Faith Stories: A Post from Charity

A post from Charity, our Worship Pastor at Freedom Valley:

Stories are powerful. God chose to reveal Himself in the Bible mostly through story.

One of the best tools we have in sharing our faith with the people around us, is our story. You can argue topics like creation vs evolution, pro-life vs pro-choice, and absolute truth vs relativism until you're blue in the face. But arguments don't change people. I used to argue a lot when I was in high school. I remember one argument I had with a friend online. We went back and forth about whatever we were discussing for hours. I had compelling facts and statistics, and my logic thoroughly defeated his. But it didn't end quite like I had hoped.

Friend: "Yeah, ok...I guess you're right."

Me: "So you agree with me?"

Friend: "No, not really."

He couldn't beat my argument, but that didn't change his mind.

Arguments don't change us, but stories do. Revelation 12 describes in vivid imagery the war between good and evil. Verse 11 gives us a powerful truth: "They have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony" (NLT). Not only can nobody argue with your story....your story, along with the blood of Jesus, has the power to defeat evil! 

Stories motivate us, give us hope, and inspire us to action. Sharing with a friend who has no interest in God the healing you received, the change you've seen in your teenager's life, or the way your church family was there for you when you needed them most, does far more to persuade them than any argument ever could.

Sharing your story with the believers around you who are fearful or discouraged is such a powerful way to breathe new life into them!

We need your stories! If you have a great Aggressive Faith story, will you share it with us? Maybe you stepped out in a new way that you never thought was possible. Maybe a teaching series totally changed your life or brought restoration to your relationships.

Everyone has a story to share, and we would love to hear yours! Here are a few ways to get your story to us:

~Email Charity at cjlandis09@gmail.com.

~Write/type it out and put it in my mailbox at the church.

~Send me a message on facebook!

*Please note: if you'd like to remain anonymous or don't want us to use certain names, be sure to include that in whatever you send us.

Let's encourage each other in our Aggressive Faith journeys!

Vaughn Crago sent me an article this week, which led me to an awesome website about Personal Evangelism! The Year of Aggressive Faith is ALL about personal evangelism!  Check it out here: www.evangelismcoach.org!


If you have any success stories from YOUR Year of Aggressive Faith, let us know by posting on the Facebook!



I can tell you my own personal success story!  I have been praying for a friend to come to FV for a few years now.  I invite her, usually, by inviting her two little girls to our Kids Ministry events...which she always expressed interest in, and then didn't show up.  This year, however, that changed! I ran into her at Harley Davidson's Egg Hunt (to which we took our Kiddie Pillar inflatable) and invited her out again! She came Easter Sunday and has been back every Sunday since!  Makes me hungry to invite more people to church and see them give their lives to Jesus!


UPDATE: Today my friend posted this on her Facebook wall: "I just recently started going to and taking the girls to chuch, (embarrassing but true) and I have to say that it really got a hold on me.. I'm excited to go tomorrow morning bc today has been such a miserable, idk, I just feel like it will be a better day in God's house.. or something like that, not getting the right words out but i know what i mean :) Good night fb :)" 

Want to reach out to your neighborhood, but you're unsure where to start?

Here are a few ideas for Mother's Day coming up!

• Reach out to your community the Saturday before Mother’s Day by visiting the local Laundromats. Cover their washer and dryer fees, take snacks and water for the kids and present the Mom’s with a special Mother’s Day giftbag, with an invitation to church!
• Host a Mother-Daughter Tea at your house for a few of your neighbors. Have everyone bring a teacup and do a teacup exchange (have a few extras for those who forget). Take pictures and print them on a photo printer and hand them out. Then invite them to church for Mother's Day!

Anyone else have ideas for outreach around Mother's Day? Post them in the comments below or on the Facebook Page!

If someone they knew asked...

"41% of the formerly churched said that they would return to the local church if a friend or acquaintance invited them. Younger adults are even more influenced by the power of the invitation. Approximately 60% of those 18-35 would consider returning to church if someone they knew asked them to come back."

If we're serious about inviting people to church this year -- The Year of Aggressive Faith -- let's get serious about knowing why they aren't coming in the first place!

Read this article from Outreach Magazine for some insight.

Easter Weekend!

Easter Weekend at Freedom Valley is going to be a blast!  

Saturday, April 7th @ 6:30pm (Baptism Service)

Sunday, April 8th @ 7:30am (no childcare provided)

Sunday, April 8th @ 9:15 & 11:15

For the kids!

We'll be celebrating before and after services with all our big toys! The Kiddie Pillar, Bounce House, Barrel Train, Bubble Machine, and more! Come celebrate with us!

You can help us by:

• Inviting your friends!
• Go to the Easter Facebook event and share it with your friends!
• Tweet about our Easter services using the hashtag #FVEaster
• Pick up invitations (they look like the above red graphic) at services this weekend!
• Spreading the word!
• There are exciting extras happening during the weekend that you can tell people about! Like, baptism Saturday night after service, and for the kids: the Kiddie Pillar, Bounce House, Barrel Train, Bubble Machine, and our Air Swimmer!

Are you tired of being aggressive?

Hey Everyone!


I have been learning so much this year -- The Year of Aggressive Faith!  Have you?  I would love to hear your stories! Write them on the wall of the Facebook Page and join the conversation!


This week and last, God has been speaking to me about his precious Word. I found out last week (as stated in my previous blog) that the Word of God is refreshing! Where I had no vision, it gave me a path forward and then some!  Where I saw lack, it helped me see plenty! Where I had no energy, I was energized! Where I had fear and doubt, it gave me excitement and strength!  Just studying the Word of God, listening to the Word of God, and thinking about the Word of God did that!  We can't be aggressive and strong and energized all the time...but God's Word can help us revitalize and strengthen ourselves!

Hebrews 4:12  says, "For the Word is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.  It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."  

The Bible isn't just a book.  It's not just words on a page.  It is ALIVE! It's active.  It's powerful.  Don't short-change yourself by NOT reading it!

John 6:63 says, "The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."

Pastor Bob Landis spoke in our staff chapel this morning about God's Word.  He says there are 3 ways that we connect with God: prayer, worship, and the Word.  God speaks to us through His Word everyday!  He uses it to teach us, make us realize the wrong in our lives, and helps us to do what is right, as we can see in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do."

Learn to love the Word of God.  It doesn't take much, I promise! You'll start seeing results in your life quickly!

A NOTE FROM CHARITY:

Hey prayer people,

God has been putting a lot of songs on my heart lately that are full of aggressive faith. I want us to sing songs as a church that reflect what God is doing in and through us, as well as empower us to step out even more in this Year of Aggressive Faith!

Here's one that we'll be singing over the next couple of weeks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2exW2cUdC4

It's called God is Able, by Hillsong. It reminds me of Ephesians 3:20, which Gerry has been talking a lot about lately. I feel like this song is the answer to every excuse we try to give ourselves not to step out. Our strength, our abilities, our knowledge (or lack in any of them) is completely irrelevant. Because GOD IS ABLE to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine!

I love it when you all learn the songs I post so that you can sing them out with us on the weekend. But would you go a step further with me this time? We're intentionally introducing this song in the Easter season. We have a lot of people that don't know Jesus walking through our doors this time of year. I'm praying specific things for this song...for that matter, all of the songs that we sing or words that we speak in any of our worship experiences. I would love for you to join me.

~Pray for our people who are afraid or making excuses not to share their faith. Pray that they would be empowered and emboldened to step out and take those risks.
~Pray for the people feeling discouraged or hopeless during this time, that God would touch their hearts and renew and restore them.
~Pray for those who don't know Jesus who will hear us singing and saying these words. Pray that the words would be very real to them and that they won't be able to forget them!

I am loving how God is working through each of us right now. I am so grateful to be a part of this church, and I can't wait to see what else God has for us this year!!

~Charity