After getting a haircut this morning, I stopped by the church gym to watch a few minutes of ROAR basketball. The stands were full of parents and relatives watching two teams of young ladies play and I was able to talk with several people. A lot of people pass through our gym every winter during basketball season.

Afterward I called the hospital to make sure a member was still a patient there before I drove to the other side of town to visit him. The operator told me she watches me on TV all the time and loves our services. In addition to her full time job, she also works part time at the hospital to make ends meet as a single woman. Thus she doesn’t get to go to church much. I hear from people in the community all the time who watch the weekly broadcast of our worship services.

Both our TV broadcast and ROAR sports ministry give us opportunities to connect with people in our community, many of whom don’t know Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord. York County is now the second fastest growing part of SC and our state is one of the fastest growing in the country. Opportunities to meet new people are all around us, but we have to be intentional and talk with them. I know what I know about the hospital operator because I took the time to ask her a few questions.

I’m looking forward to meeting some new people tomorrow at FBC – new people who will be there because someone took the time to talk to them. Sometimes a little talking – and an invitation – is all it takes.

Pastor Steve Hogg

PS After I got home, I turned on the TV to watch UK defeat Missouri in basketball.