Connecting with new Canadians

Here is a good article about touching the lives of those who are beginning to make their new home in Canada. You’ll find some good examples of simple ways to reach out with Christ’s love. http://www.christianity.ca/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=6832

Gear-up for September

A lot of people move over the summer and are seeking new connections in their new neighbourhood, including a church. Many search for churches on the Internet using Google. That makes your website the first contact many people have with your congregation. Is it up-to-date? It should include all the contact information, service times and a map. Simply type your address into Google Maps and it will generate a link you can put on your website.

And if people visit, likely the only piece of information they will take with them is a copy of your church bulletin. Make sure it speaks well of your church and includes all your contact information including the updated website address!

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Know your community.

 Are you looking for some solid demographic material to help you understand your community so that you can discover “bridges” to help you share the Gospel in your community?  Stats Canada has an excellent website you might want to use called, “2006 Community Profiles.”  Visit: http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/index.cfm?Lang=E.

Some communities (e.g. Edmonton) have additional demographic information available. Edmonton has demographic information according to neighbourhoods (http://webproxy.edmonton.ca:20050/external/datademographics/searchprofiles.aspx). You might want to explore your city/town/township website and see what they provide in terms of community demographic and city planning information.

An application form for a community analysis is available at http://www.lutheranchurch.ca/openhouse.php?s=demo .

One of the best ways for you to develop outreach programs that help you connect to your community is by visiting with community leaders and asking them questions about the community.  You would want to interview: local government officials (including the mayor); planning and zoning people; teachers/principals; police; health care professionals; social workers, neighbours around the church building, the editor of your community newspaper  and so on.  Talk with other church leaders in your community to learn their insights and what they are doing to connect to the lost people.

For more information about One-2-One Connect, contact your district mission executive.

Connecting in the summer

The summer season is usually a little more relaxing and laid back. Why not use this time of year to nurture your friendship with an unchurched person?

Here are some ideas:

· Invite the person to garden with you. Share some perennial cuttings

· Organize a weekly fishing/golfing outing or participate in the LHM Men’s Network Fishing Tournament (www.lhmmen.com)

· Invite the person/family camping · Spend a day at the beach together

· Organize a backyard neighbourhood barbecue

Is your congregation looking for some summer outreach ideas?

Check out the following websites: http://www.onmission.com/site/c.cnKHIPNuEoG/b.4167675/k.5FE7/Outreach_IdeaSummer_2008.htm  http://www.childrensministry.com/article.asp?ID=885  

Order DVDs for VBS children and parents!  LCC has a good supply of The Story of Jesus for Children, Jesus: Legend or Lord, and Magdalena. Order through www.tobiascom.com/lcc  

Don’t overlook the Father’s Day weekend, (June 20,21) as a witnessing opportunity! A guy’s day out golfing or fishing might provide an opportunity for sharing your faith with an unchurched dad. Check out the Men’s Network (http://www.lhmmen.com )—a website developed by Lutheran Hour Ministries that provides Bible studies and discussion groups specifically for men and it provides numerous ideas for men’s retreats and “impact event” (e.g. disaster response team, building a house).

A unique connection

If you are willing to accept a challenge, take a look at the May 18 post at http://www.thinkdigitalfirst.com.

Mother’s Day and Confirmation opportunities

How might Mother’s Day become an opportunity for sharing your faith in Jesus Christ?  Here are some ideas for you and your congregation:

• Mother’s Day baby supply drive: the gathering of baby related supplies for a local women’s home/families in need/or the mom next door
• Pass out Mother’s Day cards at a local nursing home (with a flower)
• Host a Mother’s Day Baby shower at the hospital for new infants born that day
• Mother’s Day Oil Change outreach

 Creative Communications for the Parish has many excellent resources for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day that you can share with moms and dads. Check out their Spring catalogue

You may want to introduce your unchurched friend to the JC Parent Zone – a website developed by Lutheran Hour Ministries.   The site provides news and notes about parenting from a biblical perspective. 

Many congregations have a Confirmation Sunday service during the month of May!  Confirmation presents you with an opportunity to encourage a young person in his/her faith.  Christian cards, prayer books, devotional booklets, Bibles, wall plaques, and Christian music CDs are excellent ways to reinforce their faith.  As you look for gifts for these Confirmands, you may want to visit the Concordia Publishing website

Something that could help them understand their faith would be Dr. Paul Maier’s Jesus: Legend or Lord available from Lutheran Church–Canada .

Share a creative Easter message

Do you have family or friends who need to hear the encouraging message of Easter? Send them to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iM_4niqVeU  The message from President Robert Bugbee was viewed 100 times in the first hour it was posted. People commented that they were going to share the link with “someone who really needs to hear this.”

Sharing something as simple as a Youtube link may open the door to opportunities for deeper conversation.

Easter outreach ideas

The celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead provides us with many opportunities to give an account of the hope we have in our resurrected Lord.  There are many creative ways to share the message of Christ’s victory over death.  The website: Easy to Evangelize  has more than 60 Easter evangelism ideas!  You might want to “bookmark” this site and return to it to review their summer and Christmas evangelism ideas!

If you are looking for more Easter evangelism ideas, visit Outreach Magazine’s website.   

Are you looking for some Servant Evangelism ideas to do this Spring and Summer?  Visit the site: Servant Evangelism Ideas.  This site not only provides the ideas but also the “how” of doing the event.  You are also encouraged to visit the main page which has many more ideas, articles and inexpensive outreach resources.   Check out their “Connect cards” that can be used with a servant event. 

Disclaimer: These are not Lutheran sites so some discernment is  required!

Green evangelism for March 17

St. Patrick is known as the “Apostle to Ireland.” Patrick arrived in Ireland around 432 A.D. After 15 years of missionary work much of Ireland had been converted. According to some sources, Patrick planted some 200 churches and baptized some 100,000 converts. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick )

The missionary spirit permeated the Irish converts. Irish missionaries were sent to various regions of Europe. Their missionary methodology included: a group of 12 men + one leader would settle in a community where the Gospel had not yet been proclaimed. They would occupy some remote or valueless land but they would live among the people of the community. They would serve the community and eventually their piety and charity would open the door for them to proclaim the message of Christ to the locals. How might the Celtic way of evangelism be adapted to our context today as we try to connect with those who are yet believers in Christ? You might want to read: George G. Hunter III’s book, The Celtic Way of Evangelism. Check it out at Chapters/Indigo: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/search?keywords=The%20Celtic%20Way%20of%20Evangelism&pageSize=10 .

Love and Lent in February

Valentine’s Day is all about love. Valentine’s Day gives us an opportunity to tell others about the greatest love of all — God’s love for the world in Jesus Christ! 

How might you share God’s love with others on Valentine’s Day? 

– Valentine’s Day cards with a Bible passage written in it. 

– Scripture candy/chocolate might be shared with your family, friends and coworkers (available in most Christian bookstores). 

– Send a person a song or hymn file via email that speaks of God’s love in Christ.

The ideas are endless!  One congregation hosted a Valentine’s Day witness breakfast (http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/swank/080213). 

Many people don’t know that Valentine’s Day is named after St. Valentine.  To learn more about St. Valentine, adults might want to visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine.  Children might want to visit: http://www.just4kidsmagazine.com/stvalentine.html to learn more about St. Valentine.  Lutheran Hour Ministries also sells a video/DVD, “The First Valentine” – an excellent Valentine gift to give someone (http://www.lhmgift.org/storefront/products.asp?by=cat&id=7)!

Lent is also right around the corner.  Ash Wednesday is February 25. Once again, Lutheran Hour Ministries is providing Lenten devotions.  To learn how these Lenten Devotions can be used as an outreach tool visit: http://www.lentendevotions.net/outreach.htm.

Note: A few of the web sites listed in this e-bulletin are not Lutheran.