Baptists Committed to World Evangelism » Outreach and Evangelism

God’s people should witness of His goodness

austin gardner — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 13:31:54 +0000

I was reading in the Baptist Heritage the other day and came across this quote. For many today the argument is the new young and restless Reformed. The question historically was often the use of means or not in the ministry. The question in other words is do we invite people to Christ or simply wait on God to bring them.

That has caused great tension for many years and even now among many!

Tensions between Calvinistic and Arminian Baptists provoked schism when a later pastor, Alexander Hay, preached from the text, “God be merciful to us.” Hay’s thesis was that God uses the witness of redeemed persons to lead others to salvation, a concept not acceptable to Calvinistic church members.

McBeth, H. L. (1987). The Baptist heritage (332). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

After reading the above quote I got the following in an email.

I just was at a missions conference at Mt. Tabor Baptist Church in Lebanon, IN.

It was founded in the mid 18 hundreds

They had a split in 1890 over “the use of mean for the evangelization of the heathen”. The old Mt. Tabor is a mile down the street from the new and they both retained the same name. The old one just added the word “primitive”.

They are both still meeting. The numbers are a bit different. The primitive church is still in their building from the 1800′s and run maybe 20 people. The new one runs about 220 in a new church.

It was an interesting story.

We know that God is the One that saves. He is the only One. But we still must share the gospel. We must go. We must pray. We must send.

Check out bcwe.org

That has caused great tension for many years and even now among many!

Tensions between Calvinistic and Arminian Baptists provoked schism when a later pastor, Alexander Hay, preached from the text, “God be merciful to us.” Hay’s thesis was that God uses the witness of redeemed persons to lead others to salvation, a concept not acceptable to Calvinistic church members.

McBeth, H. L. (1987). The Baptist heritage (332). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

After reading the above quote I got the following in an email.

I just was at a missions conference at Mt. Tabor Baptist Church in Lebanon, IN.

It was founded in the mid 18 hundreds

They had a split in 1890 over “the use of mean for the evangelization of the heathen”. The old Mt. Tabor is a mile down the street from the new and they both retained the same name. The old one just added the word “primitive”.

They are both still meeting. The numbers are a bit different. The primitive church is still in their building from the 1800′s and run maybe 20 people. The new one runs about 220 in a new church.

It was an interesting story.

We know that God is the One that saves. He is the only One. But we still must share the gospel. We must go. We must pray. We must send.

Check out bcwe.org

More here:
God’s people should witness of His goodness

10 days left to register

Jason Holt — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:00:39 +0000

There are only 10 days left to register for the Latin Bridge Retreat ’12! Make your plans today to be a part of this event.

The sessions will focus on cross-cultural evangelism, the role of discipleship in leader training, and strategic church planting principles for the Latin American context. All classes will be taught by experienced church planters.

We are so glad God has given us the opportunity to have two of the best keynote speakers you could imagine. Be sure to register today!

Visit bcwe.org to learn more about Latin American missions

The rest is here:
10 days left to register

How can a man know that he is pardoned?

austin gardner — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:57:39 +0000

There is a text which says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved.” I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; is it irrational to believe that I am saved?

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life,” saith Christ, in John’s Gospel. I believe on Christ; am I absurd in believing that I have eternal life?

I find the apostle Paul speaking by the Holy Ghost, and saying, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.”

If I know that my trust is fixed on Jesus only, and that I have faith in Him, were it not ten thousand times more absurd for me not to be at peace, than for me to be filled with joy unspeakable?

It is but taking God at His Word, when the soul knows, as a necessary consequence of its faith, that it is saved. I took Jesus as my Saviour, and I was saved; and I can tell the reason why I took Him for my Saviour.

To my own humiliation, I must confess that I did it because I could not help it; I was shut up to it. That stern law-work had hammered me into such a condition that, if there had been fifty other saviours, I could not have thought of them,—I was driven to this One.

I wanted a Divine Saviour, I wanted One who was made a curse for me, to expiate my guilt.

I wanted One who had died, for I deserved to die.

I wanted One who had risen again, who was able by His life to make me live.

I wanted the exact Saviour that stood before me in the Word, revealed to my heart; and I could not help having Him.

I could realize then the language of Rutherford when, being full of love to Christ, once upon a time, in the dungeon of Aberdeen, he said, “O my Lord, if there were a broad hell betwixt me and Thee, if I could not get at Thee except by wading through it, I would not think twice, but I would go through it all, if I might but embrace Thee, and call Thee mine!”

Oh, how I loved Him! Passing all loves except His own, was that love which I felt for Him then. If, beside the door of the place in which I met with Him, there had been a stake of blazing faggots, I would have stood upon them without chains, glad to give my flesh, and blood, and bones, to be ashes that should testify my love to Him.

Had He asked me then to give all my substance to the poor, I would have given all, and thought myself to be amazingly rich in having beggared myself for His name’s sake.

Had He commanded me then to preach in the midst of all His foes, I could have said,—

“There’s not a lamb in all Thy flock
I would disdain to feed,
There’s not a foe, before whose face
I’d fear Thy cause to plead.”

Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). C. H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography, Compiled from his diary, letters, and records, by his wife and his private secretary: Volume 1, 1834-1854 (111–112). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

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How can a man know that he is pardoned?

Halloween Outreach

Travis Snode — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:09:44 +0000

Over the past weekend, we passed out about 5000 leaflets to the people who were in the city for Halloween. Derry has one of the largest Halloween festivals in Europe, so it is a great opportunity to reach out.

We print up the tract with the text below and went out on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. In about 3-4 hours, our church was able to get all 5000 passed out. It was a great opportunity to share the gospel, involve many people from our church, and reach out to the lost. Please be in prayer for God to bless and bring forth fruit from this outreach.

Read more updates from around the world at bcwe.org.

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Halloween Outreach

100 ways to engage your neighborhood

austin gardner — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:44:48 +0000

Click on this link to go to the source and to see many more ideas about how to reach people with the gospel.

I am very convicted as I read this article. I do not get out and see enough people. I am unable to meet new people. Will this list help you?

I have found that it is often helpful to have practical ideas to start engaging the people around me. Most of the things on this list are normal, everyday things that many people are already doing. The hope is that we would do these things with Gospel intentionality. This means we do them:
o In the normal rhythms of life pursuing to meet and engage new people
o Prayerfully watching and listening to discern where God is working.
o Boldly, humbly, and contextually proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed.
Not all of these are for everyone, but hopefully there will be several ideas on the list that God uses to help you engage your neighbors. Would love to hear stories of how you have lived some of these out or other ways you have engaged your neighbors.
Neighbors – Your Immediate Neighborhood
1. Stay outside in the front yard longer while watering the yard
2. Walk your dog regularly around the same time in your neighborhood
3. Sit on the front porch and letting kids play in the front yard
4. Pass out baked goods (fresh bread, cookies, brownies, etc.)
5. Invite neighbors over for dinner
6. Attend and participate in HOA functions
7. Attend the parties invited to by neighbors
8. Do a food drive or coat drive in winter and get neighbors involved
9. Host a music share party in your home (everyone brings 5 favorite songs and discusses)
10. Offer to mow someone’s yard who needs it on your street
11. Have a garage sale
12. Organize a tasting tour on your street (everyone sets up food and table on front porch)
13. Cook Out with gate open, or even in the front yard and let neighbors know they are welcome to join. 14. Have a game night (yard games outside, or board games inside)
15. Art swap night – bring out what you’re tired of and trade with neighbors
16. Grow a garden and give out extra produce to neighbors
17. Have an Easter egg hunt on your block and invite neighbors use their front yards
18. Start a weekly open meal night in your home
19. Do a summer BBQ every Friday night and invite others to contribute
20. Create a block/ street email and phone contact list for safety
21. Invite your neighbors to serve along with you for a local cause in your community
22. Organize a backyard movie night for kids on your block
23. Prayer walk and talk to people you come across
24. Jog outside instead of on the treadmill
25. Pull their trash back in when you notice its out
26. Cook an extra casserole and give it to a neighbor
27. Buy an extra dozen donuts and give them to a neighbor
28. Start a compost pile and allow neighbors to dump their compost and take
29. Host a sports game watching party
30. Host a coffee and dessert night
31. Organize and host a ladies craft night
32. Organize an effort for neighbors to help take care of elderly in neighborhood
33. Become a regular at your neighborhood pool/park
34. If you have a skill, let neighbors know that you can use it to help them for free
35. Host a movie night and discussion afterwards
36. Start a walking/running group in the neighborhood
37. Start hosting a play date weekly for other stay at home parents
38. Organize a carpool for your neighborhood to help save gas
39. Collect good will store items and offer to take them to goodwill
40. Have a front yard ice cream party in the summer
41. Start a sowing group
42. Go Christmas caroling in your neighborhood (invite neighbors in on it)
43. Throw a July 4th block party
44. Start a neighborhood Facebook/Twitter/Google + group
45. Ask longtime residents to help you learn about the neighborhood
46. Offer to babysit neighbors kids so they can have a date night
47. Find out your neighbors birthdays and take them a card and baked goods on it
48. Setup a meet your neighbors night with drinks in your driveway/front yard
49. Ask your HOA or apartment complex if they need help with anything
50. Host a regular Saturday morning breakfast potluck

check out bcwe.org

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100 ways to engage your neighborhood

perfectly and impeccably manage themselves into failure

austin gardner — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:06:15 +0000

There is an article here that discusses how the congregations of the Church of England are aging and dying. It is a bleak reality that is staring them in the face. It is something that we should consider in many of our churches.

As I traveled preaching across the USA I could say that this is true of many of our own churches. We must reach people with the gospel. Everyone must share the gospel with their friends, their families, their neighbors, the people where they work and everyone else.

Consider some of the quotes from this article. I welcome your comments. Do you think you see this happening or not?

He likened the Church of England to large companies that “perfectly and impeccably manage themselves into failure”.

“The perfect storm we can see arriving fast on the horizon is the ageing congregations,” he said.

“The average age is 61 now, with many congregations above that.

“His words are, of course, one of the fashionable sneers we have heard about recently, and to my mind, unhelpful at best, harmful at worst.”

Can this serve as a wake up call to all of us? Let’s work at getting the gospel around the world. Invite someone to church this very week. Share the gospel with someone! Get involved in the Great Commission!

Check out bcwe.org

Voice in the Villages

austin gardner — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:12:20 +0000

We are looking for help to get material into the hands of unreached people groups. We are talking about people that do not have access to the Internet or other means of getting material and help. Many have already heard the gospel or have interest in the gospel.

They need help. Their leaders do not have good training. They do not have access to study materials, Bible College or anything else to help them do a good job. They live in villages that are remote and few missionaries go there today.

This is not to say anything negative about the missionaries. They do want to reach the area but have more on their plate than they are able to handle.

We want to come along side them and help. We want to help train pastors that really do not even have access to these missionaries.

What if we could put good material into their hands each month? Material that they could study and teach others, that could help them grow.

You can help us. We need support. You can send support to

Voice in the Villages
Vision Baptist Missions
P.O. Box 442
Alpharetta, GA 30009

Any amount would be a great blessing. If you want to send monthly or a one time gift you will be helping us to make a difference in many lives around the world.

We are already sending out the material and working in several countries. You can get more information about the Voice in the Villages by clicking here!

We would also like to add you to our paper newsletter that will come out monthly. If you would like to be added please send an email to gardner @bcwe.org and we will add you to the mailing list. If you know of others that might like to receive the newsletter please let me know!

Check out bcwe.org

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Voice in the Villages

Quotes About Today’s Outreach

Travis Snode — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 20:58:11 +0000

I wish you could have seen and heard the excitement in the hearts of the people from our church today when we all got back to the church office after having passed out 4000 gospel leaflets in 1 hour.

People from our church have been texting me all evening. One of our teenagers made a video about the day on youtube. Below are a few of the texts from some of the people that went out today:

“Today was one of the best days of my Christian walk, what a blessing. I was so looking forward to today, and it was more than I thought. It is amazing that God would allow a wretch like me to do that for Him!”

“I would like to share a word of testimony tomorrow. It was a great day of opportunity to get the gospel out.”

“I thought it was amazing. So many people came up and tapped me on my shoulder and said, ‘Could I have a card?’ Others came back and asked for more to send to their families in different countries. Even people I knew were happy to take the cards and say you are doing a good work.”

Tomorrow in the service, we are giving people an opportunity to share a word of testimony. Needless to say, we are looking forward to a great time! It is so exciting to see people growing in their walk with God.

Read more updates at bcwe.org.

Incredible Day of Outreach in Derry

Travis Snode — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 19:10:07 +0000

Today was the opening of a new footbridge in our city, that crosses the Foyle River and unites the cityside with the waterside. Thousands of people from all over the country and the world were in the city today to commemorate this momentous occasion. It was fantastic to see the city coming together for this great event.

A group of 14 people from our church met up at 3:00 PM to head out into the crowds. We were armed with about 4000 Peace Bridge leaflets. The leaflets had a great picture of the bridge, and the people were clamouring to get them. Many people were asking for 3-4 copies, some to keep and others to send to friends and family.

Most of them thought it was like a memento or keepsake card, but the cards also had a gospel message about peace on the back. It was great to be able to give people something that they wanted, to be a positive part of today’s celebrate, and to point people to Jesus, the real giver of lasting peace.

Please pray that the seeds that were sown today will bring forth fruit that will remain in the lives of those who received the literature. I know I was greatly encouraged by the outreach, and the buzz in the office after going out was electric, with everyone so excited about the reception. It was definitely on of the best literature distributions we have ever done. We gave out 4000 leaflets in about an hour!

Read more updates at bcwe.org.

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Incredible Day of Outreach in Derry

Voice for the Villages

austin gardner — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 21:29:19 +0000

I just finished chatting with Keith Shumaker in Burkina Faso. God is working. He has a man that is translating the PDF, Voice for the Villages from English to French right now. From there we will translate into Moore and then other languages.

Konate is volunteering and helping with some of the typing. Hopefully the pastors will help us by reading the document into the native language on the MP3 players.

Joe Welch sent $500 that is being used to help get started in Burkina Faso. Of course, that will be gone soon so I ask you to pray with me that God would provide the funds to continue.

Several of the missionaries are working on this project right now. God has only given me $500 for the project but I know that more will come. Will you pray with me as we get started.

More information will be coming soon that will explain what we are doing!

God bless you and thanks for your help.

Check out bcwe.org

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Voice for the Villages