This past Sunday, we started our Six Week Tract Challenge. For the next six weeks we will be giving a different tract to everyone in the bulletin (If you are not able to come to service or you want more you can get them during the week in the church foyer or office). And the challenge is to share that new tract with someone else every week. And you can do this indirectly or directly any creative way you want.
And I encourage you find someone you can do this with. Doing ministry alone leads to burnout, depression, and a skewed theology. Before Elisha, Elijah served alone and that lead to cowering in a cave, wanting to die and thinking he was the only follower of God left in Israel. And that came after a massive victory over the prophets of Baal! Ministry is hard regardless, but it is easier when you do ministry as a team. When you minister with a partner or team, they can help carry the load, encourage you, and keep you on the right path. And we see teams all over the Bible sharing the Gospel. James and John. Peter and John. Barnabas and Paul. Barnabas and John Mark. Paul and Silas. Paul, Timothy, and Silas. Paul and John Mark. Paul and Philemon. Pricilla and Aquila. The six teams of Mark 6:7-12. The 36 teams of Luke 10:1-12. And the list goes on and on.
Brad and I just walked around another neighborhood this week praying and hanging the tracts on doorknobs. And whenever we saw someone, we would hand one to them directly. We handed out 128! Praise God. And through the process Brad and I shared how our week was going, what God was doing, and pondered all the awesome ways God was going to grow all the seeds of the Gospel we were sharing. It was a life-giving experience.
Today, I encourage you to find a partner or more to take on this six-week challenge. Maybe it’s your spouse, kids, or a friend. This week I am also going to take my daughter on a daddy-daughter date, and we are going to find a way to share the gospel! What an opportunity to model for and teach my kids about the mission we are on! Whoever it is, partner with each other and brainstorm how and when you can share the gospel in this way or another
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Jesus said told us in Acts 1:8, “You will be my witnesses!” And we don’t have to go alone. In the power of the Spirit we can do it together!
– Pastor John