Miguel Murillo is a missionary with Vision Baptist Missions International. He lives and serves in Arequipa, Peru. God has greatly used him for many years. Today is his birthday. I want to ask you to join me in praying for him and wishing him a great day today.
Happy Birthday. Feliz Cumpleaños y Que Dios te bendiga. We love you.
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You may be surprised by the statistics.
There are about 200 million non-churched people in America, making America one of the four largest “unchurched” nations in the world.
Each year about 3,500 churches close their doors permanently.
Today, of the approximately 350,000 churches in America, four out of five are either plateaued or declining.
One American denomination recently found that 80% of its converts came to Christ in churches less than two years old.
Cliques are a narrow exclusive circle or group of persons; especially: one held together by common interests, views, or purposes, according to Webster’s Dictionary!
We never want to be guilty of having cliques as Christians or as members of Vision. It is very easy to relax and fall into the trap of hanging with your friends and people that you know.
When we do this new people come and think that we are not friendly. After all they come in, no one really has time to talk to them because everyone already has established friends.
We are wrong when we allow that to happen.
I hope you do have friends. I hope you have people to talk to and that you like being with them but we come to church to serve God and our neighbors.
I want to ask you to think of how others are feeling. I want to ask you to make an effort to step out of your comfort zone and go meet new people.
When you see someone that is new, stop your conversation with your long time friend, run to the other person and begin a conversation.
You might say that you do not know what to talk about but I think you can learn. We can ask questions. We can get them talking about themselves. We can learn their name. We can show genuine interest in them.
They may be new, they may not have found a niche to fit into, they may feel strange at church. Will you help and be friend to them.
Will you make it a rule to not talk to your friends until you have talked to the new people. Help them fit in. Help them know that they are loved.
Invite them to go with you after church. Talk to them. Make sure they are included in everything you are doing.
You will be blessed. God will be honored. And new people will really think that we care.
Just a note to every missionary, pastor, and Christian worker. Breath mints are not expensive but can sure make a difference. No one ever knows how their breath smells but others do. Nothing can hinder what you are trying to do more than putting off people by the way your breath smells.
Do not hinder your sweet message of friendship and the good news of salvation with bad breath. People shouldn’t have to put up with your bad breath to hear your good message.
I suggest buying a box of mints that are small and not sticky. You can stick them in your pocket and then just pop them in your mouth when you get the chance. I try to always have them with me. I load my pockets every day and then proceed out to my work.
You say you do not think your breath stinks but you might not know. So take some precautions.
Vision Baptist Church Baptists Committed to World Evangelism