reach out to the unchurched with the gospel and reasons to attend a church. This particular Sunday service revolved around that topic.

Station one dealt with communion. First the sacrament was considered and the elements were present for those who wished to partake in communion. This is done in remembrance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our redemption from the penalty of sin. We also considered communion with Christ, that being walking with Him and following Him. He is our Lord and we are called to be obedient to His calling upon our lives.

Station two considered our church family. The concept of the Body of Christ as a family is strong in the Bible and we take it seriously. The church family needs to be nurtured and encouraged in order to operate efficiently in working for the kingdom. This is seen clearly in the following points from our church vision statement.

Bullet 3:    Effective preaching of God’s Word.  (2 Timothy 4:1-2)
Effective preaching helps us all grow closer to God.  It is also evangelistic in explaining the gospel and in motivating visitors to return.  We want to have our preaching time be an interesting, thought provoking time where God’s word changes people’s lives.  We want people to grow in their knowledge of God as they grow in their understanding of His word.
Bullet 4:    Facilitating spiritual growth in the body nurtured by a strong relational environment.  (Hebrews 10:24-25)
We wish to see spiritual growth in the body and believe that having strong, trusting relationships with guidance, encouragement and support is an effective way to facilitate this.  This also helps unchurched people become part of the church community.  We want to have a high percent of people in small groups, have many that have a discipleship partner, and have numerous fellowship events - all to promote spiritual growth.

Station three concentrated on Praise & Thanksgiving. This topic is very important in living the Christian life and equally important in entering into the presence of God. The focus is transferred from ourselves to God on whom we depend. Combined with praise, thanksgiving places my attention on the One who deserves my worship. It takes self off the throne of my life and puts Christ in His rightful place. Communion with God is where I enter into His rest and receive a peace in my spirit that only He can give. This is where I can lay my troubles at His feet and ask Him for comfort through them and wisdom to resolve them.

Station four spoke to outreach itself. As a church, our vision statement includes three points.

Bullet 5:    Continuous growth over the next 5 years.  (Matthew 28:19-20)
Growth is a key indicator of church health.  By growing, we have more resources to reach lost people and to edify our church body.  We desire to meet the need for a contemporary evangelical church in the growing area of East Blaine.

Bullet 6:    Purposefully reach out in God’s love to those who are not currently part of a church family.  (Matthew 9:37-38)
It is to our spiritual gain and our responsibility to reach out in God’s love to those who are not attending church.  We want to have a culture of evangelism at Cornerstone by equipping people to make an impact for Christ in their circles and by being creative in going out to intentionally reach people for Christ in our community.  We desire to see 150 people who are not currently part of a church family attend Cornerstone within the next 5 years.

Bullet 7:    One church plant in the next 5 years.  (Acts 1:13-20)
We value reaching the unchurched in communities near and far by being the point church in providing resources (our people, time and money) to help start like-minded evangelical churches.

Where these may appear on the surface to be a benefit to the church growth, the attitude of the church is to spread the gospel for the salvation of souls. Listed at station four were the upcoming outreach events for the members to pray for and participate in.

Station five was titled, Make It Personal. It concerned family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. There were a number of questions to consider, such as: Do others in my life clearly understand the gospel message? Does my lifestyle reflect my profession of faith? Part two suggested opportunities that could be watched for in order to display and share our faith.

Station six dealt with having a heart for non-believers. Evangelism is the core source of saved souls and church growth. In a day of church growth seminars, seeker sensitive services and gimmicks for drawing people into a church service or function, nothing is as real as personal evangelism. If we are obedient to the call to evangelize, by word and lifestyle, the church growth will take care of itself.

Our godly lifestyle reinforces the preaching of the Word. One of the most common objections to Christianity is the charge of hypocrisy. Consistent, holy living is both pleasing to God and beneficial to the gospel message.

How do we act when the chips are down? People may hear what we say and may even remember what we say. But when we are in trouble or our backs are to the wall, they will be watching to see if our reactions are consistent with our preaching or if we fall in line with the ways of the world. This is our test for them to see if we really trust God.

In whose power are we living out the Word? Are we trying to live godly lives in our own power, or in the power of the Holy Spirit? We can try and we can press harder, but in our own power we are doomed to failure. We are called to live by faith and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. We learn the will of God by spending time reading Scripture. The Holy Spirit teaches us the things of God and prompts us to do the right thing. Are we obedient to do the right thing when we see it? God prepares our opportunities for us.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

There is no need to look too hard. Simply keep the eyes open and obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Following is a copy of a blog I came across. It is one of our members and I asked her if I could use this for the article. Is her response typical in our church? Well, I do know that each time we have done this at the end of the service, the participation was very high. I did more observing this time since I had already prayed over these items during their preparation. The people appeared to be focused and sincere. It was a very good thing to do.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

100 Days of Joy

Day 5-Today I found joy in a church that prays together!
Today at church our sermon was on prayer and at the end of the service there were 6 stations set up with different opportunities for prayer, ending with communion. We've done this once before and I love it. First I think it's great that my church see's the importance of practical application and also what a great way to come together as a body!

http://nohighchairs.blogspot.com/

What was your reaction to this event? Please leave a comment. Your response may be very encouraging to others. A pdf file on the actual prayer stations can be viewed or downloaded at:

PDF - Jan2010 Prayer Stations