NAMB said taking ‘battle’ to enemy by impacting culture through evangelism, meeting needs_62705

Posted: 6/26/05

NAMB said taking 'battle' to enemy by impacting
culture through evangelism, meeting needs

By Stella Prather

Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine

NASHVILLE—Kelly once made excuses for not attending church. Now, she is a faithful member of a new congregation located on the Palm Coast of Florida where she recently came to know Christ.

Michael thought he had experienced “hell on earth” one Thursday last summer after Hurricane Lilly ravaged the Gulf Coast. The next day, Southern Baptist volunteers arrived in the storm area, and the first day of Michael’s new life came on Saturday when he met a SBC disaster relief volunteer. He later met Jesus.

Several months ago, Jonathan resented fellow college students who attempted to talk to him about Jesus Christ. Offended or not, it was an on-campus encounter where the student accepted Christ, and now he is the one witnessing to collegiates.

Kelly, Michael and Jonathan were among thousands who were introduced to Jesus Christ through ministries of the North American Mission Board during 2004 and featured on a video presented during the NAMB report at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, June 21-22 in Nashville, Tenn.

The video, a modern day spin-off of C.S. Lewis’s 1941 book, The Screwtape Letters, took a look from a demon’s perspective, how the gospel message is reaching today’s society even in the midst of darkness.

“The enemy knows it and even more important God promises it,” NAMB President Bob Reccord said after the video. “The battle has already been won, but that doesn’t mean the other side has given up.

“We’ve all seen it in our world, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces and in our families,” said Reccord. “Satan still walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. As a result, Reccord added, “We at NAMB, along with you, are convinced that God desires to use us, to use you, as together we send missionaries and share Christ and start churches, mobilize volunteers and impart the culture of North America.”

Before the video, Reccord shared six ministry areas in which NAMB is helping Southern Baptist churches and Christians fulfill the Great Commission. These include: sharing Christ, volunteering in missions, equipping leaders, sending missionaries and impacting culture.

Last year was a banner year for the NAMB, Reccord said, as more than 1 million Southern Baptists were equipped in evangelism through NAMB ministries.

NAMB also assisted in mobilizing 116,000 Southern Baptists who took part in short-term mission projects. Of these, more than 24,000 were youth who ministered in inner-city areas through World Changers, while another 15,000 went into disaster relief areas and prepared more than 3.5 million hot meals.

In addition, 27,000 ministry leaders took part in NAMB leadership training opportunities, many of which focused on meeting needs and challenges of young pastors and ethnic leaders.

“Men and women, our culture is reflecting Revelation 7 that says, ‘I saw a crowd so big before the throne no man could number, made up of every tongue and tribe and kindred people,’” Reccord told the audience. “And if we are going to spend an eternity there together, we better be working here to make that reality a truth.”

Reaching others for eternity is also the drive behind two ministries focused on electronic and print media, which NAMB launched during the SBC meeting. These include broadband services, print materials and a media campaign titled “Who Cares,” which will feature commercials focused on sharing Christ in today’s culture.