TOGETHER: Epicenter Ground zero for revival_120604

Posted: 12/03/04

TOGETHER:
Epicenter: Ground zero for revival

At the end of every year while I was a pastor, I gave thanks for the people who were saved and baptized that year in the church. I also prayed, “Lord, help us reach even more people for Christ next year.” Years ago, someone said to me, “God is easily pleased but hard to satisfy.” That's the way I felt about our evangelism efforts–pleased but not satisfied! Every pastor understands the feeling.

Where can you get help so you and your church can be more effective in reaching people for Christ?

You have asked the Baptist General Convention of Texas for help that will relate to your church.

Let me recommend Epicenter. For a geologist, epicenter is the place in an earthquake from which the power emanates and shakes the earth. For Texas Baptists, Epicenter is the gathering from which, we are praying, God's spiritual power will spread throughout Texas and touch the world. When the first disciples gathered to pray, Luke notes, “the place where they prayed was shaken.” I am asking God to make that happen with us.

Wouldn't you like to be there when God chooses to move and changes us, preparing us to be messengers of reconciliation and instruments of transformation? Throughout our world and across our state, there are those who have never heard of “the” Christmas gift. Their only hope is found in the One our church members have come to know.

Epicenter will happen Jan. 28-29, 2005, in Irving. Formerly known as the Texas Evangelism and Missions Conference, Epicenter is the place where we are asking God to spark a renewal of passion for the lost that live around us and around the world. I like what the leaders are saying about Epicenter–a forum on global Christianity that will include intimate worship experiences, challenging messages, times of interactive dialogue with cutting-edge global leaders and life-changing prayer.

Who will be there? Our pastors from across Texas will be there–some younger, some older, some from every part of Texas, some from every ethnic group, some from large and some from smaller churches.

Who else? Dallas Willard, whose call to authentic discipleship, his Trilogy on Discipleship, is marking this generation of Christians, will be there. So will Darrell Guder, professor of missional theology at Princeton University. Guder is known for his seminal work on the missional church and his prophetic call to Christians to examine and respond to the negative impact nominal Christianity is having on our churches and culture. Through Carol Davis, we will confront realities of 21st century missions in a global era characterized by instant communication and accessible transportation. We can know everything right now, and we can go anywhere in less than a day!

Jeff Harris from San Antonio is one of our younger Texas Baptist pastors, and he will help us relate to what a local church can do in missions and the passion that God gives to a church willing to do anything and go anywhere.

We will go home from Epicenter with a renewed and lively commitment to equipping every church member to be on mission in their own primary mission field–the workplace, neighborhood, school or social network where they have ongoing contact with the greatest number of lost persons.

This time together could change your vision for evangelism and missions. That could change your church. And that could change the world!

We are loved.

Charles Wade is executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas