INVEST in the future church by investing in those who aren’t even part of it Yet) yet

1. INVEST in the future church by investing in those who aren’t even part of it Yet) yet

3. Stuart Allen invested in the future church. He invested time and prayer to see people come to know Jesus. Even it meant traveling an hour each week (at age 83) making sandwich board signs and giving away Ovaltine.

4. This passion for investing in people lines up with the heart of Jesus.

5. The first words of Jesus to His disciples

6. Matthew 4:18-20 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

7. Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow Me”, Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

8. Matthew 9:36-38 “When He saw the crowds He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

9. Matthew 9:36-38 “When He saw the crowds He had compassion on them splagchnizomai = to have the bowels yearn

10. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest field.”

11. Over the past 10 years, while the overall church attendance has remained stable with a slight decline, the USA population has grown by 51 million people. People living longer may account for the stability, but that means a massive drop is coming as they die off.

14. Choluteca River Bridge after Hurricane Mitch, Honduras, 1998

18. Pastors are creepy

20. This shift has forced us to rethink how we invest energy and invest time. And rethink what values are most important to us as we serve on mission in today’s world.

21. In the past we invested into denominational identity and in our historical church culture.

22. 1950

24. Baptist

25. Baptist Presbyterian

26. Baptist Lutheran Presbyterian

27. Baptist Lutheran Presbyterian Methodist 7th Day Adventist

28. Baptist Lutheran Presbyterian Methodist 7th Day Adventist Catholic

29. Baptist Lutheran Agnostic Presbyterian Methodist Catholic

30. Baptist Lutheran Others Agnostic Presbyterian Catholic Methodist 7th Day Adventist Others Atheist

31. 2010

33. Christian

34. Christian Spiritual But Not Religious

35. Christian Spiritual But Not Religious Atheist Buddhist

36. Christian Spiritual But Not Religious Atheist Buddhist Muslim

37. Jewish Christian Hindu Spiritual But Not Religious Universalist Atheist Buddhist Muslim

38. Jewish Christian Hindu Wiccan Spiritual But Not Religious Unitarians Scientology Atheist Buddhist Muslim

39. Atheist Jewish Christian Hindu Wiccan Scientology Unitarians Buddhist Muslim Spiritual But Not Religious

40. Jewish Christian Hindu Animism Wiccan Spiritual But Not Religious Mormon Jehovah Witness Unitarians Scientology Atheist Buddhist New Age Taoism Muslim Shinto

41. This biggest investment we need to make in today’s culture is to invest into training the people of our churches to see themselves as local missionaries every day.

42. As we think of the word “missionary” we generally think of those going to other countries and cultures.

44. While the missionaries serve overseas, here in the USA we do “evangelism”.

45. Evangelism