FEAR Extinguishing - Why isn't every pastor in America doing this?
I went out with a close friend to walk and to be "FEAR Extinguishers" - we chose a local area where there would be people and businesses/restaurants/shops open. And just like it was in the Middle East ("just like" might be an understatement as you will see below), we were able to openly minister to I estimate a couple of dozen people in a couple of hours.
People were incredibly receptive. This particular city is known as being somewhat hostile to Christianity, but I can honestly say, we saw NONE of that.
We prayed for individuals mostly but in a couple of cases, it was up to 3 or 4 people.
One woman, a security guard, began to tear up, nearly crying as we prayed for her and her husband. One restaurant employee who was taking my order named "Jesus", let me pray for his entire family where everyone who had had jobs was no longer working. Another manager at a large restaurant that miraculously had not let go of a single one of their 85 employees, let us minister to him for a while. Within view, I could see another 6-8 of those working under him and I said him that I was intending to go and pray for each of them, but then told him that I felt it was "his job" to do that and then the money quote as he says, "I am the Church" and wholeheartedly agreed that it was his job, his responsibility to do for his men what we were seeking to do for him! It was such a powerful moment, such a powerful declaration! Where is the Church in this hour? It is definitely NOT in buildings.
When I said "just like" the Middle East, I wasn't lying. We ministered to 5 Middle Eastern Muslims - got to pray for them all. The first was a Persian couple from Iran, then a Jordanian Muslim family and finally a Syrian pharmacist. With the Arabs, I was able to minister in Arabic.
One young New Age woman in a coffee shop was so encouraged when we told her what God had led us to do (to be "Fear Extinguishers")...She said, "that is so great what YOUR God told you to do"! May OUR God soon become HER God.
Another precious encounter was with a single mom who ran a flower shop. That was one of our longest interactions and her response was "you guys have made my day".
Again - person after person. We even became like a "mobile employment agency" connecting people who needed jobs, or who knew people who were currently unemployed, with a couple of large businesses that I learned while out "Fear Extinguishing" the day before were hiring currently and in desperate need. Just to be able to meet practical needs was so satisfying as well!
The approach has been the same - see how people are doing, enter into their world and simply begin to ask God to address the needs they have just shared. Fear, unemployment, hopelessness, etc.
While we were out loving people, seeing how they were doing and offering to pray for their families' needs, I asked my buddy, "Why isn't EVERY PASTOR in this area doing this every day during the COVID-19 crisis?" The tragedy is that most are probably not doing this type of thing. That is a topic for further reflection later - this crisis caught much of the church completely off-guard and the inability to adapt, to respond, and to innovate well has been apparent.
Whatever you are doing - can I just say this again, and say it boldly? What you have been reading about - DO IT!!! Get out and interact with lost people, with fearful people and be used of God to "extinguish" their fears!
#Covid19church #coronavirus #pastors #goout #don'tstayathome #wwjd #Covid19 #Covid-19
People were incredibly receptive. This particular city is known as being somewhat hostile to Christianity, but I can honestly say, we saw NONE of that.
We prayed for individuals mostly but in a couple of cases, it was up to 3 or 4 people.
One woman, a security guard, began to tear up, nearly crying as we prayed for her and her husband. One restaurant employee who was taking my order named "Jesus", let me pray for his entire family where everyone who had had jobs was no longer working. Another manager at a large restaurant that miraculously had not let go of a single one of their 85 employees, let us minister to him for a while. Within view, I could see another 6-8 of those working under him and I said him that I was intending to go and pray for each of them, but then told him that I felt it was "his job" to do that and then the money quote as he says, "I am the Church" and wholeheartedly agreed that it was his job, his responsibility to do for his men what we were seeking to do for him! It was such a powerful moment, such a powerful declaration! Where is the Church in this hour? It is definitely NOT in buildings.
When I said "just like" the Middle East, I wasn't lying. We ministered to 5 Middle Eastern Muslims - got to pray for them all. The first was a Persian couple from Iran, then a Jordanian Muslim family and finally a Syrian pharmacist. With the Arabs, I was able to minister in Arabic.
One young New Age woman in a coffee shop was so encouraged when we told her what God had led us to do (to be "Fear Extinguishers")...She said, "that is so great what YOUR God told you to do"! May OUR God soon become HER God.
Another precious encounter was with a single mom who ran a flower shop. That was one of our longest interactions and her response was "you guys have made my day".
Again - person after person. We even became like a "mobile employment agency" connecting people who needed jobs, or who knew people who were currently unemployed, with a couple of large businesses that I learned while out "Fear Extinguishing" the day before were hiring currently and in desperate need. Just to be able to meet practical needs was so satisfying as well!
The approach has been the same - see how people are doing, enter into their world and simply begin to ask God to address the needs they have just shared. Fear, unemployment, hopelessness, etc.
While we were out loving people, seeing how they were doing and offering to pray for their families' needs, I asked my buddy, "Why isn't EVERY PASTOR in this area doing this every day during the COVID-19 crisis?" The tragedy is that most are probably not doing this type of thing. That is a topic for further reflection later - this crisis caught much of the church completely off-guard and the inability to adapt, to respond, and to innovate well has been apparent.
Whatever you are doing - can I just say this again, and say it boldly? What you have been reading about - DO IT!!! Get out and interact with lost people, with fearful people and be used of God to "extinguish" their fears!
#Covid19church #coronavirus #pastors #goout #don'tstayathome #wwjd #Covid19 #Covid-19
This is why we have been given the lock down on businesses. So that through us as the church God will reach the people who did not go into our places of worship (buildings). Instead it is our duty to bring His love to them wherever they are. Tim VonGlascoe
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