In light of all the natural disasters this planet has sustained in the last year several laymen and laywomen from the Lewisville and Denton SDA Churches decided to host a week long tent revival series entitled “hope Alive in 05.”

For five nights they preached the good news that Jesus is coming soon. One Non-SDA attendee said the meetings were just what she needed to get through a crisis in her life.” Others commented that the preaching, music, children’s programs, and Power-Point presentations were professionally done and spiritually moving.

Attendance at the event averaged somewhere around fifty each night. However on Sabbath October 15 there were at least 200 present! After a powerful sermon preached by Elder Joe Goodrich entitled “The Gospel According to a Western,” the audience and community enjoyed a full day of pony rides, gospel karaoke, and an old fashion vegetarian cookout.

What made this revival so successful was not only the evangelistic interests it gleaned from the community but the fact that it was entirely run by laymen and laywomen who dedicated their time, talents and in many cases their finances to make it happen.

Special thanks to these dedicated members of the Seventh-day Adventist church and to the Texas Conference for supporting innovative approaches to evangelism. This event reminded me of the amazing effectiveness our churches can have when pastors empower and laymen preach.~