Monthly Evangelism Bulletin

BRING A FRIEND DAY

Sunday, April 20, 2008, is “Bring a Friend Day.”  This is the day that we try and get all our friends to come to the Bible school hour and worship services with us.  It is also the beginning of our gospel meeting with Clarence DeLoach. 

Clarence was born in Dickson County, Tennessee.  He is married to the former Eddie Aline Lowe (pronounced Eddy, as in the whirlpool in the Bermuda Triangle).  Clarence and Eddie have four children and eight grandchildren. 

Clarence has conducted over 600 gospel meetings in 30 states and presently conducts 8-10 meetings a year.  Additionally he speaks on 3 to 4 lectureships each year.  He has taught in  Boyd-Buchanan Christian School in Chattanooga, TN and Ohio Valley University in Parkersburg, WV.

Clarence has conducted short-term mission efforts in Guyana and Suriname, South America, England, and Scotland.  He has authored 3 books: Bound to Abound, Contending for the Faith, and a book on the Holy Spirit.

Clarence is a member of the Advisory Board of Freed-Hardeman University and is a board member of the American Heart Association.  He is currently serving as the Pulpit Minister for the Willow Avenue church of Christ in Cookeville, TN where our former members, Jim and Linda Loftis, attend.

We certainly, under no circumstance, want to miss these lessons by brother DeLoach.  I personally have heard brother DeLoach on many occasions. He has frequently spoken on the Freed-Hardeman Lectureship and Jim, Mary Ann, Jewell, and I heard him at the East Tennessee School of Preaching and Missions Lectureship. 

Clarence does such an outstanding job when he speaks that Jim and I both felt that he would do a powerful gospel meeting for us here at Cold Harbor Road.  I know that he will do exactly that.  Therefore, you will certainly want to invite all your friends and family to come and hear him. 

CAMPAIGN DAYS

Don’t forget, we have a bunch of work to do in preparation for this event. Our Campaign days are 12-13 April.  As usual, we will be going out into the neighborhood hanging our usual door hangers.  We will once again place them on the outside of the mailboxes and/ or preferably inside the paper boxes.

This, of course, means that we will need to have some stuffing parties. We need to begin stuffing on the 2nd of April if I can get things ready by then.  If not,  we will have to stay after on Sunday morning and Sunday evening on the 6th and then finish up on Wednesday evening, April 9th.  I am inclined to stuff only 2,000 packets this time and see if we can get them all distributed on Saturday morning. 

As usual we will need two-person teams for delivering our invitations.  One is needed  to drive and one to ride “shotgun” and deliver.  I might suggest that this is an opportunity for the more mature  citizens of the kingdom to be of great service.  If you have a vehicle and can drive, to quote Bob Barker, “Come on down.”

I will try and have ready for you, a light continental breakfast, you know, health food like donuts, coffee, pastries and some fruit and juice.  Just some simple things that are good for your sugar levels and general health.  :-)  If we can get enough workers, and we have in the past, we ought to be able to finish this work on Saturday morning. 

I would not want to put anything on the handout material that we are putting in the door hanging packets about the fellowship meal, but make sure those you talk to and invite personally, know that we are having a scrumptious  meal on Sunday morning after worship service.

Hopefully, by the time you read this, there will be information on the back table for you to give to folks when you talk to them.  It will have all the information you require to provide them with the date, time, and other pertinent data so that they may come and be fed, spiritually and physically. 

Here is what I would like you to do in regards to our “Bring a Friend Day.”  Take a pen and paper, take a few moments, and write out a list of the people you might like to invite.   Let’s just call this a prospect list.  It might surprise you when you look at the number of names you have on your list.  Then either call that individual, see that individual, or send that individual a personal invitation to be here and worship together with you.  I think I am going to take some information to my Weight Watcher’s meeting, and Jewell and I will give them out to all my girlfriends there (Smile).  All except Shannon, though, because she already knows all about the meeting and I am quite sure she is already planning to be here.  In fact, I know she is.

Try hard to develop a zeal for what we are trying to do.  Make this effort one of the best things we do here at Cold Harbor Road during the entire year.  Let’s make this an outstanding evangelistic outreach.  Remember, our goal for Sunday morning Bible study hour is 350.  Our goal for the worship hour is 400.  Can we do this?  Sure we can.  Our God is powerful, and there is nothing He will not do for us, according to His will, if we will only ask Him through Jesus in prayer.

Remember also that the goal we have set are not just to fill the building.  If that was our goal, in and of itself, we could simply pass out literature that says, “Come for our Friend’s Day and we will give each person $100.00.”  I am quite sure that would do it.  However, I am also quite sure that after we gave each visitor their $100.00 we would never see them again.  No, the goal is really to make contacts and invite people to study the Bible with us.  Exactly how much do you love that friend and neighbor you are going to invite?  Do you love them enough to want to see that they receive the gospel message and ultimately the salvation of their soul?  When we look at it this way, it puts a little more importance on inviting someone, doesn't it?

Remember, we want to share the “Wonders of His love.”  We want people to understand just how much God loves them and how simple it is to become one of His children.  We want them to know and understand just what God has done on their behalf and to know the terrible cost and the price that was paid  just for them.

A certain lawyer asked the question, “Who is my neighbor?”  Here is the account found in the Bible and how Jesus answered him.  "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?   And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise" (Luke 10:25-37),

There is but a small difference between my neighbor and my friend.  In fact, for the most part the two words, concepts, or ideas might be used interchangeably.  Who is my friend? is a legitimate question, but What is my obligation to him, as a Christian? may be even more important.  The text that the lawyer quoted was taken from the Shema found in Deuteronomy 6.  But, he could not trick or trap Jesus.  

That brings us to the part about asking for God’s help.  We need to be and should have been praying for this effort.  You see, in everything we do, we need God’s help and blessings.  We err greatly when we think we can do anything in and of ourselves.  God has given us talents and abilities, and each of us may excel in certain areas, but to be totally successful God must help. Here is what the Holy Spirit said, "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,

his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’" (Lamentations 3:22-24, RSV).  What is the import of this scripture?  Well, it says to me, I can do nothing without the help of our God, and any hope of success that I might have rests with Him.  Prayer is a very important part of our success in any effort we undertake.  Of one thing I am quite certain.  If we will simply do our part, God will do His part.  This is His nature.