HOLLAND—Each Saturday morning, the smell of homemade cookies wafts through the air as members of First Baptist Church in Holland visit homes, offering people a bag of homemade cookies and the gospel presented on a Texas Hope 2010 multimedia compact disc.

So far, church members have visited 150 homes, and they will continue to knock on doors throughout the year until they have visited each of the 1,000 homes in the church’s ZIP code, Pastor Randy Evans said.

“It’s going really well,” Evans said. “It’s amazing every time we go out. … Folks are very receptive.”

The cookies—an idea inspired by First Baptist Church in Shallowater, where members delivered the gospel CDs along with apple pies—proved to be valuable tools in helping church members visit and connect with people, said Jerry Johnson, who linked her joy for cooking and her passion for ministry to coordinate the cookie-baking effort.

“It gives them an in: ‘Here’s a little gift from the church. We want to meet and greet, get to know you and your needs,’” she said.

When a pair of church members knocked on one door, the woman who answered it cracked it slightly and tried to keep the conversation brief—until she was offered a bag of cookies, Evans said. After accepting the cookies, she was willing to visit further.

“It just kind of opened the door and let us talk to her a little longer,” Evans said.

Members of First Baptist Church are asking people if they have any prayer requests or if there is any way the congregation can help them. Often, people discover connections or common interests, which serve as a springboard for conversation.

“So many times, it seems the right two or three people are standing at the door for the right person,” Evans said.

Relationships are key to the effort, Evans and Johnson said. The cookies and CDs create opportunities through which the gospel is shared and lives can be changed.

“We are really interested in outreach and meeting the people and meeting their needs if they have any,” Johnson said.

After each Saturday’s outreach effort, church members gather to report on their efforts.

“Everybody comes back excited and sharing about an experience they had,” Evans said. “That keeps you going.”

The church views its Texas Hope 2010 efforts as a “first step” in reaching its community, Evans said. It already is looking forward to what it can do next to share the gospel in Holland.

“It’s a great little church,” Johnson said. “God is working. He really is.”

For more information about Texas Hope 2010, visit www.texashope2010.com.

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