EDITOR’S NOTE: This column by Frank S. Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, is part of the call to prayer for revival and spiritual awakening for 2013 that he has issued to our churches for the nation and the world. Baptist Press is carrying First-Person articles during the year encouraging Southern Baptists to pray in specific areas and for specific needs in petitioning the Father for spiritual awakening.
NASHVILLE (BP) — I ask for your prayers as Southern Baptists converge from all over the United States and even from around the world to meet in annual session for our convention in Houston, Texas. Always a time of great fellowship, fun, spiritual inspiration, and hopefully some needed sharing of information, we gather to do what Baptists have done for many decades — transact the business of the convention.
For many years, the North American Mission Board has been the primary sponsor of an evangelistic event which occurs prior to the convention. Called Crossover, thousands of people over the years have come to Christ as evangelistic Southern Baptists have gone out into the cities of the convention prior to the meeting in a variety of ways, settings, and formats to share the Gospel.
For many years, I have been a part of this emphasis. Yes, it would have been a required part of my job during my short tenure as vice president of evangelization at the North American Mission Board. However, I participated in this event when I was pastor prior to that role and have continued to participate in the current role I have, though vocationally it is not connected.
I simply love to share Christ with people and see this as a great opportunity to say a word for our Lord in a city that is filled with anticipation of what it will be like when all the Baptists arrive.
While we ought to always be looking for opportunities to share our faith, this is one of the great opportunities that comes before us. There will be many opportunities to meet with people as multiple evangelistic events are being set up all across the city.
I pray that I will be able to share my faith with someone. Wouldn’t it be great if many came to Christ?
Let us pray for this and every evangelistic opportunity. Acts 1:8 (HCSB) says: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” I think it is time for us to start doing that which our Lord commanded us to do! Regardless of who we are, we need to be sharing. Regardless of our theological stance, we ought to be sharing.
Please pray as many Southern Baptists will share Christ in this great city this Saturday, June 8.
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Frank Page is president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee. Initial articles about the Call to Prayer that Frank Page issued to Southern Baptists for 2013 can be read here and here. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).
