Into the Streets

By Richard Harris

In January 2010, Southern Baptists will embark on an exciting road to a renewed evangelism endeavor, which will further show our commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission. This national evangelism emphasis is calledAcross North America.This theme is being used to mobilize our church members. The national media theme of Find It Here is designed to present a gospel message in the language of the culture to the unchurched and unbelievers, and directs those receiving the message to a website with a more in-depth Gospel presentation and resources (www.findithere.com). BothAcross North AmericaandFind it Hereare part of the extended national Southern Baptist evangelism initiative of GPS (God’s Plan for Sharing):Every Believer Sharing, Every Person Hearing by 2020.

Across North Americais designed to get Christians “off the seats and into the streets” prayerwalking, ministering, going door-to-door delivering a packet of evangelism materials along with a personal invitation to attend a local church on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010. Our prayer is these individuals will attend a local church and will receive a warm welcome, build positive relationships with Christians, and hear a powerful presentation of the Gospel.

The four essential components for each church to use in implementingAcross North Americaare praying, engaging, sowing and harvesting. These components are applied and implemented with an extremely simple and transferable strategy. This allows any Christian and any size church to participate.

ForAcross North Americato be successful, our church members must be trained and mobilized to share their faith one-on-one with the unchurched and unbelievers. The effectiveness of this evangelism initiative depends on Southern Baptists feeling a renewed burden for the 255 million in North America who have no personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They must be willing to cross cultural, racial, religious and ethnic barriers to encounter those without Christ. These believers must acquire the deep conviction that “…the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation...” (Romans 1:16). With this conviction and commitment to the power of the Word, our church members will be empowered to share a personal witness with neighbors, classmates, business associates, and yes, even strangers!

The Great Commission will not be fulfilled until Christians grasp what the Lord said to us in II Corinthians 5:18, 19 (NIV) “…God, whoreconciledus to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…and He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” Reconcile means to bring into right relationship. The Lord has commissioned every believer to be a minister or ambassador to help bring unbelievers into a right relationship with Christ. As a friend of mine says, “We don’t need to sit around waiting on an impression when we have already been given a commission!” So let’s join hearts and hands goingAcross North Americadoing all we can, to bring as many as we can, as long as we can, into a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

Richard Harris is Interim President at the North American Mission Board.