Ablaze Squared

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What If

What would happen if 80% of your members intentionally invested two hours a month for the express purpose of reaching lost people in your community?  The Apple of His Eye has developed a simple plan for you that will bring specific results: 1) your members will actively share their Faith  2) their friends will hear the Gospel 3) God’s Word will not return void. Join in the movement of intentionally reaching out to the lost.

The Problem

Over the past decade, the average number of adult converts per church per year for our 6,000+ Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) congregations has been abysmal, some say less than one adult per church per year. Of course there have been baptisms of children born into the church.

Many have been added (or lost) through transfers from congregation A to congregation B. But this has no net increase in kingdom growth.

Our pastors are overwhelmed with the daily duties and challenges of leading the local church that little time is left in their week to reach out to visitors much less others who are not coming to their church. People outside of faith in Christ are headed for eternal separation from God and is we in North America maintain the status quo of silence concerning our faith, then their fate is dire indeed.

Change is needed so that there is ongoing, effective, personal sharing of the Gospel by the members of the church who already have existing relationships with those who are lost.

What to Do?

We in The Apple of His Eye Mission Society have majored in reaching out with the Gospel and equipping the church to do the same.

However, as my sociology professor in college told me, “People do what they want to do!”

Having training is just not enough! There needs to be a plan, a support base, and encouragement at the local level.

The Initiative - Ablaze²

What if the local congregation incorporated a stewardship plan not just for resources to reach the financial budget, but a special plan for the members to invest two hours a month for the specific purpose of telling others about Jesus.

If an average church of 200 in worship had 80% participation that would be 160 people times two hours/month time 12 months = 3,840 hours of intentional outreach a year.

Is it possible that an investment of time in this manner might make a difference?

Well, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God!” and “The word of the Lord shall not return void!”

How We Can Help

The Apple of His Eye is ready to serve the local churches with regular support materials that can go on your web site, in your church newsletter or church bulletins to celebrate and encourage participants in Ablaze².

We can also assist in training people in personal evangelism through...

1. Our short-term mission events

2. Our personal evangelism seminars

3. Our presentations in local churches that include both the worship services and the Bible class

There is no set charge for our mission services, but we do encourage free-will offerings on behalf of our on-going mission efforts to assist with the administration of this initiative.

When you sign up to participate with The Apple of His Eye in this initiative, we will send you a Faith Commitment to sign and post prominently in your church to inform your members that you are part of this growing initiative.

We also have posters we can send you to further promote within your church.

Finally, when we receive their name and e-mail address, each person in your church will receive a free electronic copy of our primer on witnessing: Beginning from Jerusalem.

Change of Any Sort Requires Courage

The world has come to our doorstep. The result is that there is a plethora of opportunities to tell the good news of Jesus.

We offer encouragement, some structure in which to operate and a few good tools to assist in the effort. Mix in the prayers of the church and the power of the Holy Spirit and there can be dynamic change in both the lives of believers and their unsaved friends.

We are convinced that this initiative will help others in their desire to see people come to saving faith in Y’shua. Join us! Let’s intentionally help others invest two hours a month in reaching the Lost.

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for this is God’s power for salvation for all who will believe...to the Jew first and also to the Greek. -- Romans 1:16

About Us

The Apple of His Eye Mission Society is a Registered Service Organization of the LCMS. Since our founding in 1996, we have led short term mission events around the country and given presentations in over 1,000 LCMS churches. We are here to serve you and see that Jewish people and gentiles hear of Jesus before it is too late.