The past week at Lancaster Baptist Church has been one of the greatest soulwinning weeks in our church’s history. It has been a great joy to me, as a pastor, to see our people sacrificially planning their time to seize the special soulwinning and outreach opportunities of Open House week.
Over the past several days, our people knocked on every door in our valley—leaving an invitation to Open House Sunday and the Gospel in print at every home. At many of these homes, we were able to verbally share the Gospel, and we saw over three hundred people trust Christ at their door.
On Saturday, our youth staff hosted a rally with a Christian NBA player, Michael Redd. Hundreds of first time visitors—teens, parents, and coaches—attended the rally. Michael shared his testimony and emphasized the need for a personal relationship with Christ. Then Bryan Samms (an instructor at West Coast Baptist College) preached a simple Gospel message and invited our guests to trust Christ as their Saviour. Many of our guests were saved.
Then yesterday, we saw a tremendously fruitful response to our Open House. Hundreds of first time guests attended and trusted Christ as their Saviour. Our people labored so diligently in greeting guests and serving several hundred meals to them after the services. It was an incredible joy during the invitation after both morning services to watch our people lead guests whom they had personally invited—family, neighbors, co-workers, and folks they had met doorknocking—down the aisles and to a counseling area where they further explained the Gospel.
After a weekend of abundant fruitfulness, I always feel very grateful—and very responsible. God has given our church hundreds of new births this weekend, and we are now responsible to follow up and nurture them to growth in Christ.
As I shared with our church family last night, “big days” of ministry must be just the starting point for continued discipleship and training. Aggressive soulwinning must be followed with aggressive discipleship. Second Timothy 2:2 makes it clear that our job is to “teach others also” in the things we have learned.
What a privilege it is to be “labourers together with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9)! To be used of God to lead others to Christ and then to get to disciple them in spiritual growth is a great joy and privilege.
