Across Alabama: Imagine What If …” was the theme of the 2010 State Evangelism Conference, held at Vaughn Forest Baptist Church, Montgomery, Feb. 22–23.
But it was more than a theme — it was a big underscore to the Across Alabama initiative kicking off March 20.
And it was featured during the Great Commission Ministries track the first day of the conference. The breakout sessions focusing on Across Alabama offered help for those participating in the six-week initiative that challenges churches to take the gospel to everyone in Alabama by Easter.
Across Alabama is part of the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) God’s Plan for Sharing (GPS), with the goal of “Every believer sharing, every person hearing by 2020.”
Mike McLemore, executive director of Birmingham Baptist Association, led an Across Alabama session describing how the initiative will work and how it fits into the overall mission of GPS.
“Dr. Rick Lance (executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, SBOM) has called it a decade to make a difference,” he said, noting that 73 of the state’s 75 associations have signed up to take part in the initiative.
“We’ve got to get our people back to doing some very basic things … what the Lord has called us to do … making disciples,” McLemore said. “That’s what this 10-year emphasis is about … turning that trend around … but we’re not talking about numbers but about lives.”
Beginning with four biblical markers, McLemore went through the four GPS stages Alabama Baptists will use during the initiative.
• Praying. Getting every church mobilized to pray for the lost.
• Engaging. Getting every believer equipped to share the gospel and engaged in his or her community.
• Sowing. Making sure every lost person in North America receives a full gospel witness.
• Harvesting. Getting every church harvesting and celebrating every salvation result.
These four stages will take place on these specific dates:
• March 20: Prayer walk every street and every home within a three to five mile radius of the church.
• March 27: Leave gospel materials — the SBOM recommends using Find It Here, a NAMB resource — on the door handle of every home. These should be left at the homes that were prayed for the week before.
• April 4: Hold Easter Sunday harvest and invite those in the community, especially those in the three to five mile radius, to attend.
“You want to have a dynamic worship service planned,” McLemore said. “Make sure you have greeters at the doors, and have some people out in the parking lot to greet and point them to the door.
“Do your very best; have your very best face on,” he added.
• April 5–May 2: Follow up with those who visited on Easter.
Sonya Tucker, an associate in the SBOM office of discipleship and family ministries, was leading a session called Across Alabama: After the Harvest, Now What?
Tucker focused on how to do follow-up so that first-time visitors will become members.
“I love event evangelism,” she said. “But I believe the event is not over until we do the follow-up.”
At the Easter service, Tucker suggests asking visitors to fill out a card and take it to a guest table where they can receive a free gift, such as a New Testament, magazine or book. Then use the information on the card to contact the visitor and thank them for coming.
Tucker suggested contact be made in the first 36 hours, 96 hours, two weeks, one month and three months.
Suggestions for follow-up during these times include e-mail, phone call, hand-written letter, visit and invitation to another church event.
“Research says that if you don’t reach a first-time visitor within six weeks, then you’ve lost them,” Tucker said.
The reason that Across Alabama is so important is because “people are looking for a message of hope and what a [good] time to deliver the message of hope,” McLemore said.
For more information on Across Alabama and GPS or to order the “Find It Here” gospel materials, visit www.alsbom.org or call the SBOM office of evangelism at 1-800-264-1225, Ext. 320.
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