12 Witnesses

Ok, so I have said that I agree with Alan Hirsch, our church needs to be attractional and missional, but an appropriate balance is to be more going that sitting.  However, the primary thing the church must be is a welcoming place.

I wrote last Thursday night about coming out to find some members of a 4 wheeler stunt team practicing on our lawn.  I had been there late and I’m pretty sure they werent expecting me to be there.  Rather than run them off or ignore them, I introduced myself and told them they were welcome anytime.  Their faces were blown away.

So the block party comes tonight and it’s awesome.  We have people from everywhere that we have never seen before at our church eating and playing.  Our members are here making them feel welcome.

I had a couple of really good conversations and one I was priviliged to share the Gospel boldly - not abusively - as part of our conversation.  His name was Mark.  he came because our relationship with our local school, Skelly Elementary, allowed us to pass out fliers through them and his daughter brought one home and wanted to come.

Anyway, about 7:30 pm, half an hour before we were supposed to close up shop, the stunt team arrives.  They had their gig earlier and were going to just ride around.  When they saw us, the leader, Tommy, huddled with the guys and then came over to me to offer an impromptu stunt show.  I told ‘em to go for it and the kids LOVED it.

After they rode for a while, they parked the four wheelers for the kids to look at and we had a long conversation during which Tommy told me this:

Thanks for making us feel so welcome.  I’ve been telling everyone about this church, how you let us ride here and were so nice.  It’s awesome.

Uhhhh…  Yeah.  That rocks.

Oh, and he asked when services were.  Tommy, Dwayne, Jason and Jerod.

God just rocks.

34 “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work,” Jesus told them. 35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, then comes the harvest’? Listen [to what] I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so the sower and reaper can rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps. ‘ 38 I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor.”

Whether I am sowing or reaping, it is just my pleasure to see God at work in, around and through me.  I love being where I am.  God is so great.

Here are a few camera phone pictures that I took of the stunt team.  It was getting dark, so they aren’t gerat, but they are all I had.  Can you believe i actually left my camera AT HOME!?  Good grief.  Good thing Richard harrison was there with his real camera for the other shots.

(Click on the thumbnail picture for a larger version)

Posts with related content

• December 24, 2008 -- Best Story of the Year (0)
• December 18, 2008 -- David Fitch on Missional Orders as Church Planting (2)
• December 8, 2008 -- Partnering with those outside your church (4)
• November 13, 2008 -- Local School Engagement (7)
• November 3, 2008 -- Simply Missional Article from Ed Stetzer and Eric Geiger (0)

Church, General Christian, Missional

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