Glencoe church of Christ, Alabama: David Marker (elder) reports, “We had a great day of worship this past Sunday, capping the day with a baptism, and two others have placed membership. The young woman who was baptized is the daughter of one of our members who was baptized several months ago. That resulted from several who had studied with her and others who have been a constant source of encouragement to her and her son. This result started with one sister who used an invitation card.
“We have several hot contacts that will eventually lead to a study. More and more people are getting involved in the work. We now have two teams working on sending compassion cards, and others have been helping with delivering the new mover baskets. Our New Converts class is going well and is well attended. We are studying with other new converts before our midweek Bible study. Many are involved in this good work, and it is amazing what we can accomplish by serving together in unity as we continue to pray that God will bless our efforts!”
Chase Park church of Christ, Huntsville, Alabama: Taylor Hughes (member), “My brother, Peyton Hughes, was baptized for the remission of sins yesterday at 12:10 a.m. (midnight). He had a simple understanding of Scripture and recently had been thinking about his baptism. He and I were incorrectly immersed in water as a public profession of faith when we were younger. He called me at 6:30 p.m. Monday, saying he wanted to be baptized like the Bible says. I told him I was on my way. I got to his house at 9:00 p.m. and used the
Does It Matter study booklet. We went through it, and he understood it. When Alexia and I offered to go with him to the water, he was ready. I called Pat Cowden and met him at the building. We gained a brother in Christ at a little past midnight.”
Hatton church of Christ, Alabama: Chris Miller (preacher) reports, “We rejoice as Brandon Handy was baptized into Christ yesterday! He expressed that he had been through a lot and was committing to a new life in Christ. Our One Mission continues to bear fruit. We also had our mission meal yesterday, and for most of our contacts, we assigned two visitor groups, one to encourage and one to ask the three questions to get a Bible study. To God be the glory!”
Fayette church of Christ, Alabama: Josh Taylor (deacon) reports, “Angie Gillispie was baptized into Christ tonight. She has been on our compassion card list, and we have worked with her for a few months. We studied with her two weeks ago and then tonight with the red booklet. Angie has such a tender heart. She believed that she had been saved before baptism, and as we walked through the red booklet, we came to the parts that explained baptism is for the remission of sins. Utilizing the survey tool, we compared her answers to what the Bible said, and she recognized that she had not obeyed the gospel the right way. When we asked her if she was ready to be baptized for the remission of sins, she said she was ready to do it now. We have a new sister in Christ. May God be glorified!”
Central church of Christ, Saraland, Alabama: David Dixon (preacher) reports, “Having been gone for a week, I expected the excitement to have died down a bit when I got back, but I could not have been more wrong. Meeting with the elders yesterday confirmed we have made a permanent change here. They are all-in.
“In my absence, the congregation watched some of the training videos last Sunday evening. Our priority is the Compassion Card teams. The elders divided the congregation into three teams for writing and sending cards. Whether that is the right call will be seen as the next few weeks play out. I now see the need for the Visitors team to be trained and prepared. That is our next priority after establishing procedures for the Compassion Card teams. We have sent out 18 cards to date.
There are also more contact cards from our prospect lists. The individual who reported that she did not need or want our help has softened her stance. This happened after she began receiving the compassion cards. I will personally reach out to her this week. That door is not closed yet. This week, I plan to develop and train procedures for the card teams, begin preparations for training the visitors team, and reach out to a couple of contacts personally.”
West Huntsville church of Christ, Alabama: Paul Owen (associate preacher) reports, “Our evangelism initiative is going well. What a delight to see so many members involved in our One Mission effort at West Huntsville. Yesterday, we had our door-knocking training session. The large room was full! We also had our first compassion card writing. We currently have four Bible studies on going. To God be the glory!”
Rison Church of Christ, Arkansas: Keden Shrum (preacher) reports, “Each week, we continue to add people to our prospect list. Care Team A met Sunday evening after worship to sign cards. Last week, I completed Book 2 with a man who is a member of a local denomination. He wants to do Book 3, and Lord willing, we will do that on Tuesday.”
Lake City church of Christ, Florida: Jim Flegert (elder) reports, “Our mover team took baskets to nine homes of new movers to our area. We are looking forward to the possibility that a few of these new movers will be added to our spreadsheet for additional contact by our compassion card writers.”
Niceville church of Christ, Florida: Joe Palmer (preacher) reports, “This week we mailed 25 cards and had three Bible studies. We have several prospects in the pipeline, and the interest seems strong. We had one new visitor on Sunday and three returning visitors. I had lunch Sunday with a visitor who came through our benevolent ministry. She agreed to come over and have a meal with us. We ask for prayers for Misty, Kayrin, Jordan, Pete, Charles and Netty, Nick and Kaylin, and Chris and Christian, all of whom are in studies or have agreed to study. We also ask for prayers for our workers and for the Lord’s blessing and the hearts of those who hear the word.”
Lafayette church of Christ, Georgia: Jesse Teague (deacon) reports, “The saints at Lafayette continue to focus on the souls in our community. We have many things to report this week! We had eight names for our monthly compassion card signing for Group 1. Every first Sunday, we have our monthly Men’s Breakfast and Devotional on Saturday. One of our newest members brought four folks with him. We have not yet had visitors that have worshipped with us, and we have not yet scheduled any Bible studies, but visitors paid attention during devotion time, and more will come from this!
“One good sister that is getting advanced in years is moving to Louisiana to live with her daughter. Eight or ten men helped her load her U-Haul; her family will drive the truck. This act of love meant a lot to our dear sister and her family. Even when she is in another state, she knows God loves her because of the help she received.
“We started our New Christian Bible Class on Sunday during the normal Bible class hour. Four were in attendance, but we expect more!
“I saved the best for last; we have a new sister in Christ as of Sunday evening! Several in the congregation helped this sister in her time of need and had Bible studies. This all happened a few months ago, but sometimes the seed germination takes time. One of the members at Lafayette works with Stefanie and has been steadily encouraging her. Last night, she obeyed the gospel! Praise God for the increase that He gives!”
Woodstock church of Christ, Georgia: Greg Garner (deacon) reports, “During our ACTS (Actively Caring Teaching and Serving) Evangelism Program, we collected five contact cards this week. The prison ministry is working to get several individuals cleared in preparation for the Youth Detention Center Bible Studies. The Compassion Card Group sent four cards last week. The Greeter Group reported that WCOC had six visitors this week. We had one Bible study and one baptism.”
New Hope Road church of Christ, Dacula, Georgia (remote): Charles Harris (regional trainer) reports,” I’ve been trying to study with some coworkers, but I don’t know a faithful church in their area. At our recent seminar at New Hope Road, I met some brethren from the Harmony Grove church in Commerce, GA. I’ve since learned that it is near to where my coworkers live. I’ve passed on some contact information and trying to keep the door open for study whether with myself or with brethren at Harmony Grove.”
Honolulu church of Christ, Hawaii: Tagiilima Esene (regional trainer) reports, “Aloha from the Honolulu congregation! We are now currently studying with ten souls (four couples, and two individuals). One of our new studies was scheduled during the prospecting meal. In the picture below, we have Moani and Dalen (far left and far right), who were invited to this meal. The meal was provided by Susan (second from the left) and her family. Meals like these have led to many souls coming to know Christ. We cannot over emphasize the importance of sharing a meal with those who are seeking. Jesus ate with the people who needed salvation. Jesus was often among those who needed salvation. Therefore, it is wise that we follow the example of the greatest evangelist.
“We have so many prospects who are attending through invitations by our church members. As Christians, we should be aware that most people who choose to attend our worship services received personal invitations. We need more teachers to help with the prospecting process and lead Bible studies. I am currently getting ready to train the Waimea congregation on the Big Island. Materials have been ordered, and we are awaiting to schedule dates that will work for everyone involved. We appreciate all prayers for our efforts.”
Jerseyville church of Christ, Illinois (remote): Jake Medford (preacher) reports, “We continue to send cards and reach out to prospects. We have five active prospects; we sent out 54 cards in March with visitors. We are working to improve the follow-up and are focusing on summer events for contact creators.”
Beloit church of Christ, Kansas (remote): Dustin Dougherty (regional trainer) reports, “We had a great worship service and six visitors yesterday morning. Three of those visitors were regular or semi-regular, but three were new people. We are having a study tonight with one of the new ones who had never been there before; we will go through Book 1 with her this evening.
“Things are progressing on a congregational level for evangelism as we lay the groundwork for many activities. We will continue to study Book 2 Back to the Bible during our midweek Bible study on Wednesday. Everyone has appreciated going through the study again, both on how to effectively do the study with someone and as a good refresher course. The soil is being tilled for multiple prospective studies, and I pray that they will turn into Bible studies shortly. We are working hard to have a successful Vacation Bible School and a successful booth at the summer’s county fair. I will be traveling again later this month to one of the congregations I visited earlier this year to speak for them. To God be all the honor and glory and praise forever.”
Coldwater church of Christ, Benton, Kentucky: Luke Puckett (preacher) reports, “I know it has been a while since our last update, but we have continued to work on the program. About four weeks ago, we had a visitor who said he used to attend a Pentecostal church but disagreed with things there. We took him out to eat and began to build a relationship with him. We asked if he was interested in learning more about the church. Of course, he said yes. We began Back to the Bible with him, and after finishing Book 3, he was baptized. We wanted to report this baptism.”
Central church of Christ, Paducah, Kentucky: Adam Faughn (preacher) reports, “On Sunday, we gave our monthly report on our evangelism efforts. The congregation seems to find these quick reports encouraging, and those coordinating various areas of work find it helpful to see how their works are fitting in with the overall picture.
“In the last month, we have sent out over 430 compassion cards and 140 new mover cards. New mover baskets have also been delivered, and we had two guests Sunday due to those baskets and one other person who showed some interest in learning more. Also, we learned that a couple of our card contacts are planning to come to worship next Sunday and are also interested in a Bible study. They are members of the Church, but they have not attended in many years and need to start with ‘milk’ again. We hope to start that study early next week, per their request.
“Hearing so many of our members discussing things they are seeing and trying to do is wonderful. We have a long way to go, but it is obvious that the culture is changing, and it is so encouraging! To God be the glory.”
Paintsville church of Christ, Kentucky: Zach Collins (preacher) reports, “This past week, we experienced a wonderful week of growth. On Thursday afternoon, we studied with a young lady. After concluding the third and final lesson of Back to the Bible, the young lady chose to obey the gospel. We contacted a small congregation on the outskirts of our community and asked if we could use their baptistery, and they agreed. We immersed her in Christ! Then, last night, we received a text message that we had been patiently anticipating. We were going to have a baptism. At 10:30 p.m., about 40 members met us at the local hotel pool to witness the baptism and welcome our new brother in Christ! His girlfriend, one of the faithful members of our family at Paintsville, had been studying with him for some time.
“Thus far in 2024, we have welcomed eight new Christians who have all come by invitation from one of our members. Our New Converts class is exploding, and the gospel keeps rolling to the lost in our community!”
La Plata church of Christ, Maryland (remote): Eric Sykes (regional trainer) reports, “We are moving forward here in La Plata. We subscribed to the HTH/HTH newsletter, started the New Movers program, and set up our congregation website this week, just in time to inform the community about our upcoming Vacation Bible School in June. We sent 18 compassion cards last week and dropped off eight gift bags. We also have another open Bible study. Seven people attended our new convert training classes last week.”
Aberdeen church of Christ, Maryland: Will Brown (preacher) reports, “We are focusing on Bible studies and an evangelistic VBS right now. We have three ongoing Bible studies, two by me and one by the members. I am still working with Eric in hopes of having a regional trainer come to help us.”
Southside church of Christ, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Freddie Klein (preacher) reports, “Don was an interesting study. He has attended for some time with a member at Southside. He cannot read or write (except yes and no), but based on the preaching he was hearing, he knew he needed to be baptized, so I asked if he wanted to sit down and learn more about being a Christian. I used Does It Matter? and we studied it for quite a while. When we got to repentance, he knew he needed to change some sinful living situations before we could proceed. That took about two months, but he did it and was baptized that same week on his birthday.”
Looxahoma church of Christ, Mississippi: Blake Hawkins (deacon) reports, “After worship services, teams stayed to write compassion cards to our current contacts. We relocated our card writing area to a space we are hopeful will encourage more participation. We also delivered new mover baskets to those in the community who have moved into our area in the past month.”
Foristell church of Christ, Missouri: Aaron Baker (preacher) reports, “Training is important! Sunday afternoons, we use the House to House School of Evangelism videos to continue to 1) keep evangelism at the forefront of our minds, and 2) to train our members on how to use the tools we have.
“Currently, we are using the videos to work through the supplemental studies, and we are in Book A: Affirmation of God. What are the results? First, members are strengthened in their faith to review a topic that may not have been visited. Second, and most importantly, members are better equipped to study with people who may want to study the Bible but may not know there is a God and how much He cares. Working through these supplemental studies has been a good way for our congregation to be on the same page evangelistically.
“We continue to conduct two Bible studies. We request prayers for Heidi as she studies with two ladies from our congregation. She cares deeply about spiritual matters, and she is learning more about the church Jesus bought and built. We also ask for prayers for Dakota and Jennifer, as they have also just started Book 2. They are surprised at the simplicity of God’s plan for the church, but they are also confused about why everybody does not follow the Bible as it is written. As we study the church’s worship, they are curious why others do not simply do what the Bible says. Great question! We do not know why some churches do what they do. As for us, we will do what the Bible says! We appreciate all prayers for our efforts to spread God’s word in our area.”
West 160 church of Christ, West Plains, Missouri: Marvin Hatley (elder) reports, “Our congregation is in the process of assigning/reassigning coordinators. The elders use the information from congregational surveys to assign members to assist coordinators. Compassion Card Group 2 completed 114 cards to be mailed to eight contacts.
“Benevolent efforts began for a prospect who had recently lost her husband. She mentioned the members’ compassion; many expressed in their cards a desire to help her during her difficult time. Members completed maintenance on her property, and she replied that no one had ever done that for her. One Bible study is scheduled for Tuesday night. A member has been engaged in several studies with a former coworker, and progress continues to be made with them.”
Samford church of Christ, Steele, Missouri: Kyle Imel (deacon) reports, “We have four people receiving compassion cards this week. We have a new convert class for our two most recent baptisms.”
East Flushing church of Christ, New York (remote): Clarence Jenkins (preacher) reports, “We had a second-time visitor whose first visit was about two years ago. We took him to lunch, hoping for that one-on-one connection.
“The sermon during worship service was based upon Acts 16:9-10: “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel unto them.”
“After worship services, we watched the video “New Converts: Mentoring.” We also prepared 46 compassion cards to be sent out incrementally during the week. To God be the glory. We are grateful for all prayers.”
Cary church of Christ, North Carolina: Larry Fife (preacher) reports, “God’s blessings persistently unfold before us. This past Wednesday marked a significant moment. We have been guiding a young lady through questions about forgiveness, and we baptized her. Witnessing the relief in her eyes as she embraced the ability to move beyond her past was indeed a blessing. Our Connect Group gathered on Sunday afternoon and wrote 47 compassion cards. Moreover, our Sunday service welcomed numerous visitors, allowing us to connect with them and extend visitor bags. We remain deeply thankful for the ongoing blessings bestowed upon us by God.”
Streetsboro church of Christ, Ohio: Ralph Price (preacher) reports, “Our Bible study was canceled last week due to sickness. Tomorrow morning, we will continue a study with a young couple. We are continuing with the compassion card program, the new mover program, and the visitor program. We have noticed a marked increase in visitors lately, especially with visitors from our compassion card program.”
Greenville church of Christ, Ohio: John McGiffin (preacher) reports, “We presented certificates and new Bibles to our newest converts. This presented an opportunity to show the model is working well. We will start new convert classes for the newest converts very soon. This is the first week of prospecting prodigal members. We are hopeful this will be some low-hanging fruit. The model is working, but we need to tweak it a bit to be more effective. As we grow and learn, we adapt and apply biblical standards to our model.”
New Concord church of Christ, Ohio: Terry Townsend (preacher) reports, “It is hard to put into words the positive impact this evangelism model is having on this congregation! God continues to open doors for us. Our attendance is up over 10 percent from January. The number of visitors from our community continues to amaze me. We had several new faces this week; two of them were recipients of our compassion cards and the follow-up. Several of our visitors who have returned multiple weeks have come to me thanking me and the congregation for reaching out to them. One hugged me and cried and said she knows she is in the right place. We had seven or eight new contact cards filled out, and we will begin sending them compassion cards this week. The members are excited about what is happening. It is contagious! To God be the glory!”
Sullivan Village church of Christ, Lawton, Oklahoma: Steven Hill (preacher) reports, “We are welcoming visitors, passing out visitor bags, getting information, sending cards, continuing to make contacts, working toward transitioning contacts to prospects, and seeking to set up studies. We are also working on new movers, delivering welcome baskets, and encouraging the church in evangelism. We continue to pray for our efforts, mail out literature, and knock doors. We have a new converts class, and we continue to preach and teach on various topics, including evangelism. God is good, and we are grateful!”
Coweta church of Christ, Oklahoma: Keno Shrum (regional trainer) reports, “Yesterday I enjoyed spending time with the church in Weleetka, Oklahoma, and sharing information on the Digital Enrollment option with them. They are in a small rural area, but the area around them is ripe for harvest.
“Here in Coweta, I passed out a sheet of paper with every position/work listed on the HTHSOE Flow Chart. Members circled the areas that interested them most, and some are willing to expand into new areas. We will soon start training them in those areas by using the training cards as well as videos and information from the HTHSOE website. On Friday evening, we have dinner and a Bible study scheduled with a young couple. She is a member; however, he is not. We will begin Lesson 1 of BTTB with him. We appreciate all prayers as we continue to pray for all who are working so hard to further the Gospel.”
York church of Christ, Pennsylvania: Mark Rasche (deacon) reports, “I apologize for the late message. After continued study, Fred was able to baptize our long-time visitor, Dave. Dave has a good heart, but he needs to understand how his denominational baptism was different from being baptized for the forgiveness of sins. In addition to this baptism, Debbie prepared cards for our members to send to some of our recent prospects. It was a good feeling to be sending cards again because it has been a number of weeks since we last had prospects to send cards to.
Carthage church of Christ, South Carolina (remote): Randy Chambers (preacher) reports, “This past week, we had three visitors that we are prospecting. I have a Bible study set up for Wednesday. We continue to educate and encourage the saints to work the plan. We trust in the Gospel as the power to save.”
Union church of Christ, South Carolina (remote): Terry Hale (preacher) reports, “We had three more visitors this week, for a total of 23 so far this year. Our contact lists are growing very quickly. Training classes are going great; many members are more active now than in the past. Bible studies are going well. We thank God for the prayers and progress we are experiencing by being a part of this work.”
Madison County church of Christ, Jackson, Tennessee: Steven Sprouse (preacher) reports, “We appreciate Austin’s visit. He brought two other students who were eager to help. He was happy to see the HTHSOE in action.
“We are building great relationships with our four previous visitors and hope to have some studies soon. We had new visitors last week also. All are receiving compassion cards. We continue learning evangelism on Sunday mornings, and this week, we will have our once-a-month Super Saturday to practice Bible studies and conversations.”
New Hope Road church of Christ, Middleton, Tennessee: Cole Wade (preacher) reports, “I have a meeting scheduled this week with one of our visitors. I would appreciate all prayers for strength and wisdom as we discuss salvation!”
North Bradley church of Christ, Cleveland, Tennessee: Keith Wilson (preacher) reports, “We are about to start our seventh Bible study. The prospect does not want to use Back to the Bible, but we are hoping to bring it in the back door. We are starting Book 3 with our other Bible study this week with a young adult couple. Taylor Gobble, one of our elders, is still studying with his groups. I believe he is currently on Book 2 and Book 3.”
Rivergate church of Christ, Madison, Tennessee: Doug Tooley (preacher) reports, “I preached Round 2 of the evangelism sermons on Sunday. We are compiling contacts for the congregational list. In addition, we continued to educate the congregation on how bookmarks work and who the best candidates for the list are.
“We passed out a survey to the congregation to help determine where everyone fits into the model. We had some visitors Sunday; at least one of whom is a good prospect. We plan to use adult Bible classes for some of the training videos, led by an elder. The best news is that we had a baptism on Thursday evening, our second one in two weeks! The elders and preachers are meeting weekly to discuss and plan.”
Hillsboro church of Christ, Tennessee: Chris Sliger (member) reports, “Hillsboro had four visitors this past Sunday to listen to guest-speaker Eric Garner (morning services followed by a meal). We also downloaded the new-movers list for April and are preparing for our monthly canvassing. Compassion Card Team A will meet to send cards to four contacts this Wednesday. We continue to hand out our wallet-sized invitation cards to community members. A community dinner is in the planning stages this summer (date TBD).”
East Main church of Christ, Murfreesboro, Tennessee: Brad Rowley (elder) reports, “East Main received one new contact card from last week. We had seven people involved in Bible studies; one is new with one of our college students. We had three follow-up visits and two new mover baskets completed. We met with a company to discuss our website last week. We are in the process of printing our college ministry invitation cards. We have been discussing how to improve our VBS contact card process.”
McKenzie church of Christ, Tennessee: Randy McAdams (elder) reports, “We received 1000 of the Visitation Cards this past week and handed them out to our congregation on April 7. We handed out approximately 500 of the cards. The cards were relatively inexpensive, and the quality is very good. We are excited that this will open another door of opportunity to greet new visitors in our congregation. Next Sunday, we plan to show one of the five-minute help videos to our Sunday night worship meeting before the time of the main service. Additionally, Group 1 of our card teams mailed out cards to seven contacts today, April 8.”
Brushy church of Christ, Centerville, Tennessee: Kevin Johnston (preacher) reports, “We sent out 20 compassion cards this week. This is our second round of cards. The process is getting much easier, but participation has decreased. We continue to encourage and promote the plan as much as possible. I am still teaching and preaching the Back to the Bible study. We encourage members to turn in contacts and take an active role in fulfilling the great commission. We appreciate all support and prayers.”
Mountain Creek church of Christ, Chattanooga, Tennessee: Michael Tomshack (elder) reports, “On Sunday, Gary Massey (Elder, Minister) continued the Back to the Bible sermon series, moving to Book 3. Danny and Jennifer Ellis (Keepers Leaders) began a Bible study with a young couple. Ali Hagemann (Young Adult) progressed in her Bible study with a friend, completing Book 2 and agreeing to start Book 3 this week. Compassion Card Team Four met Sunday after worship. We continue to smooth out the pew greeters process as time constraints between a guest’s arrival and worship beginning are restricting data gathering. Jose and Andrea Hechavarria (Greeters) are brainstorming ideas for adjustment.”
New Union church of Christ, Manchester, Tennessee: Paul Fulks (elder) reports, “We had five visitors from the community. Our evangelism team made four visits. Our new movers’ team did not make any deliveries this past week. The congregation submitted six contacts for prospecting. We have one person in our New Converts class. We did not have a Bible study. We wrote forty-seven compassion cards to send throughout the week.”
Chapel Hill church of Christ, Tennessee: Matt Jones (deacon) reports, “Things are going well. This week, we began asking the congregation for new contacts for our prospect list. Isaac is still going through his series on worship, which continues to be received well. We kicked off the new movers’ basket prep and delivery this week. We still have several Bible studies planned or ongoing. We have updated our baptistery, so we are better prepared. Our new converts class is ongoing, and we plan to add a few additional members. Our transition teams were recently asked to follow up with additional names. The compassion card teams are still going well, and the cards are being received well. We have many visitors and are regularly adding to our prospect list. Overall, things are going well.”
Covington church of Christ, Tennessee: Wayne Dalrymple (elder) reports, “We have had another good week of evangelism at Covington. We had several visitors Sunday morning, including Billy and Melinda. They have recently moved into the area and are looking for a church. Jeff Phillips had driven their son’s school bus and made an impression on them. They indicated they were interested in learning more about the church. We will be contacting them this week. There are several Bible studies going on currently as well. Also, I have been teaching the 7th and 8th grade Bible class on Sunday mornings this quarter. I am teaching them how to use the Back to the Bible studies. They are enjoying it very much.”
Southwest church of Christ, Austin, Texas: John Garza (regional trainer): “Currently, we have five Bible studies ongoing, and two of them began Book 3 with some hindrances to obedience. There will be continued studies to help their understanding. We have two potential prospects that are to begin studying soon. Finally, this Thursday evening, the congregation will be delivering new movers’ bags and door knocking in our community. We deliver bags every month, but we are blessed to door knock at least three times a year as well.”
Bridgeport church of Christ, Katy, Texas: Doug Suggs (deacon) reports, “At Bridgewater in Katy, Texas, we are looking forward to Keno Shrum coming to help with our evangelism program. Keno is a regional trainer for the school of evangelism. We are announcing this and encouraging every member to be present on Sunday, April 28. If you are reading this report and are close to our congregation, you are welcome to attend. We had a family visit on Sunday, and the husband is not a church member. Our retired men met for breakfast at Cracker Barrel, as we do once a month, and he was also present. We pray we may be able to share the gospel with him soon. We also gave an invitation card to Joseph, our waiter, who does not attend church anywhere. On Sunday evening, one of our teams will meet to write compassion cards.”
Windmill church of Christ, Weatherford, Texas (remote): Eric Tipton (preacher student, BTSOP) reports, “Thank you to everyone who prayed for Heather! We initially met her at Walmart and asked if she could use any prayers, and now she is our sister in Christ! It amazes me how such small interactions can have such massive impacts. This was our fifth baptism this year, and it still feels like we are just starting. Please pray that our work continues to be blessed and that our new converts will grow stronger in the faith.”
Shenandoah church of Christ, San Antonio, Texas (remote): Tim Ayers (preacher) reports, “We are continuing to implement the program for evangelism. Last Sunday morning, we studied the lesson on the invitation cards. We handed out ten cards to each member who was present. Several have already been given out. Each card has been met with a smile and a thank you.
“A young man who was a former member here had gone astray and landed in prison for a few years. He just got out last week, and the first Sunday that he had the opportunity, he came forward and asked the congregation for forgiveness. Everyone came up and hugged him and welcomed him back. He took some invitation cards and said he had some friends he wanted to try to reach. We got our members to send him welcome back cards to ensure he knows we are happy he has returned.
“We continue training in Back to the Bible on Wednesday nights. Our third session will be this Wednesday. Everyone seems interested in this, and I think they see how easy it is to teach someone with the three books. I have been here at Shenandoah for just over a year, and it seems the congregation is becoming more unified as we work together and get organized in the program. If just for that reason alone, it is worth the effort. But we know that God will bless our work as we continue reaching out to the lost. We give all the glory to our Heavenly Father!”
9th and Main church of Christ, San Angelo, Texas: Bryan Braswell (elder) reports, “Yesterday, we laid before the congregation the plans to set in order our vision for the various teams. Afterward, the elders met with the congregation’s men to discuss more details. We are still very dedicated to the program, though tailoring it to our congregation is necessary. I know we have multiple Bible studies ongoing at the present time. Today, I will meet with a man who is seeking the truth. We will study from Does it Matter. Others are utilizing the Back to the Bible series, and our Bible classes are still actively teaching this material—to ensure we know it first. It has been a great past several weeks engaged in these studies.”
Canyon Lake church of Christ, Texas (remote): Raoul Ferris and Jesse Stuart reports, “We continue to reap the fruit of the labors the Freed Hardeman students started. First Corinthians 3:6 came to fruition this week. As a result of door knocking, we met Typhani Tate. Typhani brought her children to the community cookout and devotional at the park. She came to worship and our Mental Health Seminar each evening. Jesse Stuart noticed Typhani looking through materials at our evangelism table one evening.
“By then, a warm, welcoming environment had been established from our congregation and the mission team from Freed Hardeman, so when Jesse asked Typhani if she would like to sit down together and go through a study, she responded, “Yes, please.” From that day till yesterday, Jesse and Holley Stuart opened their home and table to all three studies of Back to the Bible. Last night, we witnessed Typhani make the good confession, repent of her sins, and be baptized into Christ, having her sins washed away. We rejoiced and thank God for the increase.
“Another way we are reaping success is with a Spanish-speaking family; we all met during door-knocking, and they attended our VBS during the Mental Health Seminar. We were able to have two studies with these families. This led to them joining us for worship despite having a language barrier. Our elders made a wise call, and we facilitated the sermon in a bilingual way. This has spurred us to seek ways to seek our Spanish-speaking community and teach them the truth.
“We also have an upcoming Bible study with a lady named Jeanne; we met her during our door-knocking effort. We are building relationships through the lessons taught at the library, and we hope to move them into Bible studies.”
Graceton church of Christ, Diana, Texas: Johnny Williford (elder) reports, “The Graceton Ladies Day was a success. Our ladies planned very well, and it went off without a hitch. This past Sunday morning we had three families visit with us during the morning services. On Sunday evening our group C met to sign 92 compassion cards for eight individuals. Our Mission Monday group is in the process of visiting with the contacts who have received compassion cards recently. We are in the process of planning the next Family Game Night so we can invite the contacts to come and join us. We appreciate all prayers as we pray for other congregations.”
Wheeler church of Christ, Texas: Garrett English (preacher) reports, “The visiting family had visited again because they have family who are members here. One of our elders will contact them to check on their baptism status and study with them if it is not the right baptism. We have continued to send cards out to many who have lost loved ones. The elders must now visit with some of them to gauge their interest in studying.”
Granbury Street church of Christ, Cleburne, Texas: Ryan Cowan (deacon) reports, “Last Friday, Sandy Pennay and Dede Hight had the opportunity to visit a family who had recently received cards from us. The mother, Rosalinda, had originally requested cards for her son, Eric, who had moved to Idaho but has since returned to Cleburne after a motorcycle accident. It seems that our cards, though sent a few months after our initial contact, arrived at a difficult time for Eric and his mom, thus offering comfort. During the visit, Sandy and Dede asked Eric our three questions, which led to his interest in learning more about the church. As of now, Eric and his mom are planning to visit Granbury Street soon.”
Itasca church of Christ, Texas (remote): Justin Hopkins (preacher) reports, “We are watching the eclipse right now with Branyon and Alana May. One of our recent contacts has come out to join us. This week, we mailed two compassion cards, made twelve visits, and conducted two Bible studies. We are scheduled to study Book 3 with Ray Hawhee on Wednesday.”
Eight Mile Rock church of Christ, Bahamas (remote): Tavaro Hanna (preacher) reports, “On Sunday, I preached the Contacts/Visitors sermon. Everyone was excited about how brother McGiffin used Lot’s interaction with the visitors to Sodom, which was in contrast with how we should interact with our visitors. It was the subject of constructive conversation after worship. We are using our midweek study time to help us move along quickly and expect to complete the program in a shorter time frame.”
Austin Fowler (regional trainer): “Last week, I reported that Jake was baptized into Christ after David Webster and I stayed with him through Zoom. He went to church on Sunday but brought his brother with him. The preacher, Zack Paul, set up a study with his twin brother, Michael. Zack went back to the Bible with him this week, and he was baptized in Christ on Wednesday after Bible study. To God is the glory.”
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