[1]SPRINGDALE, Ark. (BP)–There is nothing like it when my church sets aside a night for God to work among us. This is really the ultimate purpose of a Solemn Assembly.
In our Solemn Assembly that was conducted on Sunday evening, Jan. 16, at our Cross Church Springdale location, our Cross Church family gathered to do business with God. Under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, I planned, knowing:
— Those who would come really wanted to do business with God.
— They needed to be led in a spiritual process of dealing with God.
— The entire service was an invitation by God to each of us.
Therefore, I led our people through the following process. Songs of worship, the Scriptures and prayer filled the Lord’s house. The service highlighted:
[2]— A personal call to repent of sin and return to God. Time of complete silence to deal with God was set aside (a rarity in worship today).
— A call to our church to return to our first love for Jesus Christ. With music in the background, people were called to kneel by their chair or come to the altar.
— A call to our nation was given as our people gathered in groups of five to seven, praying for our nation.
— A call to reach our region, our nation and the world with the Gospel was extended. As the church agreed in prayer together, we asked God to use us to fulfill the Great Commission.
— A powerful response reading was used from Claude King’s booklet, “Consecrate the People.” This reading was filled with Scripture, and a strong renewal to God occurred. God moved in and among us.
As our Southern Baptist churches conduct Solemn Assemblies, I am expecting God to work among us. May we see genuine revival that results in an awakening to the Great Commission.
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Ronnie Floyd is senior pastor of Cross Church, with campuses in Springdale, Rogers and Fayetteville, Ark. To access the full collection of Baptist Press stories on the call for Southern Baptist churches to engage in a solemn assembly, go to http://www.bpnews.net/BPCollectionNews.asp?ID=179.