Our world is in a state of upheaval. On an average day in the USA, there are: 

• 2.3 million people in jail or prison,
• 553,742 homeless,
• 130 people who die from suicide (17.6 veterans)
• 100 people who die from a drug overdose,
• 2,362 babies aborted.

Those are just a few of the areas where people focus. What is the most effective way to alleviate this pain? Reach people with the Gospel. The Gospel changes everything.

During the month of September, we are calling upon all Free Will Baptists to do what they can to reach people with the Gospel. This is part of the 3 for 30 plan. You can learn more in this video.  

If you have not already done so, please download and distribute the September prayer calendar as well as a bookmark from the 3 for 30 page. We will be adding more resources on this page, and each Wednesday we will send you an email like this providing links to podcasts and articles on reaching particular groups. Be on the lookout for these upcoming Better Together Podcasts: 

• September 6: Reaching Prisoners
• September 13: Reaching the LGBTQ Community
• September 20: Reaching Followers of Islam 
• September 23: Reaching International Students
• September 27: Reaching the Homeless 
• September 30: Reaching the Families of Children with Special Needs

We are asking each church to assess itself and look for unique opportunities it may have to reach specific groups (e.g., located near a school, university, or prison). For guidance on this process, check out Questions Every Church Should Ask Now:

As churches begin, expand, or continue efforts to reach others, we want to support them. We will do this through a group of prayer warriors we call Gideon’s Army.  If you would like to join this group, send an email to questions@nafwb.org and type “Gideon’s Army” in the subject line. If you have a request you would like Gideon’s Army to pray for, email that request with “Gideon’s Army Prayer Request” in the subject line.

Finally, although we will be focusing quite a bit on reaching particular groups with the Gospel, let us not forget those all around us: lost friends, family members, classmates, co-workers, neighbors, and even the lost who sometimes attend our churches. 

Below are some resources for reaching them:

• Share Your Faith (Rick Bowling) 
• Sharing Your Faith (Clint Morgan)
• Actions Speak Louder than Words (Barry Raper)
• Starting Spiritual Conversations
• Working With Excellence (Dean Jones)
• Bridge Builders for the Cross (Gary Curry)
• Ministry in Urban Settings (Jose Rodriguez)
• Ministering to Military Personnel (Captain Stephen Campbell, US Army)
• Ministering to the Schools in Your Community (Dr. Taheera Blount)
• Serving Those Who Serve (Detective Stephen Hodges)
• Starting a Good News Club in Your Local School (Jeff Nichols)                           
• Using Social Media in Ministry (Jim McComas)
  

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