By Monica Bowman

Proclaim Christ…It Isn’t Meant to Be Scary!

Mark 16:15 (And [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation) and the other Great Commission passages can seem daunting. They shouldn’t be. The “whole creation” includes anyone we encounter as we go about our daily lives. Our local community is definitely part of the whole creation. And we have plenty of opportunities for you to proclaim the gospel during these upcoming community-focused events.

• September 16 Parade Outreach

• October 31 Dark Night Bright Light

• November [date TBD] Coats for All

• December 5 Christmas in Q’ville

These events are fun! They also put us face-to-face with our neighbors. If you fret because you don’t have many occasions to witness, sign up for one or more of these events. You will participate with quite a few other people from Oak Hill, so you won’t be alone. Community members come to us for these events, so you don’t even have to go look for people to proclaim Christ to them. Watch for sign up lists.

Please pray along with us and with our ministry partners.

Pray that several people step up to plan and coordinate Dark Night Bright Light. When Oak Hill met on East State Street, this was a yearly event during which we opened the doors of our church to families as they were trick-or-treating. We had a circuit of gospel-themed games and prizes for the kids as well as a few refreshments for the adults. Since we are located in the middle of our community once again, we want to re-launch this outreach. Both the parade and Halloween guarantee that our neighbors traipse by our doors. Let’s welcome them, love them, and proclaim Jesus to them.

Pray for Solanco Neighborhood Ministries as they diligently work to reduce the ever-present food insecurity in our community, to find affordable housing for very low income families, to help people without a working vehicle get to important appointments and do simple things like buy food or medicine. Each SNM staff member is fueled by the Spirit, is passionate about serving the “least of these,” and is dependent on Christ. Please hold up their arms in prayer.

Pray for our Good Neighbors team which has made such a difference in many low-income homeowners’ lives. This team needs willing hands to do at least a few repairs. They also need a few people willing to spend a few hours each month visiting and praying with clients whose projects have finished. This is the easiest, most joyful prayer visit you could make since these clients overflow with gratitude for the repairs that make it possible for them to safely stay in their homes.

Pray for Bible Adventure as they head into another season of sharing the gospel with public school students with Bible teaching and Scripture memorization. This team always needs more believers to simply hear the students’ memory verses and chat with them—consider investing an hour or two once a week or a few times a month. The students’ enthusiasm is contagious!

Solid Rock needs ongoing prayer through their renovation project and for each of their gospel-fueled staff members and volunteers as they too look to begin programming for another school year. Thanks for all the ways you serve this incredible ministry.