Friend Day – A Great Success
by Vernon Brady Vol. XXI, No. 1, January 2008
The SBCV (Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia) voted to encourage every Southern Baptist church in the state of Virginia to have a Friend Day on November 4, 2007. The reports are still coming in from the churches that participated with the new friend day materials written by Dr. Elmer Towns and Vernon Brady, called, “My Friendship Connection”. Many churches have had their greatest day of attendance and the biggest results in conversions they’ve ever had. Brambleton Baptist Church of Roanoke, VA, usually has a regular attendance of 30 worshippers each week, but on Friend Day they brought 70 visitors, of which four people prayed to receive Jesus Christ, and one prayed a prayer of re-dedication. A member of the church who had been there since the beginning said, “Sixty-eight in attendance was the biggest day ever, but this year they had 101 on Friend Day. Needless to say, the church is ecstatic about what God has done for them.
Now the pastor, Tim Spear, is looking forward to next year when Southern Baptists across the nation are being called to sponsor a Friend Day on November 2, 2008, according to Vernon Brady, national coordinator for the My Friendship Connection campaign.
One of the largest Southern Baptist churches in North Carolina – Green Street Baptist Church, High Point, joined the Virginia churches on Friend Day. The church reported 254 family units filled out the visitor card, with over 20 people trusting Christ as Savior and reported, “We are excited about following up all our visitors in the next few weeks.” Green Street has a usual attendance of about 1,500, but had 2,347 on Friend Day.
According to Pastor Darryl Craft, “My Friendship Connection, brought excitement and an evangelistic focus to the whole church, and we worked together as a team.” Like others who had a Friend Day, he’s looking forward with great anticipation to 2008.
Vernon Brady, national coordinator, said, “Friend Day in 2008 can be the greatest day of evangelistic outreach in the history of the Southern Baptist Convention.” He went on to explain, “If most of the approximately 43,000 churches motivate their members to invite their friends, this will be a nation-shaking event.” Then he went on to say, “In light of national elections for President next year, the Southern Baptists can make a great evangelistic statement by winning more souls for Christ on that day than ever before.”
The well-known Thomas Road Baptist Church of Lynchburg, VA, that averages 17,445 attracted 2,676 visitors on their Friend Day. Many people remember Jerry Falwell, Sr. who was known for both the Moral Majority and mobilizing his church to action, but the senior Falwell never had a Friend Day as successful as his son, Jonathan Falwell, who mobilized Thomas Road and preached passionately on Friend Day; 51 people responded to the invitation and received Christ.
Perhaps the most awesome moment of the day was when young Falwell said, “If you didn’t come forward to receive Christ today, but you want to know more, mark the Friend Day card with an “X” and I will phone you myself this week to talk about how you can know God personally.” This week he is phoning 39 people who marked the “X” to learn more about salvation.
Pastor Barry Ginn of Monumental Baptist Church, Petersburg, VA, said his church was averaging 175 in worship service, but had an attendance of 294 on Friend Day with 11 additions to the church. He responded, “It was incredible!
In addition to Virginia Southern Baptist churches, an additional 14 churches from North Carolina who heard about the campaign joined in with the view of preparing for next year.
Does Friend Day Work?
In November, 1994, Glenda Allen picked up the phone on Sunday morning and her best friend Julia Hicks said, “Get dressed, put on your best clothes, and stand at the end of your driveway; I’m going to pick you up at 10:30 a.m.” Glenda did what she was asked, put on her best clothes and stood at her driveway and Julia picked her up and took her to Friend Day at Green Street Baptist Church, High Point, NC. About one month later, Glenda prayed to receive Christ and has been faithful at Green Street ever since. Does Green Street Baptist Church believe in Friend Day? Absolutely! They point to Glenda Allen as a living example of what Friend Day can do to an individual.
If one person like Glenda Allen can get saved, think what will happen when ten attend, or fifty, or a hundred, or even as many as 2,000. Think of the influence of one friend upon another, and how friends go where their friends go, think like their friends, and believe what their friends believe. The Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia believe in Friend Day and are looking forward to November 2, 2008.
PO Box 136
Gibsonville, NC 27249
336 -449-9410 336-684-6765 (cell)
www.myfriendshipconnection.com