[1]OKLAHOMA CITY (BP)–Oklahoma Baptists are on the go via a “MY316 Road Trip” taking the convention’s evangelism leader, Tim Gentry, and other co-workers to every Baptist association in the state between the 2010 and 2011 annual meetings of the convention.
The MY316 Road Trip features a vehicle wrapped with MY316, Cooperative Program and ministry information of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. The vehicle, which resembles a NASCAR race car, was unveiled during the BGCO annual meeting at Oklahoma Baptist University in mid-November.
MY316 — on the Web at MY316.com — is a creation of the BGCO church outreach team led by Randy Adams and the evangelism group led by Gentry providing a simple, resourceful witnessing tool for Oklahoma Baptists. It features a person’s salvation testimony along with the well-known Scripture verse John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
“This resource takes what Oklahoma Baptists already know, their story and John 3:16, to share Jesus with their friends and family,” Adams said. “According to a 2009 BGCO survey, three out of five Oklahomans could quote John 3:16 and virtually everyone was familiar with the verse. And it is a verse most believers feel comfortable in sharing.”
MY316, which was premiered at the state evangelism conference in January, involves three activities: Pray for the lost, serve the lost and share Jesus with the lost. The conference set forth a challenge for Oklahoma Baptist to pray for the lost. The upcoming Jan. 24-25 evangelism conference will highlight the serving portion of the initiative.
“The strategy of the MY316 Road Trip is face-to-face contact with laypeople, pastors and directors of missions in each association across the state,” Gentry said. “This personal contact with Oklahoma Baptists will provide the framework for continued implementation of the MY316 personal evangelism resource to help every Oklahoma Baptist in praying for the lost, serving them and sharing with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
[2]The trip also will continue the promotion of the MY316 evangelism resources and help introduce Gentry to Oklahoma Baptists as well as helping him orient to the state. Gentry became evangelism group leader in April.
“We want to assist Oklahoma Baptists to reach every man, woman, boy and girl in the state with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, while highlighting existing ministry evangelism projects across the state,” Gentry said. “We also hope through this process we can build awareness with the public of what Oklahoma Baptists are for and not just what we are against.”
Gentry said awareness of the ministries highlighted by the road trip also will be generated through the MY316.com website, the Baptist Messenger state newspaper, social media and local media outlets. Examples include outreach initiatives to expectant mothers, international students and at-risk youth, along with evangelistic events and neighborhood canvassing to identify needs.
Gentry noted that more than 600 of Oklahoma’s 1,780 Baptist churches have indicated a commitment to use the MY316 strategy and materials, and more than 40,000 youth and sponsors representing 700 BGCO churches and 200 out-of-state churches were trained to share their personal testimony this summer at Falls Creek youth camp. Also, nearly 3,000 children and sponsors were trained at CrossTimbers children’s camp and various regional camps.
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Dana Williamson is associate editor of the Baptist Messenger, newsjournal of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. For more information on the MY316 car or materials, go to www.MY316.com or contact Tim Gentry at 405-942-3000, ext. 4327, or [email protected].