Greater Impact

By Ken Akers

Impact began July 15, 2006, in Birmingham, Alabama, when more than 400 Free Will Baptists from eight states braved 100-degree temperatures and sweltering humidity to change the focus of the annual Free Will Baptist convention. The idea was simple: each year, make a difference—an impact—on the city hosting the national convention.

“I just think it is amazing to see Free Will Baptists come together for something like this” participant Tina Brewer said that day. “No matter what happens the rest of the convention, we will always remember Birmingham for what happened today!”

As the Impact program celebrates its first decade, Tina’s statement has proven prophetic. Over the nine-year history of the program, more than 2,500 Free Will Baptists have participated in the one-day outreach program. Held on the Saturday immediately preceding the national convention, Impact gives convention-goers an opportunity to serve the host city through door-to-door evangelism, service projects, community outreach events, and more. Volunteers have done everything from building pole barns to marching in parades and hosting street carnivals.

While the logistics of Grand Rapids prevented the outreach in 2015, a year earlier, 84 volunteers from eight states participated in Impact Fort Worth, enduring the heat and humidity to distribute more than 2,000 flyers and 1,000 gospel tracts.

In 2016, Impact Kansas City will offer three locations and a variety of service projects:

• LifePoint FWB Church in Blue Springs, Missouri, has a monthly food distribution ministry. Participants will assist this local church in distributing food to those in need.
  

• Victory FWB Church in Kansas City, Missouri, and Central FWB Church in Grandview, Missouri, will host community outreach carnivals for their neighbors. The events will help these churches build connections and meet prospective members while providing a day of fun for the community.

Impact volunteers are needed at all three locations. Participants will meet at their respective locations at 9:00 a.m. Groups and individuals can register for Impact online at www.fwbmastersmen.org and register for the location they wish to serve. All participants who preregister by June 27 will receive a free Impact Kansas City t-shirt.

We want this to be the largest and best Impact outreach event ever. Will you help us impact Kansas City with the gospel? Consider the reaction of one local pastor who hosted the event at his church: “We are very grateful for this program. It was a rare opportunity to have nearly 200 workers do more in six hours than our church could do in months! They accomplished more than I dreamed.”

This is your chance to make a greater impact!

About the Writer: Ken Akers is director of Free Will Baptist Master’s Men, a division of North American Ministries. Learn more: www.fwbnam.com.