Rev. Jacques J. Wigginton, J.D.
jacqueswigginton@gmail.com
859.539.1408
Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Clintonville, KY
Dear Christian Family:
At Matthew 28:19, Jesus Christ instructed us by saying, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” This scripture describes what we now describe as “The Great Commission”, which was the last command given by Jesus before He ascended to heaven. Here it is clearly communicated what Jesus expected the apostles, and those who followed them, to do in His absence. As such, we are charged to go forth fulfilling the Great Commission in our families, communities, cities, states, nations, and the entire world.
For us today, the Great Commission is a direct, personal directive from Jesus to His followers that we spread his teachings to all the nations of the world. The word “commission” means “the authority to perform a task or certain duties.” As followers of Jesus, we are thereby directed and commanded, authorized and “commissioned” to go do this great work: tell the world of the Good News of Jesus Christ. In John 14:15 Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commands.” The word “evangelism” means “the spreading of the Christian gospel by preaching or personal witness. What does it mean to say you are a follower or disciple of Christ? What does it mean to say Jesus is your Lord and “lords” over you? At the least it means that you follow him doing whatever it is that he commands as one having authority over you. So the spreading of the Good News, or gospel of Jesus Christ, is important to any Christian because Christ said to do it. 2 Peter 3:9 says that God would that no one be lost, but that all be saved. Practically speaking, evangelism is important because it is a critical part of the path to people being saved. Romans 10: 13-15 says, “[F]or everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
As individual Christians and as a church body, our directive of WHAT we are to do is clear, yet many times, churches meet difficulties in determining the HOW of implementing an evangelism program. To address this challenge, I would like the opportunity to introduce to you a system I was inspired to create called Circle of Love ™.
The Circle of Love Progam was originally a large-scale program designed to unite urban churches with the communities immediately surrounding them. The idea was that churches would team up with neighborhood associations, civic groups, social services agencies, community leadership, government and other churches to formulate a collective, comprehensive strategy for meeting the needs of the neighborhoods directly surrounding the targeted church(es). Some of the philosophical goals behind the macro version of Circle of Love were:
· Help churches become more accustomed to ministering outside their four walls
· Re-establish and strengthen relations between church and community
· Foster an atmosphere conducive to evangelism
· Establish and/or re-affirm church leadership within community
· Perpetuate an atmosphere of love, family and community
· Empower community to address its own internal strife
Currently, there are two basic versions of the Circle of Love Program. One is the broad-reaching "macro" version described above, which deals with churches and the communities that surround them. The other is the Circle of Love Personal Evangelism System ™, which is designed for individual Christians enabling them to become, as today's military says, "An Army of One." Personal evangelism really comes down to Jesus, He being Lord, and Him giving His disciples a command. That command has come to be commonly known as The Great Commission.
As a part of my own personal evangelism effort, I would like the opportunity to visit and show your church members The Circle of Love Program. The goals would be to:
· Provide foundational knowledge about Christ’s Great Commission
· Assess church and individual needs in the development of evangelical programming
· Provide training and materials necessary for implementing Circle of Love
· Become a resource for your church body in developing, improving, and/or implementing its evangelical program
I sincerely hope that you will consider this grand opportunity to fulfill Christ’s command . I welcome an opportunity to talk further with you. I may be contacted by telephone or electronic mail by using the information at the top of this page.
Abundant Peace and Blessings to You,
Jacques J. Wigginton
