Upper Columbia Conference announced a new initiative called Share the Life. This effort seeks to fulfill the conference’s mission statement of creating meaningful relationships with the 1.8 million people who live within the Upper Columbia territory.
"Share the Life addresses the reality that our evangelistic efforts are not reaching our communities with the Good News as they should," says Bob Folkenberg Jr., UCC president. "Most of our activities are event focused rather than based on meaningful relationships with friends, colleagues and communities. As a conference, we have been experiencing a net growth of only 1.5 percent a year for the past decade or more. And that needs to change."
The purpose of Share the Life is simply to enable church members to be excited and active in sharing Jesus with others. It is first, a call to personal and corporate revival and reformation. And second, it is a program that will equip and train Bible-work coordinators for all of UCC’s 68 church districts. These Bible workers will not merely do Bible work but will help members create an outreach team to develop a culture within the church that is externally focused rather than internally focused.
"We really hope churches will take advantage of this plan," says Folkenberg, "Our greatest need as a church is NOT money. It is not bigger or better facilities. Our greatest need is a membership that is surrendered completely to Christ and His cause, baptized by the Holy Spirit to accomplish great things on behalf of His name."
