More than 70 people recently made professions of faith in Christ at a bicycle stunt show in northeast Missouri. However, this doesn’t tell the full story of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s LIFE Initiative.
Such events are planned months in advance with pastors and church leaders determining costs, locale, prayer input, encourager training, promotion, worship, community involvement and other details.
Brad Bennett, the MBC’s Making Disciples director, is aware that events can too often be short-lived, but the LIFE initiative aims to a have long-term impact.
‘Holistic approach’
“We work with church leaders and pastor in a disciple-making structure and process. It’s a holistic approach, so it’s not a flash-in-the-pan event,” Bennett said.
The last four days of events have a schedule like this: A joint worship service of participating churches; encourager training for those who would talk with those convicted to follow Jesus; character-based school assemblies on Mondays through Wednesdays; and on Wednesday night, the LIFE Outreach event.
LIFE is an acronym that stands for Leading people to follow Christ, walking with them as they learn to Identify with Christ, teaching them to observe a life of Faithful obedience to Christ, where they are Equipped for commission to lead people to Christ.
At a LIFE event like the one in Ewing, riders do jumps, flips, balance on an elevated platform and lift arms or legs away from airborne bicycles and motorcycles to thrill crowds, all from curved ramps.
Clear purpose
However, before the event, Bennett made the purpose of the event clear — namely, to call people to follow Jesus.
“All our stunt guys love Jesus. I want you to stay afterwards, but there is no pressure to stay or make a decision.” Bennett told the crowd. Crowds are thrilled at the moxie of the riders.
At the end of the show, Bennett asked people not to leave, and he shared how he came to faith at a motocross event at age 19, when a fellow motocross rider told him about Jesus. After sharing his testimony, Bennett called people to faith. The crowd gathered for the event was estimated to be more than 1,000. From this crowd, scores of people came forward to make a decision for Christ.
“Let’s celebrate those who raised their hands to surrender to Christ,” Bennett said, as others applauded. Those making decisions were taken to tables and the previously-trained encouragers helped them discuss their decisions, pray with them and offer resources to them.
Church leaders then are sent the decision cards to help people find a local congregation to further encourage personal growth.
Discipleship and follow-through
At Ewing, 122 decisions were made, and 71 of them were first-time decisions for Christ. Bennett said this is the typical response for such events.
But he stressed again the importance of the discipleship and follow-through by the churches. “We train the church leaders in evangelism so they can do better follow-up and discipling. It’s more than an evangelistic event,” he said.
So far this year, five other LIFE events are being planned in Missouri, as well as three in Montana.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Dan Steinbeck and originally published by the Pathway.
