Send down the rain Lord

[Full Quiver]

Often Pentecostal sing send down the rain and surely all Christians look for and pray for the great last days revival. My question is are you ready, prepared, for the flood that ensues such rain?

Nashville was in know way prepared for as much rain as we got this weekend. The rivers and creeks and lakes could not handle it. Old Hickory lake was spilling over the dam.

IF 100 people were saved at your church this Sunday does your church have the infrastructure to disciple them, baptize them, teach them, use them, train them, keep them, counsel them, feed them, meet their needs, etc.?

Be careful what you pray for. Nashville was in a drought situation with below normal rain falls and people were praying for rain. Well we got it.

Just something to chew on.

[cndlou]

WOW!!! Is the only way I can explain the perspective you have just given me... Personally speaking, I would say "I" am unprepared....

[Pastor Gary]

It's a great question, and I can only answer, "Sort of."

We are SORT OF ready. We have structured for growth, but a flood... well, as middle Tennessee has just seen, floods are unpredictable. Waters come suddenly, flow into unexpected places, and recede when least expected. I am not sure it is completely possible to ever prepare for a flood.

[dawgs10]

i do think we have the ministry to manage a flood. we are set up as more of a steady growth kind of place. you must attend church for 6 months before you can work in childrens ministry and youth ministry. so we have a membership class that takes 2-3 months. ten are joining in the next few weeks. so i think i can answer yes with a few modifications. we need to get over the 150 average. looking for 200-300 before we build phase two. so bring on the flood.

[oletimer]

Danny this has got to be the best post that you have ever posted and got to be the most thought provoking. Good post.

[HogWild]

Noah prepared for a flood.

Noah didn't lose "anybody."

Can't God still tip us off just a bit?

[dbserv]

I have to admit that we were NOT ready for the FLOOD that hit our church a few years ago. To go from 300 attendance (when we joined in 2002) to over 3,000 attendance in a matter of 3 years WAS A FLOOD!!!

Admittedly, about 1/3 of them came from other churches - the "surfers", I like to call them. The ones who surf from church to church on the biggest "waves" they can see. Many of the "surfers" have left since our pastors are preaching and teaching a HOLY and COMMITTED lifestyle as the ONLY true way to follow Christ. It gets too personal for many of the "surfers".


But, 2/3 of the "flood" was new believers who are growing in the Lord as we disciple them and moving into leadership positions here, in other churches around town, in other towns, in other states, and even in other countries - India, Spain, France, etc.


Can you ever be prepared for the Lord's move??? Not sure if I can honestly say yes to that.

BUT, God prepared us in a hurry and we adjusted as we went. With small groups meeting all over the metro area we designated one of our pastors as a full time small groups pastor to work with all of the small group leaders and coordinate the ministries of them.


Before we came, they had planned a new building so they could go from 2 services back to 1. The old one seated 250 and the new one a little over 500.

But, by the time we moved into the new one, we were already topping 450 and had to stick with double services. Pretty soon that expanded to 3, then 4, and now 5 services to accomodate the "flood". Then adding churches in 2 nearby communities with another one to be planted this fall.


I believe that God brought together an awesome team of pastors - most of them raised up from the congregation to serve - who were gifted by the Holy Spirit to channel the "flood" into a powerful river of God's Spirit that impacts our community.

[RamboPreacher]

I'm ready, I'm ready...
having BTDT as far as the physical flooding goes, on several occasions (it gets to be "old hat" around here, so it's not news worthy anymore and so most of you don't see the floods we get in the Midwest every time.) on the other side of the fence, it was something that we discussed in our church a while back. the building will accommodate a large influx, we would simply rearrange and modify schedules, and double up services and we are technically ready for the people for "overflow" rooms; for the initial influx. as for discipleing, etc, as Pastor Gary mentions, and I concur, there is no real way to be completely ready. you do what you can with what you have with resources AND with people/leadership.

[MacUser]

If this happened would an alert system have to be setup with Flood Warnings and the entire bit?

********

Flood Warning
FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL FLOOD REVIVAL SERVICE CLEVELAND TN
749 AM CDT WED MAY 5 2010

...THE FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING REVIVALS IN TENNESSEE...

BUFFALO CHURCH NEAR LOBELVILLE AFFECTING PERRY COUNTY
RED CITY CHURCH NEAR PORT ROYAL AFFECTING MONTGOMERY AND ROBERTSON COUNTIES

...THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS IN TENNESSEE...

CUMBERLAND CHURCH AT NASHVILLE AFFECTING DAVIDSON COUNTY
CUMBERLAND MEETINGS AT CLARKSVILLE AFFECTING MONTGOMERY COUNTY
HOMETOWN CHURCH AT COLUMBIA AFFECTING MAURY COUNTY
HOMETOWN CHURCH AT CENTERVILLE AFFECTING HICKMAN COUNTY
HOMETOWN CHURCH NEAR HURRICANE MILLS AFFECTING HUMPHREYS COUNTY
TENNESSEE REVIVAL AT CLIFTON AFFECTING DECATUR...HARDIN...PERRY AND WAYNE
COUNTIES


For the latest updates see:
http://forecast.floodwarningrevivials.o ... od+Warning

[pastorables]

Danny this has got to be the best post that you have ever posted and got to be the most thought provoking. Good post.

Agreed. Very good post.