%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R ] /Count 1 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 15 0 R /GS2 16 0 R /GS3 17 0 R /GS4 18 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 3.1.0 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20251104214332+00'00') /ModDate (D:20251104214332+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 2584 >> stream xY]۶}_>hGѷ!&4Mvh@Kͮ$*d}3{?P^p̙C|gEf%svWg,{>[2۷of)ٽZ`w?,?ش+Q{ >Eԋ/XpR7hg?ߟp -f"𒓽uiR ډۋJj_Ϭ^Y(bE{>>WxSdlaO# Bfg׷[izBσC%}/+yp(9ĉDQ<c!DV0H(+=T^%64Ŏ݉۱WbwBZX慣w`j[d/XjQJh&5{=:K5L6YU@[smDIq9j^"Xʪl1=}M&^t۵hi˻q+5I{JG#/LzQR5LN NwJ3ݝQL5%V])}"eU!8R(JF fjǂ<5UkzWs/rV-o=[)UXlq"Is co>M 5(ȅ[Y`iCZwR5J>a !7Y& \ރPc'^elk$ډ$^q-+T85kԖu|WHG>O=R ZEiԪE% L2FOZVL43V70 [ps/ s[kMyN80n>-+T^}oFNiWc1 tBqGP=P{Q-VuTKDDS:j|E|C,T2B˨:N"nP{aZ>KX۩r(z%8Ii髚-KYH9M1v  Gv3C[hMQlE P`Ve3‰ |,[ZԀQ*J.{theTf//qWq%{M4!_`{^:P2vp*Z(g)vEYq)w Fp IQ 5:h$YnRYx fjÛM1;E[0Z@_򶇜3JdqtnwNA6 `LO5BqX=+m' VlֲXtj j,qU+m{ɡv _ƃRkcDiG [!k`4mṢ'chtDB,I` &}V8mp ϟ,:J77-XFgsNC>-U 3ć='Pr䣚c^\CP{lTwNqRժyee?a{;t[hb@ RرR1q`+-4y$pvPnIV769F`i9| I 3F,nn\wO󇯮t+^Ke>T¤S;덲:%C.0iOB1œ&zrߏ#Q!a ie }(F,=?#w04ϝpt˔k v$*ԯM{cjFpumay橉 N䁊x")+scX oc a 1sYݛg"ڪq:l,Q 824Y kZrDh)%t$_Vp!{;njƸI-{jA@m?ඤj!Z{PD%%:  g}ߋ>ɨCsWFNqJ=0ـOO03Y% 0fD+$l|}| I|I+T#AuONgYgQh+A RG9yQ`}?{V;hSyOIf)( y 6+Ǟ%#8S{ ?g!ȋKx endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj xref 0 20 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000394 00000 n 0000000423 00000 n 0000000572 00000 n 0000000675 00000 n 0000003332 00000 n 0000003439 00000 n 0000003548 00000 n 0000003657 00000 n 0000003770 00000 n 0000003886 00000 n 0000003915 00000 n 0000004025 00000 n 0000004082 00000 n 0000004139 00000 n 0000004198 00000 n 0000004257 00000 n trailer << /Size 20 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<3c8a5cdb0252d0adaf2e8255dc979201><3c8a5cdb0252d0adaf2e8255dc979201>] >> startxref 4286 %%EOF Hugs and kisses | Caring Magazine
Read Caring Magazine Volume 29

Vol. #29

Hope in Action

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

Hugs and kisses

February 9, 2002
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

BODY BUILDER

by Major Terry CamseyOne of my favorite comedians is Dudley Moore. Born in England, he has appeared in a number of films but first attracted my interest when he partnered with Peter Cook in a television series Not only…But also…

We still have a video of vignettes reissued in the early 1990s under the same title. When we want a good laugh–we put it on.

I saw Dudley Moore on “the box” twice over Christmas. First, receiving an award at Buckingham Palace. What a heart-rending thing it was to see him now ravaged by disease and barely recognizable without his smile. But then, almost by accident, we watched the film Santa Claus–The Movie on television.

In it, Dudley was an elf working for Santa Claus at the North Pole. He had oodles of great ideas to make the elf-run toy production factory run more efficiently. Unfortunately, in attempts to cut corners, he produced shoddy goods that fell apart and disappointed the young recipients of the gifts. However, the film was “not only” about that, “but also…”

…Elf Dudley also quoted a statement made by Mrs. Santa Claus. It was a phrase that has stayed with me since: “If you give extra kisses, you get bigger hugs!” What an insight and, indeed, inspiration that simple phrase contains. To paraphrase: “The more we demonstrate sincere care for, and interest in, those who visit our corps, the greater number of people we shall see coming to visit us!” Good news spreads quickly.

I had read something recently that resonated with Mrs. Claus’ comment. It was in fact the summary of a study into “what is it that results in formerly unchurched people coming to church and staying?” The study covered 14 denominations and independent churches in 48 states and was completed by Thom S. Rainer (Dean of Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary).

The research highlighted seven influences: the primary relationship that brought them to Christ and kept them in church was a family member; the most receptive generational group is aged 7-24 with 83% Christians coming to Christ before age 20; high expectations of members; 98% were reached by personal evangelism; the pastors involved themselves weekly in modeling personal evangelism; 90% pastors saw preaching as the most important thing they do each week; and quality of music, facilities, etc. was considered important.

In short, they “give more kisses and get more hugs!”

We hear a lot of “How many…?” jokes these days and the Rainer study posed the question “How many church members does it take to reach one person for Christ in a year?” This has to do with both effectiveness, in terms of results, as well as the efficient use of such human resources as may be available to any church.

You see, the bottom line…THE bottom line…of all we do is measurable in terms of addition of people to the Kingdom of God. That must, surely, cause us to at least examine the results of all our busy-ness, and at best to see how we can improve the ratio between activity and results.

How many church members does it take to reach one person for Christ in a year?

On average, the Rainer study concludes, it takes 85 church members a year to reach one person for Christ! Is that good or bad? How does it look in your corps?

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like