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Water Ski Small Group Outreach

Kind of an unusual blog today, but the story is too good to not pass on.  Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson, authors of  Exponential tell a great story about a guy named Shawn who was struggling with his friends who would not come to church with him.  They would rearrange their schedule to go water skiing with him, but not church.  The church blessed Shawn to try something new:

He invited a couple of his best buds along—and of course, they said yes.  That first Sunday as he played hooky from church, he went skiing with two of his non-Christian buddies. He was about to get in the water when he got an attack of the “guilties.” So he said to them, “Guys, you know I’m Baptist, and I’m feeling kind of guilty for not being in church today. Do you mind if I read a bit of Scripture first?”  His friends seemed a little uncomfortable, so he read the shortest psalm he could find.  Then Shawn said, “We Baptists pray for needs, so does anybody have any prayer requests?”  One guy said he was unemployed, and the other guy said his grandma was in ICU.  So Shawn prayed for the guy’s job and the other guy’s grandmother and then asked God to bless the day and the boat.  Then they went skiing.  The next Sunday, at Shawn’s encouragement, his two friends brought a bunch of buddies.  Again, he read a little Scripture and got ready to pray.  But this time, he said, “We Baptists like to see if there are any answered prayers.”  The one friend said, “You know, I did get a job this week.  Thanks!”  And the other friend jumped in, saying, “My grandma was released from the hospital this week.”  Then Shawn asked if there were any other prayer requests.  After the guys heard those kinds of results, a bunch of hands went up.  Shawn prayed for each person and asked God to bless the day, and then they went skiing.  Shawn and his friends now do this weekly with more than sixty people.  They gather near the dock, have breakfast, read a bit of Scripture, pray for each other, take up an offering to give to the poor, and then go water-skiing.  Recently, they started bringing spare boat parts so if they come across someone whose boat has broken down, they can help out.  Shawn looks back on this and says, “I think I accidentally planted a church.” [Dave Ferguson & Jon Ferguson, Exponential]

So how are your outreach efforts working?  Are your small group leaders and members looking for opportunities to attract others?…Others that enjoy what they enjoy?  Are you blessing people to try something new?

Thanks Dave and Jon for such a funny, challenging, but encouraging story!  

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eddiemosley@churchleaders.com'
Eddie is Executive Director of GroupLife at LifePoint Church, a multi-site campus in Smyrna, TN. He brings an infectious enthusiasm for people to experience life change as he guides the direction and strategy for Small Groups. Eddie has been invited to speak on the subject of discipleship and small group ministry at Small Group Conferences, Purpose Driven Small Groups, LifeWay Conferences, and Baptist State Conventions. Most of his speaking, as well as writing, centers on real life stories from personal experience. His passion is to help pastors and staffs develop a strategy to implement Small Groups in the local church. Eddie has written articles for SmallGroups.com and LifeWay Church Resources. He also serves as Area Point Leader for the Purpose Driven Small Group Network.