“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19, NIV).
The Great Commission doesn’t mince words.
In Matthew 28:19, the command is clear—“Go and make disciples.”
And at the core of My Hope with Billy Graham—an evangelistic event across the U.S. and Canada in November—the mission is likewise as clear:
“Our job is to point people to Jesus,” said Jim Wood, mobilization coordinator for My Hope with Billy Graham.
Wood expounds on that bullet point: “Our job is to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the context of a credible witness.”
That “job” is a challenge to every believer—every “credible witness”—across the U.S. and Canada to reach people for Christ.
Every city. Every neighborhood.
“The need for the gospel remains in every generation,” Wood said. “There is no other solution for anyone on the planet.”
But a lot must happen between now and November 2013 for My Hope with Billy Graham to be fully effective.
Training up the church is perhaps the biggest challenge and over the next few months, the My Hope with Billy Graham team will be crossing the U.S. and Canada to help train and equip pastors and other church leaders.
In 2012, eight cities held pastor training events in the U.S.—from Portland, Ore., to Washington, D.C.—and more than 40 trainings are planned for the first three months of 2013.
Thus far, 22 of the top 35 metro markets in the U.S. have either held a pastor training or have one scheduled, with others being added shortly.
More than 40 pastor training events are expected in the first three months of 2013. These will take place at some of the country’s largest churches, including Second Baptist Church of Houston, Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale, Calvary Albuquerque, Mars Hill in Seattle and First Baptist of Orlando.
Other trainings will take place in rural American cities, such as Olive Branch, Miss., and American Falls, Idaho.
After these trainings, pastors and other church leaders will then equip the members of their congregations to be “Matthews.”
Just as Matthew invited his friends over to meet Jesus in the New Testament, a “Matthew” host will invite friends, neighbors and family members to their homes to watch a unique 30-minute Gospel presentation, featuring culturally relevant music, testimony and a gospel message by Billy Graham.
My Hope with Billy Graham culminates the week of Graham’s 95th birthday—Nov. 7. Get involved now by clicking on MyHopeWithBillyGraham.org.
Click here for the original article on BillyGraham.org.
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