Jeff Meyers, pastor of First Baptist Church in Conyers, Ga., baptizes 8-year-old Becca Wildmon. Meyers joined more than 20 other pastors for this Stone Mountain Baptist Association-wide baptism service. Photo by Adam Miller Gary Favors, associate pastor of Emmanuel Community Church in Conyers, Ga., baptizes Maxine Harris also of Conyers, Ga., who came to Christ earlier this year as a result of the outreach of friends after reading some GPS material left at her home. Photo by Adam Miller Michael Galdamez, pastor of Zion Baptist Church in Covington, Ga., prepares 9-year-old Abigail Bragg for baptism in one of two pools in the First Baptist Conyers parking lot. More than 20 churches participated in a group baptism event at First Baptist Church in Conyers, Ga., baptizing 39, many of which represent the work of local congregations’ God’s Plan for Sharing outreach efforts. Photo by Adam Miller
I am often reminded of my own spiritual journey. I received Christ as a rebellious teenager sitting in a jail cell at age 17. Most of those who had the greatest influence on my decision to follow Christ were Southern Baptists, so I naturally wanted to attend church with them. I chose to be a Southern Baptist for three reasons:
Once again, Southern Baptists have accepted the challenge to reach North America with the Gospel. God’s Plan for Sharing is very simply a dream—every believer sharing, every person hearing. To put it even more succinctly, GPS is the vision of fulfilling the Great Commission in North America by 2020. Just like the Bold Mission Thrust a generation ago—GPS is an audacious vision! Over the last year it has been a thrill to watch pastors as they hear about GPS: Across North America for the first time. The response is overwhelming. They want to join other believers and churches in being a part of a God sized vision.
The first step on this 10-year GPS journey is called “Across North America.” The goal is to reach every home in the United States and Canada through prayerwalking, Gospel distribution, as well as an invitation to attend church on Easter 2010. It is the first of six two-year campaigns that will carry GPS through 2020.
Across North America in 2010 consists of four simple things:
One small step for man, one giant leap for Southern Baptists
I’m often asked, how can something so simple make such a big difference? When you get God’s people to do God things, He shows up and makes a huge kingdom difference.
A great example is a church that participated in one of four GPS pilot projects this spring. At the time they were running about 300 in Bible study. The pastor had lost his vision and the church was in decline. Seventy-five members joined the pastor in prayerwalking the community. As they prayerwalked, God broke their hearts for their community and a new vision was born. Instead of just hanging the bags on the doors, the members engaged lost people in the community as God opened doors for conversation.
The vision didn’t stop there; those who participated began to recognize opportunities to share the gospel in their circles of influence. To make a long story short, they had their largest attendance in 10 years on Easter Sunday and baptized 19 people. When God’s people do God things, He shows up in amazing ways!
Imagine what would happen if 50,000 Southern Baptist churches and missions joined hands and hearts and did Across North America together! We would touch every home in North America with the Gospel, millions would begin relationships with Christ, families would be restored, and communities and churches would be transformed. Mark recorded the Great Commission in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” If we all worked together this coming Easter, the Great Commission just might be fulfilled in North America.
The call for urgency and simplicity
Tim Sanders captures the spirit of GPS: Across North America in his best seller, “Saving the World at Work.” Sanders recalls the story of Steve who heard Tim’s challenge, “If there are people in your life who are important to you, and you haven’t given them sufficient recognition in the last three months, shame on you. If you have reduced your relationships to e-mail threads, shame on you.”
Steve managed nine engineers and felt guilty about the lack of personal interaction he had with his reports. Though he worked in the same building, he rarely spoke to them face to face and hadn’t shared a word of encouragement with any of them since their last performance appraisal. Steve made a commitment to change. He met with all nine of his engineers and shared a word of praise for something related to their job performance. He also encouraged them for something in their personal lives and then related to them how much he appreciated them as individuals.
Two days after Steve’s round of encouragement Lenny entered Steve’s cubicle with a gift: an Xbox along with a video game. Steve was thrilled but wandered how Lenny could afford such a lavish gift. He was stunned when Lenny told him, “I sold my chrome-plated 9mm semiautomatic.” He continued, “I’ve worked here two years, and if I died, you would only find out from payroll…that’s how disconnected I thought you were from me…I don’t have a single friend in the company.”
Lenny said his only friend was the Internet, and it was there he found the “suicide chat rooms.” Lenny had started a three-month process of preparing himself to pull the trigger on the chrome-plated gun.
“I was almost there…then the other day…you came into my cubicle,” Lenny whispered. “You told me, ‘Lenny, I’m glad you came into my life.’ ”
That very day, Lenny sold the gun and bought the Xbox. With tears streaming down his face he said, “Sir, in exchange for my life, my soul, this gift is for you.”
GPS: Across North America and the story of Steve and Lenny are alike. They call for urgency and simplicity. There are Lennys all around us—they are our family, friends, co-workers and neighbors. Their need is urgent and not complicated. They quickly need a word of encouragement and the simple message of the Gospel. May God use GPS: Across North America to move Southern Baptists to live and share with urgency! This is the first step of what will be one of the most exciting journeys we as Southern Baptists will every take. To find out how you and your church can take part visit www.gps2020.net.
Jerry Pipes is team leader for NAMB’s Prayer and Spiritual Awakening Team.