From the Pastor’s Heart: It’s Time to Act—Reaching Millions by each “One” reaching “One”

Recently I cast vision for our Leadership Team at Christ Church. Our key text for our 2024 Leadership Retreat was from Exodus 2:24-25, “God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.”   God heard the cry of the many and took action through One leader! God values the “One”.  In Luke 15 a good shepherd discovered one sheep was lost so he left the 99 to go after the “One”. There is a spiritual hunger in America today like never before.  So many are unchurched. May God give us tender hearts for our unchurched friends and neighbors.

The mission field in the United States is now the largest it has ever been. Pew Research put out a report last month, January 24 stating that the largest religious group now in the United States is not Catholic, Protestant, Christian, etc., it’s the “NONES” as they now number 28%.   They claim “No church or religious affiliation”.  In 2007 they numbered 16%.   Thus the fastest growing religious group happens to be those who do not affiliate with any church or religious group.  God knows it’s time to act! Here is the vision that I shared with our leaders and I want to share this vision with you for I believe God is saying, “it’s time to act”. We are called to…

• Increase worship attendance at all campuses by minimum of 10% by raising the “Invitational Mantra” in worship with the mantra, “Each one bring one”. Invite someone to worship.  Who is your “One” person you are praying for? The “One” person you will invite to worship? It’s time to act.
• Be more intentional in raising up our younger generation to reach their generation for Christ “One” person at a time! Training our CC Students and CC Kids in sharing their faith “One person at a time”. It’s time to act.
• Starting a new campus in 2024-2025…to reach “One” person at a time. It’s time to act!
• Providing a permanent home for CC Lincolnton to reach the “One”.  It’s time to act.
• Loving on those who are struggling and hurting by starting a Christian Counseling Center at Christ Church Global and increasing our Compassionate Care Ministry to care for “One” person at a time. It’s time to act.
• Investing in training and equipping laity and staff through Christian classes and seeking more partnerships with existing colleges and seminaries…It’s time to act. 
• Participating in the Foundry Network with 12 other large Wesleyan Evangelical Churches sharing best practices in reaching the unchurched for Christ.  It’s time to act.
• Unleashing large amounts of generosity to fund the mission and vision of Christ Church so this generation knows Jesus’ saving grace and healing in their lives.
• We’re starting a New Series for unchurched friends called, “Unreasonable Faith—Who Is Jesus?” Invite someone this weekend as this series builds to Easter Sunday.

The generosity of CC worshippers in 2023 set a record for giving to the general budget.  However, we are $114,145 behind budget in the first eight weeks of this year.  Let us join our hearts in prayer to pray for the “One” person we are going to invite and share Christ with. Each “one” of us is needed to make this vision a reality.  Let’s also join together in unleashing faithful generosity so we may reach even more persons for Christ.

Julie and I join you in praying for and inviting “One” person at a time.

Love,
Pastor Charles