kiss dayton!

Five years, that's a long time...every Valentine season for five years we've Kissed Dayton...

Today a few of us gathered...talked about what 2nd Saturday Outreach is all about, and talked about the re-tooling of the day in the near future

Today we Kissed Dayton...a few small Hershey Kisses in a small bag, along with a red carnation. We went to two local strip malls, one in Fairfield, and one in Centerville...We had a blast.

People were open, curious, laughed and caught the vibe. One group went to a Spa/Hair place they offered the carnations and gave the packs saying, 'We're the Vineyard and you've just been Kissed.'

One of the team noticed the lady getting her hair cut didn't receive a flower. So being the sensitive, thinking person she is, made an extra special effort to find the team and run back to the shop...when she gave the lady the flower, the surprised and delighted lady exclaimed, 'You've just made my day! Thank you.'

Really? Made her day? What's in a gift of a small flower?...a message...a small action that sends a signal...someone cares for you. Somehow, the action done with genuine love touches the heart. It's a mystery.

Jesus said...
"This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.Mark 4: 26-28 NIV

As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come. Mark 4:9 NIV

Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." John 4:35-38 NIV

Servant Evangelism is primarily the hard work of outreach. Scattering seed. Somehow the seeds we sow are placed into the ground of a human heart.

How does the seed grow? It just does. God makes the seed grow. The action connected to the act of service done with genuine love is a powerful seed. It's a spiritual mystery.

I've noticed unbelieving believers usually don't get love in action. They don't understand... and most probably have never consistently endeavored to sow acts of kindness. The process and joy of seed sowing is actually more caught by doing. The understanding takes place as kindness is practiced, not by understanding a theory.

A process

Last week, Doug asked for those who had never ever given their lives to Jesus Christ to raise their hands. Many hands were lifted up. Later he gently asked those who lifted their hands to come to the front for prayer. One girl in her 20's came forward. She gave her life to Jesus Christ and began her new journey into LIFE.

What was the process? Many people sowing many seeds into her life. Someone planted the seed, someone watered the seed...in the end, God brought the increase as Doug made a simple appeal that invited her to make a positive decision.

Outreach is a mystery...but that's how the process works in real time. Personally, I'm glad to be playing in the game.

by the way...
Positive comments flowed in our follow up small group time.