This last tab on my website is my own incubator for "on the ground," "real time" Wasted Evangelism. I am the pastor of a congregation in The Hill community of New Haven, Connecticut. The ministry allows me to have a place and space to apply my exegetical conclusions from my book Wasted Evangelism and the six studies in Mark's Gospel. Remember, the good people here in this community are not an experiment, but still ministry among them allows me to learn how to make real what I believe to be true about the gospel, and specifically social action and evangelism. Please enjoy our video (below) and consider supporting this church plant and ministry >> Pull down to Hill Church Plant--Chip Anderson >> ![]() This young lady was one of our many teen counselors at our 2017 Hill Sports & Arts Camp. This was that moment, a picture of that kingdom moment, seeing one of our anchor church teens loving on one of our Hill kids. Pastor Graham (the Senior Pastor of our anchor church, CPC New Haven, had asked what God moments, what kingdom moments did you see during Impact Week, I thought of the number of times I saw our anchor church teen counselors loving on our Hill kids—when a teen would take aside to console a hurt, crying, or sad child; when a teen would embrace a shy, stand-offish child who couldn't find his or her place in the crowd of other kids. These moments were the gospel to me. These were kingdom moments. I was amazed and thankful for our teen counselors, who throughout the fives days, tirelessly gave themselves to our Hill kids. These young people and teens, our anchor church counselors, were the flesh of the gospel for these five days of Sports & Arts Camp in the Hill. *There were moments not captured in a picture, so many anchor church teen counselors loving on our Hill kids. Am thankful to them all. FYI--all volunteer time, too! ![]() I passed out Bibles this morning at the start of the children's message. Some of the kids pick up their own before sitting down. Do you know what an "orphan" is? "Yes. An orphan doesn't have parents or a home," the kids offer up. How do orphans become members of a family? "Adoption," one of the kids (Dada to be specific) says right away. So I explained, as Christians, we are adopted into God's family and now have a home (with God forever and our church family right now). I had the kids look up Romans 8:15. One of the kids knew the page number, so that helped. I taught the kids that the ones who find the verse first, give their Bible to those who haven't and point the verse out to them and the relocate it again for themselves. That's how you do it at church, I tell them. The older kids helped the younger ones (that's how we do it, too). So much modeling and example happening during these moments. Then we read the Bible verse out loud together--at least the one's who can read did. "or you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'” They I asked, "What do we cry out?" "Abba! Father!" Some knew. So I asked them to cry out. They did. Twice. "Abba! Father!" "Abba! Father!" I told them "Abba" has the idea of "Daddy," a term of interment, to which one of the boys asked, "Is that like 'Poppy'?" I live for these moments. Westminster Shorter Catechism Q & A 34 asks and answers: ![]() Each January I emphasize the importance of READING YOUR BIBLE, delivering a message entitled “On Reading Your Bible.” I pull verses and texts from all over the Bible that indicate and infer that we should know and read God's revealed Word; and then make simple, practical instruction on just plainly reading the Bible. For the Children’s Message this year, my regular moment with the kids just before the sermon, I put Bibles in the hands of our kids. We went over how many Bible books—“39 in the OT; 27 in the NT” —and the types of writing (“History, Dada, you love history [he nods, yep]. Letters. Prophecy. Gospels. Poetry. Even love stories, yucky, right?”). Then, I used looking up John 3:16 to teach them about chapters and verses. When the kids found the verse, they all read it out loud together. The older kids helping the younger kids. A great moment in worship. Most often I use these moments as the first point of my sermon, at least it’s a set-up for the message. This is most definitely one of, if not my favorite parts of my ministry, of my worship-leading ministry. The love, respect, and acceptance I have received from CPC in The Hill kids and, even, other kids in the Hill, is so priceless to me. Each Sunday I gather all the kids together up front for a short message. Even some of the older kids and teens honor me in joining. Babies crawling around. You never know what a child will give as an answer to a question. And, little ones are very fidgety. God, give me these kids for your kingdom, soon and very soon. I usually pray after the children’s message, “Lord, be with these kids so that they’d know your love and grace, now, this week, in school and at home and for always.” |
Wasted Blogger, Chip M. AndersonI am the pastor and church planter for Christ Presbyterian Church in The Hill; a flawed practitioner of Wasted Evangelism. I am learning about Wasted Evangelism through my experience in The Hill and through the good people of CPC in The Hill. Archives
April 2024
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