Meeting People Right Where They Are At

Today is March 1 which officially begins VISION MONTH here at Gaylord E-Free. We used last Sunday to introduce the topic of vision. What did we learn?

1. We learned that vision comes from God and needs to be communicated (remember, vision leaks) because it is what stimulates us to action!

2. We learned that God’s vision for the church is that we would have a dynamic impact in making Jesus known across the street, across the states and across the seas!

3. We learned that to have a maximum impact, we must live a highly potent Christian live that comes in close proximity with unbelievers in order to clearly communicate the Gospel to them!

4. We learned that our purpose as a church is to be “MEETING as many people as possible right where they are at and MOVING them closer to where God wants them to be!”

Over the next two Sundays we will use the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4 to explain what MEETING & MOVING looks like. We will focus this Sunday on the aspect of “MEETING people!” We will see that meeting people right where they are at includes meeting them where they are geographically; meeting them where they are spiritually; and meeting them where they are culturally.

Along with the continued M&M theme and the train set on the stage, this Sunday’s service will also include a special video highlighting the missionaries we support as a church as we seek to see 250 people commit to sponsor one of our missionaries by being a committed prayer warrior for them who will also communicate regularly with them. There will also be a dramatic sketch called “The Line-up” as we illustrate the need we have as a church to be willing meet every type of person right where they are at.

And because one of my major sermon illustrations this Sunday will deal with the old sitcom, “Cheers,” the worship band will be taking time in the message to play and sing the popular theme song from that TV show with the words,

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.