December 2009
God gave us a wonderful month preparing for the February 14th Grand Opening Day of Metro Baptist Church in San Diego (www.metrobaptistchurch.net). With about 20 churches and individuals from 13 states helping us dial, we finished the phone calls—the first of 5 steps of preparation. We made over 28,000 dial ups, with over 1400 households saying, “Send me mail about your new church!” Here are some phone responses.
“I’m not a Baptist. I’ve been church hopping and not finding the right thing . . . might as well try something new! Send me the mail and I’ll come visit!”
84-year old man raised Baptist, who asked for the mail--“Maybe I’ll get saved.”
After hearing the caller’s request to ask “two quick questions,” a lady hung up without saying a word. A moment later, her husband called back and asked for the mail.
A Methodist man who “backslid” because he “lost his family over the church” said he needs to think about returning to fellowship with God’s people.
“I am a born-again Episcopalian with no church, and I would like to help! Send the mail.”
“I can’t come to your church. I only live here on weekends.”????
“I don’t have a church . . . but I would like one. Me and my son will come.”
From someone who attends the local non-denominational, charismatic-oriented mega-church- -
“This area is starved for an old-fashioned Baptist church.”
We immediately sent each one who responded positively a first class, personal thank you letter. The next four steps of preparation are:
(1) Weekly mailings: a Christmas card, 3 postcards, and a church brochure,
(2) Two Saturdays of door hanger announcements in the neighborhood of the meeting place
(Barnard Elementary School in Point Loma),
(3) Four weekends of radio announcements on a San Diego conservative talk-radio station, and
(4) one week of calling back the entire Mail List (February 7-14) just before the Grand Opening.
Pastor Stephen Wess reports that he had 64 at his opening service at the new Canyon Springs Baptist Church in Las Vegas. Pray for him and his core group as they follow up visitors, visit those who showed interest but did not attend the first service, and carry on the daily work of shepherding and growing a new work. Follow his progress at www.canyonspringsbaptist.org.
Just before Christmas, we moved our RV to the parking lot of Tri-City Baptist Church in Chandler (Phoenix), AZ (www.tricityministries.org). They recently moved their church, preschool, academy, mission board, and International Baptist College to a new site. We will help them run “The Phone’s for You” to introduce themselves to their new neighborhood. Phone calls and mailings will be made in January and February inviting folks to a Community Appreciation Day in March. We will move our trailer back to San Diego in February in time for the launch of Metro Baptist.
Claudia and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the Grand Canyon--possibly our my most favorite place on the planet! To view a few of my photos (I rarely leave home without my Canon EOS 20D), along with my recent Death Valley photos, go to www.ipresson.com and click on Online Photo Gallery. Search for either Grand Canyon or Death Valley.
Pray for three upcoming “enjoyable” cross-country plane trips (nowadays similar to riding a Greyhound bus) to Greenville, SC, in the next few months: to marry our son Jeremiah to Yiqian Wang on January 5, to teach a week at the BJU seminary in January, and to teach a week at a BJU undergraduate evangelism class in March.
To the churches and friends (some anonymous) who sent us Christmas gifts and cards-- thank you! You may never know how timely and useful your thoughtful gifts were this year. We love you and are grateful for your support and prayers.
Press on!
Dave and Claudia Barba
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night...for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Joshua 1:8
