Greeley, Colorado … A recent meeting at The Adventure Seventh-day Adventist Church brought together pastors representing 13 churches of the Northeastern Colorado area. There was excitement as reports revealed accelerated preparations to engage all churches in the upcoming Catch 2020 outreach.
Brighton church pastor, Wayne Morrison, commented, “With over 650 requests for Bible studies, we are praising God for the incredible stories He is providing as we follow up on Hs blessings.”
“Working as a group of churches, toward a common goal, lifting each other up in prayer, is drawing us closer as pastors and helping us feel united, rather than the sense that we are all alone in our pastoral roles,” he added.
Mickey Mallory, RMC ministerial director, noted effects of cooperation between pastors involved with the outreach. “One of the byproducts of working together for this evangelistic thrust, is that our pastors have drawn closer to each other. There is a sweet bond among them that did not exist prior to this initiative,” he commented
Named Catch 2020, the outreach series initiative involves “Northeast Colorado churches working together to fish for men,” explains Nestor Soriano, pastor for evangelism and worship from Campion. He lists 13 congregations from Akron, Brighton, Campion, Carbon Valley, Chapel Haven, Fort Morgan, Greeley, Holyoke, Loveland, Mountain View in Loveland, Sterling, the Adventure in Greeley, and Louisville’s Twin Peaks, all of which are participating in the evangelistic initiative scheduled to begin on March 6. Churches decide the length of the series. The Campion Church plans for two weeks of meetings (five days each) and three weekends.
According to Soriano, each church has the same theme–Discovering Revelation. Churches participating in Catch 2020 have their own preachers, in most cases, they are pastors. The only churches that will use a streaming service are the five congregations under one senior pastor, Don Lopes, in the eastern area of Colorado.
Congregations have been creative in pre-evangelism activities.
In the last four or five months, churches mailed over 200,000 Bible study interest cards and have received over 650 Bible study interest cards. Church members have been trained in visiting with these interests and giving Bible studies. A Bible worker, Kelly Miranda, has been spending one week at each church, mainly to train members how to find and give Bible studies.
A variety of events in the churches are being held, including cooking classes, Christmas holiday gatherings, Love Reality Tour, or the Final Empire video series aimed at inviting members of the community. The Greeley congregation organized art classes attended by members of the community, where they were invited to Bible studies and the upcoming Match outreach meetings.
Kris and Andrea from Campion said, “We had the privilege of visiting with someone who mailed back a card for Bible studies. We went to the door and met Nicole. She was surprised to see someone come to the door, but she was so appreciative that we came in person to drop off the lesson! She was eager to learn about God! After we got home, she texted us and asked if her fifteen-year old could join. We’re convinced there are people in our community who are hungry to know Jesus!”
“It has been a real blessing for me to be part of this team. All the churches have been connecting with their community through community events. We’ve been praying for God to pour out His Spirit in people’s lives. He’s been answering our prayers,” Soriano added.
RMCNews with Nestor Soriano; photo by Mickey Mallory
