LOWRY CITY – The First Baptist Church here held its fifth Wild Game Dinner and Sportsman’s Extravaganza Sat., Oct. 15, with over 450 in attendance.
The event included numerous outdoor events including a 3-D archery tournament, a cornhole tournament, a unique blacksmith forging station and several bounce houses for children.
“Rather, than hold the event at the church, we hold it at Lakeland High School as it is a nonthreatening place to meet for those we hope to share the gospel of Christ with,” Pastor Jeff Ferguson said last fall. “After years of ministry to our local sportsmen and women, we’ve learned many often won’t darken the door of a church due to misperceptions of church or previous negative experiences in a church.
“The centerpiece of the event is a free wild game dinner feature local game such as venison, rabbit and turkey as well as exotic game from such as alligator, lamb, elk, goat. This year’s event featured catfish, crappie and spoonbill from area lakes.
“This year our guest hunter was Brandon Smith with Paradise Outfitters in Oak Grove, Missouri. Brandon is an avid hunter and fisherman, leading his congregation to reach sportsmen in their area. Paradise Outfitters transformed the church by getting rid of pews, replacing them with outdoor camping chairs and picnic tables. The Fellowship Hall doubles as an archery range that is open to the public. Brandon did an outstanding job connecting the need for a faith relationship with Jesus Christ with a series of hunting and fishing experiences he had over the years. In each, Brandon was taught a valuable lesson on grace, forgiveness and blessings.
“Our most popular outdoor event is the tomahawk forging station put on by Bill Green and his crew from Henderson Baptist Church in Rogersville, Mo. Bill’s ministry, ‘Forging Ahead 4 Christ’ provides the opportunity for children and adults to forge an authentic tomahawk and learn how to throw it safely and accurately. While pounding the red hot metal into what will become the head of the tomahawk, Bill Green and his blacksmiths share the hope of the gospel, describing how the Lord shapes and molds us through trials and things we do not welcome. Their blacksmith forging trailer has three fully equipped stations able to handle approximately 12 people an hour.
“We were unable to have this event in 2020 due to Covid so it had been four years since we last held one.” Pastor Ferguson stated. “We were questioning whether folks were ready to come to an event like this, but we found out they were when over 400 came to enjoy our bluegrass concert featuring ‘The Potter’s Wheel’ and enjoy our free wild game dinner.
“Everything associated with this outreach is free, we do not charge for any of the outdoor activities, concert or meal. When asked why we don’t ask for or accept money, we use the opportunity to explain that salvation cannot be bought, and we cannot charge to share what was freely given to us in Christ.
“Every family that attends is given a gift bag with a DVD of the JESUS film, gospel tracts and flyers that provide information about First Baptist Church, Lowry City, and our various ministries such as AWANA Bible Clubs.”