The Ken James Version - GPS Q & A For Pastors
November 2009
In the past few weeks, and especially at the KNCSB Annual Meeting, several pastors asked me questions about their churches’ involvement in the Spring event of GPS (God’s Plan for Sharing). Once again, GPS is a ten-year plan to Share the Gospel of Christ with every person in North America by 2020. The 2010 emphasis of GPS is Sharing Christ Across North America, thus our convention’s emphasis is Sharing Christ Across Kansas-Nebraska. Let me see if I can provide answers to most of the questions that I have encountered.
Q: Do I need to sign up or register my church for involvement in GPS?
A: There is no registration. At this time, we are encouraging pastors to inform and enlist their churches to participate in GPS.
Q: Where can I get information about GPS?
A: There are several sources. This column, for the rest of the year, is devoted to the dissemination of information that will help you prepare. The official website for GPS is http://www.gps2020.net . You will find graphics, DVD’s, a Pastor’s Preparation Manual, and many more items to assist you as you inform and challenge your church. You may also call me at my office: (785) 228-6800.
Q: What materials will we need, and how much will they cost?
A: The materials for the event are minimal. We will make available, through your associational office, three items: Clear plastic bags and a “Find It Here” evangelistic drop-in for your community door hanging event, and a vinyl “Find It Here” yard banner for your church. We are not charging anything for the materials, however, if a church chooses to reimburse KNCSB for materials the cost is 5 ½ cents for the bag and drop-in, and $20.00 apiece for the banners. No church will be billed for materials.
Q: How will we benefit from the media buy?
A: Your KNCSB GPS Team has made its final decision relative to the media saturation. Our two states will be covered with TV ads in March of 2010. The ads will feature the “Find It Here” testimonies, and an appeal for the viewer to access the http://www.findithere.com website or call the toll-free Evangelism Response Center. The door hanger drop-ins and the church-yard banners will bear the same images that the TV ads are portraying. We will be a part of an unprecedented event as the entire nation will be saturated with these ads at the same time.
Q: What can we be doing to get ready?
A: Use every available means to inform and engage your congregations to make a firm commitment to be intentionally involved in this wonderful opportunity for outreach. The campaign is very simple: (1) PRAYER: Make plans for prayer-walking your communities at least six weeks before Easter; (2) ENGAGING: Seek commitment from your members, and provide evangelism training for them as they become involved in (3) SOWING: With advance planning, send teams out to hang the plastic bags on the doors of your communities a week before Easter. The bags will contain only two items: The “Find It Here” Gospel presentation, and an invitation to attend the Easter events scheduled for your church, especially the Sunday Morning worship service. (4) HARVESTING: Present a simple, clear evangelistic message on Easter Sunday morning. Reveal an expectation for God to touch lives by preparing for the salvation of the lost, and the follow-up of new believers.
I pray that the pastors of the churches affiliated with KNCSB will be able to look back to Easter 2010, and say “I’m grateful that we did!” instead of “I wish we had!”
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