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If you thought the @ChristExplored website was good…

November 22, 2011 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

If you thought the Christianity Explored website was good… then you NEED to check out their new iPhone app.

The folk at Christianity Explored are going strength to strength with their resources for evangelism and this new iPhone app is in a league of its own.

  • Its clean and fresh, with a contemporary design and format that is accessible to people used to excellence.
  • Has all the benefits of their website content on your iphone.
    • Answers to the simple question about What Christianity is.
    • Videos of people answering tough questions. Really helpful stuff.
    • Clips from a wide variety of people who’ve come to know and love Jesus for themselves. Powerful stuff.
  • This material is succinct, relevant and most importantly biblical truth!
  • PLUS easy access map to see where you can go and sign up to the Christianity Explored course.

This is just another reason why the Christianity Explored course is such a great evangelistic course to run at your church. The support resources are unrivalled. The DVDs are well produced (I like DVDs because I feel it allows people to disagree with content more and really thrash about ideas).

Anyway…

Why not download the app, use it with your friends and family and be sure to rate the app on iTunes. Show a little love to Christianity Explored, they deserve our partnership in the gospel!

Creativity, Evangelism, Ideas, Jesus, Media, Resources, Technology, Tips

29 ways to stay creative

June 16, 2011 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

some helpful tips about how to maintain a fresh and creative approach to life. Great tips for ministry and/or any venture.

Arts, Creativity, Ideas, Media, Resources

Who do you have in the incubator?

May 13, 2011 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

Recently, I re-read an old Keller article about Networking and Evangelism and read it with our iHeart Mission team as a stimulant and training paper for our first planning meeting for 2011.

Take Home Points:

  • Who do you have in the incubator?
    We should expect one another to have 2-4 people in the “incubator”: a force field in which ‘those that we know’ are being prayed for, given literature, drawn into our christian social networks, invited to courses, brought to church or other events at church.
  • Who do you preach to?
    Preach and present in every service and ministry so that both Christians and non-Christians are always intentionally challenged and addressed. Preach as if skeptics, agnostics, etc. are there, and if you do, they will soon be there. They will be brought if you congregation know they are welcomed.
  • How are you creating places for smiling faces?  Keller argues the more varied ways a person hears the ospel and the more often a person hears the gospel before making a commitment. The better. Is the majority of your evangelism orientated to the  ”crisis” orientated evangelism or are you pursuing ‘process’ orientated evangelism, acknowledging people need to come in stages.

Lots of the ministries at Church by the Bridge (whether specifically outreach orientated or not) – are developed out of these three points. We create & initiative ministries and activities that make space to build relationships with people. We hope that in doing so we will see locals (strangers) & our friends (those in our incubators) introduced to Christians, Christian Community & eventually Jesus. We pray, welcome and expect all sorts of people are in attendance at every church service, ministry and event.

 Read it in full here

Community, Evangelism, Ideas, Reaching those you know, Resources

Resources: domestic squalor / hoarding

May 11, 2011 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

The City of Sydney’s Community Services Grants program has put together a toolkit to assist those assisting those battling with domestic squalor/hoarding.

This toolkit aims to provide direction for both service providers and community members within the City of Sydney to respond to situations of Squalor and Hoarding.

Currently, our church is supporting a man living in domestic squalor, whom we met through our Free monthly Community Lunches. In partnership with Catholic Services & North Sydney Council, Church by the Bridge hopes to help restore this man’s home to  more suitable living environment. And additionally provide ongoing friendship and support.

Community, Love Thy Neighbourhood, Loving Like Jesus, Mission, People, Resources, Social Action

God’s love is Big – for kids

March 31, 2011 by hayleyneal 1 Comment

What is the HIGHEST thing you can think of?

The SUN is really high in the sky.

Can you reach up to the sun? Can you touch the sun? No… that’s because the SUN is a BIG way away.

God’s love is BIG. God’s love is BIGGER and HIGHER than the SUN.

What is the WIDEST thing you can think of?

The BEACH is really wide. It takes a really long time to walk a beach.

Can your arms stretch out as wide as a beach? No… that’s because the beach is very BIG & WIDE.

God’s love is BIG. God’s love is BIGGER and WIDER than any BEACH.

What is the DEEPEST thing you can think of? What is really deep?

A pool can be really, really DEEP. Whose toes can touch the DEEP end of the pool?

It’s a long way down isn’t it. The DEEP-end is very DEEP.

God’s love is BIG. God’s love is bigger and deeper than the deepest of pools or seas or oceans.

What is the LONGEST thing you can think of?

A shoe lace is LONG?  A snake is much LONG? And a road is even LONGER? A road that is LONG and goes on and on and on!

God’s love is BIG. God’s love goes on and on and on.

God’s love is BIGGER and LONGER than the LONGEST, most never ending kind of roads.

 

The bible (Ephesians 3:14ff) tells us that we should ask God to be able to understand and see how BIG God’s love for us in Christ Jesus. We should ask God to know better how HIGH God’s love is, how WIDE God’s love is, how DEEP God’s love is and how LONG God’s love is.

It is in Jesus and his death on the cross that we can see and know just how BIG God’s love for us is:

“9God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. 10Real love isn’t our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven..” – 1 John 4:9-10

Creativity, Evangelism, Jesus, Resources

top 4 books for personal evangelism

March 21, 2011 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

Four books that inspire and inform your evangelism amongst your friends and those you are yet to befriend :)


Books, Evangelism, Resources

Evangelistic Talk for 3 year olds…

February 23, 2011 by hayleyneal 1 Comment

I am on the story today at Playtime and it happens to be one of my favourite parables: The Prodigal Son. It is a great story displaying the lavish heart of our great God to welcome us in.

The material I was given to tell our 0-5 year olds about Our God’s Big Welcome was a little long and hard to follow… So I thought I’d put the story into some rhyme*. I also printed off these brilliant story board pictures from EBibleTeacher to show the children as I read the rhyme.

Feel free to use this for your Playgroup. All I ask is that while I have you here, please pray for Playtime at Church by the Bridge, that many children and their families would come to know God’s extravagant and lavish welcome for them.

Once there was a father who had two sons
Then one left home to go have some fun!!!

The dad gave his son some money in a bag
and the look on the sons face showed he was glad

The son then wasted all he had.
And was living far away from his Dad.

So things began to turn real bad
The young son was now really sad.

He had nothing to eat.
No shoes on his feet.

So He began to feed pigs for some work
and even slept with them in their dirt.

The poor young son was filled with dread
“For me theres got to be a better bed”

I know! I’ll go back to my Dads home
And say sorry for running away on my own”

So the son left the dirty smelly pigs trough
And while he was still a long long way off

The Dad saw him, stretched his arms wide out
Began running and with a great BIG shout

“Welcome! Welcome! my dear young son
I don’t care what you have done.

Come on home, come on in
Please don’t ever leave again”

The Dad was so very excited
that he ran around telling everyone about it:

“My son was lost but now he’s found
He’s come back home safe and sound!”

The Dad then only wanted to celebrate
So the town gathered and party food they ate.

And with another BIG hug the Dad continued to say
“Welcome Welcome”  - Oh its been such a happy day!

*Inspired by this song 
Community, Creativity, Ideas, Jesus, Poem, Resources

One for another…

February 20, 2011 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

Hillsong Conference (5-8 July, 2011) are offering 3 different elective streams this year, one being: ONE FOR ANOTHER

The mission of the church has always been to serve others, promote justice and to rescue those who are perishing. this year one for another will provide you with the wisdom and grace needed to live out the mission of the church as well as offering experience and knowledge from local, national and global professionals in this arena. this stream seeks to not only impact the world with a heart of compassion, but to diligently seek justice upon the earth that we share. the hillsong team alongside guest speakers welcome you to join one for another at hillsong conference 2011.

Electives: The church & global Social Issues | effective evangelism today | Innovative global missions | the local church: bringing hope to real Issues | the medical elective

Could be worth checking out?

 

H/T Steve

 

Community, Evangelism, Ideas, Resources, Training

FREE Resource – 4 Lessons in evangelism from 2 Corinthians

February 18, 2011 by hayleyneal 1 Comment

Reaching those you know – 4 week bible study series.

About this study series:

Evangelism is not a onetime event but a continuous process… as we do life with those around us.

It takes energy and effort to cultivate friendships over an extended period. But many of us already have these long term loving friendships with unchurched friends. The boys we went through school with, the girls from yoga, the colleagues at work or the mums from mums group.  God has set the times and places that we would live (Acts 4:20) and by his providence blessed us with the families, social networks, and offices, schools we find ourselves in. Lets reach out with the gospel to the people we find in every sphere of our lives.

If you don’t have many unchurched friends think about the potential relationships. Are there opportunities at a sport group, your university, office, home, gym class, mothers group, playtime, parents of your kids’ friends, or even at church (welcoming newcomers or those you meet through community outreach activities)?

The aim of this four week bible study series is to see you grow more and more in your willingness to be a ‘slave for Christ’ and to bring glory to him as you allow him to working through you to reach those you know with the Gospel.

DOWNLOAD: Reaching those we know – Evangelism Lessons from 2 Corinthians

Evangelism, Resources, Tips, Training

Do you know the gospel?

February 14, 2011 by hayleyneal 0 Comments

Jeff Vanderstelt writes a helpful post on Gospel Fluency. He challenges the reader that if you want a gospel fluent culture of believers at your church – it starts with YOU!

  • So do you know the gospel?
  • Could you articulate it?
  • Can you address everyday issues with the Gospel?
  • Are you obeying and living out the Gospel?

Jeff says:

Shaping a Gospel Fluent Culture starts with you being regularly shaped by the truth of the Gospel. This means you have to KNOW it and APPLY it to everyday stuff, while asking others to SPEAK it into your life.

read the post here

Culture, Evangelism, Ideas, Resources
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