Large Evangelism Events

Here is an overview of the phases involved with have a large evangelistic event (i.e. crusade, festival, etc.). This process takes about 9-15 months depending on the size of the city and the responsiveness of the churches. Don't let some pomo-minded-dude out there say that this style of evangelism is out moded. It's not. The public proclamation of the Gospel and the organizing and deploying the saints for evangelism has not gone out of style. Discussion & Exploration Continue prayer efforts Recruit interested churches Recruit community and business leaders Explore possible dates and venues for outreach event Events to build relationship and unity in target cities Organization Organize the Crusade Leadership Team. The Leadership Team oversees the work of about 15 different ministry areas: youth, children, women's ministry, ushers, parking, prayer, prison, training, follow-up, finance, church involvement, church support, business & professional, servant evangelism and others. Team Planning Select name, date and venue for the festival Select and secure special guests Recruit Church Involvement Prepare budget and fundraising strategies Schedule monthly preparation events for the Preparation Phase Crusade Preparation Events Conduct preparation events: concerts of prayer, women's ministry luncheon, counselor & follow-up training, volunteer recruitment rally, business & professional breakfast, etc. Continue to recruit church involvement Recruit volunteers Implement fundraising strategies Crusade 3-5 night Crusade with a variety of special guests Number of affinity events during the Crusade to reach additional groups in the target area such as: Business & Professional Luncheon Prison Outreach Motorcycle Road Rally ending with dinner & attending the Crusade Youth Extreme Day Psalty & Friends or other outreach to children Follow-up Followup Team mails Crusade Commitment Cards to pastors Pastors are provided list of Inquirers from their church Follow-up Team contacts all inquirers Wrap-up Wrap meeting for Crusade Team Final Financial Report and Decisions Report mailed to all Crusade Team Leaders and all participating churches

Travels

I've been home all week. Twice attempted to go to Utica but delayed by snow. Had the privilege of being in Syracuse and went to Grace Covenant last weekend, and Duluth, MN the week before. This coming week will be busy: Sunday night in Syracuse, Mon-Tue in Utica, Tue traveling to Jennersville, PA (south of Philly) on the way to Dover, DE, Wed & Thu - Dover, DE and home by Thursday evening. I'm getting a rental car and hoping for something good. Should be a great week. I found a Charismatic Episcopal Church visit for Ash Wed. It's actually part of the International Communion of Charismatic Episcopal Churches and not ECUSA. Their service is at 10 am on Ash Wed, which is kind of odd. Most churches have an early morning, noon or evening service. I'm enjoying my travels these days and loving my work. God is doing great things in churches all over the country — many places that will never be reported on and only the locals will know.

ServantEvangelism.com

Has anyone ever been to one of these conferences? They look like so much fun.

KRT Wire | 02/20/2006 | Is there sex in heaven?

I know sex is the be all and end all in this life. But imagine for just a moment, what if, comparitively speaking, sex was as mundane as clipping your toenails compared to the beauty of experiencing the presence of God? To think we must have sex in heaven or that we'll some how miss it is shallow thinking about God. I think heaven is going to be so good that this world and all it's fleshly desires and beauty will be a distant memory. I'm not going to worry about sex in heaven. I'm still on earth. And while I'm here I'm going to be a strong advocate for its frequent enjoyment. God be praised.

1001 things to do with liquid nitrogen

There just has to be a sermon illustration here.

10th Mtn. Division

NBC's nightly news with Brian Williams will air a tribute to my neighbors tonight. It will be a special about the US Army's 10th Mtn. Division. 630 pm EST / 530 pm CST

Computer Free Lent

Well I'm beginning my preparations for Lent. I'm giving up extraneous computing. I'm still not sure how this is going to work out, probably because I don't have a good handle on extraneous. So far I think: computer games - OUT, reading the news & surfing in general - OUT, blogging - IN, photoshop playing - OUT, updating my photo web site - OUT, movie editing - OUT, iCHAT - mostly out, podcast listening - IN. I'm still not sure what to do about my fantasy baseball team — probably mostly out. My goal is to only use the computer when 'absolutely necessary' but as I'm thinking about it I'm having a little difficulty what 'absolutely necessary' means. The computer is a little bit of a god to me and dominates a lot of my time. For Lent I would like to give that time back to God. I have to travel for work on Ash Wednesday and that's a little disappointing. I was hoping to be with Fr. Giles out in Carthage and have my family with me. He's doing a community wide Ash Wed service at noon at the Nazarene Church with lunch immediately following. Hopefully I'll find some ashes in Dover, DE where I'll be.

Morning Prayer Podcast

Every Anglican's dream come true — Morning Prayer via a podcast.

Welcome to Holy Trinity Brompton

Also available via podcast are talks from Holy Trinity Brompton. For those of you familiar with Nicky Gumbel and Alpha you will remember that HTB is where Nicky is an Anglican priest. I found it by searching the podcast directory in iTunes for "anglican". There are several talks with some given by Nicky and some by others.

Way Of The Master Radio

I'm surfing some podcasts tonight and came across Way Of The Master Radio with Todd Friel, Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort. Most of it is good. These are the same folks I've recommended previously. I strongly encourage you to listen to Hell's Best Kept Secret at LivingWaters.com. One interesting note: they said that John Piper has prostate cancer and was having surgery for that this week. Keep him in your prayers.

ZUG - The World's Only Comedy Site - Pranks, Jokes, Funny Video Clips, and Other Funny Stuff

If you have time to waste, which I really don't and shouldn't have been doing so, this is a very funny site. The pranks pulled here are hilarious!

Hindrances to Prayer

Treatment of Your Spouse 1 Peter 3.7 “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect.” Be Clear Minded and Self-Controlled 1 Peter 4.7 “Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” Belief James 1.6 “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, . . . 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; ...” Wrong Motives James 4.4 “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” Cherishing Sin in the Heart Psalm 66.18 “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” Ignoring the Poor Proverbs 21.13 “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.” Deaf Ear to the Law Proverbs 28.9 “If a man turns a deaf ear to the Law, even his prayers will be detestable.” Intentionally Hardened Hearts, Ignoring the Law Zechariah 7.12-13 “12 They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry. 13 ‘When I called, they did not listen,’ say the Lord Almighty." Pride 2 Chronicles 7.14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Choose This Day: Videos

An intersting assortment of free documentary type videos related to the Anglicanism and what they call the apostate Episcopal church.

Wheaton Bible Church: Podcasts: Bringing My World to Christ

I'm doing dishes tonight listening to my friend Lon Allison, Director of the Billy Graham Center, preaching at Wheaton Bible Church where he attends with his family. Lon has a 3 part series on "Bringing My World to Christ. I'm into part 3 now and he's goofy and great like always.

Fredericksburg.com - Theologian contends married couples shouldn't go childless

Now this is an article from a secular press. But is Albert Mohler really using only Psalm 127:3-5, where it talks about children as a gift from God being a proof text that we "must" have children? C'mon, he's not serious. The article says he's a theologian — must not be in hermeneutics. Is there any place else in Scripture this argument could be made? I can't think of one. Now certainly I'm doing my part with 4 kids of my own but I never felt I was sinning against God if I didn't.

Reds and Pirates to Meet in 2006 Hall of Fame Game

Two weeks from today tickets go on sale and I hope to get my six. We've been to the HOF Game 2 of the last 3 years and had a great time. They have a great parade and the whole town is sitting out on the curb to watch it. Here's some pictures from two years ago ...

"How To Avoid Marrying a Jerk."Army teaches troops how to pick a spouse

The TimesUnion.com article tells how the Army chaplains are teaching their soldiers "How To Avoid Marrying a Jerk." We should be working on that in the church too. Imagine a church holding a citywide singles conference entitled: "How To Avoid Marrying a Jerk."

MuniWireless » Blog Archive » “The $200 Billion Broadband Scandal.” — AKA Where’s the 45MB/s I Already Paid for!

I love conspiracy theories and this one just might be true. I knew that the rest of the world surfs the internet at hundreds of times faster than we do. But I didn't we have supposedly already paid for it to happen here but the telcom companies kept the money and didn't deliver.

Google Store

Did you know Google has a Store? This is one of the many cool items there and it's on sale.

He said, "You get used to it."

At a party last week, my wife and I met a couple who live across the cornfield and down the road from us. Super nice people. He's a soldier who just got home from Iraq. His job was to fly a plane ahead of the convoys to search out land mines, suicide bombers and enemy combatants. In other words, he saw his share of conflict. I thanked him for serving our country and let him know how glad I was that he was home safe. He said they went over with 24 planes and came back with 21. They lost 3 pilots and a mechanic along the way. I felt so bad and expressed my sympathies. He said, "You get used to it." The death of heroic men and women of our armed forces is something we should never get used to. Regrettably war may happen. But let us never get used to it. Human life is a gift of God and let us never get used to it being extinguished. I feel so horribly that this young man has had to get used to it. Lord have mercy on our country, on our soldiers, on the people of the Iraq and Afghanistan. Lord have mercy on the families of these soldiers. Lord have mercy on us all. Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen. ††† (BCP) Almighty God our heavenly Father, guide the nations of the world into the way of justice and truth, and establish among them that peace which is the fruit of righteousness, that they may become the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ††† (BCP)

Freedom Village Update

The kid didn't last 24 hours and checked out of the program at Freedom Village. It was voluntary. I'm really disappointed. Don't you hate seeing people you care for choosing death and dysfunction for their life? Freedom Village has worked miracles for so many kids lives. This girl would rather go back to a dumpy apartment in small poor farming village where sexual misconduct and substance abuse run rampant, living by herself on welfare as a high school drop out, with family members using her for her foodstamps, getting drunk every night, being sexually assaulted in bars for which she is 3 years too young to be in, having altercations with police, etc. and continually living out a life of rejecting good and health for her life. So very sad. FV would have given her so much support and care for FREE. So very, very, sad.