Its amazing to be part of an organization that has purpose. God has given me the privilege to help pastor one of the greatest churches on the planet. No, its not Willow Creek or Harvest. It does not have the size and resources of McLean Bible or Saddleback. So what makes it so great? Allow me to explain. New Life Baptist Church in Scranton, PA exists to Connect Real People to a Real God. So what? Many churches have catchy slogans and powerful vision statements, right? Well, we are a church that takes that mandate seriously. It is our desire to be able to claim Scranton for Christ. Plain and simple. The interesting thing is that we ACT on it. We don't just sit around and wait for something to happen. We prayerfully consider where we are, the resources available and use them for the glory of God. Pretty cool. We have the freedom to use our God-given creativity to think of ways to best communicate the only message that brings hope. In the past we have used steak, balloons, video, audio, broken coffee pots, park benches, movies, 3 Doors Down, a pack of smokes, and palm fronds to illustrate and explain who God is and how we can know Him. As long as Scripture does not prohibit it, its fair game (uh, we didn't smoke the smokes, just so you know). The story of the Gospel is the most important tale to be told and we believe God wants us to use tools to capture people's attention. And we can do that without EVER dilluting it. The leadership team is perhaps one of the best aspects of the ministry. Because we are sooo talented? No, because we work together on everything, shunning personal victory, in order to effectively navigate the ship. There is a band of brothers standing at the helm that is intent on sailing into harm's way. This past Sunday we hosted a "Friend Day". For weeks we encouraged the people to invite their family and friends to come this event. We shared the Gospel. People came to Christ. Praise God! It was a good day. We are not afraid to ask the "what if" questions. What if we could plan an event that would reach out to emergency workers, professionals, or unwed mothers? What if we could develop a ministry that would give us access to the biker bar across the street? (The BAR?!?!?! Yup, the bar) What if we could utilize the arts in a way that grabs the attention of a cold-hearted person? The list is endless. We understand we have a mission and time is short. It is life and death and the souls of mankind are on the line. Do we want to move out to the burbs where it is nice and safe? No way! We engage our culture right where they are. I hope your church is mission minded. Not missions minded. That means simply thinking foreign ministry (that's not a bad thing). I mean a church that has a passion for the people on your street. A deep desire to be able to dance around the throne of the King together someday. The alternative is not very palatable. If it is not, why not? When was the last time your local body got together to weep and pray for the souls of your community? If you need to act, act. Do something. You won't be sorry. If you are searching for a place that has purpose, community, and creativity well, see you Sunday. Calling Sons (and daughters) of Thunder, Andy www.newlifescranton.org | 
