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Evangelism
Reaching the Spiritually Alone
By Mitch McDonald
We live in a world of connectivity. Thanks to the space programand creations such as GPS, global positioning systems,we can stay connected 24/7-- and, in theory, never be lost.
One recent advertisement stated that by subscribing to a particular monitoring system, "you will never be alone." This may be one of the greatest deceptions of our time. Just being connected doesn't necessarily keep you from being alone.
For example, right now as I am writing this article, I am sitting alone in the cab of my truck on the campus of California Baptist University -- the only quiet spot within miles of Zona Yuth Kamp.
Yet, I remain incredibly connected to the world around me. My laptop is connected to my PalmTreo that is connected to a cell phone tower that is connected to a satellite that connectsme to the Internet.
But it doesn't stop there. My radio is dialed into another satellite that is allowing me to getmy Fox News fix for the day. Meanwhile, my TomTom, the portable GPS navigation system on my dashboard, has the capacity to connect with four different satellites at a single time and guide me from this parking lot -- should I want to escape -- to Boston, Mass., which according to what I have learned in the last .45 seconds is a mere 2,955.7miles away from the screaming students walking past my truck.
And so I won't starve to death on the journey, the TomTom will let me know where each and every Cracker Barrel restaurant is along my route. Should I break down on my way to solitude, OnStar not only knows where I am at all times, but it will find someone to come help.
Wow! Just thinking of all this technology at my fingertips makes me feel like an astronaut at the helm of the space shuttle ready to blast off on some exotic mission to a distant world.
But wait, I just glanced up and saw the reflection in the rear view mirror. It's me, Mitch. I'm sitting in a truck, in a parking lot, by myself, playing with gadgets.
Thousands of people within walking distance right now feel alone. In reality, they are spiritually lost -- without realizing it -- and will continue to wander unless we offer thema navigation system, a "GPS."
For us in Arizona, GPS is not just an evangelistic initiative. It is a plan, a great plan.
"God's Plan for Sharing" is all about challenging believers during 2010-2020 to share with one lost person once a week. That's it. It's that simple. No cables, no antennas, and no satellites required. Just a willing witness, willing to share once a week.
It has been far too long since Arizona Southern Baptists have rallied around something so simple that has had the potential to reach so many.
The vision of this initiative is to inspire and encourage Arizona Southern Baptists to reach their communities with the love of Christ.
This can be accomplished by teaching
and building off of four basic Biblical
markers:
1. Praying -- learning how to pray for the lost, your lost friends
2. Engaging-- learning to connect with people where they live,
work and play
3. Sowing -- teaching all believers how to share their story of
faith
4.Harvesting -- creating environments, events, and a spirit of
expectancy
The vast majority of those who call Arizona home have never encountered the love of Christ.Arizona Southern Baptists have the plan. It's time we got busy sharing it. Formore information and resources, check out our website, www.azsobaptist.org, and look for the GPS icon.
Back to the gadgets in my truck, I have one more I didn't tell you about.
It's the two-way radio that keeps me connected with the camp office, which has just called my name for the fifth time. It seems that a seventh grader and his skateboard were just seen flying down the hallway of the president's office. Time to leave my safe haven and re-engage with a world that has lost its way.
Mitch McDonald is the church evangelism facilitator with the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention.
So how do I begin to use GPS to engage my world?
-- Pray -
Email Tracy Baker to order 3-1-6
prayer cards (3 people 1 time a day for 6 days). Cards are available in English, Spanish, Korean, and Chinese.
-- Engage - Find something outside the walls of your
church, such as a club, class, community group. Go to the
lost!
-- Sow - Set a goal of learning six different ways to share
the gospel. Then practice what you have learned. For
ideas, go to www.azsobaptist.org.
-- Harvest - As you go, share your story. Personally invite
people to become Christ followers.
NAMB's-GPS page