The thirty seven churches which make up the Transylvania Baptist Association have been led of the Lord to reach, baptize and begin discipling 1,000 people in our area over the next year. This is a worthy goal but the fact is we have never come close to this number as we usually have around 200 baptisms in the Association each year. Then I think about Brevard Community Church and the number of attendees we have each week. We usually average over 1,000 people each week with the majority of us professing to be Christ-followers. This causes me to re-think the goal; that it should be not 1,000 for the Association but 1,000 for Brevard Community Church.
Is that realistic? Is it possible that BCC could actually see 1000 lives changed by the "Gospel, which is the Power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes" (Rom. 1:16)? We all know that "nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:37) but we also know if we continue along in our current patterns it will not happen. I just heard a statistic that less than 5% of people who trust Christ today are led to Him by someone in "vocational ministry"; only .5% will trust Him at an event; but over 90% are led to Him by someone they have a relationship with. So if we are counting on the pastoral staff or events we put on to reach our area it probably ain't gonna happen.
But what if each one of us determined in our heart to reach just one person with the Gospel this year? What if everyone of us (1000?) began to fervently and consistently pray for one person we can connect with? Do we believe God, "Who desires that no one should perish, but that all would come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9) will connect us with someone that He is drawing to Himself? I believe He will. When He does, we must be ready to: Get Connected with them, Get them to God, Get them to Lostness, Get them to the Gospel and Get them to a point of decision. Then when they do believe, we must be willing to lead them through the disciple making process. If we do this, "each one reaching one", 1000 new Christ-followers becomes a realistic goal.
How many of you will join me in this journey for His Glory?
-Alan Perry
Missions Pastor
