Spring 2007

In this Issue

Irresistible Evangelism

New Responsibilities

Library Resources

A Note from the Pastor

ETF Update

Children’s Ministries

Stats & Congrats

Upcoming Events

Irresistible Evangelism

by Andrew Sharp

At eight thirty on a Saturday morning, some people would rather be staring at the insides of their eyelids than into a cup of coffee. But by that time on Saturday, March 10, people throughout the sanctuary at LCF were choosing the coffee option, for the most part. Representing LCF, the Agape churches in Hilliard and Marysville, and the SEND house in Columbus, they were there to hear Doug Pollock give his views on “Irresistible Evangelism.”

Doug, who works for Campus Crusade for Christ and speaks internationally about evangelism, was there to give practical examples on how to apply Colossians 4:5—“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.”

Doug first gave an overview of “resistible” evangelism, the kind that has given evangelism a bad name. One of the more striking parts of the overview was the video clip in which people explained how they often saw Christians as pushy and arrogant, or uncaring and insincere. These people did not seem to like the experience of being on the other side in the “culture war.”

By contrast, Doug said, those who practice “irresistible” evangelism are not pushy or uncaring. Instead, they meet people where they are at and seek to help them move closer to God.

He used the analogy of a game of golf. People don’t often shoot holes-in-one, he said. Instead, they move the ball down the fairway and onto the green one shot at a time, until they reach the goal. In the same way those who want to share their faith shouldn’t expect or try to bring a person all the way to a commitment to God every time. They should simply help the person move closer to that relationship with God.

Doug shared several ways to do this. For people who are hostile towards God and religion, he said, it’s important to show caring and unconditional love. Rather than tell people the gospel, the best thing is to be and demonstrate the gospel. This doesn’t threaten people and helps them see the love of God for what it is.

When people are not so hostile and are wondering about faith in God, Doug said that “active wondering” is a good way to open up honest dialogue. Rather than argue with people, he said, it’s helpful to ask them questions to get them to think, and honestly listen to what they say. Listening, he said, is a very important skill.

And when people are close to making a commitment, Doug said, it’s helpful to share personal faith stories and answer questions that they have. He said it’s important not to be pushy, but to assist them in moving towards a commitment.

The audience had a lot of questions. One reasonable question was whether using service and unconditional love were effective methods. What if people never found out the reason for the love? Doug admitted that this could be a problem, and that balance is important. The ideal is that people want to know the reason for the kindness, and that Christians can then tell them.

Others wondered whether some of the acts of love that Doug used as examples would always be effective. What if, for example, you made a poor person feel inferior by giving him food or handouts? Doug stressed the importance of being sensitive to context and approaching each situation thoughtfully.

One major concern that people had was using all the methods Doug talked about could be just another marketing gimmick, using manipulative tools to get people to the right place. The love they showed through acts of kindness or listening to concerns might then not be unconditional. Doug emphasized being authentic and genuinely caring for people, as well as approaching each situation in a relevant way.

The seminar was thought-provoking, challenging people to evaluate the way they were reaching out to others with God’s love, and giving them ideas about how to practically show that love. It was also useful in giving people a chance to demonstrate their spirituality by getting up before ten on a Saturday and coming to church.

New Responsibilities

by Rob Swartz

A special thanks to Holly Miller and Molly Rosati for taking on some new responsibilities. Holly has taken on the responsibility of Librarian and Molly is coordinating Children's Ministries. As you can see from their articles in this issue of the LCF Connection, they have been busy at work. Feel free to direct any questions or comments to them related to these areas of responsibility and some words of encouragement as well.

Even though it seems small, there are many good books as well as other resources available for you to borrow. If you haven’t visited the library in awhile or if you’re relatively new to the church, please stop in and browse. All books are in the library area, while videos can be found in the copier room. When you find a good resource or book, the checkout procedures are really quite simple. Just write you name and due date (items can be checked out for two weeks at a time) on the library card and put it in the orange box on top of the children’s bookshelf. When you return the items, place them in the yellow return basket located beside the children’s bookshelf.

There are some new resources and books being added to the library. You can find books and DVD’s from the “10 Great Dates” seminar with David and Claudia Arp that several couples from the church attended. For those of you who missed the recent Irresistible Evangelism Seminar, the book from that seminar has been added to the library. For you tweens and teens that enjoyed the Red Rock Mystery Series, books #13-15 have been added to the library. If you’ve feel like you’ve blown it with God or are looking for something new for your small group, check out comedian Ken Davis’ new DVD Second Chances for a humorous message on how God gave Jonah a second chance. If you’re looking for some enjoyable oldies for family movie night, the new Little House on the Prairie and Andy Griffith DVD’s will take you back to another era in entertainment.

Also new to the library will be a small holiday/special interest section. In March and April we will feature Easter resources that will include some new books for preschool and elementary aged children.

I have recently accepted the responsibility of the library and look forward to finding new books and resources for the library. If you have any items you would like to see in the library, you can talk to me or write your titles on the wish list in the library.

Have You Checked out the

LCF Library Lately?

by Holly Miller

When were you first aware of God? At what age did you make a commitment to Christ? “Too Small to Ignore,” a book about Compassion International, reports the “vast majority of people who become Christians do so while still children, usually before the age of fourteen.” If the research is correct, that 77% of Christians make their decision before 14, Children’s Ministries could be our most profound area of evangelism.

Our Children's Ministries Group consists of Becky Hostetler, Ryan & Kris Freed, Phil Elfrink, Linda Schlabach, Shannon Scheffel, Rob Swartz, Lisa Wilt and is coordinated by Molly Rosati. Some of our programs include:

· YOUTH (led by Ryan & Kris Freed) has around 10 youth (ages 13 & up) meeting 3 to 4 times a month on Sunday evenings from 5:30-8:30. The 1st Sunday of the month is “JA” night where they demonstrate a Jesus Attitude through serving – such as making gift boxes, helping with WCYC's fun-draiser, and writing letters to the young girl in Thailand the group sponsors through Compassion International. Other times the youth take turns starting the meeting with an icebreaker, leading the lesson, bringing a game and snack. The Youth group is planning a mission trip to Goshen, Indiana, June 12-17. Ryan & Kris would appreciate our church families inviting the youth group over to their homes for a night of fun. (It would not have to be on Sunday.)

· JUNIOR YOUTH (led by Becky & Phil Hostetler) has 7-10 5th-7th graders meeting every other Sunday for Bible study, food & games. Recently the group invited friends and took 15 kids bowling. Could you help us come up with creative ideas to do with the group?

· SUNDAY SCHOOL (coordinated by Phil Elfrink) provides classes divided by Early Childhood (ages 2-4), Primary (K-2nd grade), Middler (grades 3-5), and Junior Youth (grades 6-8). Phil Elfrink has been Sunday School Coordinator the last 3 years. Part of his responsibilities have been to purchase curriculum, secure teachers, stock classroom supplies, and monitor classes. Linda Schlabach is now taking care of classroom supplies. Would you be willing to teach a class? If so, please let Phil know.

· KIDS CORNER (coordinated by Linda Schlabach) runs concurrent with the sermon when Sunday services are in the “longer format.” Kids Corner provides children (3-5 years and 6-8 years) with interactive activities such as stories, snack, songs, and centers.

· NURSERY (coordinated by Lisa Wilt) provides loving care for children ages 0-3 during Sunday services.

I love how our church involves our young folks in caring and teaching! We have grown a really neat overlap of classes/activities that include our children being able to benefit as well as to be on the “giving” side, discovering their own gifts and talents.

Did you know we have Child Protection Policies? We give forms and get references from prospective child care providers who have attended London Christian Fellowship for 6 months or more. In addition, the Sunday School Coordinator looks in on each class every Sunday.

Lastly, here’s my invitation to you. Please let our teachers and volunteers know how they have touched your child's life. Also, if you have stood during a child dedication service to affirm that you will support families in raising their children in Christ, I encourage you to take action on that commitment by helping in one of our children’s ministries. You life, as well as the lives of the children here at London Christian Fellowship will be richer for it!

“London Christian Fellowship’s

Children’s Ministries

promotes

discovering God,

growing spiritually,

and

developing gifts

to equip young people

for living in today’s world.”

Warmer weather is finally here! What are your plans for the next several months? What do you hope to accomplish? Maybe you have a great vacation planned or a home project that you hope to do. Maybe your spring and summer are full of kids activities like baseball, camp, etc. I'm excited about all the possibilities that come with this time of the year; possibilities for work, for fun, and also for relationships. The next six months or so seem like one of the best natural times to connect with people. We will be spending time with baseball/softball teams, neighbors, and fellow vacationers. The cool thing is that each of us will be meeting different people that God has brought across our path. Will you take the time to care for those people? Will you ask questions and listen? Will you choose to look at others through the “Jesus Glasses” that Doug talked about? London Christian Fellowship is a “sending” church and we want to send you out to be a light for Jesus in a broken world. Our Sunday morning church service will be shorter and our church activities lighter during the spring and summer months. Why? So you have more opportunity to spend time with your non-Christian friends and neighbors. Maybe you could organize a NASCAR party, fishing trip, Red's game, or cookout with the intention of inviting your non-Christian friends. The possibilities are endless and I can't wait to see what God is going to do as we obey His Holy Spirit. Would you share your stories with us? We’d all benefit from hearing them!

A Note

from

the Pastor

by Rob Swartz

ETF Update

by Richard Troyer, Chairman of the ETF

The ETF (Expansion Task Force) has met with two additional architects and have received proposals from both of them. We are in the process of evaluating the costs associated with each one. If we choose to use one of these architects, then the next step will be to pay them a retainer fee and they in turn will begin drawings on a new building. We have reviewed with both architects what we would like to see incorporated in a new building. After their drawing, we can make changes and revisions to the plan and give opportunity for the church congregation to be involved with input.

The other area we are doing work on is financing. Keith is doing some preliminary research into loan amounts, interest rates and LCF’s ability to get and pay a loan. We are looking at spending around $750,000,00 on this project. With building costs in the $80 to $100 per square foot range, this would give us around a 6,500 square foot building (with $100,000.00 spent on site work). We would ideally like to build between 7,500 to 10,000 square feet. In order for this to happen we will need the congregation to support this with a fundraising project for additional costs and also with labor in areas that would help us to keep the costs down. Be thinking of ways to help. As always if you have any questions, or input, we invite you to talk to any member of the ETF.

Children’s Ministries

at London Christian Fellowship

by Molly Rosati

· Phil & Becky on the birth of their son, Evan Andrew, born at 9:18 a.m. on December 6, 2006. He weighed 9 pounds, 10 ounces.

· Jeff & Kara on the birth of their son, Jonah Levi, born at 9:15 p.m. on December 6, 2006. He weighed pounds, 10 ounces.

· Steve & Phyllis on the birth of their 4th grandson, Micah David, born to David & Ann Marie on February 17 at 4:55 p.m. He weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces.