The Columbia Union ended a two-year emphasis on evangelism in fall of 2018. Throughout this time, churches across the union hosted meetings and placed an emphasis on evangelism in our communities, celebrating 1,287 baptisms and professions of faith in 2018 alone.
As part of this emphasis, Columbia Union President Dave Weigley preached two series of meetings, one in Mountain View Conference’s Cumberland and Frostburg church district in 2017 and another in Chesapeake Conference’s Hagerstown (Md.) church in 2018. “It was so encouraging to see so many people from the community attend these meetings; there is a hunger for the Word of God in our world today,” he says.
In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey promoted a principle to be considered by every leader and organization. It was called “First Things First.” Through this idea, he advocated for leaders to focus on what would advance the mission of an organization. “Putting first things first means organizing and executing around your most important priorities,” Covey wrote. “It is living and being driven by the principles you value most, not by the agendas and forces surrounding you.”