From training believers to share their Christian testimonies … to inviting neighbors and friends to attend worship services … to videotaping John 3:16 in more than one language, Florida Baptist churches and associations joined together March 16 (3/16) to share the good news of John 3:16, which encapsulates the essence of the gospel.
Association focuses on evangelism
Holmes Baptist Association kicked off Project 3.16 in early March with guest speaker, Steve Levinson of Promise Land Farm Ministries. Speaking at First Baptist Church of Ponce de Leon and Evergreen Baptist Church, Levinson shared testimony and scripture pointing to God as Creator and how creation conversations can lead into gospel conversations.
Nearly every church in Holmes Baptist Association participated in some way during Project 3:16, a county-wide time of focused evangelism for the first two weeks in March that culminated with a celebration service March 16 at Gully Springs Baptist Church in Bonifay.
“We’ve only just begun,” said Randy Torrance, associational mission strategist for Holmes Baptist Association. “Our celebration service turned into a call to revival with a vision for the potential impact our churches can have across North America and around the world, if we all remember to share the gospel with those around us every day as God provides opportunities to do so.”
Through Project 3:16, the association equipped churches to engage the community through participating in Bible study, welcoming guest speakers into their churches, knocking on doors to share the gospel, making prayer stops at main street intersections, greeting patrons at local grocery stores and conducting prayer walks through neighborhoods.
Guest speakers throughout the two-week evangelistic focus included Robin Jumper, professor of evangelism and missions at Baptist University of Florida in Graceville, who spoke at an evangelism workshop encouraging believers to know and share their personal testimonies with others.
“Evangelism can be intimidating,” noted Mike Hadley, a member of Shady Grove Baptist Church in Bonifay. “The first knock is key; once you get that one out of the way, the rest are much easier.”
Several churches in Holmes Baptist Association conducted baptisms on March 16.
Churches prioritize evangelism
First Baptist Church Mount Dora called its members to have a posture of prayer as they celebrated 3:16 on 3/16. The Florida Baptist church created a seven-day, three-part prayer guide—to pray morning, noon and evening—to equip members to “seek God’s heart for the lost and pray for open doors, bold faith and transformed lives.”
First Sarasota joined Florida Baptist churches across southwest Florida in preaching John 3:16, dedicating its entire Sunday to intentionally sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Calling those in their downtown congregation to share the gospel with at least one person, the church celebrated many spiritual decisions.
In preparation for 3:16 on 3/16, pastor Reynier Coro, of Iglesia Bautista Resurreccion de Kissimmee, led the way in recording a social media video of more than 10 church members reciting John 3:16 in Spanish and English to share with friends, family members, coworkers, and neighbors.
Taking a creative turn on the 3:16 on 3/16 emphasis, Immokalee First Seminole Baptist Church used the Sunday to be a time of testimonies from its members on how God changed their lives.
Global Church, Miami, pastored by Russell Johnson, had a “friend day” on March 16 and moved out of its church building to C.B. Smith Park. “We had many guests, and they all heard a brief, bilingual video of how all the Bible points to Jesus and then the gospel through John 3:16–God loved; God gave; we believe; we receive,” Pastor Johnson said.
No one responded with a spiritual decision at the park, he said, but several have expressed interest in visiting the church over the coming weeks.
“It was great seed for a future harvest.”
Lakes Church in Lakeland, with six campuses across central Florida, challenged its church family to invite just one person to experience the life-changing message of the gospel on March 16. Deeming the Sunday as “not just a church service, but a life-changing encounter with God’s love,” the church provided a personal prayer guide and created a community prayer wall leading up to the Sunday.
Morriston Baptist Church, pastored by Don Meadows, trained its members to share the gospel and encouraged them to invite friends to the March 16 worship service. At that service, three men made professions of faith in Christ.
New Home Baptist Church in Perry kicked off its 3:16 on 3/16 emphasis with a spring revival, March 16-19.
“Our goal was 316 people, but the storm dipped our attendance,” said Pastor Dustin Logan. “We did three weeks of canvassing the areas around our church, two cottage prayer meetings, and 21 days of prayer emphasis.”
Guest speaker for the revival is Leon Holden from Mount Olive Baptist Church in Polk City, who was ordained at New Home. Sunday’s event included a luncheon after the service.
“We had two salvations on Sunday! And we had 226 people in the worship attendance,” Logan said. “Our Sunday service was geared around John 3:16. The children recited the verse at the end of the service.”
Pine Terrace Baptist Church, Milton, pastored by Nathan Brown, celebrated two baptisms on March 16. Brown recounted how “the older brother came to me after the service in tears, thinking about how God used the truth of John 3:16 to save him. Never gets old!”
Southwest Community Church, Miami, pastored by Cody Wallace, led members to pray for 16 days, beginning March 1, and to invite three people to the March 16 worship service. “We had a packed house this Sunday, and after worship and preaching on John 3:16, we had three people respond to the invitation. Each was a new attendee and guest of a regular attendee or member,” said Wallace.
Leading up to 3:16 on 3/16, Yulee Baptist Church had two weeks of daily prayer. The church held a special afternoon prayer meeting on Saturday, with attendees praying for baptisms, people to be saved, and new members to join the church. The church also had a “Call-Them-In” emphasis and outreach visits for baptism.
On March 16, the church celebrated two baptisms, three professions of faith, and a young woman who joined the church by her statement of faith and believer’s baptism. Many community residents attended the service as first-time guests of church members.
“All the honor and glory go to our great God. He loves the ‘whosoevers’ who have sinned and need Jesus,” said Pastor Doug Sides.
With reporting by Brooke Mannion, David Moore and Jessica Pigg.
