The local church is uniquely positioned to reach a community or city for Jesus and Rediscover Church exemplifies this well in Exeter. Rediscover often has special events to include people who have never experienced church or dismiss it as irrelevant.
Last year Pastor Mark Pugh and team hosted a Resurrection Sunday celebration right in the middle of the Princesshay shopping centre, an event they will echo in 2023.
What an extraordinary outreach from a local church hoping to share a message of hope with all who were gathered, including passers by, on one of the most significant days of the Christian calendar.
The outdoor service drew a large crowd of people together for songs of worship, sharing of testimonies, words of encouragement and prayer for the city. Perhaps the most moving part of the service was a diverse mix of believers carrying Christian placards indicating how their lives have been turned around through faith in Jesus. This underlined the key theme of the Easter Sunday service, that no matter what you have done or how difficult your struggles, there is freedom in Jesus through the finished work of the Cross and the power of His resurrection.
Highlights of the Easter Sunday service included a spoken word presentation which you can view below. It captures the freedom available to all who believe.
Find a local church
Pastor Pugh shared with the local church congregation gathered how much God loves to give good gifts to His sons and daughters, just like earthly parents don’t withhold good things from their own children. He also encouraged all who stopped to listen to search for a local church where they can find out more about the goodness of God.
Rediscover aims to change the negative perceptions people have about Christian meetings encouraging them to experience church differently. This is just one local church that is making a difference in the community it serves, with a wider vision to plant churches across the region. What if every local church were to widen their Gospel outreach at home as well as on the international mission field? Jesus said the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world. He also promised that He will build His church and nothing will prevail against it.
If you have never experienced church before, find a local church near you, and if you are already part of one, consider how you can reach further!