Church Hallways: Most churches have wall space that God can use to mature His people. Here are some ideas:
1. Print the scriptures that undergird your main church values ( Love, worship, evangelism, healing, etc) in the hallways ( and maybe in the sanctuary). Challenge members to memorize those verses ( 1 /mo?) Have memorization contests for those who can recite them all! Kids love that.
2. Display art at the eye-level of small children on walls that describes your core values. Have a contest for kids and adults to artistically express those values and display the winning drawings, photo's sculptures, song-lyrics, etc. in your hallways and website. Do every year.
3. Have members write testimonies of how they have overcome a significant life issue with God's help. Make those testimonies into tri-fold brochures and make copies available in the hall and online. Allow church office to match the author with someone who is now struggling with that same problem if requested. Powerful alliance for healing! Share those "wounded healers" with other churches who also have people struggling with the same issues. Messiah Church in Chesapeake ( 757-436-2545) has such tri-folds.
4. Pick a theme ( grateful for, healed of, favorite scripture, etc) each month and invite members and visitors to express their thoughts and prayers by writing on rolls of paper on the walls of hallways. Mutual edification and awareness of needs will result.
5. In a smaller church, build a simple mailbox so that members can leave notes/books, Cd's , invitations to groups ( birthday, baby showers, small group events etc). Kempsville Presbyterian in Virginia Beach ( a large church ( 757-495-1913) ) has one that they use for church leaders.
Community Outreach
1. Link with An Inner City School: This is almost like serving as a missionary overseas due to similar cultural and poverty issues with the students. 1 hr/wk mentors can change a child's life, a family's life, a community's life. New Life Providence in Virginia Beach (757-227-6930)has been doing for over a year now with over 70 mentors at Bolling Elementary in Norfolk. The goal is a mentor for every child ( over 300) . The school leaders love it and kids are being rescued from things that would destroy their lives by the love and perseverance of those mentors. New Life is planting a church in that school building, too this Fall!
2. Have a Family Fun Day for the people who live near your church. "If you feed them and help them have a good time, they will come". Do this with several churches to increase resources. Breaks the ice, opens hearts and connects your members with the lost. Both Kempsville Pres and New Life Providence do this. Both are growing churches.
Serve Other Church Leaders
1. Free conference for pastors and their leaders at Open Door Church in Suffolk Sept 13-16. This is an annual event with free food, great speakers and warm hospitality for all local church leaders hosted by Pastors Tony & Cathy Peaks (757)-934-2671) at 7 PM and 10:30 AM each day.
Evangelism
1. This group trains and encourages internet evangelism worldwide. Anyone can evangelize almost anyone in the world who is on the internet. Note the testimony page. See http://ied.gospelcom.net/index.php
1. PALTALK is a 24/7 audio connection to the world!! It's like having your own world radio broadcast--only two way!! Muslims are very afraid of it as the examples show below. You can even play Christian tapes ( worship music, testimonies, More then Dreams audio, etc) 24/7 for free on Paltalk!! It's a goldmine for online evangelism, discipleship.
**Look at http://www.thechristianchat.net/cpaltalk.htm for Christian Paltalk examples
**Muslims worry about Christians on PalTalk http://www.nysun.com/article/8455
**Muslims very worried about Christians on Paltalk http://www.petitiononline.com/MECA/petition.html
Whatever worries those who oppose the Gospel should be of interest to Christians!
Blessings,
Bob Fox
Editor
