Dear Friends,
In Acts 2:42-47 we get a priceless glimpse of the early church. This was a body of believers bound together by their love of Jesus Christ and their desire to live the kind of lives that would be attractive to those in need of Christ. Evidently, they were successful as we learn that they enjoyed “the favor of all the people” resulting in the Lord adding “to their number daily those who were being saved.” If I had to put a word on the first church it would be magnetic. The dictionary defines magnetic as “having great power of attraction over people” and lists synonyms such as: attractive, compelling, alluring, captivating. All these words describe the early church—a group of Christ followers whose life and witness captivated the world and compelled it to turn to Jesus Christ. As the body of Christ we are told to live the kinds of lives that would be appealing to those outside the faith.
This is why the theme for the 2010 Michigan Christian Convention is The Magnetic Church. I am excited by the possibilities which will be available through the convention to learn and be challenged to help their churches better resemble the early church. The purpose of this year’s convention is simple: To help the local church both draw people to the gospel of Christ and His church as well as help them remain in the church. To that end we will be offering a wide variety of main session speakers and workshops all geared toward helping your church be more effective at outreach, evangelism, retention, and building a magnetic ministry.
We are excited to be welcoming back Bob Russell to the 2010 convention. Bob will open our convention as our main speaker on Friday night. But also, we have a unique opportunity with this year’s Friday workshop. On Friday, April 16th, we will be having a workshop for church leaders with Bob Russell and three of the Southeast elders. This workshop will run from 9am to 3pm and will be a great chance to learn from some of the best church leaders in the country. The session is intended for ministers, elders, and deacons and will address issues related to leading a magnetic ministry. You will not want to miss this. Due to the expected interest in the Friday workshop you will want to register as soon as possible. I urge all pastors and elders especially to attend this workshop and convention. Nothing less than the salvation of thousands of unchurched people in your communities is at stake. Very shortly we will be mailing brochures for the convention and Friday workshop.
We are blessed to have excellent speakers for the main sessions on Saturday in Don McLaughlin (North Atlanta Church of Christ in Atlanta, GA) and Gary Johnson (Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis, IN). Don and Gary will inspire and motivate us to help our churches be more like the vibrant, winsome, magnetic church we read about in Acts 2.
So I invite you all to attend the 2010 Michigan Christian Convention—The Magnetic Church—April 16&17. This very practical, urgent convention will be a blessing to you and your churches. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
God’s Blessings to You!
Chris Higgins
President, 2010 Michigan Christian Convention
Sr. Minister, First Church of Christ, Owosso
chris@firstchurchofchrist.org
989.725.5039