We have changed the name of Currents and Contacts to Reaching the Lost. In upcoming months we will include articles to help you use House to House/Heart to Heart more effectively in your congregation. 

Deadline to send in materials for the April issue is February 14! (Send NOW if possible)

When will I get the February issue? 
The February issue is currently printing and mailing. Most churches’ HTH should arrive between February 15 and April 15. Dated materials will be given priority.

What events go in the April issue? 
Any event dated between April 7 and June 15 should go in the April issue.

House to House School of Evangelism

Training the Saved to Reach the Lost

Several years ago I was called by a Texas preacher inquiring about a soul-saving workshop. Since I lived over a thousand miles away, I curiously asked, "Why me?" I will never forget his response. He said, “I am not aware of one personal evangelism workshop in central Texas in the past 20 years.”

His statement pierced my heart and soul. Brethren, is it possible we have lost our purpose (Ephesians 3:10)? Over the past five years I have noticed more and more congregations are returning to our roots with a desire to train the saved to teach the lost.

I would like to share some good news that I hope will inspire the saints to focus on evangelism again.

Last fall I had the privilege of visiting the Piedmont Road church of Christ, the home of the Georgia School of Preaching. It was not only an opportunity to train students in the school
but also to reach the congregation on Sunday. The reaction we received was overwhelming.

The following was written by one of their elders shortly after the conclusion of the meeting:
"The Piedmont Road church of Christ in conjunction with the Marietta Campus of the Georgia School of Preaching and Bible Studies recently had Rob Whitacre in for a Personal Evangelism seminar. Rob is a highly motivational speaker, and you can easily tell he has a love for God and for personal evangelism. The primary method that Rob presented was "Back to the Bible" by Bobby Bates. I was introduced to this material about a year ago but now have a better appreciation for how to use it. Rob’s personal evangelism workbook with charts is very effective and easy to use. My wife and I just completed the three lesson study with a young lady. At the end of lesson three, she decided to put on Christ as her Savior and was baptized for the remission of her sins. Our congregation now has a new found enthusiasm for personal evangelism that I have not seen in over 20 years. The Sunday evening after the conclusion of the workshop we had multiple responses to the invitation with tears and commitment to do the work of our Lord. This workshop and method of personal evangelism works, and I would recommend it for every congregation of the Lord’s body."

Recently, we returned from the Arnold church of Christ in St. Louis, Missouri. This is a well-respected congregation that is full of good works. We were able to conduct our full campaign that includes a total of nine lessons. Once again, we were overwhelmed with the reaction and responses. You could see the hope and excitement on the faces of the attendees. In fact, during the morning worship service one member’s mother (a Catholic) was so moved, that she began asking her son questions during the fellowship meal, which resulted in a Bible study. Roger told me that he had never seen his mother that interested in the Bible. During each seminar, I have a one-hour meeting with the eldership. The purpose is to provide them a ten-point plan to turn the local congregation into a personal evangelism machine. Elders always tell me that it is their favorite session as we discuss how to develop and implement the things they have learned. After the seminar one of their deacons sent the following: "This seminar is comprised of some of the best lessons that we've had at Arnold. Our members were truly blown away by the practicality and methodology of this series. The combining of Scriptural principles with a present day approach to relationship building and evangelism is made simple and attainable. Rob and his family are truly passionate about reaching lost souls, and it definitely shows. I would recommend this seminar for every congregation of the Lord's people who are trying to reach their communities with the Gospel."

After each seminar we hear almost the same things from the Christians who attend: “It is so simple” and “I can do it.” We are facing a generational crisis when it comes to personal evangelism. Children are growing up in homes who have never seen their father or mother conduct a Bible study. There has never been a greater need for Personal Evangelism workshops than right now. If you are interested in booking a seminar or campaign, please contact House to House/Heart to Heart or go to our website at https://evangelism.housetohouse.com

—Rob L. Whitacre

GOOD NEWS BACK FROM THE FIELD!

Generating Contacts: "Shout out to House to House. This person came to study the Bible with us last night at Moultrie because of your efforts. Thank you." Jake Sutton, Moultrie church of Christ, Moultrie, GA

Two New Brothers in Christ: Andrew Rogers from Pearl, Mississippi, reports, "The Lord has given increase by adding two souls to the Lord's church from the use of the program you designed, which incorporated the "Back to the Bible" series. I've always had a burning desire to teach others of the wonderful news of the Gospel. I've even used and had success with other programs, but I was missing the element of gaining contacts." After finishing the studies, Rodrick and Kevon both obeyed the gospel.

Restoration from Tennessee Mailing: Danny Davis grew up attending the Arlington church of Christ. He was even baptized as a pre-teen. Later in life he moved out of Knoxville and fell away from the church. Years later, after being away from the Lord for a long time, he moved back to Knoxville. And as luck (providence?) would have it, he moved into an area where Arlington was mailing House to House. Mark said it was the "kick in the pants" Danny needed to wake him up and get him back in the church. He started attending a Bible study Mark was teaching and was restored. Mark said it has been a year since Danny's restoration, and he has been a faithful and amazing asset in their congregation. He fills in teaching Mark's Bible class if Mark ever needs help, and he was just certified to start working in prison ministry. Praise God for a restored brother!

Reaching Politicians: At left (See PDF Version), you see an image of HTH being distributed to Senator Frank Aguon from Guam.

HTH also printed a special issue on gambling to be distributed in Virginia ahead of a vote on gambling legislation that would move casinos into the area.

The effort was coordinated with the church in Abingdon, VA and was conducted in cooperation with eleven other congregations to mail 110,051 copies into the communities that would be most affected by the casinos.

Please pray for these and other efforts by congregations using HTH to get the truth out to the world.

Send us YOUR success stories: We hear all the time, "Oh, I was going to write you, but I never got around to it. We had a baptism from HTH. We have a study going on. A member was restored. We added a family." Be sure to share with others in the program so all can be encouraged and be praying for success. Please call or email us your stories.

 

Upcoming 2019 TOPICS

If you would like to sign up for 12 issues and begin contacting your community every month, please let us know at signup.housetohouse.com. (If you would like to continue with six issues a year—January, March, May, July, September, and November—then you do not need to contact us.)

April | Signs for the Times
May | If People Knew What I’ve Done, They’d Never Let Me in Church (Examining God’s Love and Forgiveness)
June | Enough and to Spare
July | What Does “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and You Will Be Saved” Mean?
August | Has Man Outgrown the Gospel?
September | I Quit Church After a Bad Experience, Why Should I Go Back?
October | The Curse of Jericho
November | The Song of a Soul Set Free (Psalm 32)
December | Victory Where There Was Once Defeat