PLYMOUTH, MI – Southern Baptist churches across the nation will celebrate the saving work of Christ on Baptism Sunday, September 8. Joy will fill our churches as new believers publicly profess their faith in Christ in the waters of baptism. The national Baptism Sunday highlights the renewed emphasis on evangelism in our Convention and is a cause for celebration.
Many Michigan Baptist churches are already taking advantage of the Who’s Your One? initiative from the North American Mission Board (NAMB). Who’s Your One? focuses on praying for and sharing the Gospel with the one person in our lives who we most most want to come to Christ. NAMB provides Bulletin Inserts, Prayer Guides, Book Markers, Posters, Social Media helps and an Implementation Guide - all for free!
A new resource has just been added to Who’s Your One. It’s a 40-day Devotional Guide that your church can use. It has come out just in time to use as we approach Baptism Sunday, September 8. You can download a free copy by going to bscm.org/whosyourone. For those who use the YouVersion Bible app, you can access the Devotional Guide (as well as the Prayer Guide) to use with your daily Bible reading plan.
J.D. Greear, President of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), and Johnny Hunt, Senior Vice President of Evangelism at the NAMB, have also produced a series of videos to answer frequently asked questions about baptism services. You can watch the videos on the Who’s Your One social media channels.
Who’s Your One? provides churches with a wealth of resources to share the Gospel. Below are simple suggestions your church can consider as you plan an evangelism strategy.
BAPTIZE 5% – Set a church goal to baptize 5% of your church’s average worship attendance every year. A yearly baptism goal helps the church prioritize evangelism in every believer’s life. A church baptism goal is SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. The old adage is still true: “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” (Zig Zieglar)
SHARE 4 – Challenge every believer to intentionally share the story of how he or she came to faith in Christ 4 times this year (once every quarter).
ENGAGE 3 – Engage your community through a threefold evangelistic strategy:
Attractional events like block parties, back to school emphases, or VBS.
Missional projects that bless your community and make it better in the name of Jesus.
Relational opportunities for believers to invite their family and friends to experience Biblical community and hear the Gospel.
EQUIP 2 – Schedule evangelism training twice a year to equip believers to share the Gospel.
WHO’S YOUR 1? – Who’s the one person in your life who you most want to come to Christ? Commit to pray and share the Gospel with that person this year. There’s a wealth of resources at bscm.org/whosyourone.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Durbin is the State Evangelism Director for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before joining the state convention staff, Mike served as Church Planting Catalyst and Director of Missions in Metro Detroit since 2007. He also has served as a pastor and bi-vocational pastor in Michigan, as well as International Missionary to Brazil.