LPCChapala Volunteers- in-Action
“It’s Fishin time here in the mountains of Mexico.”
It Typically Takes 42 Encounters to Lead a Person to Christ, Keep Fishin
For www.lpcchapala.org/news/ Lakeside Presbyterian Church, Chapala, this was an unexpected call from the pulpit. Our feisty guest speaker at the pulpit was Dwayne Bartley, a Canadian pastor. Dwayne stated, “Over the past 30 years, 70% of Christian churches across Europe and North America have seen their membership plateau or decline. What do we do about it?” His arms waved in his distinctive colored shirt. “Dr Chuck Kelly, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, gave the answer to this question. It is to teach people to proclaim the Gospel, every believer is a witness, every believer has his or her own story. Learn to tell it. Don’t sweat the big stuff that’s the task of the Holy Spirit. It takes about 42 Christian witnesses to make one convert. A daunting task, until You realize that you could be that 42nd Christian and YOU and that YOU may have a big fish in the net.”
Matthew 4:19 Jesus said, “Follow Me, I will Make you Fishers of Men.”
With many amusing stories, Dwayne gave lessons from his life, and how he had learnt the concept of following an instructor to acquire the skills of driving farm equipment while growing up on a Canadian farm.
Its Fishin Time in the Mountains
On the 17th and 19th, April between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Dwayne will lead our Spanish Speaking Mexican Congregation through a course on Evangelism to help prepare them to go out to the villages that surround us here at Lakeside Presbyterian Church, Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico.
Concluding his sermon, he walked to the front of the stage and pointed at the sanctuary exist doors. “As you pass through those doors today, imagine the sign over the doorway saying, You Are Now Entering Your Mission Field.” Are you prepared to witness to your neighbour, to the store clerk, to a friend or family member? You never know when God will give YOU the opportunity to Go Fishin.
Please follow our website www.lpcchapala.org/news/ over the next few weeks leading up to Pentecost. Our Social Media will be highlighting some of the many outreach activities that our Volunteer-In-Action service teams are involved with. You will see our Volunteers-In-Action, feeding the poor, providing clean drinking water were there was none, and providing clothing to the homeless. This is all taking place now, here in the Mexican villages that surround us.
For more information about our church or to volunteer, for one of the many, available, positions that support our community, and our several service programs that reach out to the local village populations, please contact the church office/administrator 376-106-0853.