IN FOCUS: Countdown to Resurrection Sunday

The goal of Texas Hope 2010 is to share the hope of Christ with every person in Texas within their own language and context by Resurrection Sunday 2010. We are less than a year away, and God has provided some incredible partnerships. How far along is your church in sharing with all of the people in your community?

The three pillars of TH2010 are prayer, care and share. Prayer is foundational. Thousands of individuals already have used the Thirty Days of Prayer booklet. Institutions, including Children at Heart Ministries and Dallas Baptist University, the BGCT staff and numerous churches have used this resource. It is available in English and Spanish. When churches pray together for the same things, it is a unifying experience.

Prayer walks are taking place throughout Texas. Churches and associations have conducted prayer walks in neighborhoods, schools and other public places. Our staff will lead a prayer walk among 20,000 homes near our building this week as part of our staff week. Churches have conducted all-night prayer meetings; others have prayed through the phone book for every household in a community. Jim Denison has provided seven lessons on the theology of prayer.

Care projects, especially relating to hunger, are being identified statewide. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has joined with Texas Baptists to make sure every person in Texas has a nutritious meal every day. Hunger banks in the shape of Texas are available, reminding us of the daily needs of those around us. Our Texas hunger offering receipts at the end of the first quarter were 137 percent of that period last year. This speaks volumes about the renewed interest in the least of these in a difficult global economic environment.

Thousands attended Engage evangelism conferences and were challenged to share the hope of Christ in their communities. Almost 5,000 Hispanic youth recently attended Congreso, where 731 decisions were recorded, including 194 professions of faith in Christ.

Churches and institutions, including the BGCT staff, are using Witness to the World workbooks to equip us to pray for and share the hope of Christ with those who are within our circles of relationships.

Our staff continues to work with Faith Comes by Hearing to complete the multimedia CD we want to distribute to every household in Texas. The prototype will be complete within the next month. Leaders in 230 Texas counties, out of a total of 254 counties, are making preparations to purchase and distribute these CDs. Many of the remaining counties are smaller ones with little BGCT influence. Perhaps other churches or individuals will adopt them as a mission project. A pilot project to distribute these to the 230,000 households in El Paso County is scheduled for August and September. Perhaps your church will take a mission trip to join them in this distribution.

Pray for revival to sweep our churches and an evangelistic harvest to cross our land as we seek to share the hope of Christ with every person in Texas.

Randel Everett is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board.