On Sunday morning, I arrived just before Sunday School began.

General impressions:

• The place looked great! The church was meeting in a “Day School” – a glorified day care center – and is “converted” into a church every weekend by a very dedicated group of volunteers. The building was modern and easy to find on the street.
• People were exceedingly friendly. Many churches advertise as the friendly church … yet few are ever really that friendly. At this church, I was worn out by the friendly! Not the fake smiles and quick pat on the back, but genuine interest in me and my travelling companion.
• It was easy to park. They had a team of people helping people find parking places.
• It was clean.
• Kids were taken care of. Because they meet in a day care center, they have great facilities for children. Outdoor play areas, toys … you name it.
During Sunday School, I saw room after room full of excited children being taught tremendous Bible lessons with great graphics. Most of the adults stayed in the auditorium and listened to the pastor teach.

During the church service, the following things stuck out:
• The service was well done.
• They kept things moving. No five-minute interruption for announcements. Everything moved.
• The auditorium was absolutely packed. I sat on the front row because there were no other seats available.
• They had a great Sunday night crowd. There were even fewer seats available on Sunday night. It was 100° outside and the AC couldn’t keep up, but 262 people came back for more on Sunday evening. How many of us can say that?


Take a look at the growth trend in this church’s average attendance:

2004 — 51

2005 — 123

2006 — 152

2007 — 216

2008 — 256

2009 — 295

Taken in context, those are incredible numbers!

General observations:

1. Pastor Edwards respects people’s time. The kids had put on a special camp service on Sunday evening, and during his preaching time, he said, “I am only going to preach for 15 minutes, because I want you to come back next week.”
2. They have been wise about real estate. They have avoided the big building/lease payment and have been able to save up enough money to buy an incredible piece of property for future building needs.
3. To many, using a day care center would not seem to be an optimum choice, but it has been great for this church. People feel good about having their kids in such a nice, secure environment.
4. Setting up and breaking down for services on Sunday and Wednesday are incredibly labor intensive and require dozens of people to move literally hundreds of pieces of furniture and chairs. To many, this would seem to be a great hindrance, but to this church, it is a great bonding point and opportunity for cooperation.

5. This church is not about the staff. They don’t have much staff, so volunteers handle pretty much everything. There is a tremendous level of participation in the ministry from the people of Grace Baptist.
6. The pastor was fun. I know this doesn’t seem very Independent Baptist, but that guy has a good time! He is constantly cutting up with people. (You ought to hear his Alison Krauss imitation)
7. The people were excited about what was going on at that church. There was a tremendous liberty in the services.
8. Pastor Edwards’ wife is well loved and respected by church members. Pastor Edwards told me many times how key his wife has been in what has happened around Grace.
9. Pastor Edwards (like Pastor Neal in the previous blog) is a second-generation pastor. He seems to have had a tremendous head-start in ministry from the experience gained by being around his father.
10. Pastor Edwards has attracted a key group of “driven” young couples around him.
11. Pastor Edwards works. He had several 18 to 20 hour work days the week I was there. The Lords blesses a disciplined approach to ministry.
12. Pastor Edwards connects the Bible with people’s hearts. His messages were easy to understand, Bible-centered, and practical.
13. The music was well done. Several of the specials involved violins and other instruments. It was obvious that people had practiced and were prepared.

Pray for Pastor Edwards. He has some needs and important decisions must be made with regard to building space. If you are a young church planter, I would encourage to visit Pastor Edwards’ ministry and see for yourself.

You can find out more about Grace Baptist Church at www.gbcsc.com.

I recently attended a retreat with several pastors from around the United States. There I met a young church planter named Mark Neal. A pastor at the meeting mentioned that Mark’s church in Las Vegas had experienced some pretty phenomenal growth after he planted it about five years ago.

That intrigued me, because I have been conducting a large-scale research project about Independent Baptists and knew very few church-planting projects in the United States had experienced substantial growth — much less “phenomenal growth.” So I decided to check out Oasis Baptist Church for myself.

I flew into Las Vegas on Saturday evening and drove around to see a bit of the city. I had traveled through Vegas on business trips many times but had never taken time to see the city. As I drove down the world-famous Las Vegas Strip, I was struck by the multitude of ways the city catered to a person’s worldly dreams and desires. I thought to myself, “This would not be the most hospitable place for a church plant.”

On Sunday morning, I arrived at church just before the early worship service ended. The auditorium – which seats around 400 — was packed. I watched from the back as the invitation was offered and the Lord moved in a great way. The Sunday school hour was next, scheduled between the two worship services. I walked around the campus and saw room after room, filled with adults and children learning about Jesus. The usher who escorted me regaled me with stories about their experiences in starting the church.

One story in particular stuck with me.

This happened back when the church facility was still under construction, but the congregation was planning to use the auditorium. A city official came in on a Friday afternoon and told Pastor Neal he couldn’t use the auditorium because of a permitting issue.

What to do? Pastor Neal arranged for a large tent to be set up on the property, and the congregation worshiped in the tent for the next several months! Do you know how hot Las Vegas gets in the summer?

That indomitable spirit epitomizes the entire membership of this church: “Hey, no auditorium? It’s OK. We’ll just have church under a tent for a while — and grow through the process!”

The singing and the message during the 11 a.m. worship service blessed me immensely. The auditorium was mostly full for that service as well. When the invitation was opened, people were saved and many decisions were made.

Take a look at the growth trend in this church’s average attendance:

2004 — 150
2005 — 220
2006 — 350
2007 — 490
2008 — 680
2009 — 720

Taken in context, those are incredible numbers. Think of all the changed lives represented. To God be the glory!

General observations:

1. Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. The light of the Gospel is brightest in the planet’s darkest locations. A towering Christian figure of yesteryear, C.T. Studd, once wrote: “Some wish to live within the sound of church or chapel bell. I wish to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.” Oasis Baptist Church is a rescue shop very close to the modern-day “gates of hell.”

2. We need more church planting in urban centers like Las Vegas. Independent Baptist church planters typically have shied away from the big city. The Apostle Paul’s church-planting methodology was exactly the opposite, however. He targeted the urban centers of his day because he understood that culture flows from the city, not to it.

3. Pastor Neal understands he is not pastoring in Jacksonville, Florida, where he grew up. He recognizes that he is a Christian missionary to a pagan culture — and he ministers with that understanding.

4. Pastor Neal is effective at reaching people with the Gospel. When I quizzed him about this, he said that most of the people he reaches are those he “bumps into” while he is out in the community. When I arrived on Saturday night, he was out on a beat with a police officer, serving as a volunteer chaplain.

5. You might not like everything about Oasis Baptist Church. That’s fine. Go do it your way in Las Vegas or wherever God calls you. I dare you! When Dr. Jack Hyles was voted out of his denomination, he received a phone call from a friend, Lester Roloff, who said, “Jack, welcome to the fraternity of the free.” There’s plenty of room in America for us to give each other some space and serve the Lord. On the other hand, you could make excuses: “It’s a great story, but ….”

6. The people of Oasis were really friendly. Most churches think they are friendly, but I was truly blessed by the kindness of the people in this church.

7. The auditorium and facilities were modern. Colorful graphics, contemporary paint colors, and a generally fresh impression spoke volumes about an on-mission church creating an appealing environment where today’s lost souls can hear the eternal Gospel.

8. The people were pumped. They had “it.” They were excited about being at church.

9. Pastor Neal is a second-generation pastor. His life should speak to all PK’s: We can use our experience as a stepping stone and a built-in head start or let it become an excuse to be depressed and silly about our lives. Some of the greatest churches ever built — some of the greatest churches being built – are being built by preachers’ kids.

Pray for Pastor Neal. He is understaffed and a little tired. He is struggling with some health issues and growing pains. But God is at work and will meet the needs of His servants. The Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified through Oasis Baptist Church.

If we learn from their example, He will be glorified even more among us.

In India, we visited with Missionary Sam Thomas. We were blessed to spend time with Sam and his brother Paul. Sam and Paul are second generation missionaries; their father, K.C. Thomas served the Lord many years in India. Sam and Paul have done a great work for the Lord, laboring in a difficult country for many years.

We had the privilege of teaching and preaching sessions with many of the national pastors who have been trained in the Bible colleges started by the Thomas family. Each time I visit foreign countries and spend time with national pastors, I feel like I learn far more from them by listening to their testimonies and seeing their boldness to serve Jesus. Many of these men have been severely persecuted for their faith, yet they have unbelievable joy and greatly desire to do more for the Lord. During our short visit with Brother Thomas, we also attended an evangelistic service in the church of one of the pastors we had taught that day. I preached a simple message about the cross and several Hindu people trusted Christ as Saviour. We did some sightseeeing in New Delhi the next day and saw many of the historical attractions around the city.

From India, we flew to Iloilo, Philippines. We spent the next three days teaching and preaching at Brother Rick Martin’s Youth Conference. Zack and I had a great time with Brother Martin and his son and fellow missionary, Ricky. Hundreds of pastors attended the teaching and preaching sessions, and God did a marvelous work during the conference. While we were there, we travelled to a couple of churches outside of the city to visit with national pastors that have recently started churches.

I am amazed by the different cultures as I travel the world– the smells, the sounds, the electrical wiring, the food… (Thank God America does not dump everything on top of a bowl of rice!) God reminds me each time I travel that these very different people are precious souls that Jesus died to save. He has commanded me to love them just as much as my next door neighbors in Texas.

Pray that God would continue to open doors for church planters all over the world to take the Gospel to people who have never heard.

Check out their website at www.championbaptist.com

Check out the sermon at (CLICK HERE)

For the last three years, it has been my honor to be their special guest speaker. This year, we arrived one night early and had the opportunity to hear Dr. James McGaughey preach a powerful message on “NOW FAITH.” Dr. McGaughey is a dear friend and was my pastor growing up in Pensacola, Florida.

It is our priviledge (my wife and five kids) to stay with the Pastor and his wife in their home. We always have a wonderful time staying with the Bensons! Pastor Tom Benson started the First Bible Baptist Church 24 years ago and continues to serve as Pastor. He has also become a dear friend to our family.

Wednesday night I spoke on the subject of “Ichabod.” We used the story of the first several chapters of First Samuel to illustrate how nations can lose the blessing of God. I challenged the men of the church to meet with me in prayer at 6:00 am in the morning during the next few days to ask God to bless the meeting and the church in a wonderful way.

Thursday, I spoke on “Overcoming Ichabod.” It was a simple sermon on how God used Samuel to help the nation of Israel overcome Ichabod in his later years.

Friday night, we had to privilege to speak at the Anniversary Banquet. The Anniversary banquet is a time of laughter and rememberance. Anything you say during the course of the week in private or public can be used to humble you during the skits at the banquet.

Saturday, our family spent the day in Boston touring the city and had a wonderful time. We visited many historical sites in Boston and ate at Quincy Market.

Sunday was the final day of the conference, and God did some incredible work during the invitation times. The Sunday night service was a great time of Thanksgiving to God.

My wife and family are so blessed when we visit this church. In fact, one of my kids does not want to go back home with us! We love the people of First Bible Baptist Church and are honored to have been a part of their Anniversary Week.

Please pray that God will bless the Anniversary meeting in a great way.

http://www.1stbiblebaptistct.org/

God is using Missionary Larry Owens in a great way to stir a revival of church planting in northern Argentina. Brother Owens has labored in relative obscurity for more than 20 years. His church has grown to about 500 people, his Bible college now teaches about 50 students each year, and he has planted several churches.

It was great to see several of the men that are being helped by Global Church Planters’ support. These men have a vision to reach the unreached people in Argentina.

One side note I might add is that if you enjoy eating beef, you should visit Argentina!