Secrets to Success!

Titus Coan, one of the first missionaries to Hawaii, landed there in 1835. His success makes me motivated! He came to pastor a church with 23 members and he didn’t know a word of their language. Love for them spurred him on to learn. His secrets were prayer and loving people!

There were around 16,000 Hawaiians living within a distance from him of 100 miles, and he determined to tell every single one the gospel. After one year he made a 30-day tour on foot and preached 3, 4, or 5 times a day wherever he went! His heart was bursting with love for these people and unceasing prayer for revival.

Soon the natives were in tears and following him from town to town. Coan’s method was not only prayer, but a thorough follow-up system. He wrote the names of everyone he met in his notebook, and on all his subsequent tours he would call the roll at each place. If someone didn’t answer, he asked why. If dead, he marked the date. If sick, he visited them and prayed. If backslidden, he sent for or visited them. He kept notes on each person. This is God’s kind of love!

In 1838 he took in 639 new church members! In 1839 he admitted 5,244! Of course it was a remarkable work of the Holy Spirit, but what if you and I took such zealous, loving care of checking on previous disciples and their generations? I could have been keeping a follow-up notebook like Titus Coan, but I haven’t. Let’s do it, with earnest love and prayers for the Harvest!

(excerpt from Anne Ortlund’s Discipleship Tip of the Week – February 9, 2009)

Most Recent Posts by Pastor Curtis

• Greenbrier Men's Retreat - This Friday and Saturday, March 26th and 27th - March 22nd, 2010
• Men's Retreat @ Camp Silver Beach March 26th-27th - February 25th, 2010
• Small Group Signups January 10th and 17th - January 9th, 2010
• - January 2nd, 2010
• - January 2nd, 2010
• - January 2nd, 2010