Building an On-Fire Outreach Team
September 2023
“He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’”
—Acts 1:7–8
In June 2023, Encompass representatives Mike McKeever and Dave Guiles visited the outreach team at Grace Fellowship Church in Duncansville, Pennsylvania (lovingly known as “Leamersville Grace”)—and they were amazed by what they saw! When you step into their church, you can instantly feel how strong of a desire they have to reach their community. (You can smell it too, because a local coffee roaster supplies them with a special blend they call “Grace Blend!”) As Dave spoke in a service sharing a message from the Great Mission, the entire church listened with rapt attention. When Dave and Mike met with the church’s outreach team, they were blown away by how “on fire” they were for outreach. Every single member of the team was engaged in reaching their community, nation, and world for Christ. They are truly ready to help no matter what the need is, and they regularly visit personal care homes, local homeless shelters, and families in the community that need help. And the camaraderie on the team is obvious, too. They aren’t just a group of co-laborers—their personal lives are interconnected, and they eagerly support each other through personal challenges. Their incredible outreach team is led by Tim Guyer, who has served as the church’s Missions and Outreach Pastor since 2001. Tim also works full-time as a hospice chaplain, which keeps him well-connected within the community and opens doors to new outreach opportunities. They view their area of Pennsylvania as their “Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria” from the verse above, and they partner with Encompass missionaries to witness “to the end of the earth.” Leamersville Grace has a long history within the Charis Fellowship, and has been faithfully shepherded by their lead pastor, Mark Lingenfelter, for over 20 years now. We’re grateful for their long history of praying for, encouraging, and generously partnering with several of our global workers financially. To learn more about building a passionate outreach team in your church, email Tim Guyer.More Stories
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