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Wanting to minister more effectively in your neighborhood and use your home for ministry? Check out BLESS and the Hospitality Initiative!
1. What is BLESS?
Take advantage of our church's account with BLESS! Go here! blesseveryhome.com
BLESS helps our church engage with those we live nearby-our neighbors! BLESS stands for:
Begin with prayer
Listen
Eat
Serve
Share your story
The progression is pray, listen to learn about your neighbors, eat (share a meal together or get together for coffee or ice cream), serve (take them a meal or some treats, rake some leaves, etc.), and share the Gospel. The site uses public information sources to help us remember the names of our neighbors as well! Log in to get names to pray for and to track your progression with each household!
2. What is The Hospitality Initiative?
The Hospitality Initiative is an effort to encourage all at BCC to joyfully use their homes and resources to develop gospel-centered relationships with those who do not yet know Christ. This initiative was birthed with a desire to cultivate a culture of this kind of ministry at BCC and to help BCC apply Pastor Daniel's sermons from 3 John. As you consider people in your life, make a list of those who may not know Jesus. Pray for those people and start to plan time to have them into your home. Think about neighbors, co-workers, friends at school, or families from your child’s sports team. Let’s serve the Lord together!
Why do we want people to engage in the ministry of hospitality?
Joyful hospitality glorifies God. God shows hospitality to His people by welcoming us into His family while we were strangers, aliens, and enemies of God. Gospel-centered hospitality is a way for us to reflect God’s character to a hurting world. Hospitality brings together love and service in a way that builds relationships in a deeper way. Through these relationships, we can display the gospel in our lives and proclaim the gospel in our conversations.
How Care Groups can get involved in The Hospitality Initiative?
We are encouraging Care Groups to engage in this ministry together. The body of Christ is intended to engage in ministry together. We want Care Groups to be praying for each other, sharing ideas, and encouraging one another as they engage in hospitality to the lost.
Three short videos about this initiative are linked for you below to BCC's YouTube channel or are available on DVD for Care Groups or individuals to view. Questions to discuss about this initiative are provided in the comments section for each video.
What if I am not in a Care Group?
That's okay! This initiative is for you as well. Please feel free to view the videos mentioned above and talk with Pastor Ben for more help and encouragement.
We would like to encourage every household at BCC to invite unbelieving friends or family into their homes on a regular basis and to consider how this ministry can be part of the rhythm of their life. We know the frequency will be different for everyone, so we invite you to set a goal and keep going! We want this to become a continual growing part of the culture of our church.
Click here for video #1.
Click here for video #2.
Click here for video #3.
To read a resource from The Gospel Coalition on hospitality, click here.
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