This past week I was reminded by a dear brother that the ministry we have is kinda unique in its own way. Since the very beginning food has been in the Meeting as a mainstay. I'm always amazed at all the dishes that our cooks come up with everyweek. Its like a family reunion on steroids LOL ! Here lately we been noticing that we just keep getting better and better everytime we meet. You know how I can tell, the cooler is almost if not completely empty at the end of the night and the garbage gets bigger and bigger :) That just tells me that folks are really enjoying what we have going on and the cooks and the servers are doing such an awesome job! I don't care if we have to go to two garbage cans and empty them twice in one night :) It just tells me that we are growing and we are growing! The place is getting filled up each and every Thursday night with folks that are hungry not only for real food, but spiritual food as well. I believe that out of all the places we have traveled, played and preached over the southeast I have not yet been to a church that has as good of a meal as we do! Its just awesome, to say the least.
I'm glad that those Smith girls (Carol Sue, Ruth Ann, Jenny, Lee, inlaws and outlaws) had to right idea from the very first meeting to serve up a good hot meal before the meeting. It showed some wisdom, foresight and insight into knowing that more folks would come hear the Word of God if food was served. Now a bunch more of you have joined them in this quest and sometimes challenge to be the very best at what we do!
WHAT WE DO THE VERY BEST, BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE I KNOW OF !
I given some long hard thought and prayer to why we do the Meeting and what it is that we really do. I have come to the conclusion that this dinner meal we serve is the best thing we have going. This is what we do the very best at the Meeting. We don't really have the resources or space to do what other churches do. We can't really have all the other ministries other churches have. But we are doing something that I only know of the Methodist church doing and that is serving food. The difference is that we don't charge anything for the meal. It is our gift and draw to get folks to come and hear the message of Christ and see their lives change. I've watched many new folks come and eat and enjoy the service afterwards. So you could say that our meal is the best evangelistic tool we have and our cooks are master craftsman at the art of making dishes. Folks know it, word gets around and I for one am amazed that you guys pull it off everyweek. You take ownership of that job and you are fulfilling the great commission of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ through your craft.
SOMEONE RECENTLY CAME UP WITH A GOOD IDEA WE THINK THAT WOULD ADD VALUE TO THE FOOD
Most of you know that I been asking everyone to encourage at least 3 people a week to come to the prayer meeting.
Well what if we could add a little twist to it and make up some free dinner passes and hand those out to at least 3 people a week, each of us could do that you think ? Not only could we ask at least 3, but now we have give them a reason to come check us out. An invitation to the best meal and friendly folks they will every meet. I realize not everyone is comfortable inviting people to church, but this would be a way that you could invite folks by offering them something to come out for. Hey if each of us just invited three a week anyway they are gonna eat, so I don't see any difference LOL !
GREATEST TOOL EVERY MADE IS AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY TO THE CHURCH
Most of us have computers and few who don't, but if you didn't you wouldn't be reading this note on FB, Twitter, Blogspot LOL! I'm gonna take the time to print up some free meal passes to hand out around Jasper kinda in a business card form. I think its an awesome idea to draw folks in. Some of you could print you some also, if you don't have a way to do it, then we'll either make them for you or send you a file of what they would say and look like. We have an opportunity to go from a good church work to a GREAT church work and it is right in front of us. The fields are white for harvest and we need to labor to bring in as many folks as we can.
I HAVE ALL THE CONFIDENCE IN THE WORLD, WE HAVE THE VERY BEST
I've also noticed here lately that we been getting alot of phone calls and pastors asking me about our ministry. On quite a few occasions I been ask "what is it that you are doing"? I've heard some say "we got to start doing something like that so we can get more folks to come to our church". So my point is that there are churches that are watching us and some that want to model exactly what it is that we are doing. Now that is a vote of confidence that ought to make us take notice. One preacher made the statement "never seen a church that loved each other more" another one said " what you do is so unique" another said "that is the most and the best food I've seen anywhere" another made the statement recently " wow! what an anointed people". You know what that tells me? You my friends are the best bunch of folks any preacher could ever ask to minister to. There is a term used in the business world called "organizational leadership" what that means is that a group of people just take charge and figure out how to fix problems among themselves when one arises. It means when something needs to get done that no one has to ask, you just jump in and fill the gap and do it. Thats what makes us different we have real leaders that know how to make things happen in the kitchen, the music, the prayer, the cleanup etc. You folks are an awesome team ! I'm so glad that God placed you in our path, we (I) needed you in our (my) life more than you will ever know !
MONEY TALKS Part 3
We will have our 3rd installment this week of Money Talks and will review some and go a little further with some practical Biblical principles for making our money go further. I think we all could agree that we would like to save some money and make it go a little further. We are recording it and the cd copies are free for the asking if anyone would like to have copies of Money Talks just ask us.
LETS KEEP DOING WHAT WE DO THE BEST, FOOD, MUSIC AND PRAYER !
I don't think there is no question about it that these three things are our strongest values, hopefully teaching falls in there somewhere as the 4th. We keep on doing what the Lord has blessed us to do and inviting folks to come and you will see our place grow out the door. We are already looking at options for a bigger place to meet as we grow. Right now we pretty well are packing the room on Thursdays so we always need to be sensitive to our next move. I know God has His hand on us and will give us the right place.
SOMEONE SAID THAT PEOPLE ARE OUR GREATEST ASSET. LET ME SAY THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE THE GREATEST ASSET.
Its true that we have some awesome folks doing some awesome jobs with the cooking, music, prayer, evangelistically inviting folks to come out. We value you folks more than you will ever know. You take ownership in the Meeting and that makes quite a difference every Thursday as we meet. I love each and every one of you, bro bruce
LETS NOT FORGET THAT EACH OF US CAN ASK 3 PEOPLE TO COME AND VISIT THIS WEEK !
A GROWING CHURCH COMMUNITY, GROWING PEOPLE, CHANGING LIVES !
424 Lower Dowda Mill Rd Jasper, Georgia Great Food, Best Fellowship, Awesome Music, Dynamic Teaching, Powerful Prayer !
