y father was the master gardener in our family. About this time every year, he would sit in his easy chair and pour over the seed catalogs, thumbing through each one and marking items of interest.

These catalogs offered beautiful photographs of flowers, vegetables and fruit trees in full bloom. During the cold Missouri winters, they offered hope for the future. The frozen, often snow-covered, ground would, in a few months, become soft and pliable, yielding gorgeous flowers and delicious fruits and vegetables that would find their way to our dining room table.

After marking the catalogs he would move to the table. Out would come pads of graph paper, and he would begin the process of plotting that summers garden.

Hed mark rows of leaf lettuce, spinach, onions, green beans, peppers, tomatoes and hills of squash. I was always interested in his plans, because I knew my brother and I would join him when the weather permitted. Wed till the ground, plant the seed and plants, fertilize, water, mulch and weed the garden and battle the insects. Eventually wed harvest the crops. This was an act of love that led us to even keep a hive of bees to aid pollination. But the work always began in the middle of winter with the arrival of the catalogs around the first of the year.

The beginning of the calendar year was also our familys occasion for setting annual

resolutions ... a natural time for personal introspection and evaluation. How was my physical life? Did I need more exercise?

I also evaluated my spiritual life. How was my quiet time? Bible reading? Intercessory prayer life? Whom did I need to tell of the hope that the gospel brings?

Just as Dad planned ahead for the harvest he hoped for at summers end, a new year is a good time for us to think strategically about how we might build bridges for the gospel.

There will be times when we will plant gospel seeds and other times when we will nurture relationships (water, weed and mulch) but ultimately God will give the increase. At the beginning of a new millennium, consider these 12 ideas for renewing a commitment to personal evangelism in your life (1 Corinthians 3:6).

Lighthouses of Prayer
Consider making your home a Lighthouse of Prayer. This is two or more believers uniting together for the purpose of intentionally praying for, caring about and sharing the gospel with people in their neighborhood. Begin the year with a focus on identifying and praying for lost colleagues and neighbors.

Make a list of people in your circle of acquaintances who need to hear the gospel. Consider offering a neighborhood Bible study in your home especially designed to share the gospel with lost neighbors. At the very least, begin the New Year intentionally praying for unchurched family and friends.

Act now
For an individual or church Lighthouse Kit, contact HOPE Ministries at 800-217-5200. Order an "On Mission as a Lighthouse of Prayer" brochure from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) Customer Service Center, 800-448-8032, or fax, 615-251-5983. Also ask for an On Mission Prayer Map, which offers a helpful guide to praying for U.S. states and Canadian provinces, government and mission leaders, missionary personnel and countries around the world that are virtually untouched by the gospel (ISBN 0840046423).

Acts of kindness
February is known as the "love month." As an expression of love for your community, consider doing various acts of kindness. My own church sponsored acts of kindness within our churchs community, such as delivering free light bulbs to homes within a certain radius of our church along with the reminder that Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12). On another occasion, members volunteered to serve at a local grocery store to help patrons carry their sacks to their cars. These servant evangelism opportunities gave us the opportunity to offer a word of hope to each person. Other acts of kindness include delivering bottles of water to homes along with an appropriate scripture such as John 4:13-14.

Act now
Often, churches sponsor multiple acts of kindness as part of an event known as a Kindness Explosion. "Servant evangelism," says Carol Baker, NAMB Missions Opportunities and Events associate, "is a combination of simple acts of kindness with intentional personal evangelism." What can you do in your neighborhood? What acts of kindness can your church perform? Make a list now. Call 770-410-6427 for information about Kindness Explosions.

By all means!
Think about the ways your church can use media to further spread the gospel. Consider radio, cable access televisionits free and easy to get in most placescommunity newspapers, the Internet, billboards or yard signs. Be creative and team with other churches in your area to pool resources if necessary.

Act now
Mediating the Message (the 2000 North American Mission Study) is a church resource kit that will help you become personally involved in using media to spread Christ. Call 800-448-8032, or fax 615-251-5983 to order. The kit offers specific ways children, youth and adults can play a role in using media. If you dont need the entire kit, order the book, Mediating the Message.

Evangelizing at Easter
Easter (April 23, 2000) is a natural time to point people to the gospel. Consider unique ways to involve unchurched neighbors and friends in your congregations Easter services. Many churches plan special music pageants with multiple presentations during this season. Some offer neighborhood children an evangelistic Easter egg hunt in which the fun involves hunting for plastic eggs with scriptures tucked inside that point the kids (and their parents) to the real message of Easter. Still others enlist the assistance of apartment managers to hold special Easter weekend events targeting children and youthall proclaiming the truth of the gospel rather than simply reinforcing the secular idea that Easter is about bunnies. If none of these ideas fits your situation, consider hosting an evangelistic block party around Easter with your church as sponsor.

Act now
Make the commitment that this Easter will not pass by before you have that conversation about your faithalong with an invitation to churchwith your neighbor or coworker. Make a list of at least three people you will share with.

Plan a summer evangelistic event
Volunteer at your church to conduct a summer event that is intentionally evangelistic. It could be an evangelistic Vacation Bible School, a backyard Bible club, a health fair, a neighborhood Bible study or a block party. Build into your plans a way to share the gospel, even if you are drawing people into your church for blood pressure screenings (health fair).

Events such as these require preparationselecting the project, ordering the curriculum materials, gathering supplies and recruiting other helpers. Make your list in advance. May is not too early to plan a major summer event.

Act now
For helpful evangelism project plans try these books: Meeting Needs Sharing Christ by Donald A. Atkinson and Charles L. Roesel, available from LifeWay Christian Resources (800-448-8032) or Faith Works by Joyce Martin, available from the Womans Missionary Union (800-968-7301).

Resort outreach
Americans love to vacation. If you live in a resort community or plan to visit one this summer, think about how youon your own or with other Christianscan reach vacationers with the gospel. People on vacation typically have more time to talk and are moving at a less hectic pace. What better time to meet the Prince of Peace than when youre seeking some R&R? Be intentional about sharing the gospel with those you meet while on vacation. Turn your vacation into your on mission project.

Act now
For ideas about how to share Christ in a resort setting, order Working with People in Resort Settings from NAMB (800-448-8032).

World Changers
World Changers is a life-changing week of ministry and evangelism for Christian students and adults who participate. They have opportunities to meet the physical and spiritual needs of others through practical learning experiences of servanthood and personal commitment to missions. While doing repair work on houses located throughout North America (and around the world through the International Mission Board), participants can share the gospel with people they help. Projects are planned for students and their sponsors. Community projects are also planned in which children, youth and adults work together to share Christ while performing ministry projects ranging from light construction to organizing food and clothing closets.

Act now
Register early for projects scheduled for the year 2000. Contact World Changers registration (800-462-8657, ext. 6470) and ask for a World Changers 2000 projects brochure. Read it carefully. Involve other Christians from your church.

The world in our back yard
Cultural and religious diversity exists in nearly every community today. There are an estimated 6.5 million Jews in North America. Islam is growing rapidly and is estimated to total 5.6 million adherents. Buddhists and Hindus total more than 1 million each and groups such as Mormons (5.1 million) and Jehovahs Witnesses (1.1 million) also populate the communities in which we live.

Act now
What interfaith groups exist in your community? Contact your local or state Southern Baptist offices for assistance (your church office will have the phone numbers). Many state Baptist offices provide special evangelism training targeting different faith groups. Contact NAMB at 770-410-6322 for more information.

School days
September is back-to-school month for many people and their churches. Consider becoming involved in a youth-related evangelism project. See You at the Pole, ACTS Revolution and other campus events and organizations will allow you to help support and encourage students standing up for their faith.

Act now
Other age groups may, however, be a priority for you and your church. If so, consider beginning a new Sunday morning Bible study geared toward people in your community who dont know Christ. Volunteer to host it, organize it, publicize it or teach it. Share your vision with others. Involve them in the ministry of this new group. Start today.

Halloween evangelism
Many Christians are developing creative ways of turning Halloween into an evangelistic event. Some people carve crosses into pumpkins then light a candle inside and shine a simple witness to neighbors who come trick or treating. My own church provides scripture tracts and colorful handouts about our church, which we give out to the children along with candy.

Act now
Today many parents accompany their trick or treaters around the neighborhood. This provides you the opportunity to take a few extra minutes and meet the parents of the children who come to your door.

If you give children a tract or church handout along with the candy, tell the parents. Youll begin to build a relationship with them as you share the gospel. (See "The harvest at your door," September-October 1999.)

Thanksgiving prayerwalk
This month offers an excellent opportunity to continue building relationships with neighbors and colleagues for whom you are praying. Consider inviting a person with no family nearby (perhaps a single adult) or an entire family to your home for Thanksgiving dinner. Tell them why you and your family are so thankfulbecause of the life you have in Christ.

In recent years, prayerwalking has become a creative, new method for interceding for neighbors, communities, schools and even whole towns. Intercessors walk through their neighborhoods, praying both silently and aloud for their neighbors. Some have followed Gods leading to distant lands to intercede for non-Christians living there. The deacons in my church conducted a prayerwalk in our community as a means of preparing for a fall revival.

Act now
Keep alert to the Holy Spirits guidance. Feel free to pray silently or aloud as you walk. Use the time for praise, worship and intercession. When you meet a neighbor, if appropriate, say that you will pray for them. Find out if they have any special prayer requests. It may be possible for you to pray with them right then. Be sensitive to share the gospel whenever you have the opportunity. Taking Prayer to the Streets, Prayer Journeys Resource Kit is available from NAMB (800-448-8032).

Reaching out at Christmas
Take advantage of the Christmas season to tell those who come into your home about Gods greatest gift, sending His Son to give us life through his death and resurrection. Turn Christmas letters to family and friends into faith-sharing opportunities. (For specific ideas, see "Holiday letters," November-December, 1999.)

Act now
Your church can join arms with an overseas missionary team to pray for the salvation of lost people around the world. The International Mission Board (IMB) sponsors two strategic partnership options for Southern Baptists willing to commit to persistent prayer. Contact the IMBs PeopleLink at 877-462-4721. PRAYERplus (888-462-7729) specifically partners Southern Baptists who want to pray for smaller, hidden people groups who have not yet heard the gospel. Churches making this commitment will begin by praying that the people will become open to the gospel. When God answers that prayer, prayer partners will be joined through PrayerLink with missionaries who respond to the openness with an evangelistic witness.

hatever ways you seek to share Christ in 2000, remember that though you may plant some seeds and water and nurture others, it is God who gives the increase.

May the New Year be one in which you become more intimately acquainted with your Heavenly Father through intentional prayer for lost family, friends, colleagues and lost people around the world. And may the year be marked by a renewed commitment to evangelism in our lives.

Wally Buckner lives in Atlanta.