Let's Make A Dent

 

It's estimated that 1,380,000 Oklahomans are Dechurched. This means they attended church at some point in their lives, yet they have not been a part of a church for a long time. These are people who often hold beliefs consistent with Christianity, but they don't have an accurate view of the gospel or a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. These are people who are either not yet saved or believers who have not yet been discipled. 

There is another group called the Nones. These are those with no religious affiliation of any kind and they have never attended a church. It's estimated that 920,000 Oklahomans fit this description (that's 23.5% of the population of OK!). 

Taking a broader view, there are 366 million people in North America. Missiologists estimate that 275 million of these do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 

The need is clear. We need churches, faithful Christians, and missionaries who are willing and able to communicate the gospel so everyone has the opportunity to hear and respond to it. We need these same believers to be trained to disciple new believers according to the Word of God so they become mature. Everyone who is won and discipled needs to be equipped to win and disciple others.  

The only way we will be able to put a dent in the lostness of our state and nation is for everyday Christians, like you and me, to be trained in evangelism and disciple-making, and then to train those whom we reach to do the same thing. It's through this method that the early church spread like a wildfire. Through this multiplication of the gospel we will see the greatest number reached for Christ in our town, state, and nation.

So what do we do? 

First, our church family needs to keep growing in our ability to share the gospel with those around us. We need also to develop in our aptness to disciple young believers. Further, we need to foster the expectation that the new believers we reach will join in the work of winning, discipling, and training others. 

One step we are taking to support this is the formation of a New Christians Class beginning the end of March. If you are a believer who needs basic discipleship, mark your calendar for 6-8 PM on Sundays- March 27, April 3, 10, 24, May 1, 15, & 22. This class will teach you in the basics of the faith and equip you to reach and disciple others. You can sign up by following this link: https://fbcharrah.shelbynextchms.com/external/form/f0aa5ade-c9d5-498d-be31-f341b1d3ff8f

Another step is to support our North American Mission Board. Today marks the beginning of the Week of Prayer for North American Missions. Please take the prayer guide on a seat near you and commit to pray with your family for our missionaries who are working to evangelize and disciple those who live in communities without an evangelical church. You can access the prayer guide by following this link: https://www.anniearmstrong.com/week-of-prayer/

Further, please pray about giving to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO). Our goal as a church is to raise $4,000 for North American Missions. These funds go directly to supporting our missionaries who are in areas with little gospel witness. You can give toward this by writing AAEO on your giving envelope. And, as with all our our special offerings, the church asks that you give this above and beyond your regular tithes and offerings which support our church budget. Our goal is to reach this goal for North American Missions by the end of March.

It is a joy to partner in the gospel with you.