Last Sunday, our community group went to Shelby Park to host an Art in the Park for the kids.  We had a blast!  And so did the kids.  Check out some of the pics…

We never did see any parents.  There were about sixty kids and we painted almost ninety paintings in two hours.  The best part was that some of the kids gave us their painting as a gift.  What a blessing!  We did get the opportunity to speak to some of the neighborhood leaders.  They were blown away with how we continually serve their residents through events like this and our street clean-ups.  As a matter of fact, three of the neighborhood leaders expressed an interest to coming on Sunday.  Maybe we will see them.  I hope they come as a result and hear the gospel.  Keep your eyes posted as we will be doing another art in the park soon.

Most Christians would agree that sharing one’s faith through witnessing is an essential part of the Christian life.  Christians who desire to be faithful in sharing the gospel must be properly and thoroughly equipped for the work.  Paul Little, in the revised edition of his classic work How to Give Away Your Faith, seeks to bring to light many of the topics and difficulties involved in effective Christian witnessing.  The purpose of the work is to answer the questions, How can we witness?  How can we explain clearly to this world that Jesus Christ is a right and relevant solution today? and On what grounds can we approach those who touch our lives and expect to be heard – and believed?

Although implicit, Little divides How to Give Away Your Faith into three major divisions.  The first major division covers the call and character of Christian witnessing.   The second division discusses in detail the content, defense and practice of witnessing.  In the final division Little lays a foundation for Christian living, which is the ground upon which our testimony will be evaluated by a skeptical and watching world.  The evangelist’s life must give evidence to the hearer that the gospel being proposed is real, relevant and worthy to be believed in.

I recommend this book.  Although this is an intensely practical book, it is not pragmatic.  Little allows Scripture, not method, to shape his approach to sharing the gospel. This work truly is a tremendous help in witnessing.  In spite of a few outdated examples (the book was originally written in 1963), readers who desire to be faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ will be well equipped for the task upon their completion of How to Give Away Your Faith.

To read my full review, click here

Sojourn’s hope has always been to take the gospel in Word and deed to those who live in Louisville. Beginning with a mustard seed agenda (Matthew 13:31-32) and the heart of a servant, we began to show in small ways the love God has for our city.  From listening to loving to sharing Christ, hundreds of Sojourners have faithfully served thousands of hours in the Germantown and Shelby Park neighborhoods.  Moreover, Sojourners are taking the missional principles they learned into virtually every neighborhood in Louisville.  God has been so gracious to us over the past year!

Within the last month, there has been a significant shift in the seed ministry.  No longer are we merely going out to serve our community, but our neighborhood residents are responding to the gospel and are coming to us.  It is exciting to see residents that live on Mary Street gathering with us on Sunday to worship. Perhaps you have met several of them.  Perhaps you unknowingly served one of them through a seed project.  Perhaps they saw you pick up some garbage or knock on their door to leave a flyer.  Perhaps you prayed that God would use Sojourn to reach the lost in the city.  Whatever your part may have been, we are seeing God working in the lives of more and more neighborhood families and individuals.  Here is just one of the latest examples:

This past Sunday, Andrew Coverdale and I met with a couple who lives on Mary Street.  They have been together for thirty years and are having a difficult time with their health and finances.   They were told by one of their neighbors that Sojourn is a loving place and that we would care for them. They responded and came on Sunday.  We shared with them the gospel as well as met some of their financial needs.  The husband acknowledged that he needed to re-commit his life to Christ.

Interestingly, the neighbor who sent them our way has not attended Sojourn at all.  However, he has been served numerous times by Sojourn community groups participating in seed projects.  We have fixed his gutters, cut down some of the trees in his yard and have prayed for his wife and family.

God is pleased and we are blessed when we live out our identity as His servants and missionaries.  We go out as God’s ambassadors, serve our neighbors in the name of Christ and share the good news and the hope we have in Him.  Seed has come full circle.  We have gone out by God’s grace, and by God’s grace they are coming in.  To God be all glory!

Come join the seed ministry as God continues to work and draw people to Himself.