From the Vineyard Newsletter on 12/30: A Great Start in 2020

As we turn off the lights on 2019, and say hello to 2020, my hope is that you have ended 2019 more in love with Jesus than you began the year. My hope is that you are more passionate about the lost, about his presence, and about sharing Christ with those around you. My hope is that you are stepping into 2020 more equipped and more determined to share Jesus with your neighbors. 

For that reason, I want to encourage everyone to be sure to get involved in one of our LifeGroups, and then to make it your mission to multiply that group in 2020. One of our most common requests is for a LIfeGroup, and one of the most common reasons for not staying at the Vineyard was the inability to get connected to one. Nothing says love to new people like finding acceptance in a LifeGroup, but nothing says you're not wanted like, "Our LifeGroup is closed, no new people allowed."  So I am asking you to be the hands and feet of Jesus by doing a couple of things. 

If you are in a LifeGroup, open your group and make room for new people, and get ready to change for the sake of loving people. If you are not in a LifeGroup, let me invite you to join a LifeGroup. 

Then let me invite you to join our next LifeGroup training, January 12 &19. We need a lot more LifeGroups. Our next training is just a few weeks away. So join us for LifeGroup training and then start another group. Maybe even ask a couple of people from your old group to help you start a new group, like missionaries. 

And then start training people in your LifeGroup to take turns leading the group, so that in the future, they won’t need our LifeGroup course, they will already know how to lead a LifeGroup and be able to start a new group without having to go to class first. It’s called the discipleship loop, and that was how Jesus trained all of his Apostles: 

I do, you watch __________We talk.

I do, you help ___________ We talk.

You do, I help____________ We talk

You do, another watches ___Y’all talk

Without that discipleship loop we are inadvertently participating in religious consumerism. But when we engage, when we not only love God and love people, but we actually pass it on, then we are engaging in authentic Christianity. It is then that we fulfill Jesus’ commission to make disciples. I hope you will join me in 2020 by making disciples of Jesus. 

Grace and peace,

Hal

From the Vineyard Newsletter on 12/23: Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Tomorrow night we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our savior, our hope, and the redeemer of humanity. He is the gospel! He is the declaration of God, goodwill unto men, and the favor of God upon all who receive him.  

With that in mind, I hope you are going to join us for the Candlelight Services tomorrow at either 4:00 or 6:00 pm. Maybe some of you will even join us for both, as you meet friends and family and make them welcome before you retreat to your homes for family celebrations. My prayer is that you have been praying for the lost, and that you have stepped into the feet of Jesus to make this Christmas all about reaching the lost as he did when he left the comfort of home and heaven to walk among us. 

May the joy and favor of the Lord Jesus Christ be upon you and yours this Christmas. 

Grace and peace,

Hal 

From the Vineyard Newsletter of 12/16: The Reason for the Season?

In our modern society, Christmas often seems all about presents, cookies, and Santa more than the birth of Jesus. Years ago many Christians began pushing back with, Jesus is the reason for the season, but the refrain often seems to be ignored not just by culture and society but even by the church. The truth is that often our devotion to Christ in the season often takes a back seat to ritual and tradition. And the “reason for the season” is actually misunderstood. Isn’t it odd that the greatest evangelistic effort ever in history, the sending of Jesus Christ to earth as a missionary to the lost (all of us), is celebrated by shutting ourselves in, and shutting out strangers? Could it be that we have pointed to Jesus as the reason but forgotten his reason for coming? He did not come to be adored, he came to seek and to save that which was lost. I hope that this Christmas season you will do the same and make room for those without families much like someone had to make room for Mary & Joseph. 

As we head toward Christmas, please review your list of lost persons that you are praying for to know Jesus and be saved. If you have not already, would you consider sharing that with me and the prayer team? 

Second, don’t forget to pray that your zeal for the lost to increase. 

Third, remember our Candlelight Christmas Eve service is just 8 days away. Please be sure to pick up some of our invites to share with everyone you know. What makes Christmas about Christ is when we do what Jesus did, leaving our comfort to reach the lost. 

Last, let me encourage everyone in the New Year to buy and read this easy little book (only 123 pages), The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman. It is on sale for $5.99 on amazon. You can order it by clicking this link: https://www.amazon.com/Master-Plan-Evangelism-Robert-Coleman/dp/0800788087/ref=sr_1_1?crid=83EP6YRF3C9V&keywords=the+masterplan+of+evangelism+by+robert+coleman&qid=1573067333&sprefix=the+master+plan+of+%2Caps%2C485&sr=8-1

Grace and peace,

Hal

From the Vineyard Newsletter on 12/9: The Great Commission-Part 4

For the last several weeks I have been focused on our role in fulfilling the Great Commission. The first week we talked about the importance of having a salvation prayer list for those whom we wish to see come to salvation in Jesus Christ. I hope you shared your with us, so we can pray along with you. Week 2 I shared about praying for God to stir our own hearts with a passion for the lost. Then last week I shared about the power of inviting people to church. 

One of the ways that we as a church partner with you is to create events that you can invite your unchurched friends to. These special events are created to make it easy for you to bring people and to have fun. Our two biggest events are the Brooksville BBQ in October that brings close to 2,000 people to our doorstep and the Candlelight Services on Christmas Eve which bring in close to 600 people. Both of these events are as safe, fun, family-friendly events that anyone can invite a friend to. We also participate in Christmas Parade every year not only with a parade float and walkers, but also as the biggest parking venue for the event. Giving us a chance to hand out bottled water and invites to Christmas Eve. In that single event we get our name out to over 200 carloads of people and some 10,000 onlookers. It is a great way to reach out to our community.   

The greatest challenge in these events is getting church members to help us put on these events. The lost come in groves. The unchurched love these events! On Christmas Eve the unchurched outnumber our members. What we need is for church members to come and be a smiling face. For church members to come and help us with hosting, or with the worship, or ushering, or making sandwiches, or handing out bottles of water. That requires a little sacrifice on our part. If you hand out water, you may not get the best seat at the parade. If you invite people to come to Christmas Eve, it will probably mean your celebration will start after you make your guests feel welcome, and you have said a long heartfelt goodbye. 

Becoming evangelistic, and fulfilling the Great Commission, are by nature selfless, sacrificial, and inconvenient. It won’t happen without great passion for Jesus and his mission to seek and save the lost. So we must pray, and we must step out in faith. I hope you will show up on Christmas Eve, with a lots of unsaved and/or de-churched friends, family, and neighbors. Services are 4:00 and 6:00 pm.  

 

Grace and peace,

Hal

From the Vineyard Newsletter on 12/2: The Great Commission- part 3

Over the last two weeks, I have been writing to you about the Great Commission. Week one, I focused on prayer for the lost, noting that everyone (in my experience) who gets saved had someone praying for them to be saved. Week two was about prayer for our own hearts to be ignited with love for the lost, passion for our purpose. This week I want to focus on some steps to fulfilling the Great Commission, which is inviting. 

One of the easiest steps toward becoming more evangelistic in your own life is inviting people to church. As I mentioned last week, our Candlelight Christmas Eve Services are coming up. These two services are very evangelistic in their focus. They are short (less than an hour), fun, and focused on teaching people the gospel. It is a really easy, no pressure, no worry invite. We don’t do any stupid tricks. We aren’t going to talk about tough subjects. No invitation to church could be safer. But to make it simpler still, we have created wallet-sized invitation cards and also digital media for you to share with everyone so that you can invite friends, family, neighbors, and anyone else to join us. 

Inviting people to church is one of the easiest things you can do on a regular basis. Studies have shown that 70% of the unchurched have never been invited but most would accept an invitation if made. That’s incredible! But that coincides with the study that says 75% of Christians have never shared their faith with anyone. So inviting someone to church (or an event) is a great way to start. 

Grace and peace,

Hal

From the Vineyard Newsletter on 11/25: The Great Commission- Part 2

Last week I wrote to you briefly about the Great Commission and the importance of evangelism. If you did not read that letter please go back and do that? This week I want to continue those thoughts.

As I said, the best way to begin evangelism is with a prayer list. To make a list of those persons in your life that you want to see come to Christ, and begin praying for their salvation on a regular basis. As well, I invited you to send me your prayer list, and with your permission, I would even share it with our prayer team. 

This week, I want to suggest some additional simple steps to evangelism. Like the last step, this one is also rooted in prayer. It is praying for God to stir your heart with zeal for the lost. Our lives are often so full of other things, that there is not much room in our hearts (or lives) for the lost. So before we will ever make room in our schedule we need a change of heart. The place to begin then is praying, “God I know that your heart is for the lost. Please give me passion for the lost. Please give me the zeal to reach my friends, neighbors, and family. Please give me a heart for my community.” That prayer will do more to you than you can imagine. You cannot pray that prayer and it not affect your love for the lost.

If you will start with these two things: (1) prayer for people on your list, and (2) prayer for your own passion/zeal to be ignited for the lost. I promise you that you will see people get saved. 

One last thing, will you, as an act of evangelism, please invite your neighbors to our Christmas Eve Candlelight Services on December 24? We have two service times, 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm.

  

Grace and peace,

Hal 

From the Vineyard newsletter on 11/18: The Great Commission-Part 1.

Our church mission statement is taken from the Great Commandment and the Great Commission (the stuff every believer is supposed to do). The Great Commandment is to love God above all else, with all of our strength/personhood. Then the Great Commandment is to go unto every people and teach them what Jesus taught the Apostles, which has been taught to every successive generation of Christians (also known as evangelism and discipleship). So literally half of our life mission as God’s people is to share the good news of Jesus with those who don’t know him and teach them to likewise obey his commission. However, telling people that does not usually make them want to run out and tell their neighbors about Jesus. Most Christians seize up with fear, others balk at the idea, explaining that is why we pay tithes so the pastor can do it, and if the pastor keeps talking about it, they eventually move on to another church that will do all of that for them (religious consumerism). 

So rather than telling people what they are supposed to do and brow-beat them into submission (or leaving), let me invite you to begin with prayer. Prayer is powerful! Of all the people that I have led to Christ over the years, not one of them came without prayer. Either mine or a faithful person who prayed for them other than me. Many a person came to Christ because of the prayers of a faithful mother, father, or grandparent. Over the years I have developed a list that I keep in my journal of people that I am praying for their salvation. I often add to the list, but I also get to cross-off those who have already come to Jesus. Some people have been on that list for a long time, but most are on the list for only months before coming to Jesus. On a rare occasion, I have the painful job of crossing-off my list someone who has passed away whom I don’t think ever received Jesus. In those moments my prayers become more fervent, not wanting any more on my list to perish without the gospel.  

So this week, I want to invite you, this is the time of year we begin making our lists of what we want most. Would you consider making a list of people whose salvation you are praying for? Then do me a favor? Send me your list! If you like, let me know and I will share that list with our prayer team so we can pray for them too.  

Grace and peace,
Hal

From the Vineyard Newsletter on 11/11: Count Your Many Blessings

The holiday season is upon us; today is Veterans Day (be sure to thank our veterans for their service and sacrifice), and in two weeks it will be Thanksgiving, followed by Advent and Christmas. From here to the end of the year it can be a real mad-dash to New Year.  So before you get ramped up with holiday traditions and general busyness, let me invite you to join me in one of my favorite November traditions, “Count Your Many Blessings!”

From here to Thanksgiving I want to invite you to focus on how God has blessed your life: friends, family, work, home, transportation, you name it. Maybe you have been able to travel, or you have your grandchildren living nearby? (I know I wish mine did!)  I am grateful for this church body, not just as a job, but for genuine friendships, the attitude of service, worship, and many other blessings. I love central Florida for the great weather, the beauty and greenery, and the easy access to fun attractions and fresh vegetables all year long.  

Let me invite you to stir up an attitude of gratitude in our church and community, among our friends, family, and neighbors. Will you join me? Starting today (with thanking our veterans) and then every day for the rest of this month, let’s make a real effort to post on social media one thing each day that we are grateful for. You can do more if you like, but let’s give God the glory and credit for the goodness in our lives. Then let’s take a step further; let’s be sure to write notes to our family and friends. You can text, mail, or email it; you can scribble a note in their lunch bag, draw on their mirror, or hide a sticky-note in one of their books. But let’s make a real effort to appreciate what we have, who we have, and give thanks to God and to the people around us. 

One more thing: would you be willing to bless a stranger? Let me invite you to pick up the tab for a stranger. It could be a coffee, or fast-food, or something else. It does not have to be big, but sometime this month bless a stranger.  If they ask you why, tell them God loves them, no strings attached. Then do this: walk away without preaching--no strings--just make sure they know God loves them. 

This is how we do life together in Christ. We love God, we love people, and we pass it on. We connect with people, we grow in Christ, we give generously, we serve God and man, and we live ordinary lives by the extraordinary power of the spirit at work within us.  

Grace and peace,

Hal