Prayer will be used to prepare hearts for the March mailing of the 'Jesus' video to every home

By SAVANNAH ROGERS

Staff Writer

An organized effort of Christians in Fayette County praying for their neighbors in preparation for the statewide mailing of the "Jesus" video will get a kick start next month as "the church of Fayette County" hosts a Unity Prayer Rally Feb. 7 from 6-8 p.m.

Nationally known speakers and intercessors Mary Lance Sisk and Alvin Vander Griend will be at the rally, held at First Baptist Church of Peachtree City, and will lead special training on demonstrating God's love to our neighbors. Vander Griend's ministry, HOPE Houses of Prayer Everywhere teaches people how to pray for their neighbors through prayer walks, rallies, block parties and other methods. Sisk speaks on loving your neighbors as yourself. The two have been conducting "City Reachers" conferences across the nation.

A foundation of prayer before the videos are mailed is essential to the success of the project, organizers say. An estimated 20 percent more viewers will become Christians if prayer has preceded their receipt of the tape. The Jesus video is a feature film-length video based word-for-word on the Gospel of Luke, produced by Campus Crusade for Christ. Georgia will be only the second state to mail a copy of the video to every household when they are mailed March 17. Alabama was the first, experiencing a great harvest of souls for Christ two years ago. The Georgia project will cost $9 million.

Jesus Video Project organizers in Fayette County have received commitments from at least 600 Christians from various churches to pray for their neighbors' openness to viewing the video and their salvation. So far 37 local churches are taking part in the preparation and follow-up of the Jesus video mailing.

"Jesus stated that the second greatest commandment is to 'Love your neighbor as yourself,'" said Mary Frances Bowley, prayer coordinator for the Georgia Jesus video project. "What better way to show your love than by praying for your neighbors?"

A map of the county hangs in the "Joshua room" at First Baptist, with colored dots marking the location of the prayer partners throughout the county. Braelinn Baptist Church has new software that will print out the names of each partner's neighbors, so more personal and specific prayers may be lifted to God on their behalf.

The "Demonstrating God's Love" program involves the prayer rally Feb. 7, and Christians doing random acts of kindness Feb. 7 through May 23. A "love-your-neighbors" offering will be taken Feb. 14 for the video project. Also, each intercessor will be given a 40-day prayer calendar, from Feb. 17 through March 28, to guide the prayer efforts. Door hangers will be placed on homes March 7, asking neighbors to look in their mailboxes for an Easter gift of the Jesus video around March 17. Follow-up entails 50 days of proclamation, April 4 through May 23, telling the story of Jesus and God's saving grace through faith in His son.

Braelinn Baptist Church in Peachtree City is funding 25 phone banks to be used for follow-up. Churches are hoping to be able to man the lines around the clock to find out if people want more information after watching the video, and perhaps to help them pray the prayer of faith in Christ.

"We're dovetailing this whole effort into a much larger effort called 'Arms Around Atlanta,'" said Barry Odom, pastor of evangelism and missions at Braelinn Baptist Church. "It is a six-month emphasis to really love Atlanta, to reach Atlantans through the Jesus video, random acts of kindness, ... block parties, sports clinics and community cleanups." That effort is in conjunction with the annual Southern Baptist Convention, which will be held in Atlanta in June.

The prayer rally, Jesus video events and Atlanta outreach are just more examples of a movement of church unity gaining momentum locally. Churches in Fayette and surrounding counties are already gathering regularly for quarterly unity meetings.

"I'm excited about the churches coming together along nondenominational lines," Odom said. "It's kind of historic. Churches don't normally work together. Even Baptist churches don't always work together."

A small group of intercessory prayer partners are already meeting Mondays at 7:30 in the Upper Room at First Baptist Church of Peachtree City. For more information or to get involved in this prayer project, contact Bowley at 770-487-8133, ext. 215.

For information and updates on the Jesus video project, call Odom at 770-487-6691, ext. 204, pastor Mark Baldwin at 770-631-2811 or visit the website, www.jesusprojects.org.

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