Operation Andrew
January 1, 2010
Dear Friends,
I would like to share with you a true story about a young lady named Jamie. She was a volunteer at a youth conference held at Ocean City. One night she went for a walk along the boardwalk. As she was walking along the beach, she thought she heard someone scream out in the ocean. The beach was closed and the lifeguards had gone home for the day. It was dark and she 
could not see anything. Again she heard what sounded like someone in the ocean screaming for help. Jamie ran down the wooden steps towards the ocean and she called back to those behind her that she thought someone was in trouble out there. As Jamie reached the edge of the water she was sure there was a woman drowning in the ocean. She hesitated for a minute, ripped off her shoes, and jumped in the water. A few minutes later a couple of men joined her and in a matter of minutes they had saved the ladies life and brought her to shore. In an interview after the rescue, Jamie stated that there is nothing scarier than the ocean at night as you have no idea what is out there. When asked why she went out there she simply stated that she knew someone would die if she didn’t. Jamie knew that the one who is where the dying person is, is the one who has to rescue them. The Ocean City beach hadn’t lost anyone for 100 years. But if Jamie had left to go find one of those professional lifeguards, the drowning person would have died.
Every day we go about our lives at work, at home, at school, the grocery store, the soccer game, the golf course, the doctor’s office, the country club, the library, and we seldom realize that there are people dying all around us. People we come in contact with every day who do not know Jesus will be lost eternally unless someone steps in to rescue them. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” There is a reason that you live where you live, go to your particular school, or work where you do. As Ron Hutchcraft says, every believer has been “divinely positioned and biographically credentialed” to tell people about Jesus in the way that only they can. Wherever we go, those who are dying spiritually are all around us. They are on our stretch of the beach. We are responsible for them. But what can we do?
During the month of January, we will introduce Operation Andrew at Pilgrim Lutheran Church. Operation Andrew is a program developed by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to help Christians reach out to those people in their lives who need Jesus Christ. We encourage everyone to join with us as we start this simple, five-step plan to reach out together to those people we know who need Jesus Christ. This program is so simple that our children will also be encouraged to participate through Operation Andy.
So what are the five steps to reaching the lost for Christ?
- Look Around – where you live, work, or go to school—this is your mission field. List names of individuals you know who need Jesus Christ, whom you will pray for regularly.
- Look Up – because God changes people through prayer. Pray each day for those on your list, that God will give you opportunities to share His love with them.
- Look Out – for ways to cultivate friendships with each person on your list. Spend time with them. An invitation to dinner or a sporting event will build friendships, which can open the way to talk about Christ.
- Look Forward – by beginning to talk with each person on your list about attending church with you. Choose a specific date, pray, and invite them.
- Look After – those who respond to Christ or even begin to show interest in the Gospel, for they need your encouragement. Continue to love and pray for those who do not respond.
We are asking you to join us in Operation Andrew. We ask you to look around you to identify those people you know who need Jesus. Would you commit to praying for these people regularly? If you are willing to join us, we ask that you fill out the enclosed Commitment Card with the first names only of the people you are willing to pray for, and sign and date your card. Then bring your Commitment Card with you to church on Sunday, January 24th. During both services that Sunday, adults and children will bring their Commitment Card to the foot of the cross as they commit to praying for the salvation of those they have listed. The names will later be placed in a fish net in the Fellowship Hall. (After the launch of Operation Andrew on January 24th, Commitment Cards will be available throughout the year in the Fellowship Hall. Any time that you want to commit to pray for someone, you are encouraged to fill out a card and place it in the offering plate and we will add that name to those in the fish net.)
Every quarter we will have a Friendship Sunday, which will be specifically designed to welcome those being prayed for to our services. On that Sunday during the sermon, Pastor will present the gospel message. Following the worship service we will share a meal to help welcome any guests. When the time seems right, perhaps the person you are praying for could attend such a service to hear the Good News of Jesus. The Bible states in John 1:41-42 that, “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.” You can be like Andrew in bringing someone to Jesus.
I pray that as we begin 2010 we can learn together how to reach out to those whom God has placed in our lives who do not know Jesus. May God use us to advance His kingdom, and may He be glorified!
In Christ,
Cindy Kreft
Evangelism Chair
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