Assimilating People Into Our Church Pt. 2

Last week, we're talkin about vision2020 for the Dynamic Church initiative. And so tonight, we going to continue talk about. And tonight. This is part 2. Assimilating people into our church. How to widen your front door. Now, if you remember, last week, we read. Acts chapter 2. I'm not going to read that again. We know what it says that all of them had everything in common and they were going from house to house eating bread. And they were listening and being taught by the apostles Doctrine. They had Unity there. And it says that the Lord was adding to the church daily. So that's how our church. That's that's what we want. If we can reach that here at new Grace wouldn't be great if the Lord added to the church daily and I mean, that would be great. And so and that's what we want. But what we don't want to do is we don't want to be Like the church in the Book of James and I'm going to read this, you don't have to turn there. But listen to what it says about the church, hear that James is riding to this. My brother and do not hold the Faith of Our Lord. Jesus Christ, the lord of Glory with partiality or favoritism. For if there should come into your assembly, a man with gold rings in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes and you pay attention to the one wearing fine clothes and say to him, you sit here in a good place and you say to the poor man, you stand there or sit here at my footstool. So, the church was showing partiality. They were like it. Somebody come in with money. Okay, where you sit right up here up front. You said wherever you want, some poor person comes in as they were here. You just said on the floor. We don't have room for you. And then he says have you not shown partiality or favoritism among yourselves and become judges with evil false. He says listen, my beloved brother has not got chosen to pour this world to be rich in faith and Heirs of the Kingdom, Wiki promised, to those who love him, but you have Dishonored. The poor man. Do not the rich oppress, you and drag you into course. So that's what the rich were doing. They were oppressing them, taking their land, dragging them in the court and the people are so afraid. I'm every time they would see 10, they would just bow down to him, you know, in the poor person would come in and they wouldn't have anything to do with him. An inverse 14th. That's what does it profit. My brother. Someone says he has Faith but does not have worked in fate saving. He said, if a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food and one of you says to them depart in peace, be warm in field, but you don't give them the things which are needed for the body. What does it profit? And other words that's like someone coming to you and they don't have any food or they don't have any shelter and you say to him, I tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to go down to church now and I'm going to put you on the prayer list. We don't pray for it. And if you got a coat that can keep them warm or if you got somewhere cuz they could stay, the Bible says where y'all to get in place to stay and give him some clothes to wear. Instead of just saying I'm going to pray for you, you know, but a lot of times people will do that and then he says and then he said that's also by Faith by itself. If it does not have works is dead. So if I say I'm going down to church and pray for you, but I don't do anything to help you if I could help you. Then my faith is why it's just dead boys. It's just, it's just dead. So if you have your sheet will go to the first slide. Alright, the goal of assimilation. All right. Now you remember that, we went over this last week to inspire first-time guests become s s to become third, third to become regular and then regular attendees to become members. That's that's what we want. All right, and then characteristics of church members, attend regularly. It's my church. They have friends in the church that have a role in the church. They give regularly and they invite friends to the church. And probably, the last one is the most important at least for us now because we're trying to go to church and we've probably see that we need. If we can some young families in the church, info. We need to be inviting us. We need to be inviting people to church. Okay, and then the next Right here at 4. We're going to start tonight. So this is

where the rubber meets the road right here. So we going to get real real practical tonight as we talked about this and what brings people back to church and I remember the first step in Outreach is to attract those who don't know Christ or what we would call first-time guests. But the first step in a simulation is to attract back the first time guess. So we're doing the simulation first before Outreach simply because we want to know what to do with people when they come. So, we're doing a simulation first. Well, you know, we talked about why people visit a church and we went over several things. But tonight we want to talk about. What is it? That brings people back, and let me see this before we really get started in that, we, we need to have a big dose of prayer here at the church, and, and we've been praying, hopefully, you've been praying the 90 day. Prayer challenge is, well, and what I want to say about that tonight is it's about time. The next week or so. That each of us needs to pick two people that we know that's unsaved. And that will probably be family members for most of us or neighbors, or good friends. But two people that we know, that's, that's not saved. They don't have a church anywhere and we need you need to start praying for them specifically. And then come this fall and have this is just me thinking this fall around September or October. I think I might be able to do a series something like God, I need answers and we going to talk about like the first sermon will be something. Like is God real. How do we know God exists and then once we Once we see that God exists. The next thing we're going to talk about is well, if I Made In His Image, like the Bible says, what does that mean? As far as my self-worth, you know, a lot of people commit suicide because they just have no hope. Well, what does it mean? What is my self-worth? If God is my Creator. So it is trying to reach those people who are without Christ. Those people that, you know, pick out to put them on your prayer list, and maybe we can just make a list and we'll just call it our friends list, but we know that those are the ones we're praying for salvation. And then for five weeks before we get into the series, start will start promoting it. And as your been praying for him, that's when you can start talking to him, maybe or even give them an invite card or something like that, that we can get them here on that first Sunday that we hold our series. And so, will promote that and will Market that, if you will, in different ways By Invitation, by door hangers, by invite cards, and probably some Facebook ads. Got to reach as many people as we can. So we need, if we can a big dose of prayer as we we pray for all this and the men. Let's start meeting back here and pray like we used to before Sunday morning. So, let's just say, we're going to meet at 10:45 on Sunday mornings back here. So let's start meeting at 10:45 and you, ladies, if you want to meet something just huddle up somewhere. You can do the same thing too and and just pray for the ones that's going to be here. I mean, we start praying. Now, we hadn't invited anybody yet, really, but let's just start praying for the ones that's going to show up and we can start praying for that. So let's, let's do that as well. So we need a big dose of a prayer slow tonight. What? I want you to look at here is what brings people back. So, let's say they come for the first time and we were in our assimilation. So when they come for the first time, what is it that they need to see that will make them want to come back. Well, number one is the top one is friendliness. We have to be. A friendly church people. I can't overestimate or over say what first impressions are and I think I said this last week, there's some studies done that says, most people decide within the first 5 minutes that they go to church, whether or not they're coming back or not. Now, what do they see in the first 5 minutes that they go to church? What is it? That would make them determine if they're going to come back or not? Let me know. I haven't even heard the first song yet. They haven't heard any preaching yet. What what is it? Well, It's the Browns when they pull in and park. When they see do they do, they take care of the playground area is the Shrubbery and all of that taken care of when they get here to the door. And I know we have a little small opening back here. You can't put a whole lot of people back there, but we need to have someone with a bulletin in hand and someone. That's real friendly and smiles a lot. She's not here, but I think my wife would be perfect for that. If we can keep her back there long enough, without it running around, going somewhere else, but somebody that's friendly and that will give a bulletin things like that. They ate the first impressions are so important and you only have one chance to make a good first impression. And we don't want to leave that to chance. Because, remember anyone who comes here, we ought to look at it as a gift from God. I mean, there's a reason that they come, they either going to come because someone invited on, but just because we invited them most time, people not going to come, just call someone environment, but it may mean that God has been speaking to their hard about something and then all of a sudden someone from our church and bites them. And I feel like what I need to be there. So we need to look at everyone who comes in here as a gift from God, and it would be bad for them to get out of the car and say, Why don't know if I need to be here or not. Look at all the high grass and look at all the buildings dirty and I walk in in the smell is not too good course, our church is not like that. But you know what I'm saying? That's a first impression and an even if you have someone in the parking lot or someone greeting, you know, they need to know when to show up and what, you know, how to greet somebody in and and what to say and it will go over all of that, you know tonight, but anybody that's you know, friendliness and then going right along with that its cleanliness. They want to see that the church is clean and smells good. The outside looks good. I was looking at our church when I drove up tonight. Jacob and I power wash the church. I think, the first year I was here. And it needs power washing. Again. I can tell out here in front where the Shrubbery are, where they are. We need to put some new mulch there. It's just kind of like bare ground, you know, we need, you know, the dress it up and probably the same thing out here. I had look, I don't slide down the slide that much, but I haven't been to the playground area, but just little things like that, you know, making sure the bathroom smells good anything that's laying on tables cuz we don't use the rooms back here that much anytime. We're storing something. You know, I was just call it messiness. If you want to say it that way, just want to make sure that everything has its place is in its place. You want the nursery to be really, really clean and whatever toys you have in there that they're, they're safe. You know what I'm saying? Because this is what parents look at slow. And then after that the quality of service and I don't know if we'll get to that tonight. But just how the songs flow into each other. What we do, what we say from the pulpit. If the You can tell when a service flows and you can tell when one is, you know, people don't quite know what to do, where to go when to do it and things like that. So quality-of-service you want, you want them think the service, the flow and then, of course, quality of childcare the biggest thing with young families, with my children. Be safe. Can I trust you with my child? And then finding someone like them. I said this last week, not this Earth. It looks like them but a person who comes through the young couple will probably want to know all the other young couples here. A person who walks in the door, that's a single person. You know what? They're going to look for to see if they see any other single people. A senior adult is going to look around. Are there other senior adults here. So people as soon as they come in the door, they start looking for people like them. Now, the problem, that, that could arise would be safe A young couple, they want to know where are there. Other young couples? Hear me say, when I know you're the only one, but we want you to stay and we're trying to build our church, and we're trying to get young people in our church. I mean, that's basically what you would have to say. And so we're an older congregation and we're trying to get younger folks into the church. So that might be a tad of a struggle to begin with, but if a young couple will come and God speaks to him in the service. I don't care if we're all 100 years old. They'll come back next week. They will. If they sense God is speaking to their hearts. That's something that we want to pray about it and then Other than friendliness and cleanliness. I would put number six number three. As far as important personable, post service contact. We have got to have a way. When people come. First-time, visitors. We give a little gift on the way out. We've got to have a way to contact them that next week, the first time before, Tuesday. Preferably Monday. Tell me how much what we're thankful. The pastor needs to send them. If we have their email. I can send them an email or write them a note. I don't know about you, but this is something that really used to get on my nerves. Tell Martha about it. When we went to another church, every time somebody had a birthday. They would send you a letter, a happy birthday letter, but it was a form letter. It was and it was the same letter. They sent everybody. They just put your name on it. I used to tell her I said, Martha. I'm not a pastor of a church I said, but I'm telling you, if I was a pastor, I would never send a form letter to wish somebody a happy birthday. Write it out yourself. It means more know. There's nothing personal about a form letter, write it out. Happy birthday. Say a little, something and sign it, but don't sin. I used to get a phone last night at church and I'll throw in the trash that I wouldn't even open. It. Made me so mad every time I would just get it for me. So I know what it is. It's my birthday. Here you go. Just throw in the trash can. I wouldn't even look at it? And I said, I don't know why Church's we need. So you need to be personable. So on Monday afternoon, they receive an email from Whoever's keeping up with the simulation the first time. Visitors. We're happy that you were so happy that you came. We hope that you found us to be a friendly church. I put on our website that we're striving to be the friendliest Church in the Triangle. I didn't say we were the famous church. I said, we were striving to be so that way, it takes all the pressure off. So might look at your website, say where y'all would not friendly. Well, we're striving. We're not there yet. We're striving, you know, so but that's, you know, we, we need to be able to send them something on Monday afternoon. And then maybe the pastor needs to contact them some way email or something on Thursday. And when they leave that first day, you know what we ought to say to him. Don't say come back soon, or hope to see you again. Say, see you next week. As if you already know they're coming back. Hope to see you next week. We'll see you next week. That would be the same to say. So that's probably third. Number 6, would probably be third friendliness cleanliness and then personal post service contact. Let's go to the next slide. So what we going to do? If we wants first start out for friendliness factors. So guests, they want to be greeted. They want to be directed which is which won't be that difficult here because our church is small. We don't need a lot of signage saying that the nurseries over here. We got one building with four rooms back here. So we don't necessarily need somebody, you know, picking him up in a golf cart out here, and take him to, where they need to go to. Our church is not that large. But if someone comes in and they have a child, they want to know where the bathroom is. So let's say someone comes in and we have some greader standing here. And and they say, could you tell me where the restroom is? What are you going to say where you could do like some lazy people do at Walmart and say yeah you go down there about 8 or 10 hours and then take a right. Now. You don't want to do that. What you want to do? Let me show you and you carry them. I know it's not far over had to just stick your head through that door. It's okay, but me and the ladies are over here, but still, we need to go. If they say what where's your nurse to take him to the nursery. Don't just say, what? Just go through that door and take a right. You'll see it right there on the left, take them. Hey got them. Exactly. Right? People want to be directed, especially when there's somewhere where they've never been before. So, greedy directed seated. And treated. So let's talk about this each one of these. The first one greeted people want to be greeted. Now, how do we greet someone that we don't know. Well, if you if you are a man, you would stick out your hand, give him a another man, a firm hand shake. You look at him in the eye and tell him that you appreciate them coming today and we're so glad to see you. Is this your first visit just get to know him a little bit before they ever set down. It's not going to be a problem to find a seat in here right now. They can come and sit down on the ground. But once all the Torreon gets 60 to 70%. No one in and trying to find somewhere to sit because most people don't understand the Baptist Church. Everybody said the same place. They're afraid. They're going to take some one seat. So once it get 60 or 70%. Here, let me let me take you and take them to where, you know, to see it. And it wouldn't take that many people to make this 60 or 70%. We may be looking at that at some time. So a good handshake or smile, a good morning, looking in the eye. That's a good start. But you don't want to somebody come in and you don't want me just to throw yourself all over him and hug him and grab him. Pick him up and act like you trying to guess how much they weigh like Ernestine. What he would do. You don't want to do that. We got to watch John about that. Some pretty lady come in here and then picking her up and things like that. That's right, or that was The Darlings. I think, whoever did that. Bottom, but anyway, I mean you you don't go overboard, you know, you know, you didn't, you just don't go overboard in this vein lead to just common sense. Anyway, so they walk in, they think was any people here like me, not our little vestibule Lobby, whatever you want to call. It is so small. You can't put two or three or four greeters out there. You just need one person, really, but people want to know if we had a bigger church say or if we were holding service and a a school or something, and you had a big area. You need to have people out there, this greeting people, all the ages of the church. You need some elderly people. You need some, if you could get pee Nature's, you need to get to because people will be looking at. Is there anyone here like me? And so we need kind of diversity over that like older men? Like I said, the older you are most time the sooner you get to church cuz all your children are gone. You don't have to get them ready. And so that's why I 5067 year old lady who would love to work in the preschool or Nursery. They'll get here at 20 minutes, you know, 10:30 within their husband has to come along with them or either. You have to drive separate. Or he just has to go over here, and go outside, and in the woods, and walk around and smoke a cigarette or something like that, or he can be a greeter. You see, that's most of your people greeters, are older people because they can get the church on time. And that's the reason, but you need to diversity. If you can, if you can have it in and of course, like I said, people want to be directed Nursery bathrooms and things like that. Instead of, you know, just saying we'll go down here and take a right or something like that and then see it again. If the auditorium is 60 70%. Better, just to take someone. And and seat them as well. and another thing,

There's going to have to be and we started this last week, There's going to have to be an intentional, greeting time during the service like we did, you know, we started it back last week, when, you know, people turned and introduced themselves to those around them. Now. What does that do? It helps you to make eye contact and shake hands and become kind of become participants and instead of spectators at the service. But here's the funny thing about that.

It's awkward. It's awkward. Just to turn around to somebody. You don't know, and introduce yourself. I mean, that's just kind of nice offered for some people, for, for a lot of people. Not John, not John Martha. She can speak to everybody in 5 minutes. It's not, it's not for her. But if you an introvert, or if you just, you know, you have to get to know people before you really talk to him a lot. It's hard just to turn around. Say, Hey, My My name is Mike. I understand this is your looks like this your first time here where you from, you don't have to. It's just awkward you. You just don't know what to say, something. But the downside of not introducing yourself, would be worse because people would feel that your church don't care. I've been to church before for the first time and everybody right in front of me and behind me and didn't say a word to me. Didn't say at work. Now. I'm a quiet person. And when I got in the car, the first, you know, Martha may say with in nobody speak to us and I would say what I want to talk to him anyway, or something like that, you know, but someone who who loves people and someone they noticed those things and I noticed it too, but it just didn't bother me that much. So, you know, for someone to be right in front of you behind and didn't even turn around didn't even recognize or anything. So we have to You know, we have to make an effort to do that. Now Pat, he's not here tonight, but I have a script here and I think I have it in your hand out. Let me look and see. Yeah, here it is. A greeting script right there in your hand out. So someone on the platform who's doing the announcements or something. Good morning. Welcome. And you Grace. I hope you're finding it where one, the friendliest churches in our area. All right, I won't pass at 1 take out the connection card. So we're going to get some new connection cards are going to be about 3 in wide 8 inches long. I'm just going to have information on there, like name address email and maybe cell number and just ask them to quickly fill out that will you see if you get a connection card, you turn around and then you fill it out and ask them to put it in the offering plate at the end of the service, when the plates come around. But if they're first-time visitor, we tell him to hang on to take it out in the vestibule will have someone out there given first time, guess a gift as they leave. As they give us their connection car. With the air is where we get their information that we need to do. Number 6, the post service contact will get that information. Somebody's going to have to put it in the computer on our faith life account. And then we can get it to where if we can put her there email in there. It will send them an email automatically. We can do that for me mail if you will, but we will write everything and then they'll receive something later in the week, like a note from the pastor. A handwritten note, not a form letter. So, but that's how we're going to have to collect that. So we're going to have to say, And the first time the way I would do it, I'd say, everybody grab a connection car and hold it up. And I'm told my members to Okay, everybody holds it. Okay. We ask them to feel that out, but we asked members to fill it out because there's also going to be a little spot there for praise and prayer request. Here's what gas will do. Gas will do what the members do. When I say or Pat says if you can fill this out during the announcements, put it in the plate. When we pass it at the end of the service. If they look around, and they don't see any member riding or do anything they want. So, it's imperative for us. If you have a prayer request, just put the prayer requests on there cuz we'll probably the Dickens and I may get them will put a list together and we'll pray for him that week those prayer requests. So instead of just saying it, when we take prayer requests, let visitor. See you writing it on your connection card. Okay? Well, let me put my name down here and I like that if they know they're going to get a little gift. They'll be more apt to give us their information. Yeah, so so, you know, we we do that. So, you know, and then we tell him, you know, if your first time and all of that now, some Churches, meet or greet one time during the service, kind of, like, after the first song like we did last week, but some people do it twice. And the second time would be at the end of the service. Now, the way we're going to end the services. We have her offering. We sing a song. And after the song is over, we're dismissed. So if I'm out here, if I go out there and stand to just to greet everyone after the service. And if someone's out there giving first-time gifts their little, a first-time gas, their little gift. It ought to be about 5 minutes before anybody gets out this door. Because after the service is over the ones, maybe that you haven't spoke to this visiting, you would go to them and speak to them. You don't want them just rushing right out. So, you would go and we can use that as a second time kinda of greeting. If you will and of course, we do that and then people will see what you know something they really are. You know, they really are a friendly church. So we need to treat our guests. Like we would we need to love our neighbors as ourselves. Well, that's how we need to treat them. When a gas comes into your home. What do you do? If they're there? And they say I could I use your restroom you say? Yeah you go down there. I go down this Hall. Techno, you take them there you you take them, you take them there. So you smile when they come in you shake their hand, you walk with them in the living room. Well, that's just the same way you would do at church. So the way you do it home just do the same way here here at at church. Alright next. Slide, please. so, This is something that this is an acrostic that I kind of made up and its lineup. and every time, A member one of us comes into our church. We need to follow. The lineup, you say, what does that mean? Well, number 1, L. Look for someone, you don't know. So if we start having quite a few guests here, you look for someone that you don't know. And you go and you speak to that person. Course would be introduced yourself to that person and just just some small, small talk and be fine. Just greet them. You don't have to be more than 30 or 40 seconds is all. It would have to be Distance. Glad to hear you from this area. So glad you are here with us today. See you next week or something you do at the end. You know, you would say something like that. So look for someone. You don't know, enter Deuce yourself, Ian. Never said alone. If you are here and you see visitors, you don't have to say it right up on them. I don't mean that but just kind of go to where you can get in range. When we do greet. It's easy for them. And for you to meet each other, just don't go and sit on the back road and and leave three rows in front of you. Where no one, no one is, you know, set near never sent alone, kind of set near people if if you can and then he engage in conversation after the service. So as soon as the service is over speak to those ones that you that you haven't spoken to yet and just allow them just to linger a little while. But look at what they're getting, they come here in the church is clean and smells good and they're safe for the children. The come here at the service flows. Good they fill out a little connection car. They'll have to fill out much. It's not like when you go to the doctor has to fill out three or four pages just couple lines. You you take it out there. You put it in the plate. That's fine. You have a great time. People were so friendly before the service, after the service is over, people just come up to us. They were so friendly and then they walk out the door. And we give him a little gift with a pen with our address on a little notepad, with our address on it. And I've got a little book. I'm going to give everyone about the 50, 60 75 Pages. I've already ordered them, put it in like a little bag or something. That looks nice with a little bow on it and give it to him. They will feel like that. They were treated the way they want to be treated. That's how they would feel. Abyssal, yes.

They need they need and will. Yes.

Right. Right. That's exactly right. That's exactly right. And they'll be saying they'll be fed. That's my job. They'll be fed. You've hurt me enough to know that people get fat asses back. The right flow. Yes, they will be fed. Yeah, that's exactly right. And so, They hear the gospel people are friendly. They people speak to him. They feel like they're filled. The children are safe. They get a gift for that church. Really cares about people. That's what they all say. And that's what you want. First time. Guess to say. All right, then. You was, and I put this, use the VIP meet-and-greet, some churches that are larger sometimes after the service. If any visitors want to, they can visit with the pastor and his wife or something like that. And some Churches have like little Look, like little donut holes, you know, where something for me and little a little, you know, some juice you no drink or something like that. Just but our church, you know, course we can't do that because we don't have the facility to do that. But that's just what I'm saying. If you, if you ever grow or anyting you can meet with the visitors after the church and just have a little something there for them, you know, something if they have any question or things like that, that would be well on down the road. And then p. Practice the 210 Rule. And what that is is if we have visitors when the service is over. You spend 10 minutes speaking with two people that you haven't spoke to you. I just have 10 minutes, you know, if you just five minutes a person or 3 minutes, a person. I just said 10, it could be a to April to set whatever but just go to two people and do that. That way the church just doesn't empty out when the service is over cuz like I said before you have a church service and when the final amen and said and everyone is gone within five minutes. There's a problem in the church. Somebody don't like each other. If that happens, you know, you need to Fellowship gather around and listen to a sermon by Adrian Rogers us. He said the most important factor in a church. He says, is Joy. He said that church needs to be. Joyful. Is that Jesus said that? You're that, you may have my joy and that your joy may be full. So our church needs to be a joyful church and a joyful Church interacts and hangs out when the service is over and talk and fellowship. That's what you want, visitors to see. All right, any any questions there at all?

I think, I think that would be great. But I just feel like we need to have get some people come in before we do that because if you don't, it's just going to be us eating, which is fine. I mean, is nothing wrong with that, but it takes effort. Somebody's got to cook at, somebody's got to be here. You get some more people coming. If you have a big crowd and you have some big lot of children's programs and things on that, on Wednesday night. People get off work. They rush home to get the children might be a great thing if they could come here and get something to eat or something like that, you know, but we need, I think some more people before, you know that we can do that. But that is that is a good idea and then and then people want to be treated. Like we said, we'll give them, you know, just a small little gift, the book in the pen or something like that.

And you are so people will see that their wonted and that we are a Friendly Church. Mama, my phone is out of white. What time do y'all have?

747. Okay. All right. So we will we will close it right there tonight and will pick up next week on the cleanliness factors it. So I think, as you can see as we move through here, when it comes to this emulation.

You know, we're going to need some folks who can, you know, in her stuff in the computer to keep up with the gas that we have whether their first time second time or third time guest. And so we got where we're going to need to enter that in there. And and so, you know that we can all see it. And so that everyone knows when to send somebody's going to have to send, you know, a thank you note on Monday. The pastor needs to send something by Thursday, you know, just little things like that. If it's a process it's we need a system to go by in this is our simulation system and will continue this next Wednesday, Amy. All right, let's pray. Father. We thank you and praise you. Love you tonight, Lord. The Lord, as we tried to do the right thing as we tried to show love to people in this community, Lord. I pray right now that we will continue to be a pray in church and pray and people Lord. I just already we we we know of two people in our lives right now, that does not know Christ that we could start praying for the Lord. Help us to start doing that. Help us as a church to become invite Lord help us to be excited about what you're doing in our own life. And what you going to do in our church. Lord help us to step out in faith, and maybe do some things and try some things that we've never done before. But Lord. We want to say that we will never compromise your word. No matter what we do or we going to preach the gospel to men as they are in the gospel as it is in or we will not compromise, but Lord, help us to be a loving sharing. Joyful Church forcing Christ name. I pray. Amen.