June 2024 Camp Meeting
Summary
TLDRThis video script emphasizes the importance of church relationships for members of The Gideons International. It highlights the value of integrating church ministry with the organization's mission, focusing on building meaningful relationships with pastors and congregations. The discussion covers personal experiences, the spiritual growth of members, and the benefits of a holistic approach to church engagement. The aim is to strengthen the body of Christ, promote discipleship, and encourage a partnership between Gideons and local churches for the greater mission of spreading the Gospel.
Takeaways
- 😇 The importance of being a member in good standing of one's church is emphasized, as it aligns with the values of Gideon International.
- 🤝 Church relations are vital to Gideon International, and building relationships with pastors is a key aspect of their ministry.
- 🔄 The evolution of church relations from simply securing services to a more holistic approach that includes building partnerships and understanding the pastor's vision.
- 🚫 A reminder that the primary goal of church relations is not just to have a good time with pastors but to secure church services and further the mission of Gideons.
- 📋 The significance of the 202 form in documenting the details of secured church services, reflecting the organization's commitment to detail and follow-through.
- 💼 The role of Gideons as business and professional men who contribute to the church and the community through their integrity and vision.
- 🙏 The value of prayer and spending time in reflection with pastors, which can lead to a deeper understanding and stronger relationships.
- 🌐 The potential for Gideons to offer resources and support to pastors, including opportunities for discipleship, mentoring, and modeling Christian values.
- 🏆 The emphasis on the personal growth of Gideon members through their interactions with pastors and the community, reinforcing their testimony and commitment to faith.
- 👨👨👧👦 The idea that church relations can benefit not only the individual member and the pastor but also the congregation and the broader community.
- 🔑 The concept of 'Go Giving' as a way to approach pastors with a mindset of service and support, rather than focusing solely on securing services for Gideons.
Q & A
What is the primary focus of Gideon International members as discussed in the transcript?
-The primary focus of Gideon International members is building relationships with churches and pastors to further the mission of spreading the gospel and distributing Bibles.
Why do Gideon International members place a high value on their relationship with churches?
-Gideon International members value their relationship with churches because it is essential for building the kingdom of God, and these relationships help in spreading the gospel and distributing Bibles effectively.
What is a '202' form, and why is it important for Gideon International members?
-A '202' form is a document that Gideon International members fill out when they secure a church service. It is important because it helps track the details and organization of church presentations and engagements.
How has the approach to church relations evolved according to the transcript?
-The approach to church relations has evolved from simply trying to secure church presentations to building meaningful, holistic relationships with pastors and church communities, focusing on partnership and mutual support.
What are some key activities Gideon International members engage in during Church Relations Days?
-During Church Relations Days, Gideon International members engage in activities such as praying with pastors, offering resources, building relationships, and discussing how to partner together for the kingdom of God.
What qualities do pastors appreciate in Gideon International members according to the transcript?
-Pastors appreciate qualities such as integrity, a broader vision for the gospel, a desire to see people come to Christ, and a genuine commitment to supporting and partnering with churches.
How do Gideon International members support discipleship and mentoring within churches?
-Gideon International members support discipleship and mentoring by providing resources, encouraging men to engage in ministry activities, and offering examples of faith in action through their outreach efforts.
What is the significance of 'iron sharpening iron' as mentioned in the transcript?
-The concept of 'iron sharpening iron' signifies the mutual growth and strengthening that occurs when Gideon International members spend time together, share experiences, pray for each other, and hold each other accountable in their spiritual journeys.
Why might some Gideon International members feel intimidated about talking to pastors?
-Some members might feel intimidated about talking to pastors due to anxiety about being asked questions they cannot answer or the fear of making a mistake during their first interactions with church leaders.
What is the ultimate mission of Gideon International members as emphasized in the transcript?
-The ultimate mission of Gideon International members is to win the lost by focusing on spreading the gospel and being obedient to God's will, trusting that God will provide the necessary resources and results.
Outlines
😇 The Importance of Church Membership and Relations
This paragraph emphasizes the significance of being a committed member of the church as defined by the church itself, particularly for members of Gideon International. It discusses the value of church relationships, which are likened to a precious and important bond that requires nurturing. The speaker reflects on the evolution of church relations from a focus on securing church presentations to a more holistic approach that includes building partnerships and understanding the pastor's vision for the church. The narrative includes personal anecdotes from a Gideon's experience, highlighting the shift in perspective from a sales-oriented approach to a relationship-building one, ultimately aiming to serve the kingdom of God rather than just securing Bible placements.
🤝 Building Genuine Relationships Beyond Church Services
The second paragraph delves into the concept of 'Church Relations Days' and the shift from a transactional approach to a more relational one. It discusses the evolution of the Gideons' interaction with pastors, moving from a focus on securing church services to building meaningful relationships that extend beyond the church walls. The speaker talks about the value of understanding what is important to pastors and aligning with God's work in the church. The paragraph also touches on the idea of offering resources to pastors, such as the opportunity for discipleship, mentoring, and modeling Christian values. It highlights the importance of authenticity and the joy of being a man of God in the context of building relationships with pastors and fellow Gideons.
🙏 Spiritual Growth Through Church and Community Engagement
In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the spiritual benefits of engaging with pastors and the community as part of The Gideons International's mission. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on winning the lost and being obedient to God's will, rather than being preoccupied with the results or outcomes. The paragraph highlights the spiritual growth that can occur through these engagements, as well as the opportunities to strengthen one's own faith and find new avenues for ministry. It also touches on the idea of being a consistent witness for Christ in all aspects of life, whether in private or in public settings. The speaker encourages a commitment to strengthening the church, starting with one's own congregation and extending to the global body of Christ.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Church Relations
💡Gideons International
💡Membership
💡Church Presentation
💡Partnerships
💡Resources
💡Discipleship
💡Integrity
💡Obedience
💡One Vision
Highlights
Gideon members must be in good standing with their churches when joining the association.
The Gideon International places a high value on the church and its relationship with its members.
Church relations should be holistic, focusing on building the kingdom rather than just securing church presentations.
Building relationships with pastors involves understanding what is important to them and their church.
The goal is to foster partnerships that go beyond just requesting church presentations and funding.
Gideons provide resources to pastors, including prayer support and discipleship opportunities.
Church relations help in strengthening the men in the congregation through discipleship and mentoring.
Personal connections and prayer between Gideon members and pastors can have a significant impact.
The process of visiting pastors is valuable, fostering camaraderie and spiritual growth among Gideon members.
Gideons should focus on being men of integrity and vision, showing pastors the value of such traits.
Engaging with pastors and churches is about building spiritual testimony and influence.
The focus should be on winning the lost and being obedient to God's will, rather than solely on results.
God is the ultimate provider of resources, and obedience to His will is key.
Gideons should be intentional in strengthening their own church and the larger body of Christ.
Different denominations and traditions can expand a Gideon member's vision and love for the body of Christ.
Transcripts
[Music]
are you a member in good standing of
your church as your church defines
membership that's a question every
Gideon answered yes to when he joined
this
Association God places a high value on
his church the body of Christ so does
the Gideon International We Are Men of
the church before we're Gideons the
relationship we have with our churches
is very precious and very important and
like all relationships these take time
and attention unfortunately some of us
only think of one thing when they think
of church relations that's trying to get
a church presentation today we're going
to dig into the rich blessings available
to members who choose to take a holistic
approach to church
ministry I'm glad you're here and we're
here today talking about uh an activity
that our members engage in yeah at least
many of them do Church relations days
yeah amen yeah in the in the past the
church relations day approach was look
let's talk to as many pastors as we can
Let's uh make sure you secure service
before you leave the door and uh by the
way while you're there you might even
talk to them about The Gideons yeah I
remember when I joined to Gideon uh yeah
well it's it's been 30 years now used to
be a young guy
and I remember when I first went out uh
with one one of The Gideons and we went
out visiting pastors and keep in mind I
didn't join The Gideons to go contact
pastors and get church services yeah I
joined because I wanted to see people
come to know the Lord Jesus as their
Savior and early on I didn't understand
the connection between Church relations
and seeing people come to Christ but I
was out with this guy and we were out
all day long and we had a great time uh
and we met some pastors and having come
from a sales background I was about
building relationships ultimately to
build into bloom into Partnerships yeah
but we got back at the end of the day
and uh a couple of the veteran Gideons
one of which was about 90 years old at
that time he looked at me and he says um
where's your 202s now you'll recall the
202 is the form that we fill out when we
secure a service yeah yeah get all the
details for get all the details get all
that right and uh I looked at him I said
well we don't have any but we had some
great times with pastors and he looked
at me he says we didn't send you to have
a good time with a pastor we sent you to
go get church services wow and so it was
very clear because at that time
obviously a lot of church relations
focused on the fact that we provide
Bibles yeah and the Bible obviously the
Living Word of God it is integral it is
critical to what we do it it has been
and it continues to be but regrettably
Bibles don't show up on the front porch
or the front lawn like Mana so it takes
dollars it does take dollars because of
that many of our a large percentage of
our membership began to
desire the church presentation as the
most coveted part of that relationship
with the local church um you know we we
spent all of our time just trying to get
in the door go with our hand out saying
this is what we need rather than saying
hey how can we partner together with you
as a as a Gideon to to approach a pastor
on a church relations day to go giving
give us a picture uh for those that
aren't familiar with it sure what does
that look like what are we giving and
what are you said go is a resource what
is that sure what does that mean yeah
the first thing I want to do is is is I
want to find out what's important to the
pastor I want to find out what God's
doing in the church why is that
important that's important because this
isn't about the giddy
and ultimately it's not even about the
church it's about building the kingdom I
think when a pastor sees you or I
come and not as members of his church
but members of another church um and
having been recommended by a pastor
perhaps he knows them perhaps he doesn't
but when we spend that time in prayer
with him there is something that
happens in the heart and the mind of the
pastor that I'm convinced that he looks
at us in a different light and he says
you know what I would love guys in my
church to be men just like this Men of
Integrity right men who care beyond
something beyond their own little Silo
men who have a a a greater Vision if you
will for the gospel and reaching out
into the community ultimately into the
uttermost so I think there's Great Value
in that yeah going back to resources go
giving uh we're going to we're going to
encourage the pastor pray for the pastor
is that it no no there there I'm
grateful we have all kinds of resources
we can offer pastors now uh you know one
of the things that I alluded to earlier
in just building that
relationship by virtue of who we are as
as a ministry that's made up of Business
and Professional men who are members in
good state of the local body of
Believers as an extension of the church
we provide an opportunity for that
Pastor to be thinking about man who who
says you know what um you know Bill or
Joe or Tom they would really benefit
they they could really grow in the Lord
um aligning themselves with guys with
this kind of
Integrity guys of this kind of vision
you know what a great resource to say
because you know listen discipleship is
so critical this day and age and it's
one of the hot buttons in the church so
there's there's a great opportunity for
discipleship and for mentoring and
modeling um
I don't think we have an official
program we call discipleship in fact we
don't even talk about it very much but
there's some component to that when you
when you encourage a man sure right to
put to put feet to his faith oh so to
speak to get out of the Pew and to go
talk to a hotel manager about the value
of the word of God or go stand on a
public sidewalk on a campus and offer
students a copy of the word of God there
is something about that that affects him
man's testimony and we don't I think we
don't do a real good job of presenting
that as an opportunity to a pastor to
strengthen the men in his own
congregation and he and and that extends
to his family oh yeah that extends to
the church itself not to mention you
know the the marketplace oh yeah you
know because the pastor is focused on
the community um but wow tremendous
opportunities to to Really flood those
of a man's life so that he's
consistently the same man whether he's
alone with the Lord or whether he's in
front of a thousand people but as I've
spent time with another Gideon just
driving around calling on pastors
visiting
churches the time that we spend in
between those visits because sometimes
if you're in a phoenix or a Dallas or a
Houston or a big city you got a pretty
good little Drive between these churches
and and what happens in between is just
every bit as important as what happens
with the pastor it's not always about
about it's not always about getting the
church service the objective right
sometimes it's on the process of getting
there where the value EXA you get to
know each other you know you pray
together um you you you you hear each
other's hopes and dreams and
fears um you hear a man's history and
where he's at you hear about his wife
and his kids and the things that he
needs prayer for yeah and then that
helps me to be accountable to him to
pour into him so that we can be Iron
sharpening iron something about uh that
being with other guys that causes you to
be real authentic yeah yeah when you can
just be there's joy if you can just be
real just be a man of God right right
yeah we're we're representing The
Gideons today but I'm going as a man of
God first and and that's exactly right
and and the cool part about it is is
that when you get together with other
men who love the Lord you know what you
talk about yeah the Lord the Lord yeah
and and and that's one of the things
that I Love About The Gideons is that
most of the guys even this past weekend
guys that I was working with I don't
know where most of them go to church
yeah I just know they love the same Lord
Jesus that I do and they have a desire
to see other people come to know him too
yeah we have talked about a lot of value
a lot of benefits to the me Pastor yes a
lot of benefits to the member right uh
for these this activity we call Church
relations days and not only value to the
member but the value to the to the guy
that's being asked to join you right if
you're going to call on pastors and
you're asking somebody to come alongside
you there's value to him too sure um yet
there's still some guys out there
there's some members that are kind of
intimidated by talking to a pastor uh
maybe they're intimidated that there're
some Pastor is going to ask him some
questions that he can't answer right
anytime you do something for the first
time there's there's a high level of
anxiety um there's very few of us
um there's probably a small core of of
our population that are really Trail
Blazers at heart right um particularly
is if I say if we go not being
self-interested but being other
interested right what if we what if we
simply went and agap our pastors
expecting nothing in return MH what if
we did that you know with the Advent of
One Vision
right even even calling on a pastor
isn't so much to get a church service
but it's about building the spiritual
testimony in the influence of our
members right I really believe that we
have been called to win the lost and if
we stay focused on that mission and
we're obedient to be in the center of
God's will for our lives and our
ministry um as we talk about in One
Vision we take our Focus off of the
things we can't control which are the
results yeah and put that Focus back on
the Lord um your father in mind has no
trouble providing the results that's
right he does not sit in heaven ringing
his hands about where dollars or people
are going to come from or any of those
resources that we think the church has
to provide for us right because yes God
uses people and he works through people
but ultimately those resources come from
God that's right now again don't misund
understand me the Lord expects us to go
do certain things but that's called
obedience it's called obedience that's
exactly right he wants us to OB be
obedient he doesn't need our sacrifice
he needs our steadfast love according to
Hosea
66 isn't it encouraging to explore so
many opportunities to strengthen our own
spiritual lives and find new Ministry
opportunities through our membership in
The Gideons International engaging
churches can really expand our vision
and love for the body of Christ
different denominations with different
traditions and styles but all in service
of the lord we are men of the church
let's commit a new to be intentionally
strengthening to the church our own
church first and then to the larger body
of Christ worldwide thanks for joining
us God bless you you
[Music]
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