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Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving

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Presentation on theme: "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving"— Presentation transcript:

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2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:2-6

3 Prayer-Filled Outreach
Biblical outreach to the unchurched starts with steadfast, watchful and thankful prayer.

4 What Do We Pray For? We pray for God to open a door for the Word.

5 What Do We Pray For? We pray for God to open a door for the Word.
We pray that we may boldly declare the Gospel.

6 What Do We Pray For? We pray for God to open a door for the Word.
We pray that we may boldly declare the Gospel. We pray that our message is clear when we declare the Gospel.

7 The ‘unchurched’ Someone who has not attended a Christian church service in the past 6 months – not including weddings and funerals.

8 Research In the 1990’s, 30% of all American adults were unchurched.
In the current decade, that number is now at 43%. There are 156 million US residents that are not engaged in a Christian church. That number is greater than the entire population of Russia, and Japan, and every country in Europe.

9 Research 33% of the unchurched are ‘not sure’ if Christian churches are adding positive value to society. The majority of the unchurched have firsthand experience with a church and have decided they can use their time in better ways. Nearly half of all unchurched people attribute their lack of attendance to a lack of perceived value.

10 Crosses Over the Lines of Religion
61% of Jews surveyed said they have not attended synagogue in the past 6 months. 66% of self-identified Muslims said they have not attended a mosque in the past 6 months.

11 Research The unchurched are 40% more likely to say that they do not see churches as a place for meaningful community. Twenty years ago, 8% of self-identified born-again Christians did not attend church. That figure has now doubled to 16% - which accounts for 18 million people. If all 18 million people came back to a Christian church in the next 5yrs it would be the largest immigration into churches in US history.

12 Yet…There is Opportunity
More than 25% of the unchurched said they are seriously interested in matters of faith. 58% of the unchurched pray to God each week. 50% of the unchurched are actively seeking something better spiritually than they have experienced so far in their life. More than 40 million unchurched adults in the US said they are significantly interested in finding out more about Christianity.

13 A Primary Finding The unchurched intensely desire the local church to provide what no other group can offer them – an experience of God’s presence.

14 How to Engage with the Unchurched
Use biblical common sense in how you live and act towards the unchurched.

15 How to Engage with the Unchurched
Use biblical common sense in how you live and act towards the unchurched. Make the most of every opportunity God gives you.

16 How to Engage with the Unchurched
Use biblical common sense in how you live and act towards the unchurched. Make the most of every opportunity God gives you. Let your speech be full of grace, heavily seasoned with God’s preserving truth.

17 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6

18 Why Should You Follow This Instruction?
The reason you should use wise common sense, make the most of every opportunity, and have speech full of grace is … so that…you will know how to respond to the unchurched.

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