Last week I reflected on some Leadership Lessons gained from the Red Shield Appeal. Today, my reflection stretches my imagination into the realm of what could be if all the time, energy and resources invested into the Red Shield Appeal were channeled into the salvation mission of The Salvation Army.
While I fully embrace the integration of our social and spiritual mission and recognise the importance of resourcing this mission, I can't help wonder what sort of results we would be celebrating if we organisationally engaged in a salvation campaign with the same intensity as the Red Shield Appeal.
Imagine if we set aside a week on the calendar of every corps and centre for the salvation of the lost!
Imagine if we mobilised every Salvationist to reach their community with the Gospel!
Imagine if we set bold, faith driven goals to see how many people we could win for Christ in that week!
Imagine if we gave to our community instead of taking!
Imagine if "Thank God for the Salvos" became "Thank the Salvos for giving us Jesus"!
Imagine if our PR campaign publicly presented stories of people whose lives have been radically transformed by Jesus Christ!
Imagine if The Salvation Army "will bring [God] renown, joy, praise and honour before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things [God does] for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace [God] provides for it." (Jeremiah 33:9)
Imagine if "the Lord added to [our] number daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47)
Imagine if every social media update and status was flooded with reports like: "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." (Luke 7:22)
Imagine if The Salvation Army actually fulfilled the Great Commission!!
A Holy Spirit fueled movement of God could easily imagine such a possibility, because the same Spirit who filled the early church at Pentecost, fills His Church today. Dare to imagine because, "It is [the] Gospel that houses the poor, benefits the working class, promotes temperance and good health, reforms criminals, and transcends politics. It is Jesus Christ who changes lives and makes all these things possible. It is Christ only who is the answer to the problems and struggles" (William Booth).
Thanks for your challenge! We're up for it in our corps - we love the idea of setting aside a week for salvation :)
ReplyDeleteRather than wait for the organisation to set aside a week, we could gather a group of interested Corps and initiate an annual campaign of salvation that could become a catalyst for revival across the Territory!!
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