GLCC Children's Network

Upcoming Events

2009-11-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder of some calendar updates:

Friday, November 13th - KidzPort Movie Night.
Both children's cells will meet in the church for a movie night. We call "Action!!" at 7:20.

Friday, November 27th - Thanksgiving Weekend.
There will be no cell meetings on this date.

Saturday, December 19th - Christmas Cantata.
Our annual Christmas celebration will begin at 6pm. Rehearsal schedules will be announced shortly.

Traffic Jams and Leadership Building

2009-10-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

We did something different in cell group this week. We didn't have our usual bible study. In fact, we didn't crack a bible open at all. (Before you grab the pitchforks, remember that "cell group" is not "bible study."   Though sometimes they go hand in hand, there is more to a cell group than just that.

So this week we did a little stealth leadership training.   The weapon of choice was a nifty little game called "Traffic Jam."   Traffic Jam works like this: you set up two groups of four, and line up nine chairs.   You seat each group at the end so it looks like this:

           A B C D  [empty]   W X Y Z

Here are the rules.   Each group has to move to the opposide side. Only one person can move at a time, and only to the next empty seat. You can only "jump over" someone coming in the opposite direction, and only jump one person.   And no talking.

They did accomplish it, eventually. Then I laid some more rules on them:

You have to wind up in the same order you started, but on the opposite side.   And you have to accomplish it in 24 moves.  So really, they did not accomplish the desired result.

In other words, the result must be:

      W X Y Z [empty] A B C D

After 50 moves, they still could not do it. So I told them that now they could talk.   There was a lot of yelling and ordering going on, but after 50 moves they still didn't accomplish much.

So I told them that they could select a leader, and only that leader could speak.   They got closer this time - a lot closer. But still, no joy.

Then I told them that I would be their leader, and I would direct them.   Since I had the solution written down, it was easy - done in 24 moves exactly!

One kid asked me - what was the point?    "I don't know." I said. "What happened?"

First, there were no clear directions - FAIL!!!

Then there were directions, but no communication - FAIL!!!

Then there was communication, but no organization. Just noise. - FAIL!!!

Then there was organization, but no plan.   -- FAIL!!!

Finally, there was a leader with a vision, with authority, and with a plan   - SUCCESS!!!

What can your leadership team learn from this example???

Cell October 2 - Rejection

2009-10-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

Jacob has one of the most incredible stories in the entire Old Testament. Born the younger of twin brothers, the Bible tells us he came out holding the heel of his older brother, Esau. In fact, one meaning of Jacob's name is "leg-puller." This has kind of a dual meaning, as it can be taken literally, or figuratively. (A joker, a prankster.) Another meaning is "supplanter" or "one who takes the place of."

While Esau was strong and rugged, Jacob was small and fair. He preferred to spend time in the house with his mother. This led to Esau becoming the favorite of their father, Isaac. Jacob felt this rejection all his life.

Jacob was a trickster. He once tricked Esau out of his birthright for a bowl of soup. He also tricked Isaac (in Gen 27) into giving him Esau's blessing. Now Esau was mad, and threatened to kill Jacob once Isaac had died. Jacob, of course, ran away.

He met his mother's brother Laban, and fell in love with his daughter Rachel. Rachel was beautiful! Laban also had an older daughter, Leah, who was not. After having to work for seven years for Rachel's hand, Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah. Eventually, he gained the right to marry Rachel as well.

Now, Jacob himself rejected Leah, and she felt hated. Jacob was showing her the same rejection that he had received! So God stepped in - He made it so only Leah could have children at first.

Jacob went through a lot in the next few years. He tricked Laban out of some of his flock, and Laban grew angry as well. Eventually Jacob left and wanted to go back home, but found out Esau was near, with an army of 400 men! Afraid, Jacob sent his family on, while he waited for Esau, and prayed to God. Eventually, he met a strange man who wrestled with him all night. Jacob demanded a blessing from the man, who told him from this day forth, he would be called Israel, which means "one who struggles with God." That "man" was actually God's own angel!! Jacob named that place Peniel.

Jacob soon met Esau, who instead of trying to kill him, embraced his brother warmly. Jacob grew old, and became one of the fathers of the Hebrews, and of Christianity.

Cell September 25 - Choices

2009-09-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

This week, we had the same lesson in Cell as we did in KidzPort. So head on over there for the recap.

KidzPort Revival is Coming!

2009-09-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

This upcoming weekend will be the first ever Children's Revival Weekend at Gospel Light, and we are totally pumped!

We're having Studio-Z come down from Zion Bible College. Studio-Z is a great children's ministry that does worship ministry using music, drama, puppets, media and more. We are so excited to have them.

Sunday's service is going to be "KidzFriendly!" meaning that the whole service is going to be built around kids! Studio-Z will be leading worship, plus we will have a special speaker from Zion Bible College. Be sure to be there.

The weekend begins on Friday night with our weekly Cell groups - 7:15 in the KidzPort building. Sign in for Saturday starts at 9am. The program starts at 10am, and there will be a family celebration at 4pm.

Are you on Facebook? Let us know you're coming!!

Keep checking for more details. Oh, and EVERYONE is welcome!!!

See You At the Pole

2009-09-09T05:10:00.000-07:00

What is See You at the Pole?

See You at the Pole™ is a student-initiated, student organized, and student-led event. That means this is all about students meeting at their school flagpole to pray—for their school, friends teachers, government, and their nation. See You at the Pole™ is not a demonstration, political rally, nor a stand for or against anything.

SYATP has been tasking place the fourth Wednesday in September at schools all across the nation since 1990. This activity is perfectly legal - not only are student-led prayers not prohibited by the Constitution, they are actually protected by the First Amendment. The idea of "separation of church and state" prohibits state-mandated prayer - not student-led prayer.

This year's event will take place Wednesday, September 23.

If you are intersted in leading or participating in a SYATP event at your school, the best way to spread the word is by word-of-mouth. Tell and invite everyone you know. And be sure someone speaks with the school administration to let them know the event is taking place. If the administrator is relectant, do not argue. This event is about prayer, not legal rights. Move the event off school property, and let your pastor leader know so they can contact the administrator.

More information on See You At the Pole can be found here.

Will we see you there?

Children's and Youth Congress

2009-08-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend we will be attending the Children's and Youth Congress at House of Restoration in Hartford. No cell groups will meet.

The bus will leave at 5:30 on Friday night, and 6:30am on Saturday morning. Everyone who has signed up, please be on time.

Schedule Updates for August

2009-08-17T06:48:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to remind everyone of some upcoming events, as there will be no cell meetings for the rest of August.

Back to School Revivals are going to be held at Gospel Light on August 20, 21 and 23. There will be no cell on the 21st because of this, but everyone is encouraged to come hear Brian McDOnals speak.

Children's and Youth Congress is taking place on the 28th and 29th at the House of Restoration in Hartford. We will be signing people up to go, for ages 7 and up. We'll be taking the bus up Friday evening, and again on Saturday. I'll be handing out flyers on Sunday, August 23rd.

Children's Revival Weekend. will be happening on September 19th and 20th. Studio-Z from Zion Bible College will be helping us. The tentative schedule is 10am-5pm on Saturday, and will be continuing with the Sunday morning service. Keep checking for details, and invite everyone!!

Cell August 7 - Here Comes the Spirit

2009-08-10T09:54:00.000-07:00

This week we continued our journey through the Gospel of John with a look at what Jesus told us about the coming of the Holy Spirit.

John 16:5-9 says:

“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment..."

Still in His last days, Jesus is telling the disciples that they've been so focused on the fact that He's going to leave them, that they haven't even asked them where He's going. Talk about self centered! But, He also gives them good news - that His leaving will usher in the coming of the Holy Spirt. Awesome!

Schedule Note:

There will be no more regular cell meetings for the month of August. August 14th begins the Father/Son and Mother/Daughter weekends. August 21st will be right in the middle of our Back to School Revivals, and on August 28th we will be attending the Youth and Children's Congress in Hartford. More details on that will follow.

Cell July 24 - Jeopardy!!

2009-07-28T11:59:00.000-07:00

It was kind of a mellow night on Friday. The kids have been going hard at plugging through the Gospel of John the last couple of months, and so it was time to have some fun and dig out the old Bible Jeopardy program. I had loaded all new questions into it, so off we went.

It was a pretty fierce competition, but as they say, in the end there can be only one! And so Jacob's team rolled off with the victory.

Schedule Note:

This Friday (July 31) will be Movie Night at the church. No cell, but bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the movie!!

Cell July 17 - Vines, Branches and Fruit

2009-07-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

We did something a little different this Friday night when it came to cell. Since some of the kids are getting older and getting ready to transition into the youth cell, and since some are working on teaching the younger kids in KidzPort, I decided to have some of them teach the lessons on Friday nights. This isn't an all-the-time thing, but I wanted to give them the opportunity to exercise their teaching chops. (and to see how hard it is to teach this group!!)

So the lesson this week was given by Josh. He taught out of John 15:1-9, which Jesus' metaphore of the vine and the branches. Josh did an excellent job breaking down the scripture, and had questions prepared for the group. He even had diagrams to illustrate the various "parts" we all play.

Of course, the "fruit" that we all hope to bear is twofold - of course we are all looking for "fruit" in terms of our outreach: bringing new people to Christ. The other "fruit" is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit - something that is growing in all of us.

Schedule Note: There will be cell next week, but it is also the Men's Fishing Outreach. Anyone who wants to go to that is excused from cell group.

Fifth Friday: For Fifth Friday this month, we will be joining with the rest of the congregation for a movie night in the church. There is no admission charge, and food will be sold.

Cell July 10 - Get Hated!

2009-07-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

So says John 15:18-19. The world hates a Christian. I'm not (and neither was Jesus) talking about individual people, but about the spirit of the World, about Satan, and about people blinded and bound by him.

The world hates us. Why? Because we don't follow its rules. We don't think like it does. We don't belong to it.

It's one of the biggest irony's of all time. People who are of the world - of the flesh - love it. They think that the world (and the flesh) has the answers to all of life's needs and troubles. In essence, they are giving themselves over to Satan, to let him take care of them.

Satan hates them. He hates all of us. After all, his goal is to send everyone into eternal suffering. How can you do that to someone, unless you truly hate them? Why does Satan hate us? Because we have something he will never have. Satan desires to be like God. (Is 14:14) But it is we who are made in God's image! And so Satan's great pride causes his great hatred of us.

But it's alright. Satan (and the world) hates God, too. And since we are children of God, he loves us. So we need not fear Satan's hate. He can't harm us if we don't let him. And when the world rejects us, or the things we say, they are really rejecting Jesus.

Cell June 26 - Love, Schmove

2009-06-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

At our Friday night cell meetings, our 10-12 year-old group has been going through the Gospel of John, as part of a challenge I gave them several months ago. Last week, we talked about Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. This week, started looking at some of His last teachings before His death on the Cross.

Chapters 13-16 in John narrate Jesus' last words of teaching to his disciples. There is an almost hurried tone to these words. It's as if the Lord is giving a last-minute pep talk. I'm reminded of a scene from the movie Any Given Sunday. Coach D'Amato is walking down the tunnel onto the field with his young, inexperienced quarterback, Willie Beaman. D'Amato just keeps firing advice and instructions at Willie, who just keeps replying "Yeah." For the disciples, like Willie, it was a lot of information to absorb in very little time.

One of the first things that Jesus told the disciples was that He was giving them a new commandment. This must have been confusing to them. First, He reduces the Ten Commandments down to two. Now, He's giving them a new one. And like the other two (Love God above all, love your neighbor as yourself), His new commandment is born of love: "...as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13:34, NKJV)

This opened the discussion on what "love" really means in the New Testament, especially when Jesus is speaking of it. John's Greek translation of Jesus' instructions uses the word agapeo ( αγαπη ) for "love." This is one of two words used in the NT for "love," the other being phileo. ( φιλεϖ )

Without getting too technical, there is a very important difference. Phileo is used to reference an emotional, heart-centered love. Phileo love is an easy love, an immediate love. Not that there cannot be intensity to it, but it is love that does not generally have a cost to it.

Agapeo, or agape love is much different. Beyond a simple feeling of the heart, agapeo requires an act of the will. It is a love of the mind, a sacrificial love, a love that requires risk. This is a love that places the one loved above self.

This is the kind of love that Jesus calls us all to. Not an easy, painless, "like" kind of love; He desires us to love one another with a risky, sometimes painful, willful love. It's easy to love someone when they are nice to you. But loving someone who just smacked you in the face - that's agapeo.

Reminder!!! Due to the Fourth of July Weekend, there will be no cell group on July 3rd!!

GLCCKidz Celebrates Father's Day!!

2009-06-23T07:16:00.001-07:00

This week was Father's Day in the U.S., and our children's cells get in on the act. This week, Sister Anita's 4-9 year old cell group was highlighted at our Sunday service. They made a special presentation for all the father's in attendance, giving them a gift of The Bible Promise Book. The pastors also received special Father's Day cards.

The kids then led the congregation in some worship, singing the Desparation Band's "Counting on God.

Cell June 19 - Almost Time

2009-06-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

This weeks lesson in our series on John takes us right to the gates of Jerusalem - and right to the beginning of the Passion, or events and suffering of Christ leading up to the Crucifixion.

John 12 tells us about Jesus's entry into Jerusalem. Historically, we know why: Jesus was coming to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Custom required that all Jewish families travel to Jerusalem to celebrate this solemn festival. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, which (according to tradition) is the way the Messiah would enter Jerusalem.

Here begins the events that lead up to Jesus' death on the Cross. The Triumphal Entry takes place on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. The countdown of Holy Week then begins.

The next few weeks will focus on the Passion, and the events surrounding Holy Week.

Cell June 12 - What a Waste!

2009-06-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

This week continues our look at the Gospel of John. Last week, we looked at the story of Lazarus, Jesus' last and greatest miracle before the Resurrection. John continues to tell us the story of the family of Lazarus, and his sisters, Mary and Martha.

Mary - who has shown her devotion to the Lord before - instead of helping Martha with the meal, takes a large flask of expensive oil, and annoints Jesus, wiping His feet with her long hair. While history might debate the identity of this woman, one thing is clear: she uses a tremendously expensive amount of oil on this gesture. Judas states that the oil was worth 300 denarii, or a man's wages for a year.

There are a couple of things to take away. One is that Judas didn't really care about the poor, as he states in the text. Judas was the groups treasurer, and John reports that he was skimming from the cashbox. He wanted more money to cover his stealing.

Also, this is a very symbolic moment, as this annointing was usually done for the dead. This is a foreshadowing of what is going to happen to Jesus.

More important, though, is what Jesus says in verse 8: "For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

He was telling us to spend time with God before it's too late. While God is always present, our days are numbered. Tomorrow is never promised, so don't delay in spending time with Jesus.

Cell June 5 - Death is Smelly

2009-06-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

Summertime is fast approaching. Things move along so quickly, it's hard to keep up sometimes. Last week was Fifth Friday, and though we usually do something fun, this time we just let everyone enjoy the weekend.

This week was an interesting topic. As we continue our journey through the Gospel of John, we come upon the story of Lazarus. Now, many people know the story of old Lazarus, and how he rose from the grave at Jesus' command. But have they really looked at it.

Lazarus of Bethany (as opposed to Lazarus the beggar) was, of course, a good friend of Jesus. Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, can be found in the Gospels as the people that Jesus often visits when he comes to Jerusalem. The story of Lazarus is (aside from the Passion) John's longest single story. The miracle of Lazarus is the reason people lined up to see Jesus when He entered Jerusalem, and could have been the final straw that caused the Sanhedrin to seek His death.

It is reported to Jesus that his friend Lazarus is ill. Jesus did not go right to Bethany, but waited. When He finally got to Bethany, He was told Lazarus had been dead for four days. Then He said something to the effect of "I'm glad I wasn't here,l because now you can believe." He then gives his famous quote in John 11:25-26:

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11 also contains verse 35, which (in the KJV and NKJV) simply says:

Jesus wept.

What a tender moment! Here is the Savior of the World, sharing in His full humanity by shedding tears for his fallen friend. Or perhaps, for all of us?

A memorable part of the story is when Jesus orders the stone to be rolled away, and Martha (always the practical one) says that Lazarus must really stink by now. After all, he's been dead in the hot desert for four days. But Jesus us undeterred, and calls Lazarus forward.

Of course, this demonstrates Jesus' authority over death, an authority He would soon be using to raise himself from the grave.

Cell May 22 - Throwing Stones

2009-05-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

This week, we had a special guest leader for the 10-12 cell group - Shannon.

The lesson this week was a simple one. The story comes out of our continuing study of the Gospel of John. In this case, we were reading from Chapter 8. In this story, a woman is brought before Jesus who has been caught out in a terrible sin - one for which the scriptual penalty is death by stoning.

Jesus basically says "You're right. I tell you what. Whichever of you has never sinned, you throw the first stone. " John tells us the men all felt guilty, and one by one, they left Jesus and the woman alone.

Notice that while the men walked (ran!) away in shame of their sins, the woman did not. She faced the consequences of her actions. Jesus then asked her (in paraphrase) "Where did they all go? Is there anyone left to condemn you? No? Then I won't either. Go try and do better to not sin."

God doesn't care what others say about you. He doesn't expect perfection. He only cares about your heart, and that you try to stay away from sin as hard as you can. Don't worry about others' sins - worry about your own.

Cell May 8 - O Brother!

2009-05-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

This week we had a talk about sibling rivalry. Specifically, we talked about Joseph and the relationship he had with his brothers.

After reading about Joseph in Genesis, we were amused to find he was (in the words of the kids) a rat. A snitch. He dropped dime on his brothers when they goofed off.

His dad liked him best. A little Daddy's boy!

And apparently God liked him better, too. After all, God gave him dreams.

So Joseph's brothers did what any self-respecting older siblings would do. They slapped little Joseph around, threw him in a well, and sold him into slavery.

Years later, when Joseph was a powerful man and his brother's were in need, he had the chance to repay them. Did he? Of course not. Joseph showed his brother's love after what they had done. Does time really heal all wounds? Or does God?

What do you think?

Cell May 1 - Sowing Seeds

2009-05-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

This week at GLCCKidz, we took a good look at the Parable of the Sower. Luke 8:4-8,11-15. This is parable is unusual in that Jesus right away goes to explain it. Why? It could be because this is a very important lesson, and he wanted his disciples to be sure to get it right.

In the story, Jesus describes how a sower scatters seed on the ground. Some of the seed lands on the path, some on a rock, some in the thorns and some on good ground. We can draw some conclusions from understanding that the seeds represent the Word of God.

The seeds that fall on path are taken by birds. This represents those who hear the Word, and want to respond to it, but they are distracted by things of the world. The devil literally comes and steals the Word from their hearts. These people fall prey to all the disc traction and lies that the crafty devil can throw at them.

The seeds that fall on the rock grow and die. This represents people who hear the Word, and are joyful; but since the Word really did not take root, it soon dies within them. Maybe you know someone like that, someone who seemed on fire for God, but then that fire faded.

The seeds that fall in the thorns grow, but are choked. These are the folks who allow the Word to be choked by worries, seeking after riches and looking for life's pleasures. There's nothing wrong with wanting comfort. But when it takes the place of God in our lives, the Word then gets choked off. God does not desire that we spend our days worrying about problems or about what we will get; rather we should seek after Him.

The seed that falls on good ground grows, multiplies and bears fruit. A healthy plant will grow strong and will bear fruit - flowers, food, whatever. It will continue to multiply. That's how you know it's healthy.

We need to be sure that the Word is firmly planted in the "good and fertile soil" of our hearts.

Cell April 17 and 24 - Double the Fun

2009-04-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

Since I've been travelling for the last two weeks, I didn't get an opportunity to do an update, so I'll cover both weeks here.

The lessons the last two weeks have both come out of the Gospel of John. We've been focusing on this Gospel lately, as it really has great insights into faith and salvation. My recommendation and challenge to the kids was to have everyone read John in it's entirety, and we'll be doing various lessons out of John for the next few months.

Last week, we read out of John, chapter five. We read the story of the paralytic man, who was lame for 38 years. Each year, he would go to the pool at the Sheep's Gate, hoping to be healed when the water was stirred up. But he could never make it to the water in time. Finally, Jesus sees him and asks in verse 6: "Do you want to get well?"

This seems an odd question at first. Why would he be there if he didn't want to get well? But many times, we find comfort in our struggles and especially in our sin. Sometimes our struggles define who we are, and we are afraid to give that up and be well. The first thing that has to happen before God can make a change in our lives, is that we have to want to change.

Following the lesson, we held an Easter Egg Hunt just for the older kids - in the dark! It was a perfect, warm night, and they had a great time running around in the dark looking for eggs.

This week, we continued the lessons from John in chapter 14. This was one of the last times that Jesus would be together with his inner circle, and there was a sense of urgency to his message. He was speaking to them about where He was going and what He was to accomplish, but there was none of the usual patience that Jesus displayed in his teachings. Here, he hits them with a lot of information at once. Finally, Thomas, ever the pragmatist, tells Jesus that they cannot follow if they do not know where He is going. Verse 5:

"Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

To which Jesus replied in verse 6:

"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

So simple. So often we spend out time seeking after so many things, and never looking to Jesus. Basically, men seek after some very basic things, for which Jesus has an answer. They look for direction in their lives, a sense of purpose. (I am the way) They look for validation and a sense that they are work something, that their lives mean something. (I am the truth) Finally, they look for security, comfort and a sense of well-being. (I am the life)

We need to stop seeking things and keep seeking Jesus.

Easter egg hunt Postponed!

2009-04-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Due to rain, the Easter Egg Hunt is postponed until next week. Check back for details.

Cell April 3 - The Word

2009-04-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

Friday night was the final "Keep on Trekkin' " post-encounter class for our 10-12 year-old group. We spoke directly about the importance of keeping God's Word in front of us on a daily basis, and the important things that the Word can do, as given by Paul in 2Tim 3:16-17

It is inspired by God
It is good for teaching
It is good for reproof
It is good for correction
It is good for instruction in righteousness
It prepares us - completely and thoroughly for every good work.

Upcoming Event!

We will be holding our annual Easter Egg Hunt from 2:30 to 4:00 on Saturday, April 11 at Beardsley Park. All children 3-9 are welcome! Bring some friends!

Cell March 27 - What Are You Looking At?

2009-03-31T09:55:00.000-07:00

Jill had a vision the day of our last cell meeting. I was all set with a lesson for the kids, but she came to be and said that she had something she needed to talk to them about. I like to give way to the Spirit whenever possible, so the floor was hers.

She continued and earlier discussion that we had regarding music and media. This is such an important topic for kids of this age. I mean, whatever we put into ourselves determines what we're made of, right? So isn't it important to be careful about what we put into ourselves.

Jill did a great job talking about the ways that music get into our minds and spirits, and slowly start to rot us from within. The kids asked a lot of good questions, and I think the discussion went well.

As parents, do you watch over what "goes into" your kids?

Cell March 20 - Come and See

2009-03-24T05:13:00.000-07:00

This week we talked about an interesting subject - namely who we are as Christians, and how the world looks at us. Or more importantly, what the direction our "outward" ministry should take.

There are a lot of examples in the Bible about reaching out to people. For the most part, the early church didn't have to go very far to reach people. While it's true that people like Peter and Paul travelled far and wide to plant churches, they often were most effective at taking advantage of whatever situation God had placed them in. In other words, they tried to be an example of Christ's love wherever they were.

The Greek word "oikas" refers to the people we encounter in everyday life, people we already have relationships with. We don't need to go to the ends of the Earth - our mission field is right here in our backyard.

In John chapter 1, when John the Baptist saw Jesus for who he was, he didn't pack his belongings and go on a mission trip to Africa. He simply told those who were his disciples. He pointed and said "Behold the Lamb." One of those two was Andrew, brother of Peter. Andrew and another asked Jesus "Where are you staying?" Jesus answered "Come and see." It was simple - an invitation to just come and witness who Christ was and what he was doing.

Andrew didn't pack his bags and go to Africa, either. He simply went and found his brother, Simon. He simply told someone who he already had a relationship. I'm sure he offered to show Simon.

When Jesus met Phillip, and Phillip saw him for who He was, Phillip didn't pack either. He simply went to his friend and said "Come and see."

Who have you shown Christ today?