2x Growth Opportunities

by Pr. Kathleen Braafladt

And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' Mt. 28:18-20

Above is the final passage in Matthew's Gospel. Often called the Great Commission, the resurrected Jesus here gives his disciples a very specific task: to grow the Church by baptizing and teaching new believers. Jesus' disciples have been doing it ever since. And all sorts of plans and methods have been employed to get the job done—the early house-church movement of the Apostle Paul, Lutheran medical missionaries sent from America to China before Communism, and Billy Graham crusades are but a few examples. As different and diverse as the methods have been, the goal has always been the same—to grow God's Kingdom.

After nearly nine years of praying, planning, and preparing, Messiah is on the cusp of opening a second campus and worship site. The goal: to reach more people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to grow God's Kingdom. There are specific ways you can help to make it happen.

Come to the open house Sunday, August 1, 1:00-3:00?p.m.
We would love for you to see the site, learn about the ministries we plan to start with, and catch a vision of what this extension of Messiah Lutheran Church could mean for people you know. Once you have seen it, you will be much better able to share it.

Participate in a preview Sunday morning on August 29
Learning at 9:00?a.m.  Worship at 10:00?a.m.
We need to practice and to do this we need as many Messiah households as possible to attend a preview Sunday on August 29. We know there will be things we have not anticipated, kinks that we will want to work out before we go public. We would like you to serve as learners during the intergenerational education time at 9:00?a.m. called GRACE (God Reaches All in Christian Education) and also as worshipers at 10:00?a.m. Afterwards we will invite you to share your impressions and your suggestions for improvements.

Consider a commitment to worshiping at Messiah's north county campus (NCC)
Peter and I invite you to prayerfully consider making a commitment to worshiping at Messiah's NCC three out of four weeks per month for six months. Your presence will help to provide the critical mass that will be essential to birth of this new worship site. There will be no expectation or pressure that you make the north county campus your permanent worship site after the six months. However, you may discover a desire to stick with it further. From what we have heard from others who have helped plant new congregations, there are few things more exhilarating in one's faith life than being part of and contributing to a new start. It is a special time in the life of a congregation. If you would like to serve in this way, please email Lynda Laird, Outreach Coordinator so we know how to plan.