I trust you have a great beginning to 2019! This year will be full of challenges, potential, adventures & learnings. And I know we don’t want to hear it, but there will be struggles and even difficulties… unfortunately that’s life. But through these things, we often become stronger and better equipped for HIS purposes! I love the scripture in 1 Cor. “A wide-open door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries”. It’s fascinating to see in the same verse, Paul speaks about wide-open doors and adversaries (struggles or difficulties). The Bible is so real to life!
I am disturbed!
Many will say … ummmm we knew that all along!!!!
Just prior to Christmas, I returned from Ireland I love the people and country, it reminds me so much of NZ! But did you know there are 6.1 million people in that wonderful country going to an eternity without Christ? Does this bother you?
Stay with me as I explain…
Many leaders say Ireland has 6% who are Christian. Let’s be very generous … that equates to around 400,000 people who are Christ followers. There are 6.5 million people in Ireland. Sooo, by my calculations, at least 6.1 million have no personal relationship with Jesus and are going to an eternity without Christ. That bothers me!
Northern Ireland seems to be the Bible belt of Ireland. 30-35% are Christ followers. There are still 65% who don’t know Christ. We also need new churches planted there.
If church planting is the best way to fulfil Matt 28, the Great Commission that Jesus gave us, how can we be involved in planting churches? Ralph Moore states, “New churches bring people to Jesus 4 times as fast as churches that are more than 10 years old.”
SOOO, my big question for 2019 (these are the things that keep me awake at night) - how can we leverage our resources to start/plant new communities of faith?
There has GOT to be a way to reach the generations that are missing out!
I believe as we ALLOW it to bother us it will cause us to pray, fast and receive God-ideas on what to do.
I do have some answers in PART 2 next week… not for the fainthearted.
Thank you again to those who continue to support financially, this is never taken for granted or gone unnoticed. Thank you! 2019 is going to see increase once again.
