From this initial relationship I met other pastors and my vision for “Impact India” began to grow.  I began to get my cell groups involved in praying for these pastors and trying to help them in practical ways.  God has used our groups to provide Bibles, song books, a sewing machine, computer, a roof on a worship facility and even a vehicle for one of the ministries.

I see huge potential to make a difference in India as we partner with these pastors who serve for the most part without pay or resources.  There is a great need for leadership training, cell training,  women’s conferences, discipleship training, Encounter retreats etc.  One of the pastors I’m working with has access to 60 villages and has the vision to plant new churches in the region but needs support for these pastors who will establish these churches..

I just returned from a month long trip which took me to 6 regions in two Indian states.  The team and I had some of the following opportunities:

• Spoke at a gathering of pastors (the fellowship consists of 500 pastors)
• Visited a leper colony (saw how $2000 could put a pump in a well and provided electricity to the homes)
• Participated in 5 open air gatherings of 1000+ people and saw many come to Christ.
• My wife and another woman on the team held a women’s conference and had the opportunity to minister one on one and pray with many women.
• Held a Saturday cell training session
• Went to five new villages with no Christian presence and preached the Gospel.

There are so many amazing stories I could tell but in one case an investigator came to see what was happening at one of the open air meetings.  As this Hindu man sat by the stage and watched 1000 people passionately worshipping the Savior he made the comment, “All the hair on my body was standing up and it felt like I was in heaven.”

At another open air gathering ten members of the anti-Christian governmental party were on stage as invited guests.  The team and I didn’t know who they were and assumed they were local pastors.  We worshipped and preached the Gospel and here is the report I received from the host pastor.  “All the elected anti- Christian members who came for the meeting were touched by the Lord and they said, “Preaching and admonishing people in God’s Word is the great way to change the society… even they have given words of encouragement to conduct such meetings in the days to come.  This is great news for the Christians in India as God is changing even the enemies hearts.”

Over the past five years, God has used me to lay a strong foundation of friendship and trust with these precious Indian Pastors and now I’m praying for others to partner with me to help make a difference in that nation, a nation of 300 million gods, filled with temples and idol worship.  If you as an individual, your cell group or even your church would like to partner with me to Impact India please write to me at msove@allenmemorial.org, so I can share with you the many ways we can partner to make a difference.

I invite you to our India Mission presentation Sunday Feb 12th at 6:30 pm at AMBC.

It’s time to change again, but on a smaller scale.  Our children’s ministry will be making a change to our Sunday morning schedule beginning January 1, 2012.  Here it is:
9:30am Service –
First Steps Nursery and preschool (ages 0-5)
Kid’s Connection (1^st-4^th grade)
Planet 56 (5^th-6^th grade)
11am Service –
First Steps Nursery and preschool (ages 0-5)

Due to decreasing number at 11am, we will no longer be offering activities for 1st-4th graders at 11am.  This change was made after much discussion and prayer!  With average attendance of 3-6 children in this group, we decided to ask our 11am teachers to join our 9:30 team to better serve the 50-60 children we teacher at that service.  Children (1st-4th grade) who have been attending the 11am may now either attend the 9:30 service where they can learn and grow with their peers or worship with their parents in the sanctuary.  Please be sure to check out our new Children’s Worship Bulletins available for all three services at AMBC.

Please contact me directly if you have any questions or concerns about this change.  My door is always open and my phone is always on:).  I speak for our entire children’s ministry team when I say…WE LOVE YOUR KIDS!!!  Thank you for allowing us to teach and bless them each week.

In Christ,
Cheryl

1. Understand the Bible better through group discussion as you apply the Bible to your own personal situations.
2. Develop close relationships with other believers who will walk beside you in your journey as a Christ follower.
3. Find answers to the needs in your life through group prayer.
4. Get support in times of crisis or major changes from people who really care for you.
5. Demonstrate to your lost friends the love of Christ in a non-church setting.
6. Move from being a spectator to a participant by using your gifts and talents as you serve others.

We are so excited about what God is doing in our Life Groups this Fall Semester.  You can still connect with a Life Group even though the semester is half over.  If you need information please contact me at msove@allenmemorial.org.

We are already in the planning stages for our Spring Semester, which will begin Feb 12^th and end on May 5^th.  January will be promotion month when everyone will be asked to sign up for a Life Group.  Maybe you don’t see yourself as a Life Group leader but would be willing to host a group in your home for a twelve week commitment.  Please let me know if you could help us in this way.

I am also seeking individuals from within our Life Groups who would be willing to help mentor new believers.  Many people are opening their hearts to Christ and we want to help them build a strong foundation.  If you would be willing to meet with a person on a regular basis for a few months please let me know.

1 Cor 13:13 “And now these three remain:  faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.”

As I think about my marching orders as a follower of Christ, it is clear to me that love is to be the main focus and action of my life.  At the end of the day I have to answer the question, “Did I love today?”  As I complete another calendar year the main question I need to answer is this.   “Did I grow in love this year?  Am I a more loving person?”

The people around us will know how serious we are about following Christ by our acts of love as well.  John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

I believe there are three directions for my love, three facets of love I need to be focused on.  First and foremost I need to be all about Loving God! Jesus showed the place of this in Mark 12:30 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The operative word here is “all.”

Secondly I must be all about Loving Christians in my life!  I am so grateful for my church family and especially those who are in my Life Group that I have on-going interaction with.

One week before He died Jesus gave His disciples and us a new command.  Do you know what that command was?  John 13:34 “A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Wow, of all the things He could have said one week before He died, He gave us this command.

Finally, if I am going to grow in love then I must be all about Loving Lost People. If I am to follow the example of Jesus who came to seek and to save the lost, then I need to be focused daily on the people who surround me who need to be found by Him.

Can I ask you, are you growing in love?  Does your love have three facets and are you growing in each facet day by day?  Join me in this pursuit of love.  Our Life Groups are a good way to live out the three facets of love in community.  Contact me is you need help in finding a group.

I am so excited as I think about what God just did as we began our Fall Semester Life Groups.  As I was praying and asking God what is a good starting point, I remember thinking 300 sign ups would be a bottom line number to shoot for.  I remember thinking 400 would be a stretch goal, a God sized goal to aim for.

God is awesome and not only did we reach 400, we climbed to 450 sign ups.  I have been doing this for five years and what just happened shows God’s Greatness!  I am hearing great reports after our first week and look forward to the stories that are going to come out of our groups.

It really pays to listen to God’s voice and be willing to move out of your comfort zone.  God is great and I just want to praise His Name.  What are you shooting for?   What is your dream?  I want to encourage you to follow God’s leading.

This week I saw the greatness of God in salvation.  I have been praying at Facedown for the salvation of the son of a friend for five years.  This week she suffered a mild stroke and her son flew in to be with her.  Pastor Bill led him to Christ so the first thing my friend woke to after her surgery was the news of the salvation of her son!

Listen I don’t know about you but I am Gripped by God’s Greatness!  What do you have to praise Him for as we begin this week?

Comments?  E-mail me at msove@allenmemorial.org

They have learned to swallow their fear, clear their throat, and speak.

They are members of our church.

Hear their words:

A businessman wrote:

“Once you get past the fear….and share the good news…the blessings all come back on you!  It’s a win-win any way you look at it!”

A school teacher emailed:

“I witnessed to my mom over the phone.”

From a mother of two:

“Yesterday I participated in the outreach activity in the neighborhood adjacent to our church. I was slightly terrified and very sick to my stomach at the thought of having to go to a stranger’s door and talk to them about something as personal (and, to some people, offensive) as my faith.”

After three painless spiritual conversations, she concluded:

“My point is, it was all painless, no one was rude, and I canvassed a rather large section of a neighborhood in less than an hour. I was so worked up in my mind that I would be yelled at, or worse, that I would fumble my words, but God was with me the whole time and I had absolutely no reason to fear! (Joshua 1:9) Thank you for challenging us to be soul seekers. It is something that I knew I should have been doing all along but my fear always held me back. Yesterday’s experience has given me the courage to be a soul seeker every day.”

Please remember…when we move out of our comfort zone, we are moving right into God’s comfort zone.

The Spirit of God wants to replace your fear of sharing Christ with the courage to…

Pass Out Tracts/ “The Bridge to God” DVD

Start Spiritual Conversations

Share the Gospel

Set the P.A.C.E.* With an Unsaved Person You Are Befriending

The Spirit of God wants to give you courage to speak to the lost about Jesus Christ.  The Spirit of God wants to fill your heart with this truth:

“So do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

Go ahead—ask Him to give you courage.  You have nothing to fear but fear…that keeps you silent.

*Pray daily for their salvation

Ask them to church events/worship services

Contact them weekly (text, email, call, visit)

Evangelize (share your testimony and the gospel)

Over the years I have seen people grow in their faith and confidence to live out that faith by their faithful participation in a Life Group.  I’ve seen people saved, people who could not pray publically who now are very comfortable praying for people.  I’ve seen shy people become Life Group Leaders.  I believe Life Groups provide the optimum environment for life change.

I recently taught about the Power of Biblical Community and showed from Acts Chapter 2, the following things.  #1 What We Do  #2  What God Does  #3  What Happens.  Our part is to be devoted!  We are to be devoted to some things just like the Early Church, and Acts 2:42 shows the three things we are to be devoted to.

Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

We are to be devoted to God’s Word, One Another and to God’s Presence.  As we gather with a Life Group and devote ourselves to these things while on mission together, we will experience the community God intended for us to have.

God’s part is that He will meet our needs and bind us together.  This can be seen in the following passage.

Acts 2:43-45 “Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.”

Groups are critical for the care of this congregation.  Everyone needs to be surrounded with others who can become spiritual family to them, caring for them and praying for them.  God designed us for community.  As you participate in a group you will see first hand how God meets needs in and through members of that group, and you will be greatly encouraged.

As we obey and as we step into the vision God has for our Church.  As we as individuals seek to be filled daily by the Spirit, and as we gather weekly in both the large and small groups amazing things will happen.

Acts 2:46-47 “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

We will become surrendered to the Spirit, seeking souls daily and God will be glorified and His kingdom extended!

I have been reading a book by Scott Boren called Missional Small Groups and want to share some what I’m learning over the next few posts.  In it he talks about four stories of group life.  I dream of moving our groups beyond the first two stories you’ll read about below into the third and fourth stories.  I dream of Missional Life Groups.  Here are the stories Scott talks about in his book.

The first one is called the Story of Personal Improvement.

Small groups that live out this story play rhythms that sound like this:  We get together because life is tough in this world and we need friends.  It is not always convenient for us to meet every week, but we do meet when we can.  Usually we meet in short six-or seven-week periods or we meet a couple times a month.  We get together, talk a bit about God or study the Bible, and share what is going on at work and in our family.  I am not sure that we are close, but it is good to have a place where we can share a little about what is going on in our lives.  Being in my small group has improved my life.

The second story is called The Story of Lifestyle Adjustment.

The rhythms played by a small group in this story sound like this:  This group has become a priority to us.  We have adjusted our schedules to meet together at least every other week, but usually we meet weekly.  In our meetings, we either study the sermon preached by our pastor or use a Bible Study guide that we all find personally beneficial.  We truly enjoy each other’s presence, and we put a high priority on the group and the members in the group.  We even do something social once each month.  We rise to the occasion when someone has a need, and there is a sense that we are now friends.

The third story is called The Story of Relational Revision.

When a group of people play the rhythms of this story, the song has a distinctive sound:  Our group has a weekly meeting, but I am not sure that you would call it a meeting in a formal sense of the word.  When we get together, it is a culmination of the rest of the week when we have been in one another’s lives.  It is a time of sharing what God has been doing, praying for each other, and talking about how God is using us in our normal lives.  Yes, we do have a weekly lesson, but the leader usually only asks one or two questions from it.  (It’s not the only reason we meet)

The most important part of our group, however is not the meeting; it is how we are connected the other six days.  I have never been part of a group in which people are so willing to sacrifice time and energy for each other.  And this connectedness actually spills out into our neighborhood.  It seems like we are always interacting with, praying for, and serving people who live near us.  And in some ways, they are just as much a part of our group as those who call ourselves Christians.

The fourth story is called The Story of Missional Re-creation.

The rhythms of this story stand in stark contrast to the predominant story of our culture.  It might sound something like this:  We have developed a way connecting with each other and God that has resulted in some rather unpredictable developments.  Two couples and a single person in our group live within walking distance of each other.  So as a group we decided to adopt their neighborhood.  We started with a block party.  At first it was hard because no one knew us, but after the first party, we started becoming a presence in the community.

Then one person started a summer children’s Bible study and she got to know the neighbors and their needs, we began to pray.  Now we have come around a single mom who has three kids, and we include her as much as we can in the life of the group.  She has yet to fully understand who Jesus is, but we feel led to embrace her and the kids and see what God does in her life.  The missional small group is not about meetings and Bible studies.  It is about seeing what God wants to do in the neighborhood.

God has called us on mission together.  Will you sign up for a Life Group and participate on the mission with us?

Michael Sove – Life Group Pastor

It’s not so much about numbers as it is transformed lives.  As a church of groups, Life Groups are a major part of our strategy to help people become Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus Christ.  Because life change is so important we need to lay a foundation of prayer as we move toward the fall semester.

We have launched three pre-launch prayer gatherings.  You can read about these in Bits and Bytes in our resource section.  I invite you to come and pray at one of these locations the next three weeks.  We are praying for our fall semester and asking God to pour out blessing and favor over the events He has laid on our hearts to pursue and for all the groups that will launch the week of Oct 2nd.

I invite all of you who are reading this to help us lay this foundation of prayer.  My wife and I have opened our townhouse for prayer and want to give you a personal invitation to pray with us on Wednesday at 7pm.  We live at 615 Wye Oak Dr. in Cedar Commons, right off of Cedar Ln in Fruitland.

If you haven’t signed up for one of our groups, you can do so on our web page by going to the Life Group section!  I am convinced God is going to do great things but I know prayer will make the difference.