I love this time of year like no other time of the year.  Why?  Because March 20th, was the first day of spring!  Also, on March 25th, I celebrate my 39th birthday for the umpteenth time again!  Both of these dates signal a time of renewal to me.  God has given us a 24 hour cycle, a 7 day cycle, a 30 day cycle and a 365 day cycle as opportunities for renewal!  God's mercies are new every single morning!  Every seven days we begin the week again by worshipping the Lord on the first day of the week.  Every 30 days (or so) most churches celebrate the Lord's Supper, a time of reflection, renewal and rededication to the plan of God for our lives.  And God crown(s) the year with [His] goodness, and [His] paths drip with abundance Psalms 65:11 (NKJV).  So again I love this time of the year because the year is still new and young and spring is here, which represents newness of life.

I know that there are pastors, from all across the nation and around the world that read my blog.  I have gotten phone calls and emails tell me this.  I also love this time a year for another reason...Easter!    Easter or Resurrection Sunday is right around the corner.  Easter is another time or opportunity that God gives for renewal and increase.  Each year God gives churches across this nation and around the world an opportunity to minister to people that they have not had the opportunity to minister to over the past year.   However most pastors and churches are woefully unprepared for the tremendous opportunity that God is giving them.

At KAFCI we are busily planning to take advantage of this season of the year.  In Luke 5:1-11, we find one of the early encounters of the Lord Jesus Christ and one of his future apostles, Peter.  In this incident, Jesus steps into Peters boat and ask for him to take it out a little from the shore so that he could teach to the crowd that was gathered.  After Jesus sermon, he tells Peter to launch out into the deep and let down his nets for a draught or a great haul of fish.  Peter's experience of fishing and toiling all night long influenced Peter to only partially do what the Lord told him to do, and he found himself woefully unprepared for what the Lord wanted to do in his life.  If it were not for some partners who saw what was happening and came to his rescue, Peter would have lost over half of the catch. 

Sadly, this is how much of the church is today.  Laboring, toiling and not catching much.  Fishing at the traditional times and still catching nothing.  Not understanding that when Jesus walks on to their boat, he is there to change everything!  Hearing Jesus say launch out into the DEEP and let down your NETS, but either staying close to the shore where it is safe or only letting down one net.  So each year at this time, the church as a whole has 10's, 100's or even thousands of first time guests and returnees visit their churches, and they really pay no attention them.  Some pastors even take a little shot at them from the pulpit, criticizing them for not having seen these people in a year.  Then they wonder why they don't come back!  But I pray that this year it will be different for pastors and church leaders that will read this blog. 

Next week, I will talk about something called the Law of Capacity.  This involves actual steps that are necessary to prepare your church to reach and keep the many hundreds and even thousands that God will bring into churches on Easter Sunday.  But for now I want to challenge you to begin to prepare your heart and your mind for growth.

The first thing that Jesus told Peter to do was to launch out into the deep!  Launching out into the deep speaks of two things:  (1) Getting out of the shallow waters and going out into the deep waters where the fish are and (2) Taking a risk, trusting the Lord because you have no control out in the deep.

Every church will have at least a few new people in church on Easter Sunday.  But that's the shallow water.  Take your church out into the deep by doing something to bring more people into your church.  Send out 25, 50 or 100 thousand Direct Mail pieces to your community, targeting a particular segment for Easter.  Our target is young families with children. Do an Easter Egg Hunt after church for as many kids as possible.  Advertise that.  Advertise on a secular radio stations at prime drive time occasions.  Put up a billboard in your city inviting the whole city to church on Easter.  Do something!  Launch out into the deep.  Yes it will cost you something, but when you get the fish into the nets and bring them into your boat, you will have more than enough money to make up for what you spent!  See this as an investment.

In my blog post next week, I will discuss the second part of Jesus' command to Peter..."Let down your nets..."  This has to do with the Law of Capacity.  So visit us again next week for this simple, yet powerful teaching that Jesus left for His church with this powerful encounter with the Apostle Peter.