Faith in Action Xtreme Leads Churches in Evangelism, Discipleship
By Meredith Day
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This year’s Faith in Action Xtreme emphasis is helping churches find ways to engage in their communities; the focus on service is also playing a part in re-defining a healthy church.
“We measure success many times by how many people are sitting in the building, but success should really be ‘Is our church affecting the city?’” said Shawn Beaty, pastor of Generation Church in Oceanside, Ca.
Generation has joined other churches in San Diego County in an effort to meet needs identified by city and county leaders. Through tutoring, mentoring, assistance for foster families, military outreach, and elder care, churches are making a tangible, lasting difference.
“Our community is so full of needs, and instead of focusing on the needs of the church, we want to step outside of our building,” Beaty said. Generation has done just that by establishing ministry partnerships on marine base Camp Pendleton, and through numerous ministries focused on helping adoptive and foster families.
“When we focus on the needs of our city, that’s when we see real transformation.”
In late August, the church experienced that kind of transformation when they baptized 38 people in the Pacific Ocean, less than a mile from the church. Faith in Action Xtreme and other service opportunities played a pivotal role in many of those 38 people coming to Christ, Beaty said, as church members earned the right to share the Gospel.
Matt Smith, pastor of Barabbas Road Church, says his church members are experiencing similar growth as disciples of Christ through their Faith in Action Xtreme outreach efforts. The nearly two-year-old church has engaged their community through military ministry, foster care outreach, and elder care assistance.
“As we’re out serving in the community, people ask us questions, like ‘Why are you doing this?’” Smith said. “And we can immediately answer with the Gospel.”
That commitment to see service as an opening to share about Jesus is something Barabbas Road, and dozens of other churches in San Diego, are embracing. For more information on Faith in Action Xtreme, and for ways you and your church can partner to meet needs in San Diego, go to www.visionsandiego.com/xtreme.
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