Sowing Across Colorado

Fellow Baptists in Grand Junction found a creative way to reach outdoor enthusiasts. Last Spring, they hosted a Sportsman's Banquet featuring Charles Alsheimer, a renowned wildlife photographer who is also a Christian. The banquet brought in more than 300 guests invited from across the community. And that evening, 33 people made commitments to Christ because the Grand Valley Baptist Association seized a unique opportunity to sow the seed and help spread the Gospel...Across Colorado.

Sowing: Sportsmen Respond to the Call

Grand Valley Baptist Association hosted wildlife photographer and writer Charles Alsheimer at an outreach banquet to help spread the Gospel Across Colorado.

Sowing of God’s seed continues even after a Sportman’s Banquet took place months ago.  The Kingdom impact is still challenging the worldview of the unchurched and unsaved in the Grand Junction community.  As a result, 33 people made a commitment to Christ and 30 people made a recommitment to their Lord and Savior.  Others that attended wanted to know more about Jesus and desired information on a local church. 

Grand Valley Baptist Association churches hosted this event in April where God was honored and lifted up in the midst of over 300 men, women and children.  Matt Guedes, pastor of Mesa View Bible Church, lead the efforts of follow-up with people that were interested in hearing more about Jesus. God blessed his efforts.  Two more people will enter the Kingdom of God because of Guedes’ faithfulness to respond to open hearts.  Additional results of this banquet allowed Grand Valley Baptist Association churches to present a $5000 check to the Colorado youth program of the Colorado Department of Wildlife.  Faithfulness on the part of the farmer leads to the harvest!  

Kent Shirley, area missionary for the Grand Valley Baptist Association, stated, “God gave us two things to really make sure spiritually lost people attended this event:  First, Christians intentionally and personally invited their friends and offered complimentary tickets .  Second by having a well-known outdoorsman speaker, Charles Alsheimer, who loves Jesus.” Alsheimer was named “one of deer hunting’s top five inspirational leaders of the twentieth century” by Deer and Deer Hunting magazine.  He was indeed an inspiration to those that attend the banquet.  His story brought attention to our Lord with a very clear evangelistic presentation of the Gospel. 

It took a year for churches, individuals, volunteers and other Christian organizations to plan for this Sportsman’s Banquet.  People, even those not considered outdoors enthusiasts, put their personal preferences on the shelf in order to further the proclamation of the Gospel – one key principle that separated Colorado Baptists from other groups.  The banquet was a hit for all sorts of outdoors men and women.  Door prizes, hunting knives, rifles, a fly rod and other outdoors items were donated for God to use to draw men unto Himself.     

Because of the hearts of so many Christians in this area, the Gospel continues to be sown throughout this Association.  This event was partially funded by the Missions offering of Colorado Baptists and serves as an outstanding example for creative evangelism. 

By Christy McDonie   

Across Colorado we are celebrating the life-changing power of the Gospel.

By presenting a series of four feature stories in this issue, we invite you to learn sow Colorado Baptists are Praying, Engaging, Sowing and Harvesting through local church and outreach ministries supported by our State Missions Offering.

Please prayerfully consider a special financial gift to the 2009 State Missions Offering so that we can continue the important work God has called us to do Across Colorado.

You may designate your gift “State Missions Offering” through your local church or mail it to: Colorado Baptists, State Missions Offering, 7393 South Alton Way, Centennial, CO 80112-2302.

Questions? Please call the Colorado Baptists office at 303.771.2480 or 1.888.771.2480 or visit ColoradoBaptists.org.