Success Stories: May 8, 2024

Welcome Bremen church of Christ, Georgia: We are excited to announce the enrollment of the Bremen church of Christ in the House to House/Heart to Heart School of Evangelism. The attendance during this event was some of the best we have witnessed. The elders and preacher are fully engaged and working hard to develop a congregational evangelism model.

Scott Broughton (coordinator) reports, “On Sunday, April 28, we had one baptism, Johnny Cupit. Johnny had been studying with the elders using Back to the Bible.

“On Sunday, May 5, Chad preached the first of the sermons from the School of Evangelism listing, ‘The Samaritan Woman at the Well.’ After the morning service, Brothers Keepers Group 2 met for a meal and then discussed the previous week’s meeting. The best way to describe the atmosphere is ‘buzzing like a beehive.’ Several people shared how they had talked to neighbors and coworkers about the Bible during the last half of the week.

“During the evening service, the Survey/Questionnaire was handed out. Chad explained each question. After service, people continued to discuss evangelism in a way that I had not heard in several years. It was extremely encouraging.”

Welcome East Main church of Christ, Tupelo, Mississippi: During the heart of COVID-19, we came to East Main in 2020, but the timing was difficult due to an influx of cases. They rescheduled us to come back. This week, they have officially enrolled in the House to House/Heart to Heart School of Evangelism. We look forward to watching this congregation develop the congregational evangelism model.

Glencoe church of Christ, Alabama: David Marker (elder) reports, “Many folks were busy planning for this past Sunday as we honored our graduating high school seniors. We had several visitors present, and we enjoyed a fellowship meal after the worship service. We will certainly add those visitors to our contact list, and some have already indicated they would be back.

“We continue to make plans for our upcoming VBS. In conjunction with that, we will be planning several events, such as a door-knocking campaign and a Transition Thursday to personally hand deliver invitations for all age groups. We will also be placing invitations in our new mover baskets, which will be delivered this week.”

Petersville church of Christ, Florence, Alabama: Adam Richardson (preacher) reports, “We are continuing to roll out training, and we began the compassion card ministry yesterday. Things seem to be going well so far. I am slated to preach about the Bible studies, starting with the Evangelism Table Sermon later this month. We are already seeing some results, even though things are just getting started!”
Hatton church of Christ, Alabama: Chris Miller (preacher) reports, “We rejoice as we had a restoration of a member who has been away from the church for quite a while, and we are excited about this. We had a great crowd at our One Mission Meal this Sunday. One special guest was a recent convert, Blake, who had been very sick in the hospital in Tuscaloosa, but he has recovered. He drove up to worship with us today, and it was a great surprise seeing him. We studied with him several months ago, and he obeyed the gospel. We have a couple of Bible studies in progress, and we set up one today with a couple who has been visiting.”

Canal Heights church of Christ, Demopolis, Alabama: Bryan Cook (preacher) reports, “Canal Heights church of Christ has been doing the School of Evangelism for a while now and has seen good results. The building is not overflowing yet, but the year is still early.

“We have noticed that several aspects of the school have started to wane, so we have decided to emphasize evangelism in the month of May. Every sermon during the month will focus on this aspect while peppering the messages with all the tools we must use. There will probably be some rearranging of assignments for those that may be better suited to various tasks. We are actively looking for individuals who want to step up and be part of the team. Several have come and even asked where they are needed, which is very encouraging.

“We are also gearing up for our VBS, which will also be evangelistic-focused. During meetings to prep for VBS, we point out that we are trying to reach these people with the gospel. We hope and pray that the school has continued success, and we also implore prayers.”

Central church of Christ, Saraland, Alabama: David Dixon (preacher) reports, “The work continues enthusiastically. Evangelism is becoming ingrained in everything we do. Every worship service is focused on evangelism, as well as every outreach and every prayer. It is comforting to know we are doing what we should have been doing for generations.

“We have sent out over 650 cards in four weeks. I delivered a basket to the local wrestling coach, who is a first-time father, and that visit could not have gone better. I foresee a Bible study soon with him and his wife. I have invited my son’s baseball coaches to our house for a steak dinner, and they have agreed to come with their whole families. We have new movers’ baskets assembled and ready to deliver. Some of them will be delivered this week.

“This week marks the fourth week that some of our prospects have received compassion cards. We are in the process of training ourselves for the visits we now must make. We have already gotten a thank you letter from at least one of our prospects, so I think our visits will be fruitful. The process is working! May we never relent!”

West Huntsville church of Christ, Alabama: Paul Owen (associate preacher) reports, “We had our fifth compassion cards writing Sunday and our first One Mission Meeting. We assigned about twenty visits. We have seven ongoing Bible studies.”

Rison church of Christ, Arkansas: Keden Shrum (preacher) reports, “Care Team A signed cards last night. We had one study lined up for last week, but unfortunately, it fell through, and they have yet to recommit to a date. Lord willing, I will be visiting a man this week who has cancer and has requested a visit; we pray that visit will lead to a study. We currently have 19 prospects.”

Malvern church of Christ, Arkansas (remote): David Burruss (preacher) reports, “We started our training after a small break due to our spring gospel meeting. Since we are a smaller congregation, I am modifying the coordinator/task leader list, and we will soon start assigning those roles. Not much has changed since last week’s update. We currently have five prospects, of which two have started Bible studies and completed the first book. One of the prospects was a former member, and I am happy to announce that he and his family have attended the last few weeks. His wife and oldest child are interested in having a Bible study.”

Lake City church of Christ, Florida: Jim Flegert (elder) reports, “Along with this news, our new movers’ team was excited about the additional seven names of new movers to our community. One team reported tonight of the positive response from a new family they met today. The family promised to visit us; they had been wondering where they should worship. A contact card has been turned in to the compassion card coordinator allowing our compassion card writers to extend God’s invitation to this new family. To God be the glory!”

Niceville church of Christ, Florida: Joe Palmer (preacher) reports, “This week we sent 26 cards and had three new visitors at church. We had two Bible studies this week, and currently, we have four studies scheduled.  It was exciting this week to see a new team member set up a study. We have four couples who are actively studying with prospects.”

Peachtree City church of Christ, Georgia: Lew Foshee (elder) reports, “Since we effectively relaunched our evangelism program in January, we are definitely starting to see success as we diligently strive to execute the program. During the period of January through March, we mailed 258 cards to 24 contacts with whom we have been working. We also received 21 referrals through the New Movers Program that we have contacted and are actively working as well.

“We just completed our annual Walk4Water event. We had over 500 people register for the event and had 460 people on our campus, which greatly exceeded our past participation in the event. We are compiling a list of all the participants who were not members of our congregation. We will mail them cards within the next few weeks, thanking them for their participation in the event and inviting them to our services. Our Walk4Water event has provided us with a tremendous evangelistic opportunity! We continue to pray for our congregation’s evangelism efforts.”

Oak Hill church of Christ, Covington, Georgia: Tate Sutton (preacher) reports, “This week was good! We completed Lesson 2 with a couple wanting to know the difference between the Lord’s church and every other one. The Back to the Bible books answered every one of their questions. We appreciate prayers for their souls and open hearts.”

Lafayette church of Christ, Georgia: Jesse Teague (deacon) reports, “Last night was the first Sunday, so Group 1 met to send compassion cards. We had eight souls on the list to send cards this week, which is a little less than 10 percent of our average Sunday morning number. We are keeping the flow going, so we may, by all means, save some. We will meet with the core team tonight to discuss visits to be made from the prior month’s compassion cards. We will make re-visits where appropriate.”

Woodstock church of Christ, Georgia: Matt Amos (preacher) reports, “During our ACTS (Actively Caring Teaching & Serving) Evangelism Program, we collected three contact cards this week from April 28 new movers’ door-knocking campaign and one from the congregation, making that four total.

“On April 27, the Prison Ministry Group received Bible study requests from four ladies in the Cherokee County jail. The Cherokee County Jail has a new virtual visitation system within the jail and a website virtual visitation system called Iwebbvisit.com that will be utilized. The Compassion Card Group created 41 cards and will send 58 cards this week and 28 next week. WCOC held a Friend’s Day on Sunday, May 5. For Friend’s Day, the congregation invites people to come visit the church and eat an outstanding lunch. This is an opportunity for the church to welcome people to Bible study and worship. We had 334 in attendance for this campaign. The Greeter Group reported that WCOC had 15 non-Christian visitors for Friend’s Day.”

New Hope Road church of Christ, Dacula, Georgia (remote): Charles Harris (regional trainer) reports, “At New Hope Road, I preached Part 1 of a HTHSOE sermon from John 4. We went to the next step with our Bookmarks, picking a category on the back. Several contact cards have been returned. Now, we will make a congregational list and begin prospecting. Sunday evening, we had a return visitor who had recently moved to the area to be closer to her family. She has some familiarity with the Lord’s church. Hopefully, we can encourage her and reach out to her family members.”

Carrollton church of Christ, Georgia: Danny Spain (deacon) reports, “We sent out twenty-two compassion cards this past week. We also have one new Bible study set up.”

Honolulu church of Christ, Hawaii: Tagiilima Esene (preacher) reports, “We continue to have a steady flow of local visitors (prospects) as our members are inviting their friends and family. Three souls are currently in the study about the church (Book 2).  Two souls are in the very last part of Book 3.  We ask for prayers for Sonny and Katie, hoping they will see the truth and obey the gospel of Christ.

“Our work groups, led by our elders, continue to cover sending out cards, door-knocking for our new movers, and checking in on our shut-in members. I am currently preparing to train the Waimea church of Christ via Zoom. They have all the materials needed to begin the work of evangelism. Please continue to pray for us. Specifically, please pray for more workers. God bless all efforts!”

Beloit church of Christ, Kansas (remote): Dustin Dougherty (preacher) reports, “Good Afternoon, brother. It was a great worship day yesterday; we had three visitors, the parents and grandmother of one of our couples. It’s always great to have visitors in our pews with us. We continue working through the Back to the Bible booklets in our mid-week studies; we’re taking our time and working through it, talking about how to do the study and questions or objections that might come up during the study, especially in Book three. Once we’re done with Book three, we’ll go over the Does it Matter booklet; everyone has been really enjoying the study on how to do personal Bible studies and just the overall refresher of going over the material. We were supposed to have a study this evening using the Does it Matter booklet, but we postponed it due to severe weather in our area. We will pick that back up next week when the weather cooperates. I will begin a study very soon using the Growing in Christbook and working through that with an individual to strengthen and grow his faith. One of the other brothers is continuing studies with a young couple who are attending with us; studies seem to be going well with them. All honor and glory to God.”

Paintsville church of Christ, Kentucky: Zach Collins (preacher) reports, “We have concluded our series on the topic, ‘12 Rules for Personal Evangelism.’ We are already seeing the results! During the invitation this past Sunday morning, a woman who has been a wayward Christian for more than 40 years responded. Her daughter, one of our members, was encouraged to study with her because of the recent sermon series! She encouraged her to repent and be restored. Praise God! We appreciate all prayers for the work at Paintsville!”

Central church of Christ, Paducah, Kentucky: Adam Faughn (preacher) reports, “We rejoiced Sunday to hear the news that we have two new brothers in Christ! One of our young adult men, Caleb, has taken some of the evangelistic methods to his physical family (he used Muscle and a Shovel and Back to the Bible) and was able to baptize both his father, Todd Vaughn, and his brother, Corbin Vaughn, last Saturday in a pond in Southern Illinois. They live about an hour away from us, so we are working on helping them find a faithful congregation closer to where they live; they have visited a few, including Central, during the months of study. We pray for them as they begin their walk with Christ. To God be the glory!

“Our local efforts continue to produce a great number of guests each week. One example is a family of Christians who have just moved to Paducah. They bring about seven to ten young people each week, so our youth group is thrilled. Last Sunday, there were 28 in our teenage class (including four adults), and 18 in our elementary class (including two adults). This is an exciting time, and we are thinking about the best way to teach so many young people who have very little knowledge of Scripture.  We request prayers as we do our very best to help these young people and precious children grow in the faith! With VBS approaching, we think we might be bursting at the seams. Our local Head Start (literally across the street from our church building) will allow us to send home a flyer for VBS with every single student when their school year ends in a few days, as it is a local private school! We are grateful to the Lord for these doors of opportunity.”

La Plata church of Christ, Maryland (remote): Eric Sykes (regional trainer) reports, “We had eight visitors this week; we sent out ten compassion cards, and we still have several open Bible studies. The eldership selected our area coordinator for the visitors. We had three members in our new converts Bible study classes. We appreciate all prayers for the La Plata church of Christ as we continue to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!”

Aberdeen church of Christ, Maryland: Will Brown (preacher) reports, “This week, we are conducting three Bible studies. A seed has been planted, and a fourth study concluded last week. We continue developing an evangelistic push with our annual Vacation Bible School. We advertised early in the quarterly House to House Heart to Heart mailer with our VBS information. In the last two years, we advertised in the HTH/HTH issue for the summer, which resulted in two adult baptisms following VBS. The accountability boards continue to have an impact. We are working on planning a door-knocking campaign. On another front, one of our new Christians is studying with a relative.  We appreciate prayers for the success of all these efforts.”

West Hwy 160 church of Christ, West Plains, Missouri: Marvin Hatley (elder) reports, “New coordinators have been assigned, and training will begin next week. Compassion Card Group 2 prepared sixty-two cards to be mailed this week.

“Two personal Bible studies took place this past week. These studies are meeting resistance due to strong denominational traditions and a lack of honesty with God’s word. Still, the positive is that both prospects continue to be willing to engage in study. We appreciate the training and support as we continue our efforts to evangelize.”

Foristell church of Christ, Missouri: Aaron Baker (preacher) reports, “Another week, another round of visits. Our new movers bags continue to be a big hit. We have tried in the past to visit new movers cheaply to keep costs down. We would show up with smiles and tracts, and we did not have much reception. Then we tried smiles, tracts, and printed cloth shopping bags, which are reusable. Those softened people up a little bit, but not much. Finally, we tried adding useful items in the bags as we were taught during our training with Rob and Nicole. We placed paper towels, dish soap, Ziploc bags, and sponges in the bags with the tracts. We found that these gifts softened people up at the door so much more! They may not be interested in religion or in considering the Bible, as one man said he was already “churched,” but at least this gives us a friendlier person initially. Cold-call new movers visits are tough, but having useful new movers’ bags helps!

“We continue to move forward with three current Bible studies. Some have had to be rescheduled due to illness or travel schedules based on their work, but we are trying to teach God’s word and allow it to take root, and that takes time. Please pray for Dakota, Jennifer, and Heidi, with whom we are currently studying.”

West End Blvd church of Christ, Cape Girardeau, Missouri: Jared Scaggs (preacher) reports, “This week we went through the second part of Back to the Bible, Book 2. We had several visitors on Sunday, and we are working with one of them to help him find work, as that is his only need. One of the members thinks he can use him at his warehouse, and we are building this relationship.

“We have three ongoing Bible studies, with one that one of our sisters has just finished. The finished one did not result in conversion; however, the prospect wants to continue studying. I asked the sister who led the study to see if the prospect would let me study with her as well.

“This morning, we also had a call from a man who receives the HTH/HTH magazine and wants a ride to church this coming Sunday. We are also working hard to plan for our VBS booth at the Fair and our Fall Gospel meeting to be effective in terms of making contacts and following up within 72 hours. Stick to the model!”

Samford church of Christ, Steel, Missouri: Kyle Imel (deacon) reports, “We want every part of the congregation to be evangelistic, including our teen class. Addy put on Christ this morning. We have been going through the Back to the Bible series with the teens, and it convinced her to obey.”

East Flushing church of Christ, New York (remote): Clarence Jenkins (preacher) reports, “We have a visitor who has been coming consistently to worship services. We have started a Bible study with him. After worship service on Sunday, we prepared 41 compassion cards to be sent out this week. We appreciate all prayers.”

Cary church of Christ, North Carolina: Larry Fife (preacher) reports, “Sunday was busy with lots of visitors. Our Connect Group made 42 compassion cards, bringing our total to 584. We now have a new way for members to share their evangelism efforts so everyone can see and be encouraged to join the activities if they are not already participating. We are thankful for the opportunities God gives us!”

Carthage church of Christ, North Carolina (remote): Randy Chambers (preacher) reports, “This past week, we conducted one Bible Study using BTTB Lesson 3. This study is broken down into small sessions because the prospect reads and understands better when he reads from the Spanish version. Although he speaks English, we are using English and Spanish to ensure he understands the text. It is going well; he is consistent in our appointments, and sometimes he brings questions that we address if they pertain to the lessons or delay if they are covered in later lessons.

“We mailed out several compassion cards, and one student is currently enrolled in the BCC. We continue to pray for those on our contact list and look for opportunities to conduct Bible Studies. We thank God for those who are faithful, and we encourage all to seek the lost as we Go.”

Streetsboro church of Christ, Ohio: Ralph Price (preacher) reports, “We have a visit planned for this week for one of our visitors. We have sent her three weeks of compassion cards, and she has responded well. She is an elderly woman who walks about a quarter of a mile to our building on Sunday mornings with her walker. I did not realize she was walking until this week. I will offer to give her a ride, though she says she likes to walk. She seems to like the congregation but is also a very dedicated Baptist. I am hoping to establish a study with her.”

Greenville church of Christ, Ohio: John McGiffin (preacher) reports, “This past Wednesday, a new convert brought a friend to Bible study who requested baptism. When asked why, she said she wanted to get closer to Jesus. Although not a completely wrong answer, it showed she did not know why she should be baptized. I felt she needed some study before the baptism.  She agreed and wanted her mother to sit in on the Bible study. She is supposed to come back and schedule an appointment with me. I gave her my business card to give to her mother. Several members signed up to distribute the new HTH Welcome Home edition to some of our 40 prodigals. They agreed to follow up with phone calls, visits, and cards. We continue to prospect four prodigals with the mass mailings of compassion cards.”

New Concord church of Christ, Ohio: Terry Townsend (preacher) reports, “We continue to be encouraged by the number of visitors that are assembling each and every week. This week, one of our families who has visited with us for the last two months (a family we continue to prospect) brought their own ‘visitors.’

“One new Bible study started last week. We were able to complete Book 1 with him, and we look forward to our second study later this week. He seems very receptive. He received three weeks’ worth of compassion cards a couple of months ago. Prospecting continues as we make follow-up visits. Our new converts are being mentored. Several families have started working with these babes in Christ.

“One of our sweet, dear sisters met a man at the hospital; she said he seemed distraught, so she went over and conversed with him. She made contact and found out that he wanted to study the Bible. His name is Mr. Fields. We are praying that this comes to fruition.”

Coweta church of Christ, Oklahoma: Keno Shrum (regional trainer) reports, “Over the past few weeks, Houston and I have gone through Lessons 1 and 2 of BTTB with a couple of Houston’s friends. Sunday morning, after services, we went through Lesson 3.

“My morning lesson was about what is required for salvation and how we are expected to live after baptism. When we went into the study, Clayton asked, ‘Do I need to be baptized so I can be saved?’ I told him we would learn all about it in Lesson 3.

“When we reached the second closing point in Lesson 3, it asked if he was ready to be baptized and, if so, when. Clayton said he wanted to right then. The woman, Shy, said she had been baptized for the remission of sins but did not confess and had no idea baptism was symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Shy recognized that she had not been baptized. We jumped to the last part of the study and talked about the requirement to remain faithful in life and in attendance. They verified they understood and were ready. Immediately Clayton and Shy both scripturally gave their lives to God. We look forward to seeing them grow in the Lord!”

Sullivan Village church of Christ, Lawton, Oklahoma: Steven Hill (preacher) reports, “The second study with a woman went well last night. She seemed to get hung up on the musical instruments. I think she is starting to realize that this is leading toward the need to leave ‘her church.’ She said several things last night during the study. She said, “I love my pastor” and “Even though they are playing the instruments, I do not even focus on that; I am just praising God from my heart.”

“I went back to the concept of  ‘worship in spirit and truth’ and explained that you could do either one, but without both, it would be wrong. She still wants to have the third study, and I am hopeful. She also sent me a message last night after the study, asking if I would mind her saying a prayer, too, when we start or finish the study. I told her I do not mind, but you and I both know that her prayer is not going past the ceiling. I do not want to die on those unnecessary mountains, so I did not press those points. I know it takes time for faith to develop and comprehension to take place.

“Twenty-three of our brethren went door-knocking yesterday after services, and we have about five contacts and one study set up from that effort. We had a family come back to Sullivan Village two weeks ago that had been going to a sister congregation, where they are sadly teaching loosely on marriage, divorce, and remarriage. The husband is not coming, but the wife comes with all nine of her kids, and the oldest is bringing his girlfriend. So, 11 people have come for the last two Sundays, and they have loved their time with us. I plan to study with the oldest 17-year-old and his girlfriend soon.”

York church of Christ, Pennsylvania: Mark Raschke (deacon) reports, “This week, we continued to do many of the same things we have been doing. We have been encouraging our newly baptized members, especially those with family members who are opposed to the decision to become members of the church of Christ. We wrote another round of cards to a long-time contact, who is the sister of one of our members, upon the passing of her husband, who had often been on our prayer list. We heard some thanks from one of our contacts whom we invited to our fellowship meal; her poor health has kept her from visiting us so far, but she would like to. We have been praying for a recent visitor who heard about us through HTH/HTH and has suddenly begun attending every one of our services. He has not wanted to give us much information yet, but he is seeking.”

Union church of Christ, South Carolina (remote): Terry Hale (preacher) reports, “We have compassion cards going out for more visitors than we had with visits being planned after cards are all mailed. We have also continued training with more members being active. We have five prospects and three Bible studies. We appreciate all prayers as we practice congregational evangelism.”

Forest Hill church of Christ, Germantown, Tennessee: Scott Cain (preacher) reports, “We had a baptism a couple of weeks ago. There are at least three studies in progress, another about to begin, and three other promising prospects. I will send more details as soon as possible.”

Hebron church of Christ, McMinnville, Tennessee: Derrick Stiles (preacher) reports, “We have set the date of May 26 for our compassion card teams to begin. The New Convert class began Sunday morning with seven in attendance. We completed our lesson on the Parable of the Wedding Feast. Sunday we will discuss the place for the unfaithful in the evangelism model. Three Bible studies are continuing with various ones, and we have a few new prospects. We are taking it one week at a time as we enjoy establishing teams to carry out the work. The future looks bright!”

Madison County church of Christ, Jackson, Tennessee: Steven Sprouse (preacher) reports, “We have temporarily finished up our evangelism classes. Many have brought items for the new movers baskets after last week’s pep talk. I am hoping to get a lot of them delivered now. We continue to pray for souls and our evangelism with encouragement from the pulpit.  We have four prospects right now.”

Rivergate church of Christ, Madison, Tennessee: Doug Tooley (preacher) reports, “The elders and minister continue to meet weekly at Rivergate to discuss and plan. We have set up an accountability board. We baptized four young ladies this past week through a ministry that Sue Crain and another lady  studying with young ladies from a local correctional institution. There are eight more girls who want to be baptized, but they are under 18. This is being held up because they need to get permission from their parents. Our ladies are also limited on how often they can meet with these girls. They will continue to meet and study with those who have already obeyed the gospel, and we pray we can get through the red tape for the others to be baptized.

“This weekend, I was in a gospel meeting in Kentucky. Ronnie Williams taught the class that went with the teaching schedule and Louis Kuykendall preached the sermon. We had about 15 visitors on Sunday. Some of them were members passing through, and some members were visiting. Six who were not members were taken to eat.”

Hillsboro church of Christ, Tennessee: Chris Sliger (member) reports, “Updates were made to the Hillsboro RTL database to capture the interest level of previously visited contacts. In doing so, we identified a few candidates who would receive one weekly card from the church. Team B met Sunday evening, May 5, to write cards to four of these contacts. Along with these cards, Roy regularly meets with the Colvaines and Bells, and James continues his lessons with his coworker. We continue to stress the invitation cards during Sunday morning class.”

East Main church of Christ, Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Brad Rowley (elder) reports, “What an amazing week for East Main. Mary Dooley was baptized by Cole Walker. Hannah Dooley was baptized by Braxton Weeks. Rebecca Carver was baptized by Cole Walker. All three girls have been studying with Cole, Braxton, and Jeffrey Smith. We are so proud of our college students. Cole is a new convert himself. Cole has graduated MTSU and has the desire to be a preacher in the near future. Our college students have taken the great commission to heart.  What an amazing example to the congregation.

“Kacey Stephens was baptized by Brad Rowley after studying with Brad and Braden Emberton. Last week, we had one new contact card, and we wrote 48 compassion cards, completed one visit, and delivered four new mover baskets. We had two ongoing and two new Bible studies. The elders met with two new members, Sue Klose and Samuel Boggess. To God give the glory!”

McKenzie church of Christ, Tennessee: Randy McAdams (elder) reports, “We are still presenting and emphasizing to our congregation the use and value of utilizing the Prospect/Bookmark card. This past Sunday, we asked the congregation to think of someone who, at the time of our presentation from the pulpit, needs the prayers and love from our congregation to raise their hand. Many did. Then we asked them to put that name down on the Prospect card. We received four contact cards, two of which are non-members.

“On Sunday night, we showed the first video concerning the use of contact cards for the second time. This next Sunday, we will continue to address the congregation by pausing to pray for the individuals we have identified and to identify persons to whom the congregation can send the compassion cards. We are chipping on the iceberg and will keep chipping (Galatians 6:9).”

Brushy church of Christ, Centerville, Tennessee: Kevin Johnston (preacher) reports, “We had two new contacts added this week, and we are continuing to encourage the congregation to remain steadfast in reaching the lost. Lots of potential lies ahead, and we are thankful for all support and prayers!”

New Union church of Christ, Manchester, Tennessee: Paul Fulks (elder) reports, “Our evangelism team made four visits. The congregation submitted two contacts for prospecting. We wrote forty-four compassion cards to send throughout the week.”

Chapel Hill church of Christ, Tennessee: Matt Jones (deacon) reports, “Progress is continuing well. We continue to fine tune our new movers’ basket process, and baskets are scheduled to be delivered to our list this week. Many people in the church have been involved in that program.

“One additional update was made to the baptistry area to improve our lighting. An additional member started attending the new convert’s class. Isaac gave a great lesson on the autonomy of the local church. Card writing teams are keeping a good rhythm with the list of contacts being provided. We continue to greet our visitors warmly. Overall, we are still making steady progress!”

Covington church of Christ, Tennessee: Wayne Dalrymple (elder) reports, “The church at Covington is growing stronger. A couple who has been very sporadic in their attendance have rededicated themselves to God and His church. Breck and Stephanie have been regularly attending for about three months now. They are not just attending but actively participating in the work as well.

“We also had our graduation banquet Friday. Two of the graduating seniors are not Christians, and neither are their parents, although their grandfather is a former elder of our congregation. We hope to use this as an opportunity to prospect them. Several studies are being conducted. The member who has been studying with his parents is struggling to close the study. His parents do not understand everything, so we are giving them a copy of Muscle and a Shovel to read. We pray it will open their eyes to the truth. We are continuing to look for opportunities to teach others.”

Buda Kyle church of Christ, Texas: Ronnie Scherffius (preacher) reports, “The congregational evangelism work at Buda Kyle continues in earnest. Some 60 compassion cards were prepared for this week and follow-up visits are being scheduled for past contacts. Through our Compassion Card program, one brother in Christ who was drifting away has returned, and a Christian family who recently moved into the area is now worshipping with the church (more laborers for the work!). We appreciate all prayers.”

North Jefferson church of Christ, Mt. Pleasant, Texas: Kris Groda (preacher) reports, “Meet Jonathan Rayburn. He has been coming for some time. Garth, one of our elders, has reached out to him several times and built a relationship. In addition, his girlfriend, Jessica Connaly, has been a great influence in his life. My Bible classes are designed to be an evangelistic outreach. He has been listening carefully. He sent this message to me by text, ‘I have never found a church that preaches the Word as I have interpreted it, that there is a solid, agreeable view on the Word that does not add to or take away.’ We sent him compassion cards to make sure he knew we loved him.  The combination of love and truth produced fruit. He was baptized into Christ!”

Bridgewater church of Christ, Katy, Texas: Doug Suggs (deacon) reports, “At our morning service, Andre set up a meeting with a visitor for Saturday. Compassion cards were sent to some who have attended the congregation for years but have never committed to Christ. We had several members turn in contact cards, and compassion cards are being sent to them.”

Northern Oaks church of Christ, San Antonio, Texas: Mel Hutzler (elder) reports, “We have great news to report. My daughter Crystal Hutzler was baptized into Christ on Sunday. I am thankful for her decision to obey the Gospel. I appreciate so much our intern Michael Wesolowski and his wife Kait for studying with her. Also, I am thankful for my wife Melanie, our Bible class teachers, and congregation members for the time they invested in her.

“This past Sunday, two came forward requesting prayers, two new deacons were installed, and a family placed membership.

“Also, one of our elders, Joe Bentley, and his wife Naomi, who led one of his coworkers to Christ a year ago, also studied with her boyfriend in Florida over the Internet, and he was just baptized. We are thankful to the new additions to our church family, and I believe there are more to come!”

Canyon Lake church of Christ, Texas (remote): Raoul Ferris and Jesse Stuart (evangelists) reports, “We have several Bible studies ongoing with various families and individuals. Some studies use Back to the Bible, some are new convert studies, and some are personal studies regarding marriage or family-related issues.  We have seven in our Spanish Bible study. We were blessed to have Abraham Rios from the Northern Oaks congregation training with us on follow-up work and having the opportunity to set up multiple Bible studies for next week. We have three ongoing new converts studies. We also conducted a virtual study with someone in Uvalde. That person obeyed the Gospel!”

Wheeler church of Christ, Texas: Garrett English (preacher) reports, “We have our Senior Supper tonight, celebrating the graduating seniors in the community. We are giving them each a copy of Muscle and a Shovel with personal encouragement from a church member they know. We plan to follow up with them in a few weeks. My wife will be visiting a widow who lost her husband last month and to whom we have sent many cards to check in and ask about a Bible study. Most of our individual Bible studies have gone cold, so we are looking for ways to create more contacts. Our weekly VBS this summer will help us with gain additional contacts.”

Granbury Street church of Christ, Cleburne, Texas: Ryan Cowan (deacon) reports, “Kaitley Cowan continues her study with Vicky, a part-time employee nearing retirement age, at the Cleburne public library. Kaitley learned of Vicky’s desire to study her Bible when reading Vicky’s bio featured on the library’s Facebook page. This knowledge opened a door for Kaitley to suggest a study. Vicky was happy to consent. Book 1 has been completed and Book 2 has been scheduled.

“Our next congregational initiative, led by member Andrew Randig, involves distributing new movers baskets on May 12.  On May 18, we will gather at my home to delve into another chapter of Fishing for Men, review and enhance our door-to-door skills for the new movers’ baskets and discuss our ongoing Bible studies.

“It is heartening to witness the unity within the Body of Christ as we support our new brothers and sisters in Christ. A shining example of this is Dede Hight’s dedication in assisting new convert Leanne Taylor by providing her with transportation to Sunday services.”

Graceton Church of Christ, Diana, Texas: Johnny Willeford (elder) reports, “The Graceton family had a wonderful day worshiping together and sharing a meal for our annual High School Senior Day.  Five visitors joined us today and stayed for the meal. After our services, our Card Group A will be writing 34 cards to four new contacts. On Friday night, Erin DiRosa was baptized and finished a Bible study with Scott and Sarah. We appreciate prayers for her specifically because her husband died about sixteen months ago, and she now has custody of her two-year-old granddaughter. We have a Bible study next week with a couple, one of our first contacts, who received compassion cards a year ago.”

Eight Mile Rock church of Christ, Bahamas (remote): Tavaro Hanna (preacher) reports, “Our study with LJ continued.  His intelligence is evident by the nature of his biblical questions and deep understanding of Scripture. We are about to start the What must I do to be Saved part of our study; there is no doubt in my mind LJ will convert. Please pray that LJ will choose God and live faithfully.

“My wife is currently in two studies, and one is on pause due to a relocation. She is on Book 2 in both instances. She has timed these to five 50-minute studies to complete the three books because people here do not sit for more than an hour, and there are about ten minutes for them to chat and open in prayer.

“Another sister in the church has completed all 3 Back to the Bible studies with a young lady who has not decided to convert. Please pray that she decides to choose God before it is too late.”