Related Topics
'Find it Here' Inspires Creative Outreach, Ministry Partnerships
10/06/2009
BOWLING GREEN - As Kentucky Baptists prepare for the Find it Here evangelism campaign next spring, many are already working together to creatively reach out to the communities through servant evangelism.
The Warren Association of Baptists used servant evangelism for its recent kickoff of “Find it Here.”
About two dozen congregations participated in “One Great Day,” which focused on serving others. Though most did projects Sept. 26, several postponed them a week because of heavy rains.
“‘Find it Here’ is a tool,” said Jeff Crabtree, Warren’s director of missions. “We’re building off of it and looking at the next two years.”
Despite the bad weather, churches completed such tasks as cleaning up community parks and homeowners’ gutters, building handicapped ramps, sponsoring yard sales and giving away food and clothing.
One erected a walking track for an elementary school. Two others went through schools to wipe down everything as protection against the H1N1 flu virus.
Four churches—White Stone Quarry, Clear Fork, Providence Knob and Cedar Bluff—banded together to hold a yard sale at Rockfield Elementary School.
“Our purpose was to show the love of Christ and spread the gospel,” said Alan Brumback, pastor of White Stone Quarry. “The best thing was four churches that never worked together before worked together smoothly. It’s like we were one church.”
The 110 volunteers also did face painting and distributed gospel tracts and free food, serving 125 families.
The four churches held a joint worship service six days before the yard sale, helping them appreciate that it was a “kingdom” event ultimately aimed at sharing the gospel, Brumback said.
“Overall, I think the strategy is causing churches to be more intentional,” the pastor said of “Find it Here.” “It will open some doors to get people out doing ministry.”
“These efforts are deliberate attempts to connect the “Find it Here” theme with these touches in the name of Christ,” said Larry Baker, KBC new work and associational missions director. “We pray that these acts of kindness will be recalled when someone receives the “Find it Here” bag next spring, and that will encourage them to pull the brochure out and read about Jesus.”
Though the rain forced Meadow Land Baptist Church to move its community cookout into the fellowship hall, Pastor Charles Talley said they helped 70 families with free food and clothing.
In addition, two people who attended returned the next day and rededicated their lives to Christ.
Both the cookout and the spiritual activity that followed helped spread awareness of “Find it Here,” Talley said.
“It’s getting our church excited again, especially when they see people coming back to the Lord,” he said. “Our church is coming together around the great mission of seeing people saved and lives changed.”
At the association’s annual meeting Sept. 29, churches received their “Find it Here” prayerwalking assignments and plans for gospel brochure distribution next March.
Crabtree said 40 of his 47 churches have committed to participating in the campaign, which he sees accomplishing great things.
“We want to think strategically,” the missions director said. “If we’re not thinking strategically about it, we’re just playing church.”
“Find it Here” is receiving a rousing send-off in other areas. The Christian County Baptist Association has adopted it as its evangelism theme for the coming year, according to Director of Missions Bobby Melton.
Signs advertising it have already appeared at various events, such as festivals, block parties, vacation Bible schools and a recent youth rally in Hopkinsville.
The rally featured the “Real Encounter” motorcycle-stunt riding team and led to 100 decisions to follow Christ.
“We’re just looking at all the ways we can get out in our community,” Melton said. “We put out ‘Find it Here’ signs at the county fair and had a witnessing booth set up right off the midway. We had several people make professions of faith.”
October marks the second month of the association’s “Find it Here” prayerwalks, following up on spiritual activity that began last spring with eight weeks of witness training.
Taught by Darrell Crawford, pastor of LaFayette Baptist Church, the sessions attracted 65 people.
“That was to get folks prepared to be about sharing their faith,” Melton said. “Most people aren’t afraid to share their faith, they’re just not sure how to get started. If they get started, the Holy Spirit takes over and does the rest.”
The association also spotlighted “Find it Here” at its annual meeting Sept. 28 and on its web site.
In addition, some churches are playing off the theme during ongoing servant evangelism projects.
“To me, ‘Find it Here’ has re-ignited that spark of evangelism,” Melton said. “We’re going to keep the fires burning.
“The other day a director of missions asked, ‘What if we don’t reach all of Kentucky?’ I said, ‘If we only reach 60 percent that’s 60 percent more than we reached last year.”
“Find it Here” is a major evangelistic push aimed at helping Kentucky Baptists fulfill the Great Commission in the state by sharing the gospel with up to 1.5 million households. Some 50,000 volunteers from the more than 2,400 Kentucky Baptist churches will be delivering a bag with a gospel presentation and brochure from their church to the homes in their area. More information is available at www.kybaptist.org/findithere.
The Kentucky Baptist Convention is a cooperative missions and ministry organization made up of nearly 2.400 autonomous Baptist churches in Kentucky. A variety of state and worldwide ministries are coordinated through its administrative offices in Louisville, including: missions work, disaster relief, ministry training and support, church development, evangelism and more. For more, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Release prepared by Ken Walker, KBC Communications
