April 2007

Regional Voice

Eastern Region

Pastor visits each church member—Deerfield Friends Church (OH) Pastor Jody Hill challenged himself to visit the home of every parishioner during 2006. He called his campaign “Around the Church in 365 Days” and asked that members and attendees sign up for a day that they’d like him in their homes.

Over 75% volunteered without hesitating. Half of the remaining 25% agreed to meet for coffee or at some other venue to have some “one-on-one” time with their pastor.

Jody said, “So many times, we only see each other in the church setting. We greet in the halls, but don’t get to spend time meeting each other where we really live. My goal in visiting each home was to meet my people on their own turf where I could be introduced to their interests, hobbies, and needs and could have a time of prayer. Most just invited me for coffee and a quick visit. Some families included my wife and children and cooked an entire meal. I stressed that my goal was to see them outside of the church setting and to pray with each individual family unit. The highlight for me was praying with so many of them in their own homes.”

Friends stop and pray for year ahead—Canton First Friends Church (OH) dedicates the first week of January each year as a “Week to Seek.” Scheduled activities stop for one week. Daily morning worship, devotional times, and nightly evening worship services focus on prayer. Many have made it a habit to fast for part of this week. For all, it is a time to celebrate what God has done in the past year and to seek his face for the coming year’s activities.

For more information, contact Donna Neff at efcerdonna@aol.com.