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FROM THE STATES: Mo., Tenn., Calif. evangelism/missions news; 'We have experienced a move of God ... in our church and community'

Today's From the States features items from: The Pathway (Missouri) Baptist & Reflector (Tennessee) California Southern Baptist

Sowing God's Word Transforms Our Communities By Mark Snowden

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (The Pathway) -- Missouri Baptists are being challenged to distribute God's Word this year as they engage the lost in servant evangelism projects. Light Up Missouri is a two-year initiative to transform communities with God's Word through servant evangelism. This is being done in days, seasons and moments of service.

Last year about 35 churches, associations and ministries were recruited to engage in distributing nearly 47,000 "Find it Here" New Testaments in a partnership between the Missouri Baptist Convention and the North American Mission Board.

Look how God moved in these churches. Could He move like this in yours?

"We have experienced a move of God this summer in our church and community," said Norm Howell, pastor of Skyline Baptist Church in Branson. After distributing 1,000 New Testaments within three miles of the church, Skyline had at least 25 additions by statement and baptized 11 adults, two teens and one child. Howell said, "I believe that the scripture distribution and visitation by our members has had a significant role in the new growth within our church."

Tree of Life Church in Kansas City had prayed for 50 souls to be saved, but according to their pastor Jerry Akins, "the Lord sent us 50 more." The church engaged in a season of service in the form of a feeding program last summer. After several days of activities for children in low-income housing, they distributed Bibles. "The gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was shared," said Akins. "Parents and children began coming to Christ."

St. Joseph Baptist Association took on one of the most aggressive distribution strategies. They sought to distribute 10,000 New Testaments through the summer in various servant evangelism projects in churches. "A pastor had not considered what his church was doing as to being seasons of service," director of missions Clyde Elder reported. "They were just ministering and witnessing to residents of a multi-housing community. So, he incorporated Bible distribution and was excited to see how open people were to taking a Bible and talking about it." Elder says it takes a God-sized vision. "Some of our pastors took a couple of cases of Bibles and came back quickly for more. They underestimated what they could do at different venues."

Kevin Kohler worked with Concord Baptist Association in Jefferson City during a missions project involving 200 students in servant evangelism projects last summer. He said, "New Testaments are important tools. I personally don't care for cold door-knocking. I feel service projects provide a much more personal connection and are a far more important relationship-building process. I love the neighbors to ask us what we are doing."

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