By Message Staff
Two Louisiana Baptist associations are preparing to host evangelistic rallies next month with the expectation of reaping a harvest of souls.
Temple Baptist Church in Jena will host the LaSalle Baptist Association Family Evangelistic Event Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Casey Johnson, pastor of Bonita Road Baptist Church in Bastrop, will be the guest preacher and Broken Vessels, a Christian band from DeRidder, will provide the special music.
Meanwhile, First Baptist Church in Ferriday will serve as the location for the Delta Baptist Association’s evangelism rally Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. Wayne Jenkins, evangelism and growth church director for Louisiana Baptists, will be the guest preacher and Glenn Roberts, pastor of First Baptist Church in Newellton, will provide the special music.
The evangelism rallies come at a time when Louisiana Baptist churches – including those in both associations – are preparing to participate next year in the Harvest, a statewide Harvest initiative to “pray for every home and share Christ with every person.” If the goal of at least 700 churches is reached, it would be the most churches who have participated together at one time in a combined evangelism effort across the state.
“We want to reach all age groups with our event this September,” said Johnnie Phillips, pastor of United Baptist Church in Nebo and evangelism coordinator for the LaSalle Association event. “We’re living in a time when we need to be concerned about the winning of souls. That’s what we ought to be about. We want to present Jesus to people.”
In preparation for the event, associational leadership has encouraged its pastors to lead their congregations in times of prayer.
“Prayer is the key,” Phillips said. “The Bible says without me you can do nothing. We must pray, ask God to bless it and start preparing souls now for the Harvest.”
Beau Colle, director of missions for Delta Association, said his pastors are hoping their rally will encourage their lay people to share their faith.
“Having an event like this and next year with the Harvest helps maintain the focus and the purpose of the church to carry out the Great Commission,” Colle said. “We need to do that from our churches into our neighborhoods.”
