I will be spending the last week of April in Santiago, Chile at the ministry started by Jason Holt. My family prays for the Holt family on a daily basis and love them as fellow church members, friends, and co-workers. I have looked forward to this trip for sometime now. Here recently watching his churches response to the earthquake in Chile  I have become so much more excited about seeing the ministry there. Nothing shows the strength of a church more than seeing what they feel responsibility for. Churches that see a national disaster and know they have a spiritual responsibility to the lost and a civil responsibility to the hurting shows that they are a church that is not just concerned with their own comfort.

If you are looking for a way to get involved in helping hurting fellow believers in Chile and getting the Gospel to the dying – here is your chance!

Today we got word from some of the hardest hit areas of Chile around the city of Concepcion.  People literally do not have water, bread, food, and in some cases a roof over their heads.  There are people living in one of the local churches because their homes are no longer standing.

To help in the incredible need, we plan to travel from Santiago to Concepción on Thursday morning (in less than 32 hours) with a team of eight men to accomplish two goals:

1. We plan to distribute over 40,000 gospel tracks to those who are suffering and need the hope of Christ.  As God gives us the opportunity we will preach the gospel on the streets and in local parks.

2. We’re also taking food and medical supplies to help many who are suffering through this tragedy.

To accomplish these two goals, WE NEED YOUR HELP! Today you can donate funds to purchase food and medical supplies to help with this urgent need online through Paypal.

Go here and donate now!!

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On Sunday evening I went to the Family Recovery Course at No Longer Bound. Every family member who would like to see their loved one in the program has to attend two classes at their facility on a Sunday evening. I enjoyed the lesson and Christ was given His rightful place in the discussion on “Becoming Whole”. There came a part in the lesson where the speaker said, “You must find a community of people to encourage you. You should meet with them once a week. You need to share your life together. Share the good times and the bad times.”. Then he went on to ask the crowd, “Where are some places you can do this?” After about 3 minutes of people naming support groups and programs my mother wrote on her notepad a word that I was already hearing my heart scream – “CHURCH”. After a while the speaker did mention church in along with the list of other places.

I firmly believe that if people understood what the church truly was and was left hear to do in this world then all churches would always be in a perpetual building project. People are looking for a place to be accepted. A place to be real and talk about their difficulties. A place where they find truths that will help them in their everyday lives. As our session ended I heard so many people mention how wonderful the night had been. As much as I enjoyed the night I knew that the experience I had just had is something that I get to enjoy at least times a week. I simply love church. I simply need church.

Here are some applications:

1. Instead of just promoting the events of our church or the place it meets let us show the world the product of this great anomaly. We should tell our friends how the church family has been so vital in our lives.

2. Let us be reminded of the great need for honesty and transparency among believers at church. When you ask someone, “How’s it goin’?” Allow them the time to answer truthfully and without fear of judgement from you.

3. We should work together at seeing more churches started. The world needs a church. They are sheep without a the Shepherd. Let’s give more time, energy, and attention to the church planting efforts around the world.

4. Help people understand what the church is all about. Help people outside of the church who have been given a bad impression on church a proper Biblical understanding of who we should be. Help the people inside of the church who do not understand the great mystery so we have less people like the before mentioned.

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