Whether it's happening across the street or across the country, check out what's happening with the Foursquare family.
The Muslim population in the U.S. is growing, which worries some in our post-9/11 world. But Foursquare leaders say many of our fears are unfounded, and that we have a great opportunity for evangelism. In part one of this two-part series, we look at the facts and talk with Foursquare pastors who regularly minister to Muslims.
As Foursquare pastors serving in cities with high Mormon populations point out, sharing the gospel with Mormons starts with the willingness to build a bridge of friendship despite doctrinal differences. In part two of our series, we look at how Foursquare churches are reaching Mormons and what you can do to minister to Mormon friends, neighbors and co-workers.
Sharing the gospel with a Mormon friend poses unique challenges, partly because Mormons view themselves as Christians. In this two-part article series, we’ll meet several Foursquare pastors who serve in cities with a high Mormon population. We’ll examine the sensitivities involved and how best to minister to these people Jesus loves.
David and Joyce Wing have served Dover Foursquare Church in Dover, Ohio—a small town of 12,000 people in the shadow of Amish country—for 42 years. Loving people well is what this church is all about. They are known as a place where the people show friendliness and love, serve the community and give freely.
As busy pastors with overwhelming schedules, we sometimes overlook the importance of building relationships. But hanging out with people is one of the most crucial components of ministry success. Heidi Strickler, an assisting minister at Harbourtown Community in Vermilion, Ohio, says she’s been clearing her plate of things that get in the way of spending time with people.
In Part 3, we study what is perhaps the most important trait found in churches that have a lasting ministry: They reach out to people in love and in the power of the Holy Spirit. We discovered that the churches that have staying power put a high priority on showing love in practical ways and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Recent high school graduate Dylan Haynes started a father/son basketball outreach with his dad when he was still in high school. The idea was simple: Every Tuesday night, he and other members from New Life Community Church in Manchester, N.H., would play basketball for a couple of hours with people from the community and develop relationships. The impact has been profound.
The landscape of friendship has changed dramatically in the age of electronic communication, posing new challenges to relationships. From her new book, “Friending,” author Lynne M. Baab offers a biblical guide for how to be a good friend in 2011.
Vin and Kesha Thomas are members of West Salem Foursquare Church in Oregon. They discovered how supportive their church is when they were vacationing in Hawaii during the tsunami in March. They enjoy the church’s blend of ages, cultures and lifestyles, and have been able to get involved in worship ministry, creative arts, the nursery and with young adults.
Parents and youth pastors often find themselves at odds, even though their goal is the same: spiritually healthy teens. From his new book, “Reinventing Youth Ministry (Again),” veteran youth leader Wayne Rice discusses the obstacles that sometimes keep parents and youth pastors from working together effectively.