Preach2Engage Collaborative Ministry Launched
Cleveland, TN – The Awakening America Alliance and Great Commandment Network (Austin, TX) are excited to announce the recent launch of Preach2Engage, a collaborative ministry initiative for resourcing and serving the American Church.
Initiative leaders recognize the key to church revitalization, effective discipleship, and community impact involves engaging congregants in living their faith outside the church walls, Monday through Friday. One of their goals is to unify churches and para-church ministries around Upstream Strategies and a National Prayer Accord or rhythm of prayer on strategic dates throughout the year with a common goal—help Jesus followers embrace and live a “Prayer-Care-Share” lifestyle.
The Preach2Engage idea is simple. During 2014, ten different ministry topics will be encouraged and fresh ideas provided for how to pray for awakening in that arena, care for those facing related issues within your community, and share life-changing truths through preaching and personal evangelism. Preach2Engage provides complete, FREE resource collections to pastors, churches, and ministries, including sermon outlines with media elements, posters, bulletin inserts, web banners, digital apps, and social media templates (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram posts) along with the “Prayer-Care-Share” engagement strategies.
Of special significance in January is the “Life Is Priceless” emphasis. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan established the 3rd Sunday in January as the designated time for recognizing the sanctity of human life. February’s Preach2Engage topics coincide with Super Bowl Breakfast and National Marriage Week.
Some strategic partners helping to encourage and facilitate engagement are:
Mission America Coalition – Love2020
Care Net and Pregnancy Care Centers
The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview
The Manhattan Declaration
Superbowlbreakfast.com with Bart Starr
National Marriage Week USA
Date Night Works
Other partners include Josh McDowell Ministries, Prison Fellowship, National Prayer Committee, and Cry Out America. They will assist with Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, Pentecost Sunday, Independence Day, Patriot Day, and other strategic engagement times on the Christian calendar. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: January 14, 2014 Gil Balch — 423-478-7078 gbalch@awakeningamerica.us.org
“It’s all of us agreeing on the essentials we see in Scripture, and finding in one another places where we can connect,” commented Jim Liske, President and CEO of Prison Fellowship Ministries.
Bishop P. Douglas Small, Founder of Project Pray, referred to the effectiveness of a ‘pyramid’ of local believers at the bottom and national ministries at the top. Bishop Small believes, “We must turn the pyramid on its head. The local communities need to be empowered and provided resources they need.” What becomes important is an ongoing, throbbing heartbeat of prayer, where the Church of the city is being linked together. “The flashpoint of every Great Awakening is always local,” says Small.
A true Christ awakening or national revival is at the heart of the Preach2Engage collaborative ministry. Yet, what are the markers for measuring awakening? The Awakening America Alliance has developed “Twenty Indicators of Awakening”—10 related to cultural transformation and 10 related to the Church. Indicators include such signs as decreased divorce rates, racial unity, and increased giving to the poor.
Kay Horner, of the Awakening America Alliance, recalls the New Testament challenge to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). “I believe this ‘knowledge,’” she adds, “involves more than hearing another Sunday sermon or memorizing a few more Bible verses. It encompasses an ever-deepening experience with Christ and understanding His Truth should impact the entire course of the believer’s life.”
President and Founder of The Great Commandment Network, David Ferguson, shared: “Each strategy is designed to encourage Great Commission living, empowered by Great Commandment love.” The Awakening Alliance and Great Commandment teams are thrilled to encourage, serve and resource this naturally occurring rhythm, coinciding with the Christian’s calendar and helping provide consistency in developing a Prayer-Care-Share lifestyle.
For more information about Preach2Engage, a ministry committed to searching for upstream solutions to downstream problems, visit www.preach2engage.com.
(Source: Center for Spiritual Renewal)
