Dr. John H. Munro, pastor of Calvary Church in Charlotte, N.C., recently challenged his 5,000-plus congregation on "Matthew Sunday" to get involved with My Hope America with Billy Graham: “We can do it."

By Trevor Freeze

There’s no wrong answer.  But you can’t stay silent.

If you’ve heard about My Hope America with Billy Graham — the nationwide event aimed at reaching an entire country for Jesus — you may be wondering who, just exactly, is this outreach aimed at.

America?

Well, sure.

But one North Carolina megachurch pastor breaks it down in bite-size pieces.

Dr. John Munro — who leads the 5,000-plus member Calvary Church in Charlotte, N.C. — has challenged his congregation to simply look at the people around them.

“Are there people in your family who don’t know Christ?” Munro asked.

“What about your next door neighbor?” he continued, not skipping a beat.

“What about this friend at school?”

“What about this person who works with you that you’ve been talking to?”

Munro is trying to cut through some of the fear of evangelism, as he tries to “equip, motivate and inspire” his congregation to share the Gospel.  

After all, My Hope America is all about relationships and as Munro points out, a large portion of Calvary Church is already halfway there.

“Many in our congregation have great relationships with people in their neighborhood or at work,” he said, “so it’s not starting from scratch.”

But it does take action.

And the biggest step is committing to being a host “Matthew” for My Hope America — a unique opportunity for an entire country to hear Billy Graham share his heart during the week of his 95th birthday — November 7.

See Photos from Calvary's 'Matthew Sunday'

The 30-minute My Hope America video presentation, which will be availaible via TV, Internet or DVD to all "Matthews" —features music, culturally relevant life-changing stories and a Gospel message from Mr. Graham. Afterward, each "Matthew" host will share a brief testimony and invites guests to follow Jesus.

My Hope hosts are called “Matthews” after the apostle in the New Testament, who was so eager for his friends to meet Jesus that he threw a dinner party and invited them over.

And hundreds of churches like Calvary have already dedicated a morning service as “Matthew Sunday,” which ranges from showing brief My Hope videos to explaining the project from the pulpit to preaching entire sermons on relationship evangelism to handing out a My Hope brochure in every bulletin.

The brochure, colorful and well-made, is nothing special on its own—although it contains the most important part of the entire project.

Ten blank lines on the back.

“Matthews” are encouraged to start filling in these 10 lines with names of people around them who need Jesus in their life. Some “Matthews” may run out of lines, which may inspire them to consult with their November social calendars even earlier about getting folks together for multiple My Hope America viewing parties in their living room. 

“For those who know Christ as their personal Savior, we want them out in the marketplace, the schools, wherever they work, to be sharing their faith,” Munro said. “The mission of Calvary Church is being and making authentic followers of Jesus Christ.

"So My Hope captures our mission 100 percent.”

For Munro, My Hope was a no-brainer for his church on many levels. Always looking for ways to encourage evangelism, he feels there is a sense of urgency with My Hope that may help the idea of evangelism “crystalize” in the hearts of his church.

“With a large church, we have a lot of things going on, a lot of different ministries,” he said. “But we want the whole church to get behind it and pray for it.”

And the fact that Calvary Church is in the heart of Charlotte, just a few miles from where Billy Graham grew up, gives My Hope a little added significance. 

“Billy Graham has great name recognition, especially here in Charlotte,” said Munro, whose church is one of more than 750 in the state of North Carolina to get involved with My Hope America. “His father (William Franklin Graham) was one of the founding elders of Calvary Church (in 1939).”  

And while Billy Graham has reached millions with the Gospel, preaching in more than 185 countries, My Hope America is constructed to cover an expansive area with the Good News on a smaller scale.  

After all, My Hope, which has been successful in places like India and Brazil along with 55 other countries, is all about relationships. And as Munro points out, a large portion of Calvary Church is already halfway there.

Forget that it’s a nationwide outreach, said Munro. Or even a citywide crusade.

“In real terms, if we think we’re going to present this message to all of Charlotte, it’s intimidating,” he said. “But each person has a sphere of influence. And Christ wants us to accept responsibility. We can do it.”

That one neighbor. That friend at the gym. That extended relative.

And really, that’s the answer to the question — who is My Hope America for?

In some cases, it’s the person right in front of you.  

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Ken Bevel — who starred in Sherwood movies, "Courageous," and "Fireproof," — said on "Matthew Sunday" that joining My Hope America is about taking a leap of faith. "Have confidence in the Gospel, not yourself."

By Cicely Gosier

With part of the parking lot gone and a rerouted entrance, it’s evident Sherwood Baptist is doing a little remodeling.

Temporary trailers and chain link fences will greet visitors for a while as the movie-making church takes time to revamp its children’s areas. 

But the building project isn’t the only construction underway for this Albany, Ga., congregation. After Sunday’s visit from Jim Wood, mobilization director for My Hope America with Billy Graham, members are ready to be part of some relationship building as well.

“How could we possibly be satisfied to believe the Gospel is true – that people who don’t know Jesus are going to hell – and not be willing to connect the dots and connect with people?” Wood asked from Sherwood’s pulpit.

“That’d be like watching your neighbor’s house burn down and say, ‘I think they’re in there. I bet they’re just going to be roasted alive. That’s a shame.  Somebody really ought to do something,’ ” he continued.  “You’d have to be a monster!”

But to Wood, that is precisely what Christians do by standing by as others self-destruct.  And that challenge is what’s driving My Hope America, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s latest nationwide evangelism project. 

Participants – called “Matthews” – are encouraged to reach out to those who don’t know Christ, just as the disciple Matthew did in the New Testament. They’ll pray for and develop relationships with those people between now and November, when My Hope America culminates with a video presentation of a Gospel message by Billy Graham in Matthew homes.

“My Hope is going to let us know if our churches really care about lost people or we just talk about it,” said Michael Catt, senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist. “Whether we’re going to engage our friends we say we’re concerned about or whether we’re just going to talk about them.”

Wood echoed the stance of putting the church into action.

“It’s not their job to do this so you don’t have to,” he said, referring to church leaders. “We are the body of Christ and it’s our job to live so close to the Lord that our faith is contagious.”

‘The Need to Know’

Ken Bevel starred in two of Sherwood’s movies: “Courageous” and “Fireproof.” Having never acted before, he knows about stepping outside his comfort zone.  And it’s that leap of faith that Bevel is hoping people will take to participate in My Hope America.

“There are a lot of people that were sitting in the congregation and probably wanted to sign up that said, ‘I don’t know if I can invite someone into my home and tell them about the Gospel,’ or ‘I haven’t studied enough,’” Bevel said.

But for that, his solution is simple:  “Don’t worry about it.”

“Allow the Lord to do the work,” Bevel explained. “Have confidence in the Gospel and not in yourself.”

Bevel and some of the other church leaders wore nametags and earpieces as they sat in the sanctuary and listened to Wood talk about My Hope America.  

The “official” appearance can seem daunting to some. But when asked what My Hope America means to him, Associate Pastor John Spencer proved that underneath it all are compassionate people committed to God’s eternal construction in Heaven.

“We have a neighbor that my kids have prayed for since they were little,” he said, choking up with emotion. “And I want to see him saved.”

“I have other neighbors,” Spencer added. “I don’t want to sit in my house, in my neighborhood, and never let them know the hope that I have.”

“They need to know,” he said.  “So my hope for My Hope is to see my neighborhood changed because people come to Christ.”

Pastor Catt set a goal for his church to have 150 “Matthew homes” by November.  But by the time Sunday school was over April 28, they’d already passed that goal with more than 200 names on the sign-up list.

Now that his congregation is on board, Catt plans to write a letter to other Southern Baptist churches letting them know about My Hope America.

 “It’s one thing to say we care about a lost world, and we care where people will be for eternity,” Catt said.  “It’s another thing to say, ‘I’m willing to get out of my comfort zone and invite people in my home who I may’ve never shared Christ with but have lived next to for 30 years.’

“Now is the time, and this is the opportunity to do that.”

Related Story:

A 'Courageous Plan to Reach Albany, Ga.

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As 300 believers gathered at Hoffmantown Church in Albuquerque, N.M., to hear how they can effectively reach their friends and neighbors, one shy woman felt My Hope America was something she could realistically engage with to help share her faith. "This is something that appeals to me," she said.

By Bob Paulson

As churches across America introduce My Hope to their congregations, more and more Christians are deciding to step up and be “Matthews”—people who will throw a party this fall and invite their friends to come and meet Jesus.

In the process, these believers are discovering both the joy and the burden that come when they begin to pray daily for the salvation of friends and start reaching out with Christ’s love.

“It’s like a wake-up call,” says Emray Goossens of Albuquerque, N.M. Emray and his wife, Carol, were among about 300 potential Matthews who received My Hope training at Albuquerque’s Hoffmantown Church April 13. “Carol and I have been reading the Word to each other, and it kind of came to us that we need to be more engaged. Yes, I do mission trips in foreign lands. But what about in-between times?”

Carol, who works as a receptionist at the church, explains that because she spends most of her time in a Christian environment, she is realizing that she needs to stop and notice the needs of people around her. Recently a woman came to the church for food, and Carol took the opportunity to invite her to a worship service. And when the woman came to worship, Carol talked with her about how God can carry her through difficult times. 

One of Emray’s coworkers recently confided that Emray is his only real friend. Emray has begun to spend more time with the man to strengthen that friendship. And he is dealing with the implications of what the man said: “If I truly am his best friend,” Emray says, “then I must get him to see Jesus Christ.”

My Hope challenges Christians to do five things: 

Look Around and identify friends who do not know Christ

Look Up and pray daily for those friends

Look Out for opportunities to build relationships with those people

Look Forward and prepare to invite these friends to the event

Look After those who give their lives to Christ

The simplicity of that approach is attractive even to people who don’t always feel confident sharing their faith. “I’m one of these people who is very shy and don’t feel comfortable,” said Coryn Moser, who also attended the April 13 training. “So this is something that appeals to me, something that maybe I could see myself doing.”

Greg and Catrina Elder have begun to pray for the people on their “Matthew List.” Some of those are neighbors whom Greg observes from his window as he works in his home office. He sees the parade of cars that indicate numerous one-night stands, and he aches because he wants his neighbors to know how much better life is with Jesus. 

He knows that to enter into those lives in a meaningful way will require an investment. Even the architecture of our homes can work against relationships, Greg observes. “Houses today are designed completely different from the way they used to be designed when my parents grew up,” he says. “We had porches in front. Now we have these big decks and patios on the back. We have actually constructed our houses and big walls in the back not to reach out to our neighbors. So we have to make a diligent effort to reach out.”

The Elders recently invited all their neighbors over for dinner. Three showed up. That’s not many, but as Greg says, “That’s three more than before.”

Catrina points out: “The good thing is that they are already in our sphere. It’s not like we are going out to some stranger and saying, ‘OK, you are going to be the person on my list.’ When we first heard about My Hope, we were praying about it, and the people instantaneously on our minds were those we have already made an effort to have a relationship with. And they know we love the Lord, so that’s already part of who we are being.”

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What does small acts of kindness, like pulling a neighbor's weeds or wheeling a garbage in from the curb, have to do with winning them to Christ? It's all about building relationships, the heart of My Hope America with Billy Graham, a nationwide outreach culminating this November.

By Trevor Freeze

There is a misnomer circulating out there.

At least that’s one North Carolina woman’s take on relationship evangelism.

To reach a friend or a neighbor for Christ — as Jaqui of Cornelius, N.C., explains — people think you have to do something monumental. Be a spiritual supernova.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

“It’s the little things — the little, bitty things,” she said, just before walking into church at Grace Covenant in Cornelius. “It’s the little things that make a difference.”

Your neighbor’s bushes need trimmed? Weeds need pulled?

Their garbage can need wheeled back from the curb? That’s, what, all of 2 minutes out of your life?

Oh, and that half bag of fertilizer left over in your garage?

“What are you going to do with a half bag of fertilizer?” Jaqui said, half serious but fully passionate. “Spread it on the neighbor's yard. Spread that hope around. Spread that joy around.”

That hope is what “Matthew Sunday” is all about. On April 14 in Cornelius, N.C., and cities across the country, a relationship evangelism opportunity was unveiled by the name of My Hope America with Billy Graham.

MORE PHOTOS FROM 'MATTHEW SUNDAY'

After a few minutes, it was clear Jaqui was clear on the relationship evangelism concept. But the key for “Matthew Sunday” was to get as many people clear on the concept, and to start praying for their unsaved family, friends and neighbors today.

“We’re always looking for creative ways to mobilize our congregation to engage in relationship evangelism,” said Michelle Hoverson, who has served as associate pastor for missions and outreach at Grace Covenant for more than a decade. “My Hope America is a great way to accomplish that.”

Churches are being asked to designate a Sunday beginning April 14 as “Matthew Sunday.” At Grace Covenant, in each of its three services My Hope America was introduced through a brief announcement and promotional video provided by BGEA and an information brochure was distributed in each bulletin.

Two My Hope America booths were set up for people to gather more information, ask questions, sign up for e-mail updates or to become a host “Matthew” — which comes from Matthew 9:9-13, where the apostle invited his friends over to meet Jesus over dinner. 

Adapting to 2013, present-day “Matthew” hosts will invite their friends over for dinner or refreshments and show them a 30-minute My Hope America program, featuring music, testimonies and a Gospel message from Billy Graham. The Matthew then gives a brief testimony of his or her own before inviting their guests to make a commitment to follow Jesus.

“You just invite people over for dinner or coffee and you let Billy Graham do the rest,” said Hoverson, who added that a lack of confidence keeps most people from sharing their faith. “But a program like My Hope America gives people the tools, and the tools help give you confidence to share Christ with others.”

But first, as Jaqui said, “you've gotta start now,” building those relationships.

“It starts by doing something for someone else that is so little it might be overlooked,” she said.  “We’ve got to get back to the basics of kindness and about being real.”

For Jaqui that included reaching out in recent months by holding a craft afternoon for a few of her neighbor's daughters, teaching them how to make a Valentine’s Day necklace for their mothers.  It was such a hit, two of the three fathers she barely knew walked over to personally say thank you and now it’s opened up a dialogue about spiritual things, including getting back into church.

“I saw one couple get up early and go to church this morning,” she said. “All I did was give up a few afternoons of my time. Who can’t do that?”

It’s all about building that relationship, that trust, that equity where people will want to hear what’s different in your life.

“How’s that saying go?” said Jaqui who plans on opening her home as a My Hope “Matthew” in November. “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care — or something like that.”

And perhaps, Jaqui wonders, if that's the ingredient missing in effective evangelism. Skipping over the “caring” part. 

“You see someone else’s need and let them know you can help them out,” she said. “And if you know this neighbor likes this kind of coffee or a certain kind of dessert, invite them over.

“Knock their socks off with the little things.”

Click here, for information on how to get you and your church involved in My Hope America with Billy Graham.

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Phoenix area churches are ready to see God raise up new life in Christ through the My Hope America with Billy Graham nationwide outreach. "The harvest is ripe," one pastor said. "People want to know they are saved. They want to know God loves them.”

By Brent Rinehart

The land known as Phoenix was inhabited by an industrious people between 700 A.D. and 1400 A.D. — a people group who built miles upon miles of canals to make the land fertile.  

Officially recognized in 1868, the name “Phoenix” was suggested because a new town was springing forth from the ruins of this former civilization. 

Today, the land remains fertile — in a spiritual sense. The fields are “ripe for harvest” and pastors and church leaders in Phoenix are ready to see their city spring forth with new life in Christ.

And, as scores of people gathered at Skyway Church in the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear, Ariz., to get involved with My Hope America with Billy Graham, there was a sense of excitement at seeing a city bursting with new life when this grassroots evangelism initiative culminates this fall.

My Hope America with Billy Graham is mobilizing thousands of churches across the nation through meetings like the one held in Goodyear, Ariz., a Phoenix suburb, on April 6. The theme is consistent in every meeting: reaching people you know with the Gospel, and using the tools provided through the My Hope America initiative.

“It’s a way to reach your family, your neighbors, your acquaintances,” said Kimberly Kidd, an evangelism pastor for Skyway Church. “It doesn’t have to be hard. It should be simple.”

Buckeye, Ariz., resident A.D. Williams, an endurance horse rider and farmer who heard about My Hope America from his pastor, was excited about the organizing of so many people to share the Gospel.

“Most people don’t stop to realize what Jesus Christ has done for them,” Williams said. “He’s given you eternity. We have to tell others about it.”

“It’s going to take all of us,” Kidd added. “We are all the army of God. This is what America needs – a great awakening. We’ve got to start waking up and sharing our faith.”

“The harvest is ripe. People want to know they are saved. They want to know God loves them.”

Through My Hope America, thousands of people across the country this year will know of this love.

People like Kidd, Williams and the others gathered in the Phoenix area on Saturday, are hoping that this could be a year when they see a monumental change across the nation and specifically in Phoenix.

“The Valley of the Sun” could become “The Valley of the Son.” And, out of the ashes, new life could spring forth and this community can be changed, one heart at a time.

Get involved with My Hope America today and be a part of seeing your own city or community transformed with the Gospel. Attend a meeting near you, or sign up online today.

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A California pastor is on a 3,000-mile journey across the country to reach homes and families for Jesus. Along the way, he is also helping to spread the word about My Hope America with Billy Graham.

By Kristy Etheridge

More than a few people have told Dr. Jim Buckley he’s crazy.

The pastor, husband, and grandpa to 13 embarked April 1 on a 3,000-mile journey across the United States.

For many, the trip would be daunting enough in a car, but Buckley isn’t driving the cross-country route.

He’s walking it.

“I’m not a young kid,” laughed Buckley. “I’m 66 years old. I’m not in horrible shape, but I’m not the stud of the world.”

Buckley's plan to walk 20-25 miles a day, six days a week for six months is physically challenging, but he believes the walk is an answer to a spiritual call.

He wants to personally deliver a simple message to families across the country:

“Jesus can be in your home.”

When the Home is Strong, the Church is Strong

For years, Buckley has had a heart for the home. He believes the family unit is the epicenter of the Church, and he’s been deeply saddened watching many families struggle with addiction, abuse, immorality, and so many other issues that can invade the home.

“We know the struggles of a home, even a good home,” said Buckley, who raised five children with his wife of 44 years, Glenda. “Been there, done that.”

Buckley is calling the walk “Inviting America Home.” He left his church in Newbury Park, Calif., on April 1, and plans to reach his final destination, New York City, in September. On the way, Buckley is stopping to visit families in 13 states in hopes of strengthening and promoting the home.

“When the home is strong, the church is strong,” said Buckley. “When the home is weak, the church is weak.”

Buckley — who has a master's in theological studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary — said he loves the Church very much. But there must be more emphasis on the home.

“We put thousands of dollars in our clergy and our buildings,” said Buckley. “That’s not wrong, but the Church began in the home. We’ve flipped the whole thing.”

As Buckley walks the highways and back roads of the continental U.S., he hopes to visit about 100 homes, talking with families and spreading the love of Jesus. He’ll encourage Americans to bring Jesus home by regularly praying and reading the Bible—not just on Sunday.

“Our people have to go home after every great sermon, every great song by the choir,” said Buckley. “They have to go home, and Satan knows it, and we’re not prepared for it.”

Bringing 'My Hope' Home

During his journey, Buckley is spreading the word about My Hope America with Billy Graham, a nationwide outreach taking place in thousands of homes in November, 2013.

The event invites believers to welcome their unchurched friends and family into their homes in November. An evangelistic video featuring stories, testimonies and a Gospel message from Billy Graham will be viewed via TV, DVD or streaming video.

Then, the hosts of the event will briefly share their own testimonies before giving their guests an opportunity to invite Jesus into their lives through prayer.

“We want people to know that Dr. Graham can be in their homes in November, and they can invite friends,” said Buckley, who accepted Jesus 50 years ago at a Billy Graham Crusade at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Now, he’s excited to be part of Mr. Graham’s latest outreach.

“It’s fabulous,” said Buckley. “I think God’s definitely involved in this. God is up to something.”

One RV, 13 States

Buckley’s wife, Glenda, is joining him on his journey across the country. The couple bought a RV for the trip, and Glenda has learned to drive it. As her husband puts one foot in front of the other, she isn't far away, driving a parallel route.

The Buckleys will stop in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma before grazing the northwest corner of Arkansas and heading through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and finally New York. Buckley has visited several homes already. He plans to call local churches a couple days before he reaches town to help arrange some other visits.

And he’s leaving the rest up to God.

“He’s doing this,” said Buckley. “This is His walk.”

To keep up with Pastor Buckley’s walk, click here:

To learn more about My Hope America with Billy Graham, click here.

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Dozens of pastors and other believers gathered at The Cove in Asheville, N.C., for a My Hope America with Billy Graham preparation meeting that showed many people are already going above and beyond to make the November event a success.

By Kristy Etheridge

More than 100 people traveled to The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Ashevlle, N.C. to learn how to make My Hope America with Billy Graham their own.

Will Graham introduced the My Hope preparation meeting, which is one of hundreds of training events being held across the United States and online.

“My grandfather has a burden to preach one more time,” said Will Graham. “You’re helping my grandfather do his very last Crusade.”

My Hope America with Billy Graham is a different type of Crusade. It won’t take place in stadiums; it will happen in living rooms across the country, as Christ followers use relationship evangelism to reach family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors.

The nationwide event, which is scheduled to take place in November, is based on the apostle Matthew, who invited his friends over to meet Jesus 2,000 years ago. Billy Graham is calling on believers to be modern day “Matthews” by building relationships and inviting people into their homes to learn about the hope of the Gospel.

“What you guys get to be a part of is literally throwing a party for Jesus, inviting friends to your home,” said Will Graham.

More Photos from My Hope Event in Asheville, N.C.

Two pastors who attended the March 26 event believe so strongly in My Hope, they’re going above and beyond to make sure members of their congregation are on board.

“We’ve set aside money to take care of the refreshments for all of the people hosting in their homes, so it won’t be any cost to them,” said Paul Fleming, executive pastor of Forestville Baptist Church in Greenville, S.C. “We’re removing every excuse.”

Fleming traveled to Asheville with education pastor David Rowe to learn more about My Hope, but it’s clear that the two pastors have already made the November event their own.

In addition to eliminating any financial burden for families who wish to host My Hope in their homes, the church is hosting a “Harvest Sunday.” On that day, any new believers who have attended meetings at the homes of church members will be invited to the church for a celebratory dinner.

“Over 80 percent of people say they’ll come to church with a friend if they’re invited,” said Rowe. “It’s something we’re trying to teach as part of the culture of our church, to invest in people and invite them into your lives.”

The My Hope America with Billy Graham training event at The Cove wasn’t just for pastors. Patti Smith decided to come to the event on her own to learn how she can best reach her friends and neighbors for Christ.

“This is the only way to reach so many people that would never come or even tune into a Crusade,” said Smith.

After attending the three-hour training meeting, Smith says she has all the tools she needs to get started, but before she takes another step she plans to pray.

“I want to know what the Lord’s plans are and how He can use me, and then I’ll go forth from there,” said Smith. “But I know I’m going to block November out for this cause.”

In November, the My Hope message will be shown via TV, DVD, and streamed online. The program will combine music, testimony, and a message from Billy Graham with current-day stories of redemption in Christ.

After the video is played, each host will share a brief version of his or her testimony and then invite friends and family to make a decision to follow Jesus. The goal is to continue to disciple new believers by connecting them with local churches and Bible studies.

Fleming says he knows some believers may be nervous about inviting friends into their homes to talk about the hope of Jesus. He hopes they’ll take a step in faith anyway.

“You don’t have to look far to see the need,” said Fleming. “You just need to try. You won’t know if you don’t try.”

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What is the main reason Christians don't share their faith? One pastor at the Minneapolis/St. Paul training event shared his theory and why the My Hope America with Billy Graham event this November is so powerful: “People don’t feel equipped. They don’t know how to do it. So to have resources and tools is huge."

By Erik Ogren

As inches of heavy, wet snow piled up across the Twin Cities metro area, snarling traffic and causing headaches, more than 100 church leaders from across the area braved the elements to travel to Northwestern College to learn more about My Hope America with Billy Graham.

While event organizers hurriedly set out more tables for the growing crowd, and the attendees shook the snow from their hair and hung damp jackets on the backs of chairs, there was a common theme that reverberated through the room: the urgency of the Gospel.

“We’re too comfortable,” said assistant pastor Kurt Linn of St. Paul’s Church in South Minneapolis. “And maybe particularly here in the west, our churches are way too comfortable. Church is a compartment of our lives, as opposed to the thing that drives us day-to-day.”

That sentiment was echoed by Pastor Jim Bzoskie of Cornerstone Bible Church of Hastings, Minn., who made his own commitment to Christ at a Billy Graham Crusade in Ames, Iowa, in 1974. “I think what happens is that Sunday after Sunday, with everyone being so busy and all the cares of this world, that it’s easy to get comfortable.”

Both men believe that My Hope America with Billy Graham is an opportunity to step out of that comfort zone and equip their congregations to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There are many roadblocks that tend to keep believers from sharing their faith with those around them, including fear (of rejection or of not knowing what to say) and not having the tools or feeling equipped to “do evangelism.” But pastors across Minneapolis/St. Paul — and across the country — are grabbing onto My Hope America with Billy Graham as a chance to overcome those road blocks and reach outside the church walls.

“People don’t feel equipped,” said Linn. “They don’t know how to do it. So to have resources and tools is huge.

“I think the local churches and pastors are grateful because obviously a lot of time and money and resources go into what the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is providing for the churches to use. A lot of churches don’t have the ability to print the material, or even just the knowledge, the best strategy, and all those kinds of things. It’s a huge gift.”

Relationship Evangelism

Of course, all the materials and tools in the world likely won’t lead anybody to Christ by themselves. That’s where Christians across the country come in. My Hope America with Billy Graham builds on pre-existing relationships (as well as new opportunities for relationships) to serve as the conduit for sharing the message. 

“One of the most amazing things about this project is that being in a relationship with people allows you to share the Gospel very effectively,” said Matt Brown, an author, evangelist and founder of Think Eternity, a Minneapolis-based ministry. “It allows you to be in people’s lives to disciple them very effectively. These friendships that are being invested into, and the Christians that are bringing people to Christ, that’s the most powerful discipleship tool out there.

“We’re in their lives, we’re around them,” said Brown. “It’s important to just be around people who need to hear the Gospel, to get around our neighbors, get around people. Be their friend and that will usher in the opportunities to get them involved through My Hope and share the Gospel.”

And it goes beyond simply being in a relationship with someone, to being intentional about reaching them with the Gospel. “I’ve always been convinced that — just as my mother shared the Gospel with me and took me to a Billy Graham event — it’s one person at a time,” said Bzoskie. “It’s one heart at a time. In the ministries that we do, it’s that personal caring touch.”

Added Linn, “It’s all about relationships. Jesus had His 12, He had His three, and you could even say that with John, His ‘beloved disciple,’ there was a special relationship there. So relationships are special. Jesus modeled it, and we need to model it.

“And the large group corporate thing is wonderful — Sunday morning events, dynamic preaching, slick worship teams — and a lot of churches build around that and people go to church for those reasons,” Linn continued. “But discipleship and ongoing nurturing of the body of Christ has to happen in some sort of a small group community because it’s only there that we can really hear the heartbeat of one another. That’s how we do this. It’s not a solo deal. People need one another.”

The Importance of Follow Up

Christians in Minneapolis/St. Paul are joining other believers around the country in praying that the culmination of My Hope America with Billy Graham in November 2013 is just the beginning of a spiritual reawakening in the country, and that there are many new followers of Jesus to mentor in their newfound faith.

Following up with those who make a decision has been a cornerstone of BGEA outreaches for decades, and one of the most effective aspects of relationship evangelism opportunities like My Hope is the built-in network of support and encouragement that exists when one is already a friend of someone who makes a decision for Christ.

“It’s monumental. It’s huge,” said Linn about following up with new believers. “Discipleship means that you walk alongside people. You encourage them, you support them, you equip them, you live life with them. You eat, you cry, you laugh with them.

"As much as the focus is November 2013 — the big event — I know that Billy Graham and the organization, their prayer and hope is that this is just a tool to capture the importance that we’re reaching out to our co-workers and our neighbors and our friends and our family, and so it has to continue on.”

Brown added, “God uses men and women, and when we’re in their lives and we’re befriending them and spending time with them, we’re going to be able to walk with them. Not Billy Graham, not Franklin Graham, but each of us around America today who are involved with this.”

Please Pray for America

Just as those escaping the snow in the meeting room at Northwestern College were praying for the lost around them, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is asking Christians across the country to lift up this project in their prayers.

“The Gospel is not our work, our rules, our religious structure, but it’s that God is anxiously desirous of every person on earth. He wants to reconcile people to Himself. He’s given everything — and His Son — to reconcile people to Himself,” said Brown.

“That’s the hope in the Gospel that people around the world need to hear today, and it’s that simple proclamation — that simple hearing of this grace and this love that God has offered in His Son, Jesus Christ — that transforms the human heart; that transforms communities; that transforms nations; that honestly, through history, has retransformed nations, and God can do it again in America.”

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It's been almost four decades since Billy Graham has preached in Albuquerque, N.M. But through the My Hope America outreach program, Mr. Graham's message will return to New Mexico this fall, as well as every other state in America, through the power of relationship evangelism.

By Brent Rinehart

Nearly four decades ago, 350 Albuquerque churches joined together to support the second Billy Graham Crusade in New Mexico. Those eight days in March of 1975, which saw more than 1,000 people come to Christ every night, comprised the last time Billy Graham held a Crusade in “The Duke City.”

That is, until November of this year, when a special broadcast program, featuring a message from Billy Graham, culminates the My Hope America with Billy Graham nationwide evangelistic campaign.

In a way, what happened last week at Calvary Albuquerque, pastored by Skip Heitzig, was decades in the making. Pastors and church leaders from across the region gathered together to learn about My Hope America and pray for revival in their city and state. Through My Hope America, many are anticipating thousands of individuals across the region opening their own homes for a Gospel presentation.

“My Hope America with Billy Graham is nationwide outreach that equips individuals to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with their friends and family,” Robert T. Schlipp, Southwest Regional Coordinator for My Hope America. “It helps each of us to do what Jesus called us to do, to go and make disciples.”

“One of the things that occurs in Christendom is people come to the Lord, and statistically speaking, within a few years most of their relationships outside of the church have faded away and they are living inside the ‘bubble,’ inside the church,” said Nelson Walker, assistant pastor of Calvary Albuquerque and key organizer of the My Hope America meeting.

“The purpose is to get people back into their communities, talking to their neighbors, their friends, their coworkers. People who would not normally accept a church invitation will often accept a dinner invitation.

“We are trying to break out of the bubble, and go back into the community. We are seeking to reach back into the communities with the Gospel of Christ.”

According to Walker, the difficulty Christians have in breaking the proverbial bubble is that they are asked to do things they have never done before. They’ve never practiced. The My Hope America preparation meetings help Christians get more comfortable talking to people they already encounter on a daily basis. It’s about developing and using relationships we already have to reach people for Christ.

“For me, the relationships are crucial,” said Coulter Prehm, a youth pastor in Sante Fe who attended the My Hope America meeting. “To open the door so you are not just getting converts, but you are getting people who are actually seeing Jesus living through you.

“We spend a lot of time seriously praying for the Kingdom to come in this nation, in Sante Fe, in Albuquerque and in the state. I hope that, along with the other efforts that are being made across the country, that this could be something that starts a fire where Christians are feeling empowered by Jesus … to be the change that everyone is saying that we need.”

In New Mexico, the meetings at Calvary Albuquerque not only crossed denominational lines, but also language barriers, which is important in the communities represented in New Mexico. Pastors and church leaders from across the state, both English and Spanish-speaking, joined together to pray for evangelism and opportunities to see a revival across the country, starting in their own communities.

“My Hope is for all denominations,” said Horace Gill, a former pastor who attended the meeting. “It’s all about Jesus Christ and bringing people to Jesus Christ.”

Another meeting in preparation for My Hope will take place in Albuquerque on April 13 at Hoffmantown Church. But, there are other meetings being held across the country. You can find one near you, or sign up and go through the training online. Join us as we take the Gospel across the United States and Canada this year.

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Relationship evangelism will be on the forefront this November, as Billy Graham asks Christians all over North America to join him to help reach two countries for Christ. "My Hope excites me because it reaches people in the neighborhoods where they are living," said one Spartanburg, S.C. pastor

By Bob Paulson

In dozens of meetings across the United States and Canada, My Hope is gaining momentum as pastors and church leaders catch the vision for one of the largest evangelistic efforts ever attempted in North America.

Pastors have prayed, strategized, taught and challenged, but still they’ve seen church attendance plummet, marriages disintegrate, families suffer from job loss or a host of other stressors. They’ve seen people in their communities lose hope as they look for it in all the wrong places.

But in My Hope, they are daring to dream about what God might do when tens of thousands of Christians across the continent commit to pray daily for unsaved friends, nurture their relationships with them and then, this coming November, invite them to to their home to watch a 30-minute video about hope.

And the training that these Christians receive (at no cost) will equip untold numbers of believers to make sharing their faith a lifestyle, not just a one-time event.  My Hope seeks to mobilize Christians to be modern day “Matthews”,  equipping them to follow Matthew’s example in the bible of inviting friends to their homes to meet Jesus (Matthew 9:9-13).

In one of the many training meetings being held around the country (see myhopewithbillygraham.org for more information), more than 170 pastors and leaders gathered in Columbia, S.C., Feb. 28 to learn more about My Hope.

“It’s just harder and harder to get people to come into the doors of the church,” noted Eddie Robertson, minister of recreation and evangelism at First Baptist of Spartanburg, S.C. “My Hope excites me because it reaches people in the neighborhoods where they are living. It helps our people to be mobilized to go out and recognize those people around them that aren’t going to church, that don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ.”

During the session, Gary Cobb, director of training for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, pointed out: “My Hope is a gigantic rescue effort. It’s about people who are going to spend eternity away from God. It requires that we all make a commitment to rescue them.”

Gayle Whittle, from First Baptist Church in Columbia, is one who longs to see other Christians make a commitment to evangelism, as she has.

“I see Christians everywhere, in all the years that I’ve been a Christian, that are afraid to step out,” Whittle said. “This is such a temporary place. Our home is in Heaven. We need to share it with everyone, so they’ll know. Because life is a vapor, James wrote, and we never know from moment to moment if it will be that last breath. So we need to have boldness to share.”

How can your church participate in My Hope?

It’s easy.

Step 1: Register online at myhopewithbillygraham.org

Step 2: Get trained. You can do this either online, at myhopewithbillygraham.org, or in person—see the website for a list of upcoming training meetings.

More My Hope observations from Columbia:

 “I’m pretty confident that our church will get involved in it. Now is the time that we need a movement in America. This is going to be the route that a lot of people take. And it’s the route we’re going to take.”

— Roger Wilson, associate pastor at Round Hill Baptist Church, in Lexington, S.C.

“The whole idea, I believe that inviting people into your home works. If you can get people into your home, build that relationship and share your story, I believe that’s the best way to share the Gospel, or at the very least, build a bridge where you can continue to share the Gospel with them.”

— Rocky Purvis, pastor at Northside Baptist Church, Lexington, S.C.

“There’s a good percentage of our church that will [get involved in My Hope]. God is working in a marvelous way in our church, so we’re excited.”

— Nancy Laythan, First Baptist Church of Jedburg, S.C.

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