The Good News of the Gospel of Grace

I've posted a first draft of a gospel presentation that I feel will help our church at NPBC share Christ with the lost in our community. Please view it at the following link and offer some comments or suggestions.

The Good News of the Gospel of Grace


Blessings,
Pastor Chris

Community Block Party for November 18th

This post is a follow up to our SALT meeting held Sunday, August 27th. We are planning a community block party to be held on our church campus on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

The event will include...

1. Food - Smoked Chicken with all the sides. (I believe that we will need to sell meal tickets in advance and onsite to cover the costs of the food.)
2. Music - Arrangements are being made to have some musicians and singers come and play.
3. Family Activities - games, events, children's toys, etc.
4. Door Prizes - We will be asking everyone to register for door prizes. This will allow us to get information from people to follow up, share Christ, and invite to our church.
5. Promotion - we need to distribute fliers throughout the community. Perhaps Al Weeks will place the information in his newsletter. The Pennysaver will also be useful in spreading the word.

Keep in mind, our main focus in this event is to build a positive impression on all who visit with us. We want to build awareness in the community of our church and take full advantage of this event to reach people for Christ.

We will need a lot of planning and help. Let us know what you can do to participate in planning for this event. If the Lord leads, give financially to help our church cover the costs. This will be an investment for a church of our size with our current budget.

Thanks,

Pastor Chris

P.S. - We need a name for this event. How about "Harvest by the Sea"? Do you have some other ideas?

Teaching Leadership has it's Time and Place

I've posted on the subject of teaching leadership at my personal blog. I recommend our SALT team to view it also.

Click here: "Teaching Leadership has it's Time and Place"

August 27th SALT at 5:15 P.M.

This coming Sunday afternoon at 5:15 we will have our first SALT meeting. Here are the items we will cover this week:

• Characteristics of Christian Leaders -

How would you describe the general condition of leadership in our society and in many churches? What are some distinctives of Christian leadership? The list could be extensive but we will discuss at least 8 distinctives of Christian leaders. The list includes:

1. We are Christian
2. We are committed followers of Christ
3. We adhere to a standard
4. We emphasize godly character
5. Our motives are pure and honorable
6. Our source of power is the Holy Spirit
7. We strive to practice servant leadership
8. Christian leaders may be gifted spiritually for leadership

Christian leadership occurs when a person uses their godly character and competencies in obedience to God's Word to influence others to achieve a specific goal.

Special thanks to Dr. Jimmy Knott of First Baptist Orlando for giving permission to use his materials for this particular discussion on leadership.

• Evangelism and Outreach Activities -

Starting in just a few weeks, we will begin visitation and outreach on Sunday afternoons. I am working through some ideas and material for more specific evangelism training. We are producing some literature for our church and upcoming activities to distribute as well.

Who will we visit? To start, we will visit guests and visitors who attend our services each week. Additionally, we will visit inactive church members and Sunday School prospects. If we run short on specific names, we will canvas particular streets and areas and go door to door.

I know that many people are very nervous about such activity and feel inadequate. Let me assure you that there will be adequate instruction, non-intrusive methods, and we will always ere on the side of politeness.

I am convinced that these activities are necessary for us to be "doers of the Word and not hearers only."

• Pre-planning for a Community Block Party on Saturday, November 18th -

We are making plans now to host a large community block party with music, activities, food, family friendly events, and more at our church. We have many exciting ideas and believe this will be very positive in building awareness in the community of our church and creating a positive impression on our neighbors in the community as well.

As you can see, our meeting will be full. Please come with questions, comments, and any other information you may have to share. Pray, pray, pray that God's hand will be on our church family and in our planning and ministries.

Blessings Always,

Pastor Chris