A Successful Church

Would you consider the following items as measures of success in your local church, or concerns?

1. The number of cigarette butts in the church parking lot.
2. The number of adoptions people in the church have made from local foster care.
3. The number of pictures on the church wall of unwed mothers. holding their newborn babies in their arms for the first time.
4. The number of classes for special needs children and adults.
5. The number of former convicted felons serving in the church.
6. The number of phone calls from community leaders asking the church’s advice.
7. The number of meetings that take place somewhere besides the church building.
8. The number of organizations using the church building.
9. The number of days the pastor doesn’t spend time in the church office but in the community.
10. The number of emergency finance meetings that take place to reroute money to community ministry.
11. The amount of dollars saved by the local schools because the church has painted the walls.
12. The number of people serving in the community during the church’s normal worship hours.
13. The number of non-religious-school professors worshiping with you.
14. The number of people wearing good, free clothes that used to belong to members of the church.
15. The number of times the church band has played family-friendly music in the local coffee shop.
16. The number of people who have gotten better because of free health clinic you operate.
17. The number of people in new jobs thanks to the free job training center you opened.
18. The number of micro-loans given by members in your church.
19. The number of churches your church planted in a 10 mile radius of your own church.

How do you measure success? Click "comments" below.

[From W. David Phillips]

COGOP Promotes International Assembly

Today's Prayer

Dear God,

People can be so mean to one another through their thoughtless words. It has happened to me ... and at times I may have caused pain on others through words I've uttered.

Please help me to think before I speak. I pray that I will always think of others and their needs, their hurts, their circumstances, even their personalities in the way I speak and respond. I pray that every brother and sister in Christ would speak words of encouragement, exhortation, and the truth in love.

If there is a need for confrontation, may it be through following biblical principles that the name of Jesus be lifted up and that you will be glorified through it all. May I never be rude or uncaring and may I never say words that leave that impression.

Thank you for helping me and for blessing me. In the name of Jesus I come to you.

Amen.

The Lighthouse Movement

Synergy supports The Lighthouse Movement. In cooperation with the Mission America Coalition, we want to help mobilize the church to pray for, care for and share Jesus Christ with every person in America.

We are emphasizing not only city by city transformation but also we are encouraging every follower of Jesus Christ to become a light in their own neighborhood. To truly see the transformation of our nation, individual Christians must be praying for, caring for and sharing Jesus Christ with their neighbors, friends, family members and co-workers who don’t know Him.

As lighthouses, Christians throughout the nation are living out their personal faith and sharing Jesus Christ in word and deed (acts of kindness) with those around them.

For more information about how to get involved, write DGBrock@aol.com.

For more information, click http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=F.2f0ebc46-69f6-45a3-93fb-0e291e1fa356&hl=en for a broshure in PDF.

Also, click http://www.actsofkindness.org/ or http://www.servantevangelism.com/main.cfm for more information on acts of kindness.