We are Christians, and while evangelism should be the core of our activities as we go each day, come next week we will all have an opportunity to pool our efforts and for five nights as the local congregation in this area, leverage our numbers to fill this community with the gospel. Many of us are no strangers to these annual efforts and as such mentally we can begin to put the wheels in motion. Many of us know these communities road by road and some of us know much of what to expect from residents in the different areas. We know those who have always resisted and those who are welcoming; we remember the roads with pot holes, short cuts to parts of communities unseen and homes with bad dogs and those with none. As we read these lines many more memories will come flooding back, memories of events we can use to guide our younger members so that together we can be effective for Jesus.

As we become aware and make ready, some questions should be at the forefront of our thoughts. Am I prepared mentally to be part of the door knocking, the bible studies, the evening worship services and the follow-up work after the gospel meeting? Have I sought the time from work activities? What will I do with the children and other family members? How will get home after the meetings each night? Have I included everyone on my invite list? Do I need to top up on my vitamins? The more prepared we are is the more we will be able to fill this community with the gospel.

The apostles took Jesus’s command (Matthew 28:18-20) and filled the community then with the Gospel. Mark 16:20 tells us that while they went everywhere preaching, the Lord worked with them. Acts 8:4 tells us that even in the face of persecution they preached and this is after they had filled all Jerusalem with the Gospel in Acts 5:28. With less technology, less access to the bible, more persecution they were able to fill the community they knew with the word.

Can we fill this community?