Spring is coming. Now, I realize that in Houston the seasons all blend together, but there is usually a week of two where you can tell one from the other. The northern winds are less frequent and not as cold, the birds begin to fly back, and the grass greens up again. These are signs of spring, a breath of fresh air for a fresh start.

We’re planning a Spring gospel meeting at Southside. It is a little more than six weeks away, March 17-19. Please put these dates on your calendar and make your plans to attend this Friday, Saturday, Sunday affair. All efforts have been made to avoid Spring Break and any other potential conflicts. We want every member to have every opportunity to be a part of this.

The meeting will be advertised in our community as “Come, Meet Our Preachers.” It is an effort to familiarize people in the area about who we are as a congregation and what we’re trying to do. They’ve driven by our building, they’ve seen our sign. Let’s invite them inside to hear about the God we serve and His word that we follow. Dee Bowman and Bubba Garner will be doing the preaching.

All of the lessons presented during the meeting will be on first principles of Christianity. There is a great need in our time to go “back to the basics.” We need to return to the fundamentals, the foundation of our faith from which many have strayed. People need to hear the things that the apostles preached, things like salvation and redemption, the cross and the resurrection. It will be good for those around us. It will be good for all of us.

Here are some things that you can do to help get ready for this special Spring meeting.

Pray. “Lord, grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence” (Acts 4:29 LBX). The early Christians were evangelistic because they prayed for opportunities to be evangelistic. When was the last time you asked God to help you find someone who was searching? We all want the most appropriate words to say in those situations, but it starts with what we say to God in prayer. Spend these next several weeks praying for the meeting, for the preachers, and for the right opportunity to come along at just the right time.

Plan. Plan to be here. While the main thrust of the meeting is toward outsiders, that does not excuse our own people from being present. What effect would it have on a visitor to come to an empty house of worship? Or how can you invite someone and then tell them you’ve made plans to do something else? The assembly of the saints ought to cause the unbeliever to “fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you” (1 Cor. 14:25 LBX). That can happen if you’ll make this meeting a part of your plans. And remember, with some people, we many only get one chance to make a good impression. If you miss the services, you’re missing an opportunity that you may never get back.

Invite. In the past few months, we have watched six souls be saved through baptism into Jesus Christ. Four of those were people who were invited by our members to attend the services. Once here, they learned about the gospel, believed it, and after additional study, obeyed it. Can you think of anyone at work or school or on your street who might benefit from hearing the same word of God? If they don’t like to miss their own church services, invite them to come Friday or Saturday night. Since you’ll know the subjects in advance, invite them to one that you feel best fits their needs. Just don’t let the meeting go by and say to yourself, “I wish my friend could have heard that.” They might have, had you invited them.

Part of our two-year plan involves reigniting the fires of evangelism. Our Spring meeting in one way in which we hope to achieve this goal. It will all be worth it, if for just one lost soul, “seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19 LBX). In this great work, you don’t have to wait for a fresh start to get started.