In Ellis County, hope is just a phone call away

ROCKETT—Members of 14 churches in Ellis Baptist Association called about 10,000 people to discover needs and offer hope.

Callers asked each person if he or she is connected to a congregation, took prayer requests and invited every individual to attend a special worship service and lunch at a church close to home.

“All the research says if you invite someone they will come,” said Ellis Baptist Association Director of Missions Larry Johnson. “So, we’ve been out inviting people to church.”

The congregations partnered with Harvest Unlimited ministry to connect with 4,168 unchurched families, roughly 42 percent of the people to whom church members spoke.

Ten percent of those families indicated they would come to a special March 7 service and meal at church. More than 1,000 families indicated they are interested in visiting a church in the future.

The outreach is part of Ellis Hope 2010, the association’s participation in Texas Hope 2010, a Texas Baptist initiative to share the gospel with every Texan by Easter 2010.

The outreach was part of Ellis Hope 2010, the association’s participation in Texas Hope 2010.

Area church leaders see Ellis Hope 2010 as an opportunity to work together in an effort to expand God’s kingdom, Johnson said.

“This is something we need to do,” Johnson said. “It would be good to pull our churches together. It would be good to pull our churches together for an evangelistic effort.”

Although the churches didn’t expect all the families who indicated they would attend the service actually to do it, visitors did make their way to area congregations March 7. Rockett Baptist Church, which typically has about 80 in its Sunday worship service, had at least 16 visitors, many of whom stayed after the service for lunch and fellowship.

Rockett Baptist Church members made sure to greet each of the visitors and attempt to make them feel as welcome as possible. Following the service, each visitor was given a mug, candy and some information about the church’s ministries. During the catered lunch after the service, church members enjoyed fellowship with visitors, and the guests were eligible for gift cards, with winners selected from a drawing.

“I’m certainly trying to just get to meet people who are unchurched in our close proximity,” Pastor Cory Mullins said. “Just being how people are today—being closed off and more reliant on social networking sites … it’s kind of harder to meet people and get to know them.”

During the catered lunch at Rocket Baptist Church, members enjoyed fellowship with visitors, and the guests were eligible for gift cards, with winners selected from a drawing.

Church members not only will follow up with the people who visited March 7, but also will visit with the other families who expressed interest in the church on the phone but did not attend, Mullins said. The congregation has their contact information and knows a bit about them.

Even if people do not come to an Ellis Baptist Association church, Johnson believes church members have performed a valuable ministry. More than one-third of the people who spoke with the Baptists on the phone shared some sort of prayer request. The churches have prayed for those requests and continue to do so.

Near the end of the calling, Johnson pointed to the efforts of Fourth Ward Baptist Church in Ennis, which saw 79 percent of the people they spoke with share at least one prayer request.

“Prayer requests have been absolutely out of sight for them,” Johnson said.

For more information about Ellis Hope 2010, visit www.ellisbaptist.org. For more information about Texas Hope 2010, visit www.texashope2010.com.