With the 2024 Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference and Annual Meeting upon us, I wanted to encourage Southern Baptists on all sides of the convention debates to share the gospel with at least one person in Indianapolis.
Did you know that there are estimated to be more than 10,000 Southern Baptists flooding the Indianapolis region over the next week? Many people will write about the need for Southern Baptists to be polite or to clean up after themselves, all of which are important. Still, more importantly, there should be 10,000 missionaries dispersing across the capital city. To encourage this, I wanted to offer a quick method to get you into a gospel conversation this week.
When you interact with a waiter, bellhop, valet, hotel manager, security guard, or any other person working in or around the convention center, ask them this question: "Has a Southern Baptist shared the gospel with you yet?" More than likely, they'll say no. When they say no, say, "I'm so sorry. Can I be the first Southern Baptist to do so?" Then, proceed to share the gospel with them. If, on the chance, they say yes, say, "That's awesome; I'm so glad you got to hear that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the grave. Is that something you've accepted?" Make sure to be mindful of their time, share the gospel quickly, and make sure to ask them if they want to be saved. If they receive Christ as Lord and Savior, give them your contact information and send them to the local Indianapolis Baptist Association (Crossroads Baptist Association) at www.reachindy.com so they can get connected with a local church.
I used this method multiple times last year in New Orleans and got the opportunity to share the gospel every single time. The is based on a method used by Dr. Gray Allison, founder of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, Tenn. Looking for a non-awkward way to enter a gospel conversation, Allison would apologize to family members and friends for not sharing the gospel with them yet and would ask if he could rectify that. He found that when you apologize to someone for not doing something, they're usually open to allowing you to rectify the situation. That concept is why the question, and the follow-up apology effectively opens a gospel conversation. This method can also be used when you return home from the convention. Just change the question to "Has someone from ______ Baptist Church shared the gospel with you yet?"
I hope this method is helpful for you and that you'll practice it this week in Indianapolis. Even if you don't use this method, do not leave Indianapolis without sharing the gospel with at least one person. Echoing the words of Dr. Michael Spradlin, president of Mid-America, let us never take lostness lightly.
Written by Klayton Carson