The community prayer walks and door-to-door visits that define the God’s Plan for Sharing (GPS): Across North America evangelism campaign make it an intensely local effort in one sense. But online social networking makes it feel as if Southern Baptists are all in it together.
Across North America includes a coordinated advertising campaign that began in most areas March 15. Most of the ground activity began the weekend of March 20 with prayer walking and March 27 with door-to-door distribution of Find it Here materials inviting people to Easter services at Southern Baptist churches across the continent.
For Across Alabama, the story is no different.
“Larry Roberts has joined with others from Bethel to pray for over 600 family dwellings in our community,” Roberts, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, Newton, posted on his Facebook page March 20.
Just a few days prior, he used the same outlet to remind his Facebook network and Dale Baptist Association church of the prayer-walk/drive event and the importance of praying for Easter services just around the bend.
“Our little church of Fourmile has already prayed over our area, and our bags are packed and ready to be delivered,” Renee’ Jones Wilder, a member of Fourmile Baptist Church, Wilsonville, in Shelby Baptist Association, reported March 24 on The Alabama Baptist Facebook fan page.
Never before have people had the opportunity of sharing their experiences so broadly in real time in conjunction with a coordinated campaign that includes more than 25,000 television ads, more than 7,000 radio spots, print ads, billboards, yard signs and banners, as well as 17 million pieces of literature to be distributed to households across the continent.
The Find It Here Facebook fan page has garnered more than 1,000 “fans” and offers sharable links to www.FinditHere.com as well as encouragement and support for volunteers.
Twitter also allows Southern Baptists a chance to link “followers” to the Find It Here Web site — in 140 characters or less.
“Join us in praying that God uses the Across Alabama effort for a great harvest!” the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (@alsbom) encouraged its Twitter followers.
Pastors are also using Twitter to offer encouragement to their members.
“Across Alabama GPS initiative is not for bringing people to church. It is about bringing them to JESUS,” wrote Mark Wood (@markwood40), pastor of First Baptist Church, Fultondale.
Denny McClendon (@dennymcclendon), pastor of Liberty Hill Baptist Church, Horton, told his Twitter followers, “The world knows what Southern Baptists are against. Across Alabama [is] the opportunity to share with them what we are for — Jesus Christ.”
To spur even more discussion, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) is inviting people to share their experiences at www.namb.net/GPSstories.
Posts can be conventional written stories, or users can pull out their mobile phone or Web cam to create a video report.
“It’s easier than ever for Southern Baptists to join the conversation about our shared mission, and we just thought this would be a good opportunity to see if we could help make that happen,” said Mike Ebert, team leader for communications at NAMB.
A Google map showing locations of published stories also is featured on the NAMB site.
The Alabama Baptist is taking updates on its Facebook fan page (The Alabama Baptist newspaper) and Twitter (@alabamabaptist). (BP, TAB)
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