How Many Got Saved?

I'm sure many of you know this, but I'll throw it out there anyway. There is a great software/website for checking out some of the newest music in the Christian genre. It's a great place to listen to short clips of the latest praise and worship songs and even the latest Contemporary Christian stuff. The address of the website is http://www.apple.com/itunes/download
You've first gotta download the free software, but after you install it and setup your free account you are in business. There is some free stuff on there each week, plus full tracks are only .99 per download which works great when you don't necessarily want a whole album. We find just about anything we need for our Worship Arts department at church on itunes. It's truly impressive. You can also find just about any genre of music on there, not just Christian. Check it out.

Back to the grind today. Our church is in a bit of a transition period and I have been filling in as sort of an interim worship leader for a while and working on real estate and our other ministry less until the church didn't me so much any more, or else hired me full time. As I wrote last time, that is all about to change. It has been fun to lead all the services, but difficult to balance all my other work away from the church. I have been so grateful for the opportunity to impact so many people for Christ, since we have an average of probably around 1000 adults and teenagers in the main services. So many people from the church have shared with me how they have been blessed and touched by my leading and singing over the last few months, that it has been a great encouragement after such a difficult time earlier in 2006. It's not about me, it's about lifting up Jesus Christ, but sometimes when you work hard in ministry and give it your all, it's just nice to hear a kind word!

We learned from our Pastor in his sermon this week that in 2006, 198 people got saved, and another over 200 made re-dedications at the church. That is the awesome wonder-working life-changing power of God. I tell you, many churches never see that many people saved in their whole existence even over 30 years or more! Tell me that community churches are all fluff and ineffective, and I'll point you to Foothills for an example of how God is using one to truly be effective for His kingdom. People's lives are being impacted for God! People not only get saved, but they can then grow by being a part of the church.

I have been a bit spoiled in that area of my life in ministry, because when I used to travel with Dave Roever Evangelistic Association, we would sometimes see over 200 people saved in just one night at our services. We would just sing songs sometimes and people would spontaneously come to the alter. It was amazing. Over that time thousands of souls were saved. I have seen similar things in our ministry overseas. But these are ministries focused on evangelism, not a local church. There is a difference, and it's a tough task for any Pastor to balance the weight of feeding his older Christian flock, evangelizing the lost, and helping keep the newly saved on fire as they begin their walk with the Lord. The fact that God is using any church to get large numbers of people truly saved is awesome!

Ask yourself, when was the last time God used you to lead someone to him? It's such an honor and a privilege when the Lord allows you to be a vessel to help direct someone toward Him. You have probably been used by God to impact people for Christ and you don't even know it. But I think we all should be able to point to times when we know we have been a witness. One thing I know is that people watch us as Christians. They watch us when we are serving at church and we don't even know it. They watch us when we talk to others and when we talk to them. They watch how we act in public, when they see us at the bank or at the restaurant. Remember that...We are being watched as Christians, and what a lost person sees may impact them positively or negatively for God's kingdom. It's all planting seeds. I hope and pray that we are used to plant the kind of seed that God will use for His good ;)