A church in Tennessee baptized 120 people in one night following an evangelism emphasis called “As You Go,” which challenged church members to choose a non-Christian and then pray for that person, develop a relationship and present the gospel.
One hundred twenty people were baptized at a church-wide baptism at New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Tenn., while hundreds shared in the celebration.New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Tenn., draws about 2,400 people to four weekend services. A few months ago, they held a call to prayer and fasting as part of the As You Go emphasis. Participants were challenged to fast one day and show up that evening in the church sanctuary to pray for the people they had committed to reach. At the end of the prayer time, church members were encouraged to conclude their fasting by taking communion.
People of all age groups, including youth, came and went during the evening, not following any particular schedule, pastor Brady Cooper said. He noted the importance of people being willing to sacrifice through fasting and then showing up at church to pray specifically for friends and acquaintances.
In the days that followed, the church offered a crash course in evangelism to help people become more comfortable with sharing the gospel with the people they had committed to reach.
Since the outdoor baptism event in June, at least 20 more people have been baptized at New Vision Baptist. That pushes the total for the year well past 200 people, and the results of the As You Go emphasis keep accumulating.