What an Easter!

Our Easter service at English Christian Fellowship was spectacular. Our smallish meeting room in the Aloft Hotel was packed…we even had people who had to stand in the back. 90 people gathered to worship the Risen Jesus! It was a record-breaking day. Let me share why this is significant…

·       A few months ago, we only had 15-20 worshipping with us. So, in a short period of time the church has tripled. This is creating an exciting sense of momentum. And one thing I’ve learned about leading healthy growing ministries is that momentum can be an important catalyst for kingdom advancement.

·       New English-speakers joined us on Easter Sunday from all points of the compass.  This confirmed, again, the great spiritual opportunity facing ECF. Tens of thousands of English-speakers live in this area who are looking for a Bible-centered, love-saturated, outreach-focused church like ECF.

·       Church growth can be an outgrowth of the multiplication of leaders. In the month leading up to Easter, several new leaders were commissioned. ECF now has a Worship Team Leader, a Children’s Ministry Team Leader, a Hospitality Team Leader, Greeting Team Leaders and a Prayer Team Leader. When effective leaders are in place, it occasionally leads to God trusting a church with a greater harvest.  I think this is because God expects a local church shepherd the people that he sends them.

·       This coming week Pam and I will launch two Rooted pilot groups. Rooted is one of the most effective discipleship tools I’ve experienced. It’s an amazing combination of “head-hands-heart” discipleship. Our strong Easter attendance helped build enthusiasm to go deeper with the Lord…which Rooted will accomplish.

·       The weekend before Easter, Palm Sunday, we had our first two decisions for Christ. My uber-evangelist wife, Pam, led two pre-teen students to Christ while teaching in our Children’s Ministry. We both believe these decisions were first-fruits of many more that will come in the coming months and years.

·       I have long believed that the local church is the hope of the world. The church is the bride of Christ. Ephesians 5 makes clear that Jesus loves the church. To love and follow Jesus in the way he teaches, we must love the church, too. Because of this, we think that Jesus must be smiling from ear-to-ear as he watches ECF begin to thrive with robust new spiritual life.

Thank you for your ongoing support and prayers. Pam and I consider it a phenomenal honor to serve King Jesus during this season of our lives.   

Steve and Pam