Happy New Year

Happy New Year, Neighbors!

   I pray that you had a wonderful Christmas; that your home was filled with friends and family and that you took the opportunity of the season to share the love and message of Jesus with your “neighbors.”  The cultural calendar holiday makes it an easy conversation – asking people how they celebrate and worship throughout the season and inviting them to celebrate and worship with you.

   As 2017 begins, our thoughts and conversations turn to goals and resolutions for a new year. We should all have a desire to improve and grow every day, but the New Year gives us pause to pray, think, and focus on the purpose of our days and the desires of our hearts. What are some of your goals? How is the Holy Spirit prompting you as you look forward to another year to worship, serve and share the love and message of Jesus with a world searching for hope?

   Jesus always puts a specific word on my heart and mind at the beginning of each year. Jesus weaves this word into areas of growth, discipline and fruit in my life throughout the year – often in many unexpected ways. This word always keeps my eyes and ears focused on Him; what He wants to teach me and where He wants to lead me. How do you stay aware and take care to record Christ’s work in your life every year? Do you keep a journal or jot a few words onto a calendar each day? Are your prayer journals filled with intercession and direction that serve as standing stones of your years? Do you make it a practice to look back in thanks – even at the years that were the hardest or hurt the most?  Christ’s hands and heart get us through those years and tears; thank Him and profess your faith in Him to do it again this year.

   As we step into 2017 we cross over to a year closer to our LOVE2020 goal of EVERY American receiving the loving touch and message of Jesus from a Christ-follower. We must mobilize our prayer-care-share lifestyle and live out the word that Jesus prayed for and expects from His followers – UNITY.

   He created us to love Him and share His love. He commissioned us to that same calling and gave us His millions of like-hearted, like-minded brothers and sisters to help complete the mission and ministry of sharing the salvation message with EVERYONE. We do not compete for church members against other churches, we do not compete for ministry turf – we complete the Great commission TOGETHER. Jesus will bless our obedience to unify and share His love.

   Jesus modeled how we should love God and our neighbors throughout His life on earth. The gospel pages are full of His love, His prayers, and the many ways He cared and shared the message of the Kingdom of heaven. I want to invite you on a “90-day Journey Through the Gospels: Prayer-Care-Share with Jesus” devotional study of the gospels. Simply click the banner on our website and subscribe to the 90-day journey and you will receive a reminder by email or text every day to read a chapter of the gospels and a short prayer-care-share devotional based on that chapter.

   Begin 2017 saturated in the supremacy of Christ. Take courage and let Him wash worry and weariness out of your life. Be filled with His Spirit and follow in His footsteps of sharing love, hope, and grace. I challenge you to share His love and message with all of your “neighbors” by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.          

To begin your “90-day Journey Through the Gospels: Prayer-Care-Share with Jesus” visit at LOVE2020.com.

Engaging in CHRISTmas Conversations

Greetings Neighbors,

   I pray that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that now you are busy preparing your hearts and homes for Christmas. It is such a beautiful time of the year; lights brighten our homes inside and out, generosity flows and the smells of our favorite goodies baking in the kitchen fill the air. More than anything else this year, I am praying that the sights and sounds of people praying, caring and sharing fill our neighborhoods and overflow into our communities and across the nation. I pray that the division that has plagued us this year will be healed through the love Jesus, which is the true message and meaning of Christmas.

   Christmas is one of the best opportunities to share the love and message of Jesus. Our Christian celebration is a culturally acceptable time to invite neighbors and co-workers to gather and celebrate. Our partners at Every Home for Christ have created some great resources to help us engage others in a conversation about connecting or reconnecting with Jesus. Your church can order these three unique Christmas Engagers – absolutely free of charge – to invite people to reconnect with Jesus, the heart of Christmas. Using seasonally-loved topics, these Engagers provide a fresh take on the gospel shown through a Christmas lens.

   So what exactly is an Engager? Engagers are like tracts, but with a much different approach. Each Engager shares a relevant topic or theme that provides a natural jumping off point to easy conversations with anyone. The ultimate goal of the Engager is to lead the conversation to Jesus – each Engager aims to draw interested hearts into the wonderful privilege of actually being able to know God. For ordering information, or to see a current offering of Engagers, go to www.everyhomeusa.org. In January, Every Home for Christ will be releasing new Engagers on a continual basis, so please check back from time to time to order new topics and utilize the resources available to anyone.

  Love and Christmas begin at home; with your family, friends and neighbors. Let’s get out there and deck the halls and fill some hearts with Christmas joy. I challenge you to touch every “neighbor” with the love of Jesus by the end of the year 2020.

    Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

          Kathy B.

For more ideas and inspiration visit LOVE2020.com and take a look at http://www.love2020.com/introducinggiveeternalgift/  for how you can give the greatest Christmas gift of all, #GiveAnEternalGift!

The Testimony of Thanks

1 Chronicles 16:8-13, “Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad. Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done, His marvels and the judgments from His mouth, O seed of Israel His servant, Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!”  NAS

Happy Thanksgiving Neighbors,

   Giving thanks is a vital part of a Christian’s life. Thankfulness keeps us humble and happy. Giving thanks reminds us of our dependency on God and His generosity towards us. Giving thanks reminds us that we are blessed, no matter what your circumstances, as a child of God you are blessed. Psychologists and other scientists continue to prove what the Psalmist said thousands of years ago; a person with a grateful heart is happier and lives longer. Thankfulness turns your focus towards all the ways you are blessed and lowers your stress. Thanksgiving is our reminder of God’s faithfulness, His daily faithfulness to sustain and even surpass all that you need.

   Thanksgiving provides the perfect opportunity to pray with others, care for others by providing a meal or donating to Thanksgiving food projects and it is certainly a great time to share the love and message of Jesus. I want to encourage you to practice what these verses in 1 Chronicles 16 teach us; this exercise will help form a much needed habit of giving thanks that will help us to focus on the blessing instead of the busyness of this season and life. Thanksgiving will train your heart and mind to seek the Lord and be glad on all days because you will constantly be remembering what God has done, and live in eager expectation of what He will do today.

   Giving thanks sings His praises and speaks of His wonders. Many people are afraid to “witness” to a friend or family member because they do not feel that they have enough knowledge of the Bible to defend their faith or might not have the answers to all of their questions. Thanksgiving makes it easy to share Jesus with other people by sharing our personal testimony of His wonderful deeds. No one can deny His blessings in your life, and many of us have been a part of ministry or even miracles. Many of you are here today because you were restored from a disease, depression or an addiction. Some of you sit here today as a testimony of just being able to get out of bed and fight disease, depression or addiction for another day in His strength, one minute at a time. Some can share the great restoration of a relationship, some can share the great hope they have that one day a prodigal will come home, unfaithfulness will be healed, or communication will be restored. We all have something to be thankful for; don’t be afraid to share your story and give Jesus thanks.

   I am so thankful for all of you who are devoted to a prayer-care-share lifestyle. I am thankful for our Mission America Coalition and LOVE2020 members and partners. I am thankful for the opportunities that Jesus gives us to minister to others and for allowing us to be servants for His Kingdom. Share your testimony of His wonderful deeds in your life with a neighbor, friend, coworker or even a complete stranger. I challenge you to share the love and message of Jesus with all of your “neighbors” by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

From Voting to Veterans: Thanking Those Who Fight for Our Freedom

Psalm 18:1-6, "I love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death encompassed me, And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me. The cords of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry for help before Him came into His ears…”

:13-18, “The LORD also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, and lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them. Then the channels of water appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my stay.”  NAS

Greetings Neighbors,

   The election may be over but our need for prayer, care and sharing the gospel continues, as a world full of people look to new policies, promises and people to bring positive change to America. We as Christ-followers continue to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and to share the love and message of Jesus to bring about real hope and change to a hurting world hunting for help. We must commit to praying for the politicians who are working out their final days in office and for those who are preparing to begin their time of service to their city, state and nation. I want to suggest that you send the newly elected people an email letting them know that you are praying for them and begin to build a relationship with them for continued times of prayer, support and service. Let them know that they can count on you in prayer, care, share opportunities within your community or ministry reach. They need to know that they can count on you to show up with support and prayer for them when there are controversial votes, meetings, or when protestors are present. They need to know that they can count on your voice and values as much as we expect them to stand up for ours. They need to know that we will serve in places and projects of need and work with them to make our communities and county a place where the love and message of Jesus is lived out every day.

   Voting is just one of many rights afforded to us by those who founded our nation and those who continue to fight for freedom every day. Our United States Military and Border Patrol put their lives on the line every day so that we can wake, work, and walk through our day with freedom and peace. The members of our military and their families make enormous sacrifices, too many to count, so that freedom can reign across America and around the world. Do you have a military family in your neighborhood? Do you live near a military base, fort or camp? Do you have military members/families who attend your church? If you have military members/families near you I beg you to get to know them and find out how you could serve them as they serve our country. Get to know them; does the spouse work, do they have children, is the military member deployed? How can you help them? Does their lawn need raking, their driveway need shoveling in the winter, do they need help with the children once in a while, a friend to talk to or go have coffee with, someone who will climb the ladder when the batteries need changing in their smoke detectors? Let them know that you are praying for their whole family and invite them to your church services and activities. It is difficult for a military spouse to get a family ready for church on Sunday and then sit by themselves through a service filled with couples worshipping together. Be there for them; give them the prayer, give them care they need and as always be prepared to share the message of salvation through Jesus with those who do not know Him as Lord and Savior. Give them the greatest gift of abundant life and eternal hope throughout their days as they defend lives and freedom around the world. Don’t be afraid that you will say the wrong thing; we need to support our military and their families with our friendship and love. Knowing that their family is being cared for helps those who are serving far from home to focus on their mission and to perform their duties with renewed concentration and motivation. We thank God for our Veterans and we want to express our deep appreciation to them this weekend and always. I want to say a special thank you to my husband, dad, brother-in-law and father-in-law for their many years of military service.

There are many ministries including the American Bible Society, The National Day of Prayer, CRU and others who send Bibles and minister to military members and families. For more information please visit www.militarymissionsnetwork.com

   I challenge you to commit to supporting those who protect us through consistent prayer, care and sharing the Word and love of Jesus so that every military member and family experiences the love and message of Jesus by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

The Change Challenge

   Well here we are; election week has finally arrived. While millions of votes have already been cast in pre-voting opportunities the decision is yet to be made. As millions more Americans head to the election sites on Tuesday we are blessed to exercise the privilege we have as Americans to choose our leaders from local to national offices. It is really an amazing thing when you think about it. So many countries have their leaders chosen for them while others seize power through conflict and bloodshed. We are blessed to live in a nation where every person has a vote; we are not occupied by a distant king or empire, neither are we left to live without structure and laws. While I have seen long lines at early voting sites, I beg you to stay in line and fulfill the obligation and gift that it is to cast your vote.

  We have listened to candidates pontificate and debate for months and months about how they will bring about “change” for America. Each person believes they have the plans, policies, and procedures to improve America and the American way of life. While I pray for all of the candidates; only Jesus can transform our nation. Only those who follow Jesus, His Word and His ways can bring about the needed change that will turn America in the direction it needs to go with the love and message of Jesus. We must behave as our biblical worldview calls us to live. I still love to quote Dr. Tony Evans, “Do not think that God is going to skip over His own house to fix the White House!” Dr. Evans is right; God’s people must live in obedience to His commands and a prayer-care-share lifestyle if we have any hope of being blessed as “one nation under God” again.

   So as much as you may have talked about this election and its candidates; let me beg you to spend the next few days on your knees begging Jesus to saturate His people with a fresh vision of His supremacy. Ask Jesus to awaken His people with a new fervor for His Word and ways; to convict our hearts of sin and to bring us to a place where we only seek His face and His plan. Humble yourself before Him and confess your desperation for Him – praise Him as King of Kings! No elected official has any power without the hand of God to guide them. Ask Jesus to have a Saul to Paul moment with all of our candidates who do not know Him, and especially with those who persecute Him by making laws that go against His commands and those trying to shut the mouth of Truth across the nation. Beg Jesus to open their eyes to His authority and to bring them to a place of servanthood; first to Him and then to America. Pray from local to national candidates and issues and ask Jesus to show you where you can make a difference every day. Pray up to and through Election Day and then…keep praying.  

   Don’t forget about casting an eternal vote by sharing love and the Good News of Jesus with at least one person before Election Day then share your pictures or stories on social media #CastanEternalVote or by sending them to us at love2020stories@gmail.com.

   I challenge you to go out and share the love and message of Jesus as you pray and prepare to vote, and as always, continue to live a prayer-care-share lifestyle.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

P.S. Check out our two new radio spotlight shows on Iwork4Him radio posted at www.LOVE2020.com

and www.Iwork4Him.com

#Cast an Eternal Vote

Luke 1:32-33, "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." NAS

   I have received several emails asking when I planned to blog about the election. Since LOVE2020 is a prayer and evangelism ministry, not a politically focused organization, I had not planned on a blog to talk about the election except to urge people to pray and vote. There are many great ministry partners who can help you with where candidates stand on the issues, fact checking, and issue explanations including www.ifapray.org and the Family Research Council at http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF10H62.pdf.

   Our good friends and partners at Meet the Need have come up with a great “Ice bucket challenge” type twist during this election season that I am particularly excited about; it is called Vote for Eternity (#CastAnEternalVote.) The focus of Vote for Eternity is not just the next four years but Forever! This challenge goal is to encourage 1 million Christians to commit to service and sharing the love and message of Jesus with at least one person by Election Day. They are not taking the focus off the importance of this election and the need to vote; it is just a great opportunity to bring a million more people into the family of God before November 8^th. Jesus’ heart is dedicated to His house, no matter who is in the White House. Presidents come and go but being a part of His family is forever.

   Each participant is asked to take pictures wherever they serve or share the gospel and then to share their stories on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #CastAnEternalVote and challenge three friends to "pay it forward." Do not stop short at just doing something good for people, let them know that you are motivated by the love of Jesus and His heart for everyone to know Him as their Lord and Savior. Let your light shine so that people will ask what the reason is for your hope in such a turbulent election season and be prepared to give an answer about the faith you have in Jesus.

   We all need to be praying for our nation and for this election. America’s Presidential position is considered to be one of the most, if not the most, powerful position in the world. The person we put in the White House will not only affect us, but the whole world and how other nations view us. We cannot be vulnerable nor can we be vicious. Pray for honesty and transparency for all candidates running for all positions from local to national. It is vital that we have people of strong moral and ethical values and character in local positions taking care of our schools, cities, counties, and states in all types of boards, commissions, councils, cabinets and more. Pray fervently over every decision that will be cast in these final days of this election season and enjoy these days by taking the Vote for Eternity challenge.

I challenge you to go out and share the love and message of Jesus with as many people as you can over the next two weeks and post your stories and pictures using #CastAnEternalVote, let’s welcome a million new members into the family of God by Nov. 8^th and continue to encourage all of us to live a prayer-care-share lifestyle.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

For more information, check out the past few weeks of our Coaching Corner at LOVE2020.com and visit Meet the Need at https://meettheneed.org/

Prepare to Share

1 Peter 3:15, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” NAS

Greetings Neighbors,

   I continue to thank Jesus for you and all that you are doing to show your love for Him and your “neighbors.” I had the joy of attending the Imagine conference last week. Imagine was a Pastors and leaders conference in Akron, Ohio where the hosts and speakers talked about teaching and living a prayer-care-share lifestyle in and through the Church. I was so grateful to hear these three words taught not just as information and inspiration but with application points for the mobilization of every Christ-follower so that we see transformation occur in every city in America.

   The past two weeks I have focused on prayer and care in the workplace; this week we turn to sharing the love and message of Jesus with your workplace. I know it can seem to be a risk – if not downright dangerous – to talk about Jesus at work, but I heard Dr. David Jeremiah give a very sensible answer in a recent interview about this very concern. Dr. Jeremiah was asked, “How can I share my faith at work without worrying about getting fired?” His wise answer came straight out of Scripture; 1 Peter 3:15 to be exact; “… Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

   If you have been in prayer for your workplace, and if you have shown care in and for your workplace; then you can bet that people are going to start asking you about your lifestyle of love and hope. Living out the love and message of Jesus does not go unnoticed in a world and workplace that is centered on self and success. Your gentleness, humility, and “calm through the storms” kind of hope will shine like a lighthouse for those sinking in a sea of personalities, projects, profit-focus, and professional as well as personal problems. Your steady emotions and encouraging words, along with your uncompromising integrity and reputation for dependability, will draw people to come and ask you, “How do you do it?” or “What’s your secret?” It is at that moment a door is flung open and you can share that Jesus is your hope and help.

   So many people worry that they are not prepared to share the message of Jesus, but Peter makes it clear that we should be prepared; just as prepared as you are for meetings, a project pitch, a presentation, an evaluation, etc. You do not have to memorize a sermon – in fact, please do not preach, but share what Jesus means to you, what He has done in you, how He works through you and what Scripture says about Him based on the needs and direction of your conversation. You do not have to have a seminary degree, but a simple knowledge of what Scripture says about our Savior and salvation. Offer to talk more over lunch, after work hours, or invite them to your home for dinner. If they share a personal or professional struggle, let them know you will pray for them and then check on them in a few days to see if anything has changed or they need to talk. Of course, confidentially is crucial; but if they come to you – they must trust you. Share your personal relationship and a Scripture or two to encourage them, and over time, invite them to church. We were reminded on several occasions at the Imagine conference; “People don’t come to church looking for God, they come looking for answers.” Be prepared to tell people how relevant Jesus is and that He is the answer they are looking for.

I challenge you to share the love and message of Jesus with every person connected to your workplace and to prompt other neighbors to share in their workplace, so that every American has seen and heard the message of Jesus by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

We have several books available on our LOVE2020.com bookstore to help you live and share the message of Jesus at work. For more ideas on prayer-care-share for the Workplace, visit our Workplace action plan under the Strength Conditioning page at www.LOVE2020.com. Check out www.Iwork4Him.com and tune in to their radio show Monday through Friday to learn more about connecting with Christ in your workplace.

Labor of Love

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” NIV

Greetings Neighbor!

   Although the verses above were the greeting from Paul, Silas and Timothy to the church in Thessalonica; I do thank God for all of you and I pray for you as you continue to live out the love and message of Jesus in your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and ends of the earth.  This week we continue to expand our mission field map in your workplace.

   Last week I shared ways you could engage in prayer as you prepared to go to work, on your way and throughout the day. This week I want to add the “care” element of your workplace. It is such a misnomer to think that your work is only useful to Jesus when you write a church tithe or ministry donation out of your paycheck. While faithful tithing and cheerful giving is a crucial part of our worship and relationship with Jesus; all of our time, talent and treasure belongs to Him and you are a disciple-maker 24/7. Your workplace is part of your mission field; in fact it may be where you spend most of your time and have your closest or most consistent relationships outside of your family. In addition to the time and space you share, you also have common goals. In many ways your success depends on one another; one team member’s bad/good day or bad/good choice can affect the entire office, division or company.

   It is vital to have strong relationships, good communication and a sense of a supportive caring team. How are these kinds of relationships built? They are built with the character of Christ being lived out in you at work. Humility, kindness and authentically caring about the people you work with will not only raise the success of your business, it will increase opportunities for you to invite co-workers to church and to share your faith. Research shows that co-workers who take breaks together, eat, socialize, engage in a project to help others and even travel together, are more successful than those who “keep work separate” from the rest of their life. Getting to know your co-workers; about their families, hobbies, and backgrounds can lead to stronger relationships that share their needs, struggles, celebrations and other areas you can pray about and show care. Your co-workers may have a sick family member, an elderly parent or child who needs extra care, they may have a heart for caring for the hungry, or your kids may attend the same school. All of these circumstances are opportunities for you to show the love of Jesus to them and their families.

   There are many ways you can show care in the office; bring someone lunch or dinner when they are working to finish a project, offer to get them something when you go on a coffee or smoothie run, offer to brainstorm with them, smile, be polite and cheerful, be affirming and congratulate them when they are recognized or rewarded. There are also things you should avoid; avoid gossip or saying negative things about anyone at work, and avoid doing anything that undermines others’ success. Be the same person at work on Monday that you are at church on Sunday. Loving your neighbor as Jesus loved you is especially important to your witness as a Christian in the workplace. Go out of your way to be humble, kind and genuine. Your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus will catch the attention of others and give glory to Jesus in your workplace. Your labor of love is a lifestyle Jesus will bless.

I challenge you to care for every person connected with your workplace and to prompt other neighbors to show Christ’s care in their workplace, so that every American is consistently cared for by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

Send us your testimonies and ideas of sharing Christ’s love and message in the workplace with us at love2020stories@gmail.com. For more ideas on prayer-care-share for the Workplace, visit our Workplace action plan under the Strength Conditioning page at www.LOVE2020.com. Check out www.Iwork4Him.com and tune in to their radio show Monday through Friday at 3 PM ET to learn more about connecting with Christ in your workplace.

Worship While You Work

Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” NASB

Greetings Neighbor,  

  I want to tell you how much I appreciate you reading and sharing my blog each week; I pray for you and ask Jesus to guard and guide you as you continue to share His love and message in your neighborhood, on campuses, and everywhere the Lord takes you in this mission field of life.

   For the next few weeks we turn our attention to the workplace. I appreciate that our LOVE2020 Workplace affinity sphere leaders insisted on calling their sphere “workplace” instead of “marketplace” or “business” because they wanted to make sure the message was received that people “work” in all sorts of fields, not just in an office or store. Your workplace may be a classroom, a barn or tractor, a military submarine or plane, in a home raising children and running a household, behind a camera or on a stage, and of course it might be behind a desk or a cash register.

   Work is a part of life, but do you realize it is also a part of how we worship? It is a myth to think that we separate our lives into slivers of time and who owns it; it all belongs to God. There is no secular time, me time, and God time; it is LIFE, a gift we have been given to steward with love in a thankful response to Jesus for the time and opportunities we have been given. Life – from your first breath to your last – is an opportunity to worship, and that includes the hours you work.

    What do you do on your way to work or as you prepare for work? I would like to suggest that you pray; pray over your day, your boss, your co-workers. If you own or manage a business, pray for your customers, employees and suppliers. Take a prayer-walk through your workplace from the parking lot to your office; pray for each person, floor or department you encounter along the way. If you have no idea how to pray for a person you work with, get to know them, stop and have a short conversation with them. If someone shares a personal struggle, tell them you will pray for them. Make sure that your reputation and conversations in the workplace (and out) do not conflict with your profession to be a Christian and your offer to pray.

   Pray over decisions and deals that need to be made. Pray about partnerships and competitors; pray for transparency and honesty in the workplace and for any wrongdoing to be brought to light. Thank God for your job, thank Him for your paycheck and for the wisdom, knowledge and understanding the Spirit gives you to do your job well. Give God praise and thank Him for every opportunity and for the people who come alongside you to help make your workplace successful. Thank God throughout the day for His protection and provision; picture Him walking with you throughout the day and pray as if you are having a conversation with your most trusted friend. Whether you are in the boardroom or cleaning the bathroom, let all you do and say give glory to Jesus and add value to the people who work with you.

   I challenge you to pray for every person connected with your workplace and to prompt other neighbors to pray for their workplace, so that every American is consistently prayed for by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

For more ideas on prayer-care-share for the Workplace, visit our Workplace action plan under the Strength Conditioning page at www.LOVE2020.com. Check out www.Iwork4Him.com and tune in to their radio show Monday through Friday to learn more about connecting with Christ in your workplace.

More Blessed: Giving to Neighbors in Need

Acts 20:35, "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" NASB

Greetings Neighbors!

   Late one evening two weeks ago, a family in my subdivision awoke to flames engulfing their home. The fire had begun outside and taken over the house so there were only flames by the time it reached their rooms, no smoke to set off the alarms. The family made it out of the house but the entire house was lost. Thankfully, the neighbors’ houses were saved by firefighters, but one family lost everything. Before the sun came up, our neighborhood had sprung into action; our neighborhood Facebook page was loaded with offers to help: “I have a fenced-in yard for your dog.” “What size clothes do your boys wear?” “I can clear out my garage for any belongings that you find and need to store.” “I have two guest rooms; you can stay with us as long as you need.” The offers flooded in, a go-fund-me page was set up and donations flowed in, boxes were set on their neighbor’s front porch across the street for donations; gift cards, clothes, toys, school supplies, and other gifts overflowed the porch. I wept; overwhelmed by the generosity of our neighborhood and the speed of their response to the family in need. Knowing it is more blessed to give than to receive… my neighborhood is blessed.

   Concern carried over through the week and generous people are still giving. I thank Jesus for these neighbors and asked Him to bless their giving. Despite some of the nonsense that circulates on our Facebook page; when tragedy strikes we love our neighbors. I have seen it on a smaller scale; lost pets found, warning of dangerous items found in our park, traffic alerts, and lemonade stand sightings that send thirsty neighbors out in droves to get a cup from a smiling group of kids.

   As we continue to move in the love of Jesus and expand our mission field; I will occasionally return to the roots of our neighborhood. Your neighborhood is where your family lives, plays, sleeps, and makes friends; it is the center of your mission field map. You are surrounded by people who do not know Jesus, by people who are experiencing trials and pain, people who have like interests such as your neighborhood schools and hopefully you are surrounded by lots of neighbors who worship at many different churches in your community. God has placed you in a community; love your neighbors, serve Him and help bring unity to the body of Christ. Neighbors who care about their community can prompt their churches to work in unity to pray, meet needs and share the gospel together. Churches should not be competing for members; their members should be completing the great commission with members of other churches. We are one body scattered in all different zip codes to get the job done.

   Have you been prayer walking your community with your pray4everyhome app? Have you met new neighbors, invited them over, or chatted with other parents at the bus stop? Do you have a way to communicate as a neighborhood? Do you have a community Facebook page or email group? If there was a tragedy in your neighborhood how would you know? How would you react? Have you connected with your neighborhood schools or talked with some other parents about caring for a campus? Share your stories or ideas with us at love2020stories@gmail.com.

I challenge you to be blessed; to give to a “neighbor” in need and bless your zip code with your prayer-care-share lifestyle by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.          

For more ideas on loving your neighbors, visit our Coaching Corner at LOVE2020.com.

Christ’s Care for Campuses

John 13:12-17 – “So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”  NAS

Greetings Washers of Feet,

I pray that this past week has been filled with a flood of prayer for our nation and for the schools in your neighborhood and zip code. Remember that this upcoming Sunday, September 18^th, is Pray for Schools Sunday www.prayforschools.us. Gathering your neighbors to pray for your neighborhood schools is a good way to begin conversations of how you can pray regularly and work together to support your schools.

We will continue to follow Jesus’ example of humble, loving care by focusing this week on building relationships and meeting the needs at your neighborhood schools.

It is essential that you build relationships by being present and having a presence on campus. If you are a parent of a student you will have numerous opportunities where you are expected to attend meetings and events. It is vital that you attend and volunteer for opportunities to serve at the school; it not only sets the example for your children that school is important but it also keeps you informed and builds trust and appreciation between you and the school staff and teachers. If you are not a parent you can go meet with the principal and other staff as a concerned neighbor who wants to help. It is important to listen to the needs that the principal, staff and teachers express before you express any ideas you might have about their needs. It is also imperative that you do not volunteer or commit to any project that you cannot sustain or complete. Schools need volunteers to help with special events, monthly or even weekly in the office, library, media center, in classrooms and after school. You can also volunteer for days by cleaning, painting and doing other tasks. Many of us may not have the time to volunteer weekly, but there are many ways that we can show the love of Jesus.

The school year always begins with students and teachers needing school supplies. I even know of several school districts that require teachers to bring their own toilet paper. Please check with your local school or teachers in your neighborhood to find out what they need. As cooler weather approaches there is always a need for jackets, coats, gloves and hats. You can gather these items in your neighborhood, church, and or by asking your neighborhood businesses to be a collection sight. A critical need is food; every week, thousands of children who qualify for the free lunch program, go home on Friday and do not get to eat a decent meal until they come back to school on Monday. Our church partners with other churches in our community in a ministry we call, “Backpack Love.” A coordinator can divide the work by having a volunteer for each school and a volunteer for each participating church. Realize that the Christians in your neighborhood attend several different churches; this is a perfect way to bring churches together to serve and share the love of Jesus in unity. Each church that surrounds a school can commit to filling a certain number of backpacks with food EVERY week during the school year; this is why it is important to have several churches work together – you need to be able to sustain this project for the entire school year. Our backpacks are filled to feed a family of 5, and may include a combination of the following items: oatmeal packets, granola/breakfast-type bars, cans of spaghetti sauce and a boxes of noodles, mac & cheese, potatoes or instant mashed potatoes, canned chicken, vegetables, and fruit, rice, beans, individual bags of snacks and other non-perishables.

Schools are asked how many students they have on free lunch programs and how many are in a critical need for food assistance over the weekend. A volunteer at each church is in charge of collecting food items, organizing backpack packing nights each month and delivering filled backpacks and picking up returned empty packs each week. It sounds like a lot of work, but many hands make work light. Students who eat regularly show an increase in health and academic success.

When I say that we want every school to receive prayer, care and have the gospel shared on campus, I mean EVERY campus. I want to encourage you to help celebrate the campuses that are covered and help us connect those that are not by going to www.everyschool.com. There you will find resources and register your commitment to that campus by adopting it in prayer, care and share opportunities. Dr. Tony Evans has also been leading an amazing adopt-a-school initiative, teaching on how churches and neighborhoods can show the love of Jesus to the local schools. You can find more information and inspiration at http://churchadoptaschool.org.

 Pray for the schools and ask Jesus to show you how you can show His love as you listen and learn about the needs of your neighborhood schools. I will expand on our prayer-care-share opportunities on campus in next week’s blog by sharing about prayer and faith clubs on campuses.

I challenge you to show Christ’s care on every campus, from Pre-K through colleges and universities in your zip code and prompt other people in different zip codes to care for their schools, so that every campus is consistently cared for by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

For more ideas on prayer-care-share for schools, visit our Pre-K -12th grade action plan under the Strength Conditioning page at www.LOVE2020.com.

Gathering With Your Neighbors

2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” ESV

Greetings Neighbors! I have been praying for you as you have been praying up and down your streets and throughout your zip codes. I pray that you have met some new neighbors and have had the opportunity to show and share your love and faith in Jesus. I also pray that you have met some neighbors who are church-attending Christ-followers and have begun building a friendship and fellowship with them that includes sharing some ideas of how to build a prayer-care-share HUB in your neighborhood for celebrations as well as catastrophes.

Your neighborhood is a great place to build unity in the body of Christ. Jesus prayed that we would be one; gathered under the wings of His affection and authority, that we would glorify Him as He sanctifies us in the truth of His Word. I pray that your neighborhood is filled with people who attend many different churches and your relationships bring those churches together to worship and serve throughout the year.

One significant way that you can gather churches together to pray and worship is through a simulcast.  These events are usually hosted by a well-known Christian Pastor or leader and enable you to pray, worship and hear the message God has given to them without you having to travel to another city. The simulcast removes the speculation that you might be trying to promote your church or Pastor and brings a neutral but trusted and beloved speaker or speakers to share information and inspiration. Your neighbors can discuss and unite around the application of the message and pray for transformation throughout your community.

 I am very excited about the upcoming simulcast called, The Gathering 2016, that will be held on September 21.  The Gathering is the Body of Christ coming together 1 day to unite across racial, denominational and generational lines, lifting up the name of Jesus and taking responsibility for the condition of our nation. No personality, denomination or organization will be promoted. The Gathering has one purpose: to unite the Body of Christ in America – all believers, regardless of race, age, or denomination – in prayer for forgiveness, wisdom, and provision for our nation.

I want to encourage you to “gather” your neighbors together often; build your friendships with bar-b-ques and other activities and be sure to invite your neighbors who are not Christ-followers. This solemn assembly simulcast is a great, non-threating way to gather your neighbors to pray, as we are Kingdom citizens first and foremost; we are living in America, in whichever state you are in, in a certain city and finally your particular zip code or subdivision – all of which are in need of prayer and God’s forgiveness, wisdom, and provision. Gathering people of various churches builds a community in unity and delights our Lord. I want to encourage you to find out more about this significant simulcast opportunity at thegathering2016.com.

I challenge you to gather every “neighbor” in your zip code in the love of Jesus by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

For more ideas on gathering your neighbors, visit our Coaching Corner at LOVE2020.com.

                                                                                                                                                        Sept. 1 2016

2 Corinthians 9:10-15 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! NAS

I am so moved and motivated by these words of Paul to the Christ-followers in Corinth, as he assures them that God will guide, provide and be glorified in the Kingdom work He calls them (and us) to do. He supplies all that is needed; His Word, His Son, His Spirit, His wisdom, and He gives each of us the experience and education we need to do exactly what He designed us to do. Even more amazing is the multiplication factor; He did all of this to bless you AND so that you could meet the needs of other people. Loving neighbors cause others to give Jesus the thanks and glory; and when you do this, your blessings are not depleted but rather completed as you sow what God has supplied. Through us, Jesus produces thanks to the Father and increases the harvest.

In my last blog I gave you a first step resource, Pray4EveryHome.com and challenged you to start raising your “heart-rate” by prayer walking your neighborhood and pausing to talk with your neighbors along the way. These talks are a great way to learn how to pray for people and find out what their needs are. If your neighborhood is more than a street long, you may have already figured out that it would be helpful to have several people covering your neighborhood or even zip code in prayer. You can either recruit other Christian neighbors to pray up and down their street, or you can recruit people at your church to prayer walk their neighborhoods. Of course the best answer is to implement BOTH options. The Pray4EveryHome.com website can be used to adopt an entire area around a church and keep track of every neighbor being prayed over.

In addition to prayer, there is also the opportunity to provide care by meeting needs when illness, hardships or tragedy strikes. As you develop an adoption plan for your neighborhood or zip code, begin to develop a communication strategy. It may be as simple as a social media page or as well planned out as a prayer-care-share hub that plans and prepares for opportunities and tragedies. Opportunities may be a Fall Festival, concert, fair, Christmas caroling/party, or any event that draws a crowd together. Tragedies may touch one home or an entire community, and the relationships that you have built as loving Christian neighbors will open doors of trust in good times and bad. We have seen time and time again on the news, where church buildings become a command center for first responders, collection spots for donations, distribution hubs for care and resources or even shelters for both the rescued and the rescuer.

Love covers a multitude of wounds; in communities where people are living a prayer-care-share lifestyle there are stronger racial relations, lower crime, increased academic success, businesses flourish and the community attends and protects the church that has lovingly served and stood by them. Church buildings that once stood blocks apart are connected by hearts and homes impacted by members of multiple churches in the name and for the glory of Jesus. In his book, “Neighborhood Initiative and the Love of God” Lynn Cory explains how the Kingdom work that God does in us and through us in our neighborhoods will help cultivate unity between churches within that community. Jesus is glorified when we ARE the Church; when His love flows out of the church building and floods the streets of our neighborhoods. We will discuss many ways to bring the Church together in future blogs. Remember, we are creating a model of love that can be carried out every day along the way; and expanding your mission field one step at a time. This step is to adopt your neighborhood/zip code and cultivate prayer on every street.

I challenge you to touch every “neighbor” in your zip code with the love of Jesus by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

For more ideas, check out the Love2020.com interview with the writers of “Next Door As It Is In Heaven: Living out God’s Kingdom In Your Neighborhood.”

8/25/16

Matthew 22:37-39 - Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” NIV  

From the time that Jesus expanded His audience’s definition of their “Neighbor,” millions of people have traveled across town or across the globe to administer care and share the Gospel. It is a vital part of obeying the Great Commission to “go into all the world” to make disciples; the problem is that sometimes we pass by those in greatest need as we drive out of our neighborhood and head to the airport to fly to our “mission field.” Neil Cox, the coordinator for our LOVE2020 Community Development and Justice sphere, often reminds me that everyone begins and ends their day at home; and the homes you pass on your way to and from work, school and church are filled with our neighbors who need prayer, care and to have the Gospel shared with them also. Jesus never intended for us to exclude our next door neighbor, just expand our hearts and reach to love more “neighbors.”

One of the greatest tools for praying for my neighbors was introduced to me by Chris Cooper. The Pray4EveryHome.com website prompts people to sign up with their zip code and then sends the names and address of your neighbors each day with a specific prayer prompt to get you started. It is an effective way to BEGIN praying for your neighbors by name. I encourage you to prayer walk your street, possibly your whole subdivision each day or a few days a week, but instead of being focused on getting exercise, go for a walk with the purpose of meeting a new neighbor or striking up a conversation with a neighbor you met recently to have a deeper conversation. Go visit the 5-10 houses to the left and right of your home; get to know them, their needs, where they go to church and through these conversations you will learn how to pray for them, what care you could give and based on your conversations, when to share the gospel with them. Think of it as raising your "heart-rate" by exercising Christ's love in your neighborhood.

I will introduce and explain the actions steps of LOVE2020 in each blog; slowly expanding your mission field with a variety of possibilities and resources that will help enable you to live a prayer, care, share lifestyle. I have been reading through the four gospels and I noticed that each story, lesson, conversation and miracle happened while Jesus was walking, traveling, sitting by the shore, going from one place to another. In other words, Jesus ministered every day, along the way. Jesus got up early while it was still dark to pray, He conversed with His Father and then set out to minister to those who crossed His path that day as He was on His way somewhere. That is exactly how a prayer, care, share lifestyle happens! Love begins at home; with your family and your neighbors…your next door neighbors. I challenge you to touch every “neighbor” with the love of Jesus by the end of the year 2020.

Love is a verb…let’s get moving!

    Kathy B.

For more ideas, check out the prayer, care, share strategy for the Community Development/Justice, and the Neighboring spheres in the “Strength Conditioning” section of LOVE2020.com.

Connect, Communicate, Collaborate, Celebrate

Acts 2:46-47 “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” NAS

I am often motivated by the word, “Together,” especially in Scripture. Jesus called His disciples together in order to teach, fellowship, give instruction, equip, and rejoice with them. He never sent His disciples out alone; He taught them the importance of scattering in groups of two or more to minister and gathering back together to share and celebrate what God had done in and through them.

The Great Commission was meant to be accomplished together; with each person praying, caring for others and sharing the Good News of Jesus with every person on earth until Christ’s return. It would be impossible for one person or even one ministry to connect with every person, and so we MUST work together. We join together neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city, reaching out to and through every cultural sphere of influence – education, arts, healthcare, military, government, church, sports, people with disabilities, workplace, etc., … so that every generation, every race, every person, is being prayed for, cared for and having the gospel shared with them with the authentic love of Jesus Christ.

It is with all of this in mind that I encourage you to Connect, Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate with one another. The Mission America Coalition and its initiatives such as
LOVE2020, have challenged us as Christ-followers, to live a “Prayer, Care, Share” lifestyle in a deliberate way that touches every person in America with the love of Jesus. This can only be accomplished with TOGETHERNESS; by connecting with other Christ-followers and ministries; secondly, by communicating with one another often and clearly to share ideas, needs and burdens, and to strategize on how to accomplish all that needs to be done. Thirdly we all need to collaborate on the strategies so that there is ACTION and progress that takes place.

Collaboration accelerates the advancement of praying for people, caring for people and sharing the message of salvation. Finally, we cannot miss an opportunity to celebrate every victory; every person who is fed, educated, given healthcare, and opportunities to live out their God- given gifts and purpose. We need to celebrate communities coming together in crisis and in strengthening the connectedness of their neighborhood. Share the stories of people who reach out to families suffering in times of loss, illness, military deployment, or unexpected events that life can bring. Modeling love motivates others to follow these great examples of living beyond ourselves, and celebrating these moments assures us that we are making progress and spurs us on to do more. It lifts hearts and gives hope to a hurting world when they see communities being transformed; as multiple areas of need are met, and people are loved as Jesus demonstrated and commanded.

Who can you connect with? How have you communicated with the ministries and churches in your area? How can you collaborate with multiple ministries to reach the needs of your city? When was the last time you shared a great story of “Prayer, Care, Share,” in action so others could celebrate with you? There are so many ministries, churches and Christ-followers in America and around the world and we MUST practice connecting, communicating, collaborating, and celebrating more and more each day in order to reach America and the world with the love of Jesus.