Church Outreach 101

(Note: In the tradition of taking a Sabbath rest every now and again, I’ll be on vacation now through Labor Day. I plan on being as unplugged from the internet as possible during this time, which likely means no blog entries from me, but I’ll return to writing on Tuesday, September 4. Thanks for understanding! –E.A.)

Over the past year of my ministry here at FCC Longview, I've gotten a lot of questions from friends, colleagues, or people I just met about how exactly I, as a young and (supposedly) vibrant pastor, have gone about trying to grow a historic, aging congregation with success.

If I'm being serious, I enthusiastically tell that person all about the different ministries and missions we've been trying here, the work of our praise team, our commitment to Bible study and fellowship, and yes, about how our Gothic-style building is in fact historic and beautiful.

In other words, I talk their ears off.

Now, though, if I'm simply being goofy, I've decided that I will instead use this cartoon instead (h/t to Christian Piatt):

How do you see spiritual growth happening in your faith community?  What outreach efforts have you appreciated or not appreciated the most?  Any funny stories from your attempts to share the Gospel?

Yours in Christ,
Eric