by Wayne Guinn
Jon Gardner was one of our church planters that attended the NCPO Church Planting School earlier this year. It’s a joy to hear about ways God is growing this church re-plant. He writes:
Recently, I’ve parted with some items from my younger days in youth ministry. Selling those items on Craigslist, however, brought me new opportunities, and I pray new memories.
Chris contacted me about my paintball gear for sale. I told him who I was and invited him to church. Chris told me he’s drifted away from the Lord, and wants to get back to church. I hope he does.
Peter bought my “in-new-condition” (I didn’t work out much) weight bench. I gave him the same spiel along with some fishing information, and Peter along with his family just might check out our church too. I think I just discovered a new evangelistic tool! Sell your stuff; you don’t need it anyway, and you may get a chance to begin a relationship and reconcile a person back to God!
I became the pastor of Lifepoint Baptist Church in November of 2012 with six members on the roster, a debt-free building, and five acres of undeveloped land in East Helena, MT, a town of about 2,200 people. We have an incredible opportunity.
In June we hosted a free Mega Sports Camp for the community. We prayed for 30 and God gave us 67! The Sunday following our Sports Camp we had 47 in attendance. Some were just visiting with family, but it sure was nice to preach to a crowd!
Our next big outreach event is with Jeff Deckard with Cowboy Up for Christ. Jeff presents the message of salvation by using his horse. We have a women’s workout group that meets in our back building twice a week with about 25 ladies in our community. This has provided new opportunities to connect with our community. On July 14, Jen is getting baptized. My wife and I got to lead her to the Lord at our dinner table. She is so excited to get baptized and grow in the Lord. Like many of you, we have a strategy and vision for ministry. You can check it out on our website at www.lifepointmt.org, but sometimes all it takes is a weight bench, a paintball gun, and an invitation.
I never know from day to day what God is going to use in our lives to reach people for himself, but if it means selling a few things to make a few bucks (did I mention I’m a church re-planter?) and having the opportunity to reach new people, it’s worth it. You can partner with us in this church re-planting endeavor by contacting me any time at jon@lifepointmt.org. We’re still in need of a few more financial partners. Who knows, I might have something in my garage you might like to buy! You can also follow our blog at www.gardners4easthelena.wordpress.com
Jon Gardner (Church Re-Planter/Craigslist Evangelist)