Sevierville church of Christ, Tennessee: Kevin Ruiz reports, “Everyone was greatly encouraged by the material you presented during the seminar here in Sevierville beginning April 4. The lesson, “Jesus—the Politically Incorrect Evangelist” was well received by the congregation last Sunday. We had our first Back to the Bible study today with a young woman who moved to Sevierville from New York, and it went very well! We are looking forward to continuing the study in a few days. Our evangelism table has been stocked with additional materials, and we will be organizing a personal evangelism section of our supply room from which we’ll keep our table filled for our workers. Tomorrow begins our lesson series covering Back to the Bible. The elders will also be meeting tomorrow to continue organizing and planning various aspects of our evangelistic work. Requested materials will be hand delivered tomorrow to two contacts made through our HTH mail-out. Additionally, we are about to begin a new comprehensive 4-year children’s curriculum from Apologetics Press that we will be advertising with flyers that will be distributed to family, friends, and other contacts as we invite them to our assemblies. We are off to a great start—thank you!”
BCS, College Station, Texas: John Hull reports, “As far as I can see, there can be very few negatives to inviting an organized and sound seminar on evangelism into the schedule of your local congregation. The benefits are far reaching. It challenges those who are not active already to become active. It encourages those who are trying to be active not to give up. It exhorts the congregation as a whole to hear about the fruit of preaching the gospel in the world around us. It equips those who have the desire but not necessarily the effective strategy in taking the gospel to the lost. It reminds saints to view every person as a soul and not just an acquaintance. It reignites the zeal of those whose efforts to evangelize had been waning. Every congregation of the Lord’s people should implement some form of these into their regular installment of spiritual food.
“Since BCS church of Christ hosted the House to House Evangelism program, there have been five souls obey the gospel in less than a month. Those who have been added to the Lord’s church have ranged in age from an older teenager to one over sixty years old. Each person had been studying with a different member of the congregation prior to their baptisms. It has been a great encouragement to our whole congregation to see the involvement of many members in this work. We have also had multiple visitors respond very positively to the cards. One non-Christian posted a thank you online for the sympathy cards the congregation sent them, naming the Lord’s church specifically.”
North Jefferson, Mt. Pleasant, Texas: Garth, one of the elders at North Jefferson, reports, “Meet Robert and Lynn, who were just baptized into Christ. Robert had a Baptist background early in his life, which helped in his desire to search for truth, and Lynn was a former Catholic. The relationship-building with this couple was a joy as they loved the fellowship of the saints. They participated in congregational events and dinners with individual members. We invited them to their first congregational outing at our home, and they felt genuinely loved and appreciated by all. This was a desire they had not had fulfilled in denominations they had visited. After the first Back to the Bible study, Lynn commented that she never realized how little she understood of God’s truths in her Catholic experience. The studies went extremely well, and both would eagerly await each opportunity to open the Word. When they saw the truth, they readily obeyed the Gospel. How wonderful it is to see the power of the gospel on willing hearts.”
Beattie Road church of Christ, Albany, Georgia: Charles Harris reports, “Last week we had two baptisms. Nick Mock and Kennithia Denson. Joe and Tabatha Puiszis have been studying with Nick and being of service to him. Several in the congregation have been encouraging him. One of my elders, Roderick, had a study with him. The combination of all those things led to a conversation about baptism with me. Later that day, he was baptized. It’s been wonderful to see how several brethren had a part to play in Nick’s conversion. My family and I met Kennethia through a recent convert. We did not finish booklet 3 of Back to the Bible. She realized what she needed to do. She was baptized immediately. Sunday, the elders and I had a meeting with team leaders for New Mover Baskets, Visitor Spotters, Visitor Bags, and Card Writing. We discussed the purpose for these works. The meeting went well. Sunday also was the first New Convert class. My elders will be teaching that class using brother Bates book, Growing in Christ. There are six new converts in the class. I talked with several in the class, and they all had positive things to say about it. My goal is for our biggest class to be is the New Convert class. We have worked through Back to the Bible as a congregation. Yesterday I preached a sermon to motivate us to go use the method we have just learned. I received several comments of appreciation for the reminders that souls are everywhere. There is a lot of enthusiasm about seeking the lost.”
Coweta church of Christ, Oklahoma: Keno Shrum reports, “Rob, things have continued to move along. We got through Lesson 1 BTTB with a gentleman from a church of God of Prophecy. He was very receptive, and we are going to do Lesson 2 this Tuesday. We also have Lesson 2 with another young man Monday evening. Tuesday mid-day, we will be doing Lesson 1 with a young man who came to us looking to perform a court-ordered community service. Please keep all of these studies in your prayers! God bless!”
Cordova church of Christ, Tennessee: Bruce Hatcher reports: “The Martinez family had been visiting with our congregation for about six weeks. I had them targeted as a prospect and was soon to make my move. However, my job got easier on Sunday morning. After services, they came to me and said that their son, Joshua, wanted to be baptized. I told them I’d like to study with him to check his understanding and they ought to be part of the study too. Tuesday night (April 13) we had that study, in which Salvador and his wife Elizabeth, believing they were saved, were there to support their son. I used the questionnaire, and they indicated they were saved before baptism. I used the Does it Matter study. When we got to the Romans 6:3-4 on the question, “Is it possible to be baptized for remission of sins if you were told you have remission of sins before you were baptized,” Elizabeth looked up, with tears running down her face. “No” she tried to say, but it came out as a whisper. That night I baptized the three of them into Christ. Their daughter, Melanie, was having a study with her boyfriend (also one of our members) at the same time. They were all baptized together. Four souls were added to the kingdom! “A few weeks ago, a man named Larry Wright visited our congregation and responded to the invitation. His Baptist church had been shut down because of Covid, and he had found our videos on YouTube. When he came forward, he told me, ”I’ve been watching your sermons online and I want to join this church.” He agreed to study with me to that end. Thursday night (April 15) I had study number three of Back to the Bible with him, and he too was baptized into Christ. “We have added six members to the body of Christ in as many days, all by use of the information and materials I acquired at the seminar a few weeks ago. Praise God!”
Valdosta church of Christ, Alabama: Adam Evans reports, “Just wanted to drop a line to let you know of our new sister in Christ here at Valdosta Church of Christ in Tuscumbia, Alabama. We all celebrated with Delaney Johnson as she made the greatest decision of her life, to put on Christ in baptism during our gospel meeting (4/4/21). Her grandfather, Roy Coburn, baptized her into Christ. Oh, happy day!”
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