Ministry Update: Regular Session Begins

The 2011 regular session begins Wednesday evening with the governor’s state of the state address. This is a grand event as both the West Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates gather together for a joint meeting in the house chamber. They are joined in a procession by all the members of the executive branch and the justices of the West Virginia Supreme Court. Finally, the governor and his family enter, escorted by a special committee of senators and delegates. There are usually a number of special guests and celebrities, both on the house floor and in the galleries. The governor then gives his address laying out his goals and agenda for the coming year.

As I sit in the gallery and observe this august event, I am overwhelmed by the privilege and opportunity to share the gospel and teach the Word of God among this group of West Virginia’s leaders. I am thankful and amazed at the open doors God has provided for our ongoing ministry at the statehouse. Just as the governor reveals his plans and goals for the coming year in his state of the state address, I’d like to share with you our plans for the upcoming session.

We will be holding three Bible studies each week during the regular legislative session which runs from January 12 – March 16.

• Each Tuesday at 12:00 noon we will meet with lobbyists and staff. We have sent out an email with a copy of our first study notes attached to every registered lobbyist in the state (over 300). We usually have several lobbyists along with a number of staff who join us each week throughout the session.

• We hold two studies for legislators and elected officials on Thursdays at 8:00 a.m. and at noon. Spring Hill Baptist Church is helping to sponsor breakfast and lunch for each of our meetings. We hope this helps busy leaders to attend during the hectic days of the session.

• We will be teaching a series entitled “Citizens of Heaven”: Studies in Philippians. We are excited about the opportunity to share the gospel as we discuss how to become a citizen of heaven. We will also consider both the privileges and responsibilities of heavenly citizenship as we face the challenges of living and serving here on earth. You can download the first study in our series here.

• Every week we distribute the study notes to every legislator and elected official’s office throughout the capitol in person and through email. This provides a wonderful opportunity to meet with and minister to both leaders and staff on a weekly basis.

Please pray for our Bible studies and our other ministry opportunities during the session. Pray for those leaders who do not know Christ that God will work in their hearts so that they may might know what it means to be "rescued from the domain of darkness, and transferred to the kingdom of His Son" (Col. 1:13-14). Pray for those who do know Christ to be encouraged to live as " citizens of heaven" in the midst of the challenges of life in the capitol.