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The local church is the hope of the world.* Through the local church the hands of
Jesus actively reach out and his feet walk into the neighborhoods to reach the lost and hurting of
this world. Christ calls us: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”(Matthew
28:19).
Through a Celebrate Jesus mission your church can be intentional about reaching out into your
neighborhood. At first this may seem daunting, but as you go into your community and meet
your neighbors God will honor your obedience and will assist and strengthen you (Philippians
4:13).
Celebrate Jesus sends a mission team to your church to walk alongside your members in this outreach
effort. Celebrate Jesus works with your church to assist, guide and suggest ways for you to
pray about your mission, to host your team, to visit your neighborhoods, to prepare for a block
party at the end of the mission week, and to follow through with the neighbors you meet during the
mission. The mission team and your members will ask for prayer requests every time they go
out; our experience is that people are very willing to receive prayer.
As each church is different, each Celebrate Jesus mission is different; however, there are certain
things that host churches have in common. Churches that host Celebrate Jesus missions find a
new concern for the needs of people outside the walls of their churches. The mission experience
kindles a new desire in host church members to reach the lost. Sharing God’s love with your
neighbors is life-changing. It is front-line evangelism. It is “hands-on” Kingdom
work. Celebrate Jesus teams recognize the privilege it is to assist in an individual’s walk
of faith, whether it be introducing Jesus for the first time, offering a free bottle of cold water
in His name, or leading a seeker in a prayer of faith in Christ.
We invite you and your church to participate in this upcoming mission. Our leadership team
will be praying for you as you consider this opportunity to spread the gospel and to share Christ
with your neighbors.
Kathy Furlong, Executive Director
* As expressed at the 2006 Willow Creek
Leadership Summit by Bill Hybels
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