Prayer Focus: Multiplication and Mission Starts at Home

During the month of October our prayer focus is on Multiplication. This is not a new concept or mandate for us as Christians. In Genesis 1:28, God tells Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. In Genesis 9:1, HE tells Noah the same thing and this is repeated numerous times in Genesis, as well as in other parts of the Old Testament. In Hebrews 6:14 God made an eternal promise based on His Character to Abraham: “I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you.”

On our recent journey through the book of Acts, we learned that the Holy Spirit empowered followers of Christ in multiplying the Gospel, taking it to the lost in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Sharing the Gospel was not the end then, nor is it today. The next step was to make disciples. As disciples were made leaders were identified, released, and new churches born. It was through the obedience of prior generations obeying God’s commands that we, UBC, exist as well as the universal Church. It has been God’s plan from the beginning to use man to accomplish HIS will Here, Near, and Everywhere.

As noted above the process of multiplication begins with the Gospel. Unfortunately, statistics tell us that at most only 4-5% of Christians share the Gospel consistently. This failure results in lostness that should break our hearts as it breaks Christ’s heart. Below are brutal facts (estimates in some cases) regarding this lostness in Ohio, Miami Valley, Greene County, and Beavercreek.

BRUTAL FACTS:

Ohio
- Population 11.8 million
- No Religious affiliation 6.16 million (52.2%)
- Evangelical 2 million (17.1%) (Est.)
- Lost: 9.8 million (Est.)
Miami Valley
- Population: 1,461,161(2020)
- No Religious affiliation: 720,032 (49.3%)
- Evangelical: 301,470 (20.6%) (Est.)
- Lost: 1,159,691 (Est.)
Greene County
- Population: 167,966 (2020)
- No Religious affiliation: 100,588 (59.9%)
- Evangelical: 27,043 (16.1%) (Est.)
- Lost: 140,923 (Est.)
Beavercreek
- Population: 46,253 (2020)
- No Religious affiliation: 27,706 (59.9%) (Green County Est.)
- Evangelical: 7,447 (16.1%) (Est.)
- Lost: 38,806 (Est.)

These stats may appear burdensome, as well as disheartening; But with GOD all things are possible. For us to witness a significant impact in these statistics, we MUST multiply. Addition works but it is a very slow process, and we know that time is of the essence because only GOD knows an individual's last day or His second coming. UBC desires people to become wholehearted followers of Jesus who know HIM and make HIM known here, near, and everywhere. Doing this, we will MULTIPLY HIS KINGDOM until the whole world hears.

Prayers

Lord, your heart is LOVE, help me LOVE you more and in doing so LOVE people more like you (Matthew 22:37-39)
Lord, your word says how will they hear if no one tells them? Lead our feet and the whole body at UBC to take the GOOD NEWS consistently Here, Near, and Everywhere (Romans 10:14-15)
Lord, your word tells us that it is not our fancy words that bring someone to you. Rather it is your Powerful Holy Spirit in us that draws men to God. (1Cor 2:1-5)
Lord, we at UBC want the Kingdom Vision that culminates with Service and the Promise that all tribes tongues and nations will be around the Throne worshiping YOU. (Rev 7:9-10)
Lord, we cry out to you with desire to be an Acts 2 church with a focus of covering all our multiplication efforts in prayer. We trust you will multiply according to your will. (Act 2:42-47)

Mercy Spotlight: Helping in Our Local Community

**UBC Members as the hands and feet in our Community.**

Since the Mercy Ministry Core Team was begun several months ago, we have been praying for God to guide us in knowing where and how He would have us to show His mercy and love those in need in our community.

This summer, God made us aware of a need for a playground to be built in a nearby, high poverty neighborhood that had lost its playground in the tornado that came through in 2019. In partnership with SBC's Disaster Response ministry, UBC's Mercy Ministry team was able to mobilize a group of men to help complete the project.

This unique opportunity for members of our church body to use their God given gifts in a tangible, hands on way to show the love of Jesus was very exciting. And as a result of this first project, the Mercy Fix It Ministry has been established.

The mission of this Mercy Ministry will be to show God’s love to those in need through hands-on, fix-it acts of kindness.

The Mercy Fix It Ministry will have three main goals/objectives:

1. To support other mercy ministries in serving people with whom relationships are being built and who have tangible, hands-on/fix it type of needs (single moms, widows, refugees, the poor).

2. To show God’s love and build Gospel relationships with people in the neighborhood surrounding UBC who have needs that require hands-on kind of service.

3. To support deacons and growth groups in doing hands-on service for needs that can’t be met entirely by these other UBC groups.

We are excited to help equip and mobilize the body of UBC to serve through this ministry. And we are even more excited for the community outside of our church building to come to know the love and mercy of our Father.

Opportunity: “Bring Your Own Lunch” with the Bahuns

November 5th - 12:30pm - UBC East

One of our missionary family’s, the Bahuns, who serve in Namibia, Africa are here in the states for a few months on a visit and they will be coming to share at UBC on November 5th. We encourage you to pack a lunch and head over to UBC East after the second service on Sunday, November 5th to hear them share about their ministry. There will be a time of sharing and then a time of Q & A with them.