It was helpful to many. Maybe it will encourage you and your church to start new churches.
Well, we started a new blog in January of 2006. You can find it here:
In partnership with the Powell Grace Brethren Church we provided a LIFEBOX for every student at the Second Avenue Elementary School–. It’s our goal to share “stuff for life”–learning, healthy and fun stuff and the stuff of LIFE in Jesus.
It was awesome to watch kids go crazy opening their boxes. Enjoy the pics and the precious thank you notes below.
the Translation:
Dear The Quest Church,
Thank you for making us boxs and thank you for all the hard work that your church did. Thank you for custom making our boxs. I appreciate how much time you spent on our boxs. Thank you for all the stuff you got me. Thank you for getting our school those boxes and thank you for getting me the buckeye colored gloves.
Thank you,
Terrence
This week I want to introduce you to a year long emphasis we are going to have looking forward–our HARVEST PRAYER Project.
What is the Harvest Prayer Project?
An organized effort by thequest family to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to see people come to know Jesus personally and become workers cast out into the harvest fields.
How do I become a part of the Harvest Prayer Project?
Identify 3 households that you will regularly pray for over the next year that they will become followers of Jesus and workers in the harvest fields. [Target3]
Pray at least 5 times per week to the Lord of the Harvest begging for workers (including your Target3 and others from your house church). [Ten2b virus]
Let us know the names of the three households you will be praying for. The first collection of those names will be at our Thanksgiving Brunch Assembly on Sun. Nov. 20.
Why households and not just individuals?
Because we want to see whole families/households be reached for Jesus and become workers in His fields. The Early church has several example of this: Lydia and the Phillippian jailer and their households became the start of the church in Philippi (Acts 16). We want to pray that God will reach and release a whole “oikos.” We also understand that some households are individuals.
Where will the names of my 3 households go?
We will form a list as house churches and as a network of house churches to pray as a community for these as well. We will be discreet with these names to respect privacy, but be assured we will pray for them and for you as God leads you in relating to these people!
Why is the commitment for a year?
Next Thanksgiving we will have a Harvest Party to celebrate how God has answered our prayers. We normally have Harvest Parties in the fall…we are just going to pray and work toward next year’s party!
Why pray for workers, not just to get them saved?
Because Jesus said to beg Him for workers, not just converts. We are praying for people to be good soil that will produce a crop 30-fold, 60-fold or 100-fold as Jesus talked about in the parable of the soils (Matthew 13).
Why is it a project?
Because of the definitions of the word:
proj·ect n.
1. A plan or proposal;
2. An undertaking requiring concerted effort.
This is an undertaking requiring a plan and concerted effort. That’s why it’s a project. The people aren’t projects. The Harvest is the goal. The work is done through prayer. The plan is a project.
~~~
That is an introduction to the HARVEST PRAYER Project. I trust that you and Jesus will begin to discuss who the 3 households He wants you to pray for will be. I wanted to give you a few weeks to think and pray about it before we get together on the 20th to begin putting our list together.
Press on,
Mike