Atlanta Baptists reaching out to sports fans

Atlanta Baptists reaching out to sports fans

ATLANTA – As thousands of sports fans descend on Atlanta for Super Bowl XXIV, they are finding metro Atlanta Baptists as part of the enthusiastic crowd.

Volunteers from nine metro Atlanta associations are sharing the gospel in a variety of ways this week from staffing hotel information booths to helping fans play interactive games at the “NFL Experience” in the Georgia World Congress Center to distributing evangelistic sports magazines.

The ministry spreads across eight days and began Jan. 22.

To kick off the outreach, the parking lot at Turner Field was turned into a block party with volunteers distributing 15,000 bags of groceries to the needy. About 700 volunteers staffed the event, “Operation Blessing-Supper Bowl,” sponsored by the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Joel Harrison, director of missions for the Atlanta Baptist Association, said Metro Atlanta Baptists will also be hosting 183 viewing sites for area churches and homes. The gatherings will include the showing of a halftime video in which Christian athletes share their faith.

Harrison said 168,000 copies of Sports Spectrum, an evangelistic sports magazine, have been distributed to churches for use during the weeklong emphasis, as part of a partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board.