KOM311 stands for “Kids on Mission (Colossians) 3:11.”  They have adopted Paul’s words in this verse (that Christ may be all in all) to reflect their ministry goal, which is to teach our children to live their lives with an all-consuming passion for Jesus Christ as their Lord.  KOM311 meets every Sunday evening for study, activities, and ministry.  In just the last 18 months or so, they have participated in various ministry activities such as visits to shut-ins (with homemade cookies in tow!), Christmas visits to the firestation to deliver cookies, food preparation for Elkhorn Baptist Association feeding ministries, associational Bible-drills, adopt-a-family at Christmas time, cards and letters of encouragement, and lots of prayer for their church family!

The KOM311 ministry is for children between the ages of (roughly) 7-12.  Mrs. Kim is their faithful leader and she receives help from many others at different times, including Michael H., Lonnie H., and Mrs. Lorie.  Please pray for these kids!  Pray that God would form them into a generation of Christ-exalting, humble servants whose lives are invested in Kingdom purposes. 

And don’t forget…support them Sunday by sticking around, enjoying lunch, and contributing to their cause!

http://www.westernrecorder.org/

Every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

In yet another place, the apostle Paul summarizes his blessed ministry among the Ephesians when he says to the Elders at Ephesus,

I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.  (Acts 20:20-21)

And in the text which has become  the quintessential descriptive text for what ministry looked like in the early church, we read in Acts 2:42-47 that when the early believers in Jerusalem dedicated themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and the prayers, they were compelled to move out of the church and into the city.  There, in the city, signs and wonders were performed and great displays of mercy and sharing were observed.  There was fellowship, praise, and evangelism which resulted in the salvation of many thousands in a short time.  What was key to the whole operation of the Spirit in these early days was the church’s burden to get outside its walls and go “house to house” where the people were and where ministry could take place. 

Do we even miss that kind of outpouring of the Holy Spirit?  Do we even want that kind of ministry today?    Would we even know what to do with literally thousands of new, immature, zealous converts?  Are we willing to learn from the early church’s methodology and get out in to the city and meet people where they are at?  Do we even have this burden for the lost? 

 Throughout the months of March and April, our church will be participating in an effort with hundreds of other Southern Baptist Churches across the state and thousands of other Southern Baptist Churches across the country to get out the word of the gospel.  The initiative is called the “FIND IT HERE” initiative and our role will consist primarily of canvassing thousands (yes thousands!) of homes in the South Lexington area in the weeks leading up to Easter and sharing with them invitations to attend our church on Easter Sunday where they can hear the gospel and consider their own salvation.  Of course, our hope is that in the process, much evangelism and relationship-building will take place. 

Our efforts will be buttressed by a national media campaign which will include radio and television ads that will air in the weeks leading up to Easter.  These ads will direct people to a website (www.findithere.com) which will allow them to hear a thorough gospel presentation while also directing them to a local Southern Baptist church in which to find fellowship and counsel. 

Our church will participate in the canvassing of no fewer than 2000 homes.  We will be having a “Find it Here Workshop” on Saturday, March 6^th from 9:00 to 12:00 noon.  In this workshop, we will discuss be equipped for sharing while logistically preparing ourselves for the canvassing, prayer, and outreach that will take place on the following Saturdays in March (13, 20, and 27). 

As a pastor and an evangelist, I am pleading with you today in the strongest possible terms to plan to participate in this effort.  According to recent data, there are near 30,000 people in the 40503 zip code.  There are over 17,000 people within a 2-mile radius of our church.  In Stonewall neighborhood alone, there are over 2,500 people.  Any church (including ours) content to allow its community to die without being engaged and challenged by the gospel, needs to do some serious soul-searching to honestly assess whether or not it can even be called a New Testament church.  If we have absolutely no burden for the lost, can we really say the Spirit of Christ is in us?  If we make no time to reach out to our city, can we really say we understand obedience, ministry and the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20).

 Join us in this crucial effort.  Commit to being a part of the Find it Here campaign.  Also, pray for us.  Pray not only that we would engage and connect-with the lost all around us, but pray that God will use the church’s leadership and this effort to revive us and re-focus us as a church on what our real purpose for existence is.  We exist for the glory of God.  We exist to make Christ known.  We exist to make disciples of Jesus Christ.  That is the kind of church we must strive to be if we are to be found faithful in the day of His glorious return. 

 Join me this month in making Christ known!

How passionate is Paul’s burden for the salvation of Israel?  Paul’s desire is clear in Romans.  He has a burden to see Israel saved.  His burden is so serious that he is willing to take upon himself damnation if it means the salvation of his brethren.  The word translated “accursed” (anathema in Greek) means to be set apart of devoted to destruction.  This is how heavy Paul’s burden was for the salvation of others.

Where are those Christians today who share this kind of burden for the lost?  Where are those so devoted to seeing others saved that they would take upon themselves God’s wrath if it meant the salvation of others?  The fact is that the church today has lost its burden for the lost.  You might say that’s overstated.  But I say it’s a reality.  When was the last time you witnessed to someone.  Not merely inviting them to church, but actually opening the Word of God and sharing the gospel with them?  Who are you praying for regularly?  When was the last time you wept for the lost in prayer?  We must pray that God will give us a burden again for the lost if we are to prosper and grow as a church.

This spring, our church is participating in a convention-wide initiative that will both encourage us to develop a burden for our community and give us a ministerial outlet through which to express that burden.  It is called the “FIND IT HERE” initiative, and in the weeks to come, you will be hearing much more about it at Southern Heights.

So what is “FIND IT HERE?”

- It is an organized campaign in which we, along with other Southern Baptists locally and nationwide, will canvass the homes of millions of our neighbors.  We will be inviting them to attend a local Southern Baptist church on Easter Sunday, 2010, and directing them to a website (www.findithere.com) where they will be presented the gospel in a modern, multi-media format and pointed to a local Southern Baptist church.

- Our role will be canvassing 2000 homes in South Lexington in the weeks leading up to Easter.  This will mean we need dozens and dozens of our people to begin planning now to be mobilized on three consecutive Saturdays in March (the 13^th, 20^th, and 27^th), and possibly April 3^rd.  Our goal will be to leave pre-packaged invitations at 2000 homes in the area surrounding our church and then begin praying for a harvest to begin on Easter Sunday, 2010.

- This effort will be supplemented by radio, television, and internet media prepared by the Southern Baptist Convention and aired nationally on major networks and stations during the same time-period.

- We will prepare ourselves throughout the month of February by promoting the initiative, informing participants about the details, preparing materials and maps, and above all praying fervently for our neighbors in South Lexington.  There will be a “Find it Here Workshop” at the church on Saturday, March 6^th in which final preparations and training will be done.  Please plan now to attend.

Frankly, if we don’t have the kind of burden that Paul had for his brethren, then we need to ask God to give us that burden.  Without genuine concern for the salvation of the lost demonstrated by our willingness to witness to those all around us, the church in general and Southern Heights in particular, will struggle to find purpose, direction, and meaning.  If we are not concerned for the salvation of the lost, we should question our own spiritual development.  If we have no burden for our neighbors, it soon becomes difficult to justify our existence at all as an institution.

Begin praying for that burden today.  Begin planning to be a part of the “FIND IT HERE” emphasis that you will be hearing about in the weeks to come.  Begin making a difference in the community and in the world by being a faithful witness of the gospel for the glory of God!

Let this breakfast fill your belly and help prepare your heart for the blessings of the Word of God that you will receive during the Sunday School/ Small group hour at 9:30!  We have a class that is right for you!

Come and be a part of this special blessing!  We look forward to seeing you there!

First, we are using the Gideons Bible Reading plan (www.gideons.org).  This is a simple little pamphlet that outlines all 365 days of the year and the chapters you would read in the morning and evening to finish the Bible in one year.  You essentially read a few chapters of OT in the morning, and a little NT in the evening.  There’s no “outside reading material” with this schedule/ calendar.  It is just a guide for reading through the Bible in a year.  I have a whole stack of these guides available (delivered today thanks to our local Gideons, 1/15) for anyone who wishes to use them.

Secondly, to supplement our daily Bible reading and to give something that will stimulate us to think Biblically and theologically, we are using a book by John MacArthur called Strength for Today: Daily Readings for a Deeper Faith. This book is a collection of 365 stand-alone daily devotions (each 1 page) with a reading, thoughtful questions, and suggestions for prayer.  It is a wonderful supplement to use alongside the daily Bible readings and already many have commented about how well they like the devotional readings.  I have a limited number of these devotionals in my office available for $15.  If you need one, email me as soon as possible and let me know at pastorleap@yahoo.com

Now, if you haven’t started reading through the Bible in 2010, there’s hope for you yet!  IT IS NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU TO BEGIN READING TODAY!!!  Let me repeat it just in case you missed that… IT IS NOT TOO LATE FOR YOU TO BEGIN!  You would be believing a lie from the Devil himself if you used that excuse to avoid developing a daily Bible-reading plan.  The most simple thing to do is to determine that by the power of the Spirit, you are going to begin today and continue reading through the Bible.  My two tips for those beginning a little late are as follows:

1. Pick up the material ASAP and begin with the current day.  Get on pace right away.  If you start on January 15^th, then begin your daily readings with Jan. 15^th.  Don’t try to necessarily go back to Jan. 1^st and “catch-up” because being behind will discourage you and you will quit.

2.  Then, after you have started with the current day, chip away slowly at the days you have missed by going back and reading a day or two’s worth of missed material at a time so that you eventually cover all that you missed while staying on course with the daily readings.

If you haven’t done it before, I challenge you to take up the task of reading through the Bible this year.  It will be one of the most rewarding and spiritually edifying exercises you have ever done, I promise.  Ask any of the 15 or so who took up the challenge and read through their Bibles in 2009!  They were all blessed tremendously and most of them have already begun reading through the Bible again in 2010!  When the Word of God gets in you, I promise you it will bless and guide you in ways you never imagined.

Make 2010 the year that you read it through!  Contact me today to get started!

First and foremost, I thank God that you are all moved with such Christian compassion that you want to do something at all.  That speaks volumes about your concern for “every tribe, tongue, and nation.”

Secondly, I would add that the most important single thing you can do at this time is to pray for the spiritual awakening and well-being of the people of Haiti.  As our missionaries in the country can tell you, Haiti is a nation in desperate need of spiritual awakening that can come only through the proclamation of the Gospel and the teaching of God’s Word.  They are a nation under a shroud of darkness brought on by generations of witchcraft, voodoo, Santeria, and various other unorthodox religions and spiritualities.  This, combined with the nations extensive poverty and history of government corruption, have created a socio-economic nightmare for the people of Haiti.  Pray that the light of the gospel will shine brightly through this desperate situation.  Pray that the “God of all comfort” would comfort the grieving the Haitian people.  And finally, pray that Haitian church will respond with compassion, generosity, and truth that will transform this grieving nation.

Finally, I think the answer to the more practical question of “what can we do” is summed up in one word that I am hearing over and over again, and that is “give.”  Most aid organizations are requesting monetary gifts at the present because the country’s infrastructure is so damaged that other gifts of clothing, books, resources, etc… are just too difficult to deliver.  As the weeks pass by and the infrastructure is repaired, there will be more opportunities for rebuilding and distributing goods such as clothing, food, water, etc…  Below are links to sites that will give you instructions as to how you can help by making a financial contribution.

www.flbaptist.org This is the website of the Florida Baptist Convention (SBC).  They have a long-term partnership with the nation of Haiti and are spearheading efforts to raise funds and send humanitarian aid.  You can contribute at this site.

www.kybaptist.org This is the website of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.  The KBC has a disaster relief team that is preparing to visit Haiti to assess needs and plan upcoming aid.  You can contribute at this site as well.

www.imb.org This is the website for the International Mission Board.  There are updates on this site as well as instructions for how you can pray, give and go.

www.gobgr.org This is the Baptist Global Relief site, a branch of our IMB that deals especially with humanitarian aid and relief, particularly during natural disasters.  Again, you can find various ways to pray, give, and go.

www.samaritanspurse.org The evangelical Christian humanitarian organization headed by Franklin Graham (son of Billy Graham) that seeks to make Christ known through building infrastructure and providing educational, medical, and humanitarian aid in many of the poorest nations of the world.  This is the organization that sponsors Operation Christmas Child every year and networks with local believers all around the world to equip Christian leaders for church leadership and evangelism while also addressing human needs.

You will note that I have only listed a handful of evangelical Christian (notably Southern Baptist) relief sites.  There are other good relief agencies, such as the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) and the Salvation Army (www.salvationarmy.org).  However, as a pastor, I am going to encourage my people to give to solidly Christian agencies which will deliberately and intentionally combine their humanitarian efforts with robust evangelistic efforts.  I believe that even in the midst of humanitarian aid, it ought to be of primary concern to Christians that Jesus Christ be made known.  We are people who believe that there are things even worst than hunger, homelessness, and sickness, as terrible as those disasters may be.  We believe that the prospect of spending eternity separated from God is even more tragic than the disasters of this life.  Therefore, I ask you to prayerfully consider giving to those agencies that will balance their humanitarian efforts with Gospel presentations.

Finally, I personally ask you to pray for Pastor Eric Bernard and the Haitian Baptist congregation right here in Lexington.  Eric is a native of Haiti and his church ministers to about 60-80 Haitian natives each week right here in Lexington.  I was speaking with Eric and one of his associates, Luke, on Tuesday just hours before the news of this earthquake broke.  I know they are mobilizing to meet the needs of their local families as well as helping to coordinate efforts to bring relief in the days to come.  As I learn more, I will keep you posted.

Immediately following the meal, you can stick around and join us for a time of corporate prayer.  Also, the children are going to begin meeting at 6:15 for a children’s choir, so bring them out as well!  It may be cold and snowy outside, but it will be warm and cozy here tomorrow evening!  Come out and join us!

We served 286 bowls of chili last night!  That means (considering the “doubles” that were served) there were probably about 240 men served at the Hope Center last night.  These are special men, and I hope that we as a church will pray for them and seek further ways to reach out to them.  As I spent the night working in the kitchen, I talked much to the men from the Center with whom I was working alongside.  One man, James, actually was from the town in Eastern KY where I used to pastor!  Turns out that I know his family well, and served them as pastor in EKY!  What a small world!

Many of the men there are residents who live at the Center and are recovering from drug and/or alcohol addictions.  One of the men estimated that about 80-90 men live at the Center as residents.  The other 150 or so men we served are actually homeless men living on the streets of Lexington.   The men told me that on many evenings, when no-one shows up to serve a meal like the one we did, that the men are left eating bologna sandwiches.  They were so pleased at the kindness shown them by us bringing a full, home-cooked, hot meal to them.  One man said that at least 20 of his friends had told him to tell me (Terry) that I must stand up Sunday morning and share their appreciation with our church for the help we provided.  So I say now, SHBC, wonderful job!  Thank you for your contribution!

Pray for those who are seeking to recover from addictions.  Pray for those who have no home.  Pray for more believers to desire to serve them and build relationships that may lead to a lasting impact on their lives.

First, on Monday, January 4th, we will serve chili, sandwiches, and desserts at Lexington’s Hope Center.  This is part of their “12 Days of Christmas” yearly project.  We participate in this ministry only once per year currently.  We desperately need lots of people to make chili and deliver it to the church by Monday at 3:00.  Please do NOT freeze the chili.  Also, if you want to make sandwiches, make simple sandwiches and cut them in half and bag them.  We will also take any desserts you wish to prepare or donate.

On Monday, January 11th, we will take a group of volunteers to Grace Baptist Church on Bryant Ave. to help feed the homeless in the Elkhorn Association’s Monday Feed-the-hungry ministry.  This is an ongoing volunteer opportunity that is offered on the second Monday of each month.  With this ministry, we only donate desserts.  The food is prepared on-site and we are primarily there to serve and help.  We meet at Grace at 3:00 and serve until 6:00.  If interested in helping, contact the church office or Bill and Linda Grant.