old. This may sound weird but I think the gifts were not just for Jesus....but also served as an encouragement to Joseph and Mary. You see, they heard from angels that their son was the Son of God. After 2 years however, maybe...possibly... they were doubting themselves...second guessing perhaps...maybe it wasnt an angel....maybe it was just the pizza : )

When the Magi found them and told Joseph and Mary how they found them and why they brought the gifts... they showed them that they (Joseph & Mary) were on track and they were special.

When we give a gift....regardless of how big or small, we are saying to the recipient "You are special and you are significant".... and the gift is just a small reminder.

Give someone a gift! Pay for the person behind you in line - movie theatre, toll booth, coffee shop etc... You will bless people and you get to feel like a winner too...cause you are!!

Recommended Web Resources

Here are couple of resources that I use and believe will be an asset for any person, church or ministry that is willling to make a difference.

Outreach Magazine

Becoming Missional - Blog

Book Recommendation

Servolution - By Dino Rizzo

This book gives the reader a history of Healing Place Church in Louisiana but goes beyond the step by step process. The author states that each church situation is different and this book shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a set of instructions on how to serve your community. Early on Rizzo talks about handing out bottles of water on street corners to hot and tired motorists. This may work in the heat and humidity of Louisiana but isn’t going to make such an impact on a wet weekend in Maine, but the principle is the same. The key: Identify real needs and serve people where you can.

Having come back from the Philippines for church planting, I (Jeff Hoglen) was presented with a question from one of our leaders, "If we partner with other chruches for outreach into the community, how can we be assured the people will attend our church rather than the others"? My answer was / and always has been the same as Dino Rizzo's. He’s clear that serving those needs are not part of a recruitment drive for your specific church. We are called to love our neighbors regardless of which church, if any, they choose to attend. So, the services are provided free and with love. Some may be accompanied by information of the church you are part of and when your meetings are, but in all cases the love comes first. Thats our motiviation - Love!!

Marketplace Ministry

I'm an entrepeneur at heart. I've been that way since I was 10 years old when I started a lawn mowing service in my neighborhood. Today I have a few small businesses. I have one that is my bread and butter and the others are just a way to be a part of the community. Sure making some money would be great...but its not the motivation.

My latest endeavor is a music store (musical instruments not CD's or records) in the big town of St Pauls NC. Why start a music store? Because: 1) There wasnt one, 2) to be a part of the community and 3) to connect with people outside of a church setting. My thinking is - God has called us to be light in the darkness.....not a light amongst light. Most of my friends are christians, so I needed a venue in which I could meet what I call Pre-Christians : )

Speaking of the music biz: I went to NAMM in Nashville which is a trade show for music retailers. At the tradeshow, I met a guy and his mom who own a company called Goldfish Guitars. The body of the guitar is shaped like a fish. Their logo....is the sign of the fish (an ichthus). This sparked my curiousity and so I asked if this was a Christian business or was this just a logo. They told me they were believers and had made something that they thought others could use. Within that motivation had to be some seed sowing as well. I mean...here they were (and me too) at a music trade show with every type of person imagineable in attendance....showing the love of God amongst guitars blazing and drum cymbals crashing. Thats market place ministry!!

Outreach Idea - Power of the Yard Sale : )

We worked with the homeless population for over 1 year. We opened thrift stores and had many of the homeless helping in the stores. On Saturdays we would go yard saling to get merchandise for the stores. Man, that was fun!! We got to meet so many great people...both believers and non-believers (pre-christians I like to say). It's amazing how our conversation would always go from the natural small talk to things of the spiritual nature. I want to say it was just us...being us and letting the love of Jesus shine through. We used these "yard sales" as opportunities to sow seeds. If we can do it....anyone can do it. It's not turn or burn evangelism but a way to get into the community and let your light shine.

Another thought: If going to yard sales makes you nervous....how about having a yarad sale. This kind of outreach is amazing...the people come to you : ) Be yourself and dont be afraid to make conversation.

Music to My Ears

Have you ever listened to a good song and then it abruptly stopped. It's happened to me plenty of times as I was driving and the radio station got fuzzy....just when the good part of the song was coming up. You want to play a cruel trick on someone...play them songs but before each song gets to the chorus.... stop and go to the next song. Arrghhhh : )

This is how I feel about some scripture verses. We stop reading before the "hook".... or before reading until the end of a main point. I've done it several times myself. Take Ephesians 2:8-9 for instance: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Good stuff to chew on, thats for sure! But if we stop there...we dont get to the "chorus" . In order to truly get it, we need to read a bit more.

Verse 10 - 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Created in Christ Jesus....for what? For good works!!

Not saved by works.....but created for good works.... which God prepared before hand.

Here it is again from the Message Bible:

7-10Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

Brothers and sisters in Christ....let's get busy....let's make a difference.... let us be the light within darkness!

Outreach Linebacker

Here are some key points in a recent article in the Christian Post. It's pretty much a doom and gloom outlook for N. America and speaks volumes with regards to our failure to reach out to the lost and disciple new believers.

U.S. Evangelicals Pessimistic about Christianity in America
By Michelle A. Vu
Christian Post Reporter

“Evangelical leaders are very bullish on the future growth of Christianity, except in America,” said Leith Anderson, president of the 30 million-member National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).
In the latest Evangelical Leaders Survey, released Tuesday, respondents said they overwhelmingly (94 percent) believe the number of Christians worldwide will increase in the next ten years. A mere four percent of respondents said the number of Christians will stay the same, while two percent said they are unsure.

When it came to the United States, most of the U.S. evangelical respondents said they believe the number of Christians will stay the same at best, but will more likely decline

Here's their take on the reasons for dwindling number of believers in N America.

American Christian leaders, in response to the report, called the survey results troubling and an indication of a theological crisis among the country’s Christian population as well as the growing pluralism in America.

Here's another way to look at this:

Can it be that N. American Christians are finding other ways to live their faith without the institutions that keep track of the numbers?

Either way you see it, our natural response to Jesus saving us is - love for Him and love for those we come into contact (our neighbors). I dont think it's a losing battle. I think we need to do our part and then believe that God's Holy Spirit will draw people to Him.

Picture Perfect Outreaches.....Not Always

Many years back, the church I was pastoring had a "lets talk about outreach" approach....kind of like the ready aim...ready aim....but never firing scenario. This was not surprising since we were a brand new church start. One day I decided that I had enough of this routine. I went to the grocery store bought drinks, sandwich "fixins" (we are in the south), and some misc. giveaways.

I got to the church on Wednesday and anounced that instead of a Bible study we were going out of the church and feed people who are hungry. I sent a few people to the kitchen to make sandwiches, and few other to pack the coolers for the drinks etc...

My associate pastor and I both had vans so we loaded two teams with the instructions of "see a need - fill a need". My group had a great time! The young people were into it and only complained when it was timew to go back to the church. The other group unfortunately didnt have a good time....at all. In fact, they couldnet find anyone to help. They went to our donwtown area - a typical hangout for the homeless. It turns out that on Wed. nights, they go to the shelter or some local churches instead of hanging out. Needless to say, that group was frustrated.
We went back to the church and debriefed. Although the other team was bummed out, after taking pics of the group leaving and then hearing stories from the entire group, we laughed at the lessons learned and praised God for the seeds he had sown - both in us as well as those whose path we crossed that night.

My associate pastor is now the senior pastor of that church and they are truly an outward focused group. I believe that night was the catalyst that started the outreach mindset even though it was less then picture perfect.

Basics of Outreach

Outreach is one of the basics of the Christian life. It’s part of who we are...or at least should be!

In 1st John 4:19 the Bible says,“We love because he first loved us.”That’s what outreach is all about. It’s a practical expression of Christian love.

God first poured out his love on us.We, in turn, want to pass that blessing on to other people.

Many Jesus followers know that we should somehow love others and share our faith with them. But there is also sense of inadequacy that the believers seem to have when thinking about the topic of outreach. I do some consulting with churches and have met many people who are willing – even anxious – to reach out to their neighbors. They just didn’t think they knew how. So they had never taken any initiative.

In this blog, I along with other like minded believers will share some tips and ideas about outreach. Willingness is the 1st step, so get ready...you can do it : )

PJ