Do Something - Reflecting on the Fall Festival
CHUCK BOKISA
“Brethren do something; do something; do something. While committees waste their time over resolutions, do something. While Societies and Unions are making constitutions, let us win souls. Too often we discuss, and discuss, and discuss, and Satan laughs in his sleeve. It is time we had done planning and sought something to plan. I pray you, be men of action all of you. Get to work and quit yourselves like men. Old Suwarrow’s idea of war is mine: “Forward and strike! No theory! Attack! Form column! Charge bayonets! Plunge into the center of the enemy!” Our one aim is to save sinners, and this we are not to talk about, but to do in the power of God.”
Charles Spurgeon
There is something about the fall weather that brings me back to center. Falling leaves, cooler temperatures, and of course lots of flannel puts me in work mode. Maybe it’s because I’ve been conditioned for near thirty years to switch from summer and its leisure to fall and its studies, but as September ends and October begins, I get excited to put things on my plate and get to work.
After the most successful Family Fall Flannel Festival in Mercy Hill Chapel history, I’m more encouraged than ever. Dozens of volunteers, scores of hot dog, lots of face paint, numerous games, and one pony made for the biggest turnout we’ve ever had. No official count was taken, but a conservative estimate of at least 150-200 attendees were in our back yard, engaging with one another and enjoying the atmosphere that MHC offered. The Lord was at work among our members as they engaged everywhere. At the members’ meeting we heard testimonies of gospel leads and conversations with total strangers who just happened to see our event on Facebook or from driving by on Snow Road. Resurrection Arabic Church members were also on hand helping to serve and engage.
That’s called ministry and MHC did it with a lot of joy and apple cider. For three hours on a Saturday afternoon, the Spirit empowered us to live out the powerful part of our church covenant with one another. But now that it’s over and passed will we let the joy of ministry together fade away as we wait for the next community event? I hope not.
Brothers and sisters, my encouragement to you is to keep going. We aren’t going to have another event like Fall Fest anytime soon, but we don’t have to wait until the next one to powerfully represent Christ to our friends, family, neighbors and enemies. Do. Something. Embrace the season and get to work.
Partner with another family or two and throw a barbecue for your whole block. Have a fire in your backyard and invite those neighbors whose kids are always asking your kids to play. Ask Legacy Place Assisted Living on Ridge Road to see if you could host a Thursday night Bible study for six weeks with all the seniors. Buy five rakes and invite Summit over your house to rake the leaves of both neighbors on either side of you. Do. Something.
There’s a snowball effect in ministry that can either be embraced or ignored. Once we have that conversation or make that gospel connection, we can keep rolling and working or step aside and let it pass on by – squandered.
Do something and do it in the power of God.
"Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'" Matthew 9:37–38
“Brethren do something; do something; do something. While committees waste their time over resolutions, do something. While Societies and Unions are making constitutions, let us win souls. Too often we discuss, and discuss, and discuss, and Satan laughs in his sleeve. It is time we had done planning and sought something to plan. I pray you, be men of action all of you. Get to work and quit yourselves like men. Old Suwarrow’s idea of war is mine: “Forward and strike! No theory! Attack! Form column! Charge bayonets! Plunge into the center of the enemy!” Our one aim is to save sinners, and this we are not to talk about, but to do in the power of God.”
Charles Spurgeon
There is something about the fall weather that brings me back to center. Falling leaves, cooler temperatures, and of course lots of flannel puts me in work mode. Maybe it’s because I’ve been conditioned for near thirty years to switch from summer and its leisure to fall and its studies, but as September ends and October begins, I get excited to put things on my plate and get to work.
After the most successful Family Fall Flannel Festival in Mercy Hill Chapel history, I’m more encouraged than ever. Dozens of volunteers, scores of hot dog, lots of face paint, numerous games, and one pony made for the biggest turnout we’ve ever had. No official count was taken, but a conservative estimate of at least 150-200 attendees were in our back yard, engaging with one another and enjoying the atmosphere that MHC offered. The Lord was at work among our members as they engaged everywhere. At the members’ meeting we heard testimonies of gospel leads and conversations with total strangers who just happened to see our event on Facebook or from driving by on Snow Road. Resurrection Arabic Church members were also on hand helping to serve and engage.
That’s called ministry and MHC did it with a lot of joy and apple cider. For three hours on a Saturday afternoon, the Spirit empowered us to live out the powerful part of our church covenant with one another. But now that it’s over and passed will we let the joy of ministry together fade away as we wait for the next community event? I hope not.
Brothers and sisters, my encouragement to you is to keep going. We aren’t going to have another event like Fall Fest anytime soon, but we don’t have to wait until the next one to powerfully represent Christ to our friends, family, neighbors and enemies. Do. Something. Embrace the season and get to work.
Partner with another family or two and throw a barbecue for your whole block. Have a fire in your backyard and invite those neighbors whose kids are always asking your kids to play. Ask Legacy Place Assisted Living on Ridge Road to see if you could host a Thursday night Bible study for six weeks with all the seniors. Buy five rakes and invite Summit over your house to rake the leaves of both neighbors on either side of you. Do. Something.
There’s a snowball effect in ministry that can either be embraced or ignored. Once we have that conversation or make that gospel connection, we can keep rolling and working or step aside and let it pass on by – squandered.
Do something and do it in the power of God.
"Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'" Matthew 9:37–38