By Message Staff
In preparation for a 2017 crusade featuring evangelist Bill Britt, the North Central Baptist Association of churches are holding series of prayer gatherings.
Already, six churches have hosted the concerts of prayer this year. More are scheduled through early 2017.
Churches hosting prayer gatherings next month include Weston Baptist Church in Jonesboro, on July 17, and Sweetwater Baptist Church in Quitman, on July 31. And on Oct. 16, Ebenezer Baptist Church in Jonesboro will hold a concert of prayer. The three prayer gatherings will take place at 6 pm.
Marty Black, director of missions for the association, expects more concerts of prayer to take place in the future.
While each of the prayer gatherings this year have featured three to four churches coming together at a single location, two larger ones involving as many of the 54 churches as possible in the association are planned for 2017. Jonesboro-Hodge High School will host a prayer gathering on Feb. 26 and Winnfield High School will be the site of another on March 26.
Black said the two locations were chosen because they will each host two nights of the association-wide crusade. Jonesboro-Hodge High School is the site for the first two nights of the crusade on 30 and May 1. Winnfield High School is the location for the final two nights, on May 2 and 3. Times have not been set yet, though information about training opportunities for the crusade will be released later.
Black said the prayer gatherings are vital for a successful crusade.
“Prayer is going to be the foundation to this,” Black said. “Without preparing our hearts through prayer, the crusade would be nothing than just a series of meetings. There’s something about churches assembling to pray in preparation for what God may do through the crusade.
“There is just a movement toward praying for revival and seeking the face of God,” he continued. “We are in desperate need for God to do a great work in our midst and within our churches and communities. Apart from praying and apart from examining our own lives and apart from change in our own lives, through prayer and repentance, it will not take place.”
