WACO—Waco-area Baptists used a soccer tournament, prison outreach and neighborhood block parties to share the gospel with their neighbors during City Reach Waco—an evangelistic event held prior to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.
Fiesta Familiar was one of the events of City Reach Waco, an evangelistic event held prior to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting. (BGCT Photo)During Fiesta Familiar, 700 people attended a soccer tournament for children ages 6 to 11 and a block party, where they heard gospel presentations.
Central Texas churches partnered with Bill Glass Behind the Walls prison ministry to minister in five prisons and spread the gospel among more than 11,000 inmates. Six hundred volunteers from about 300 churches shared their Christian testimonies. The effort produced 2,827 rededications to Christ, and 1,023 prisoners prayed to receive Christ as Lord and Savior.
More than 2,500 people heard the gospel at 14 neighborhood block parties in the Waco area, said Tim Randolph, director of missions for Waco Regional Baptist Association. The intentional evangelism strategy engaged several churches in community outreach, including congregations that had not reached their surrounding neighborhoods.
Mariachi band plays during a City Reach Waco activity before the BGCT annual meeting. (BGCT Photo)“A fire was lit to get out of their borders, their box, to share Christ,” said Billy Edwards, pastor of Brazos Meadow Baptist Church in Hewitt.
One church sponsored a tent at the Heart of Texas fair, providing the opportunity to engage 298 families with the gospel message.
“When we get the courage to go into the world and share the gospel, things happen that only God can do,” Edwards said.
At a City Reach Waco celebration luncheon held during the BGCT annual meeting, Vince Smith, director of missions for Collin Baptist Association, described an initiative to pray for every home in Collin County. An idea started at First Baptist Church in McKinney mobilized 900 volunteers since February to pray for the 900,000 homes in the association.
“Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and he knows us each by name,” Smith said. “Therefore, we should intentionally pray for each person in our city by name.”
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Inspired by the project, Scott Willingham, BGCT evangelism director, announced Texas Baptists will adopt the model statewide in 2015 through Pray 4 Every Home Texas.
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