Stretching the Church

This past weekend marked a major milestone in the life of the America Bless God Campaign. It was over seven years ago that I first had a vision for the re-evangelization of the United States. This past weekend that vision became a reality.

Four churches in Rockdale, the Singles Ministry / Brazilian Mission Team from Great Baptist Church in Austin, and the America Bless God Campaign teamed up to bring evangelism and discipleship to Rockdale. On Friday night, folks attended the basketball team to support the home team. NFL Pro and International PowerTeam member, Keith Davis was on hand.

Saturday morning teams of two or three were sent out to knock on doors in Rockdale. The teams were telling folks about the PowerRally, praying/ministering to people, and sharing the Gospel of Christ. Many great testimonies were heard after the morning visits.

On Saturday evening, approximately 150 people gathered in the stands of the local Junior High gym to see Keith Davis and Joe Reed. They heard the gospel Celebration Choir from Great Hills and Randy Stripling. The gospel was preached in its simplicity and power. Cheers for Jesus were heard throughout the nights, and out of that small crowd, over 24 decisions for Christ were made. The power of the gospel is amazing. And the local churches are ready to disciple those that made decisions. Meadowbrook has been training with the First Steps material.

As I reflect on the weekend I see churches that were stretched into the realm were Jesus calls us to operate. While the Brazilian missions team from Austin is familiar and great at missions in Brazil, yet Rockdale is more like evangelizing in your own backyard. The local Rockdale pastors saw a genuine pursuit of the Great Commission. The local Rockdale church members engaged in something that is not common, and something that can be scary to do in your own home town.

I am so grateful for pastors Rick Hertless and Tim Moore. I am also grateful for Meadowbrook Baptist, Rockdale Christian, St. John's UMC and First Christian Church; all of Rockdale. It was inspiring to see some many eager to engage the community and simply amazing to see such a large percentage of the PowerRally crowd make a decision.

For me this is the beginning of the fulfillment of a prayer and a vision God placed in my heart seven years ago. The wonders of His working are mysterious and beautiful. People are very interested in pursuing simple efforts for the future. Let us be faithful in doing as He has commanded.

God Save the U.S.A.

Churches Partner to Reach Rockdale

Pastors Rick Hertless and Tim Moore are working together to advance the gospel in America. Pastor Rick leads Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Rockdale, and Pastor Tim Moore is the Singles Pastor and Missions Director at Great Hills Baptist in Austin. As a apart of the Commit to His Bride program, Great Hills and Meadowbrook are bringing an athletic mission to Rockdale in January 2009.

The singles ministry of Great Hills will be attending a Friday night basketball game, sharing testimonies about Christ on Saturday, and inviting folks to see and hear a former pro athlete at a Saturday night Community of Faith event. Please pray for this event and call or email us to learn how you can help the Commit to His Bride program.

America Bless God

Commit to His Bride Unveiled

Continuing education and on-the-job training are no foreigners to ministry efforts. We've been working and serving in the America Bless God Campaign for three years, and always we are learning new things, and are open to the changes needed to serve our Lord better.

One of the lessons we learned has led to the launch of a more focused ministry effort in Rockdale, which will serve as a template for going forward. We had billboards in Rockdale for almost two years, and those billboards did their job. Now, we know how to make them work better.

The Commit to His Bride program will launch in Rockdale this January. We're combining a 90 day ad blitz with missions teams on the ground in an effort to strengthen the churches of Rockdale. Learn more about Commit to His Bride and find out how you can be a part of "Commit to His Bride".

Watch the Commit to His Bride video