Lookout Association area churches join for crusade

Lookout Association area churches join for crusade

The cliché “big gifts come in small packages” held true through one areawide crusade. Though the small package was Lookout Mountain Baptist Association, the big gift was the work of the Holy Spirit.

“God is still working in the small associations. He’s still dealing with individuals, and we’re glad to be a part of His plan,” said Lookout Mountain’s evangelism director Gary Sarratt. The 17 churches of Lookout Mountain Association, along with First Baptist Church of Sandrock, gathered April 1-5 for the crusade, “Jesus Christ: The Real Answer for Real Problems,” held at Sandrock High School.

The Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions helped fund the crusade. “They were very generous in lending their support,” Sarratt said.

The crusade was the brainchild of Sarratt, who planned the crusade for more than two years. He organized the event with the help of a committee. “It looked like the Great Commission needed to be carried out,” Sarratt said. “I thought, ‘We’ve got to evangelize,’ and God revealed this to me.”

“Our evangelism director and the committee were the reason for the crusade’s success,” said Lookout Mountain director of missions Wendell Dutton. Roger Willmore, pastor of First Baptist Church, Weaver, served as the crusade preacher, while other guests shared testimonies throughout the week.

Jonathan Richey, currently the number one quarterback for The University of Alabama (UA); former UA standout football player Chad Gross and Daniel Cook, a coach and teacher at Sandrock High School, were some of the guest speakers during the event.

“When [Richey] came to the platform the youth dropped everything on their minds and directed all their attention to him,” Dutton said. A preservice concert of about 30 minutes was held each night. Performers included southern gospel group Providence and praise group Someday Heaven. A choir comprised of children from Lookout Mountain churches also performed.

“The crusade demonstrated that we are able to do some things we didn’t think we could. This should set the stage for greater developments in the future,” Sarratt said.