What is Celebrate Jesus? Celebrate Jesus Roots - In the 1980s the British Methodist Church perceived failure in their churches to live out the Great Commission. They planned a renewal event under the direction of the Reverend Rob Frost and called it Share Jesus. It was such a success they realized it was not an “event”, but a new evangelistic perspective in the churches, and other Share Jesus Missions evolved in the years to come. To read more about Celebrate Jesus Mission go to www.cjmission.org
By 1998 Share Jesus had found its way to Florida and caught the attention of a number of people who were looking for new ways to do evangelistic outreach. In 1999 Share Jesus in Florida became Celebrate Jesus and continues as we know it today.
What is the concept behind Celebrate Jesus? The concept is to reach out to our neighbors, and simply offer a free gift and invite them to a Block Party. If people attend the Block Party, we will invite them to a Worship Service or Sunday School. From there it is up to the Holy Spirit and our hospitality to encourage them to make a committment to follow Jesus Christ, if that is their desire. It is not up to us to convert them, just to offer them the opportunity.
What is the goal of Celebrate Jesus? The hallmark of a Celebrate Jesus Mission is clarity of the vision to intentionally move toward full obedience to the Great Commission. Celebrate Jesus is not about strengthening a church or ensuring its survival; it is about having a heart for the lost and the hopeless, it is about desiring for them to know Jesus, it is about recovering connection to the community.
Who can participate in Celebrate Jesus? Everyone in the church can and should participate in Celebrate Jesus in some way. This is what we are called to do as Christians. You can bring water to be distributed, pray for the CJ team, Prayer walk (or drive) thru the neighborhoods we will be inviting to the block party, help to distribute gifts and invitations to families in the mission area, prepare and serve a meal for the visiting team, help with the Block Party, or just pray. Everyone has a role and everyone should volunteer according to their ability.
When will Celebrate Jesus take place? The week of the mission is July 25 through August 1. We will be visiting our neighbors during that week, offering them a small gift and inviting them to a block party. We will also ask if they have any prayer requests at that time. The last day of the mission will involve a community wide Block Party with free food, music, and games, that everyone is invited to attend.
What will we do during the week of the mission? The most important thing we will do is pray. But in addition to prayer, we will go to approximately 3,500 homes and offer them a free gift and invite them to a Block Party hosted by our church. At the party they will be treated to free food, music, and games and we will invite them to attend a worship service. From there it is up to the Holy Spirit and our hospitality to lead them to the Lord.
Where will we be traveling? Right in our own backyard. Rather than traveling to some remote country, or across the US, we feel that there are plenty of people in Orange Park that need to hear the gospel and need to get the know the members of OPUMC. We will invite people within a 3 mile radius of the church campus.
What will happen at the Block Party? It is a party and everything will be free! We will have fun, eat with our neighbors, and invite them to attend out church. If they choose to come back, we will treat them as guests in our home and offer them the opportunity to learn, know, and love the Lord we serve.
Who is invited to the Block Party? Everyone who wants to attend is welcome, but we will deliver invitations throughout mission week to our nieghbors. We will also distribute invitations at local retailers.
Where is the Block Party? The Block Party will be held at the Orange Park Town Hall park.
How can I help? You can help by earnestly praying for the mission and for your desire to fulfill the Great Commission spoken by Jesus in Matthew 28:19 to "Go and make disciples of all nations..." We particularly need your help to prayer walk (or drive) in the neighborhoods we will be working and pray for each household and each family that lives there. We also need your support the week of the mission to deliver the gifts and the inviations to these families. You can sign up to volunteer your time at this site by clicking on one of the two links above titled: Prayer "Walk or Drive" Sign-up or Invitation and Gift Giving Times at the upper left hand side of this page.
If we aren't trying to "save" people, how are we fulfilling the Great Commission? We believe that if our neighbors have an opportunity to get to know us and know our ministries and our personal witness through our missions and Christian acts, they will not only like us, but they will realize that we are not too different from them. We may be flawed, but we have good hearts. We may be tired, but we work tirelessly for the Lord. We may be quiet, but we have a strong message to share. We are Christians and we are simply trying to help others find the hope, peace, and love that we have found in Christ Jesus! And we are doing what Jesus has called us to do.
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Celebrate Jesus - FAQ's |