For months, members of St. Luke Baptist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi, have been reaching out and building friendships with their neighbours—hosting barbecues and getting to know local families. But Pastor Mark Turner knows that the most important relationship they need is one with their Heavenly Father.
So, when Kidzfest came to town in preparation for the Gulf Coast Celebration of Hope with Will Graham this weekend, Turner used the church bus to bring a group of children from the neighbourhood.
Kidzfest is a high-energy, fun filled event to share the Gospel message with children. On February 28, almost 300 kids filled Grace Truth Baptist Church, including 14 from Turner’s group—some of whom had never stepped foot in a sanctuary.
Although the term Christian is a comfortable label for many in Mississippi, Turner expressed how hard it is to reach the younger generation.
“Down here in the South, you would think we’re more religious and more Christian-centered, but for a lot of people—I’d say 40 and under—it’s foreign,” Turner said. “These are the babies, mommas, daddies, and grandmammas we pick up [on the bus].”
As they heard the Good News at the event, five of the children he brought walked down to the front of the church to ask Jesus Christ to be their Saviour. Now those kids can shine the first Gospel light into their families.
“Once the child receives the Holy Spirit upon salvation, the child becomes an instrument of the Holy Spirit,” Turner said. “It’s inevitable—either the parents are going to stop him from coming because of the conviction that the child is bringing, or the parents are going to be compelled.”
And as these young ones shine brightly for Jesus on the Gulf Coast, Turner is excited to see how the Lord uses it in the days leading up to the Celebration—and in the weeks after.
“We as Christians, the body of Christ as a whole, I think that our light needs to shine to outshine this darkness.”
Will you pray for people on the Gulf Coast in preparation for the Celebration this weekend, March 21–22? Ask God to embolden believers to invite friends and family to hear the Good News—and to open many hearts to the message of salvation in Jesus Christ.
