To bring the message of the gospel to nations, the Alliance Legacy shares how their team engages with many local churches to secure property and plant small, welcoming neighborhood fellowships.
We work hard to ensure these neighborhood churches are inviting to outsiders—where “walk-ins are always welcome.” So passersby can see what’s happening inside and listen in without feeling forced to enter, we leave our church windows and front doors wide open during services.
We also encourage regular attendees to sit in the front of the church, so space is available in the back for those hesitant to enter for the first time. This “walk-ins welcome” posture has resulted in many changed-life stories.
Our neighborhood churches also serve as a resource for people in great difficulty. A widow in our group shared that when her husband died, she didn’t know where to turn. The Alliance church in her community stepped in to take care of all the many details. This congregation continues to assist with her family’s food needs and children’s education.
A Place of Healing Prayer
Neighborhood churches are also a place of prayer for healing the sick. One pastor confessed to us that he felt overwhelmed when a family laid an ill relative on a mat on his church’s porch. The man’s hospital treatments hadn’t cured him, and his family had run out of money.
So this pastor and his congregation took on the health need in prayer. Slowly, the man regained his strength—one day he literally took up his mat and walked (see John 5:9).
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