By Staff
POPLAR BLUFF – Last year, Poplar Bluff area ministers came together to plan an event called Fields of Faith. The event was held on the local High School football field and close to 1,000 students came out to hear their peers, high school and college students, read the Scriptures, share testimonies, and preach the Gospel. The event was used by God to call more than 80 students to make salvation decisions that night.
The event was also marked by unity. The planning team was comprised of ministers from the Southern Baptist, General Baptist, Nazerne Church, Pentecostal Church, Methodist Church, Baptist Student Union Director John Collins, and Southeast Missouri Fellowship of Christian Athletes Representative Bill Ray.
“This type of event marked by unity and a strong movement of God in the hearts of students could not be ignored,” said Collins who is on staff with Cane Creek Stoddard Association as their Baptist Student Union director for Three Rivers Community College.
So, the team met again to make Fields of Faith an annual event, he said. Again, the emphasis was not on a “high powered” program; there were no big name speakers, worship bands, or light shows. The emphasis was simply on sharing the crucified Christ and calling students to the crucified life.
Junior high, high school, and college students read Scripture and shared testimonies focusing on mercy and transformation.
“No smoke and mirrors, just the uncompromissed Word of God, words like repent, grace, the blood, the cross, and mercy flowed from the students,” observed one local pastor.
Fields of Faith was scheduled to be held on the football field again, but rain forced everyone inside, across the street at First Baptist, Poplar Bluff. Close to 2,000 people packed into the auditorium.
The night ended with First Baptist Poplar Bluff Youth Pastor Doug Osborn, leading students through two response times. The first response time was for salvation decisions and the second response time was for a Scripture reading commitment. Hundreds of students made decisions that night. More than 80 made salvation decisions and hundreds more made a commitment to follow a Scripture-reading plan for the next 28 days.
Collins said he could not help but think of 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, which says, “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and HIm crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdoem, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God,” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.
“We saw this demonstrated on Oct. 14, Collins said.