Block Party, VBS, and Open Doors

Thank you for praying. The Lord has been kind to our church family this month, and we are encouraged to see Him opening doors for the gospel here in Lawrence.

Our First Responder Block Party went incredibly well. Within the first half hour neighbors were already asking about next year. The Lord brought many from our city—local police officers, state troopers and support staff, firefighters, EMS, several city officials, and 50–60 neighbors. A number of families walked through the church and expressed interest in visiting a service, and some registered their children for VBS. The local paper even gave the event a short write-up. I also met a police lieutenant who wants to help us connect with and serve the Lawrence Police Department. The following day, I went to what I assumed would be a simple meet-and-greet with the Massachusetts State Police, but it turned into an invitation to serve as a volunteer chaplain. We are praying for wisdom as we consider this opportunity.

VBS was another answer to prayer. We asked the Lord for thirty children; on opening night He sent thirty-two. Early in the week it was clear that many of the kids had never heard the story of Christ’s birth. On Thursday evening I preached a simple gospel message. After several nights where distractions were a challenge, the Lord quieted the room and every child heard a clear presentation of the gospel. We also had meaningful conversations with parents; some expressed serious interest in visiting a service, and I was able to speak about Christ with one parent after the program. Our church family stepped up in a big way and is already talking about how to strengthen VBS next year.

Out of the preparations for the Block Party, several city officials encouraged us to host neighborhood meetings. This month we will hold the first of these at the church, and the plan is to make them a quarterly routine. We see this as another way to serve our community and to build redemptive relationships with our neighbors.

Looking ahead to next year’s Block Party, we are planning to include free raffles as a natural moment to share a brief gospel message; someone has already offered Boston Bruins tickets for that purpose. (We might have to set these aside for a “pastor’s kids raffle”)

None of these efforts would have been possible without two great missions teams. We are grateful for the servant hearts of Lewisburg Baptist Church (Lewisburg, WV) and Grace & Truth Bible Church (Hummelstown, PA). The Lord used them to strengthen our hands for the work.

Please pray for gospel fruit from both the Block Party and VBS, for good follow-up with the families who showed interest, for favor with the Lawrence PD and wisdom about the MSP chaplain invitation, and for a fruitful first neighborhood meeting that builds trust and opens doors for the gospel.