Community Reached with Dr. Seuss and Marriage Courses

A great article by our missionaries in New Zealand using different tools to reach the people of their community. Thanks Chad and Diane Davenport for sharing.

Auckland, New Zealand—The new creative arts team has been busy the past few months. Recently, we’ve presented some special outreach Sunday services that would connect with young unchurched families, including Dr. Seuss Visits Westside Christian Fellowship (WCF).
Our first “family service” was titled “The Mythbusters’ Challenge.” Children were given the opportunity to pose questions to a panel of somewhat-dubious “experts.” After hearing the answers, the children were then asked to pick the right answer. Although there were plenty of humorous moments, this helped to crack some common misconceptions about Christianity, even among some of the visiting adults who do not attend church.

Last month, the team produced a dramatic show called “The Gospel (According to ‘Horton Hears a Who’),” complete with puppets, a Who hunt, and a Who feast. Using scenes from the book and movie, the puppets explained how we can all be friends with God even when we can’t see, hear. or touch him. The youth group led the worship time.

Both these family services have helped to draw larger attendances of fifty to eighty people. Increasingly, WCF feels like it is starting to take shape as church of the community. We often find that our new visitors already know several members of the congregation as a result of just living in the area.

The Marriage Course: We are nearly finished with our third season of hosting the Marriage Course. This has been an effective tool in getting to know couples in the community and sharing Bible-based principles that promote healthy marriages. Because of our wonderful leaders and the great content, we already have people in the community wanting to participate in the next course in February.

One of the greatest transitions happened in the lives of a separated couple that had almost given up. On the opening night, we watched the wife practically drag her atheist husband in the door. On the second week, he smiled a lot more and engaged with others around the dinner table. As the weeks passed by, he began to put his arm around his wife and take much greater interest in the teaching.

While we are on the topic of marriage, Chad has had the opportunity to officiate three weddings this year. Being involved with the weddings has sparked some deeper conversations with couples and guests about God. The most recent wedding was particularly encouraging as we also see the wife taking conscious steps toward Christ. We pray that God will continue working miracles among couples like these.

Special assignment missionaries like Chad and Diane Davenport, extend the ministry reach of the local church to touch people for Christ in far away places like Auckland, New Zealand. “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Act 1:8 niv). The generous gifts from local congregations and caring individuals supporting the collective ministries of the church reach people for Christ in a variety of ways, sometimes using Dr. Seuss or marriage courses.

To learn more about the ministry of Chad and Diane Davenport, click here.