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Tag Archives: evangelism

5 Things You Can Do For Easter

25 Mar

Easter5ThingsHere are 5 practical things that we’re encouraging everyone in the VALLEY Christian Church family to do to make Easter amazing this year:

1) Be at one of our three Easter Sunday gatherings at 8:30am, 10:15am or 12:00pm


2) If you’re serving at one of our gatherings, plan on attending an additional one as well, that way, you won’t out on receiving this Easter as you serve.


3) Invite people in your world. 82% of unchurched people said they would attend a church if they were invited! Let’s be the ones who ask those 82%!


4) Use Social Media. We can leverage powerful social tools like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others to inform and invite unchurched friends and family to truly experience the joy of Easter this year.


5) Pray!!!! John Wesley once said, “God does nothing but by prayer, and everything with it.” Everything we do for Christ must begin with prayer.

I can’t wait to see all that God does in and through the VALLEY Family over this coming historic and epic Easter weekend!

 
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Posted by on March 25, 2013 in Church Growth

 

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The Sin of Safety

23 Feb

Safety has become one of the highest and most cherished virtues in our culture today. When we were kids, we rode bikes without helmets, drank water out of the ditch, didn’t go to the doctor unless we had a fever for more than two days, didn’t ride in car seats (and rode in the “back shelf” of the back window), had real BB gun fights and played tackle football without equipment every chance we had. All of that (and more) and we all seemed to turn out alright.

This same obsession with safety has also crept into our churches. God has really been speaking to me recently about the sin of safety. We can no longer afford to play it safe when it comes to reaching out to those who don’t know Christ. We must train and equip those under our care to deliberately reach out to those around them, and at the same time be prepared for the heat we will experience as we take ground for the Kingdom of God.

So what are we doing new at VALLEY Christian Church to respond to break the back of the sin of safety? We’re gearing up now, behind the scenes, for a twenty week push (offensive insurgence) into our community. The prayer, planning and preparation going on right now is unprecedented in the life of our church family. We have steadily grown through the years by reaching the unchurched around us (17% growth in 2011), but we’re going to push out even harder than ever over the next few months. We are confident that as we rid ourselves from the sin of safety God will meet us in the highways and byways of our community as we go to those who do not know Him rather than expecting them to come to us.

So, how much is safety hindering your life and ministry today? How can you (or your church) rid yourself from the sin of safety in order to reach out to and connect with those who don’t know Christ?

 
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Posted by on February 23, 2012 in culture, Leadership, Marriage

 

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BIG Excitement About BIG Church

06 Sep

The summer is now officially over (after Labor Day weekend here in NY), the kids are heading back to school and the cool crisp temperatures of Fall are closing in. I am so excited about a new series that we are kicking-off this Sunday at VALLEY Christian Church called, “BIG Church”.

Two thousand years ago, a gathering of people in a middle-eastern city began a movement that would circle the globe and leave its mark on individuals and cultures on every continent. This movement would eventually become known as The Church. The church is a movement. And it’s still moving.

Over the next two months, we’ll rediscover what the church is really supposed to be all about as we study how this church movement began two thousand years ago. I’ll also share some of the “BIG Picture” vision (in the context of our study of the book of Acts) that lies ahead for the VALLEY Family over the next few years.

Whether you consider yourself a church person or not, you are invited to join us for this special series that will bring to life the story of the local church movement and the role we can each play in it today.

 

 
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Posted by on September 6, 2011 in Leadership, Preaching

 

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Harnessing Hospitality

02 Sep

Today, we’re hosting the whole football coaching staff (JV & Varsity) of the Lourdes High School football team, (where I coach) over to our house for a good ‘ol Southern Bar-B-Q. When I coached at John Jay High School, we used to host the whole team to a meal at the church each year.  We’ve been doing this for about seven years now, and it always makes a huge impact.

There’s a hidden secret to hospitality that is rarely harnessed in our busy and hectic lifestyles today. When someone opens up their home to you, it’s very different than meeting someone for coffee or even treating them for dinner. All the preparation that goes into making and serving a meal speaks volumes to the guests at the table. It says, “We were thinking of you” while we were working to make this all happen. Some times, in the church, we extend hospitality to those who are in the family of faith, but what about outsiders?  Check out Jesus words in Luke 14:12-24 on the subject. It’s interesting that hospitality is a one of the qualifications of a Elder in the church mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:8.

So here’s my question for you today (as our house is filled with delicious smells), how well are you harnessing hospitality to impact the lives of those inside and outside the family of faith? You might be surprised to discover the difference it will make.

 
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Posted by on September 2, 2011 in Leadership

 

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What About Altar Calls?

15 Jun

Often times, when someone who is “churched” visits VALLEY Christian Church for the first time, we’re asked why we don’t have altar calls each week. Here’s the answer to that question.

 
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Posted by on June 15, 2011 in Leadership, videos

 

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