Plantation Minutes for 3/05/08

Worship & Prayer

– John 1: 1-5

– Holden Evening Prayer in entirety

– Theme: Paul’s proficiency: How do you start a spiritual conversation without being obnoxious

– Text: Acts 17:16-34

– Offering

Share peace, sit with small groups

Video – Easter linebacker, from www.sermonspice.com

This video deals with how the real meaning of Easter is increasingly lost in our society, and how more and more people don’t understand its true meaning.

Teaching/application (shortened because of Pastor Dave being sick)

1. Athens story has all kinds of great material on meeting people where they’re at, and being appropriate in evangelism. Pastor Dave had planned on doing some teaching on that, and we still will, but for tonight, we’ll use the time to get some feedback.

– Lenten series theme: Paul’s proficiency: How do you start a spiritual conversation without being obnoxious (Acts 17:16-34)

· Notice the sequence – Paul was distressed at all the idols (v. 16)

· Rather than see it as hopeless, he started reasoning with them (v. 17)

· Got various reactions, mostly negative, but kept the conversation going (v. 18-21)

· Paul contextualized his message, meeting them where they were (v. 22-23)

· Preaches a message that’s relevant, moving quickly to the resurrection (v. 24-31) – we’ll study this more closely later

· Reactions – some believed (v. 34), some scoffed (v. 32), some wanted to hear more (v. 32)

2. Discuss two questions in small groups, then come back and report your conclusions together.
1. What kind of training do you feel you need to be able to more effectively meet people where they are and lead them to Jesus?
2. What changes do you think our church needs to make to be more effective as a church plant (higher adult conversion ratio, etc.)?

· Courage to talk to people where they are at

· Ability to gauge their receptivity

· Observation / listen to their conversations

· Prayer – rather than training – go when God instructs us, and wait when he doesn’t instruct us

· Need to be versed in the word – as our toolbox to prepare us for when we are in the field

· Need the release of the power of the Holy Spirit to move and motivate us – therefore we need to pray and become a praying church – so that we can pray without ceasing until the Spirit moves.

Arlo led us in a time of prayer asking that the power of the Holy Spirit would descend and dwell in Community of Hope. We pray that our hearts would be opened so that we can hear God’s call to meet the needs of our neighbors. We are desperate for you Lord. Ask that God would not look at how few we are, and that God would use us and multiply us in this church body to change people’s lives. Pray for God’s protection for Pastor Dave, Val, and their family and for everyone here so that the devil would not be able to touch us. We lift up the service on Sunday and pray that everything that happens this Sunday would be according to His plan. Pray that everyone this Sunday would speak God’s word, and that the devil would be blocked and have no opportunity to come in this place. Pray for rivers of living water to flow forward. We pray for healing for Pastor Dave – ask for healing right now, and ask that he would be free. We thank Jesus because you are a great healer. Ask that God would release gifts and raise up Sunday School teachers, and ask that every need that exists would be filled. Pray that those that God has chosen for His glory would be brought forward.

3. Door-to-door opportunity next week – March 12. Focus will be on handing out invitations rather than knocking on doors, but pray for God to provide opportunities for divine appointments, too. We hope that everyone can be here. The more people that are here, the more people we can reach.

4. Prayer triplets (notecards from last time)

o Review: Record others’ info, pray for them, and next time together, share any progress

o Review successes and failures of the last week

o Pray for upcoming opportunities in the next week