Come see us tomorrow at Celebrate Freedom!

We will be at Celebrate Freedom all day tomorrow in Marietta, GA. Come by our booth and say Hello and register to win some cool prizes!

Check out the Celebrate Freedom website for more information: http://www.celebratefreedomatlanta.com/

Hope to see you there!

GO TELL Crusade continues to have lasting impact in South Carolina

GO TELL Crusade continues to have lasting impact in South Carolina

More than 600 salvation decisions are only the beginning

Amazing stories continue to surface well after the Tri-County GO TELL Crusade held in Anderson County, South Carolina last month.

Community obstacles were overcome as more than 30 churches in the county agreed to support the crusade, which brought evangelist Rick Gage from Atlanta and guest speakers and musicians.

The four-night crusade was held May 20-23 at Belton-Honea Path High School’s football stadium, concluding with a Pizza Blast and Youth Night.

At 12 schools, ON TRACK assemblies were presented by Gage and his team to 6,000 students Monday through Wednesday on the dangers of sex, alcohol and drug abuse. Gage also brought with him a BMX bike team to entertain the students.

“We had an awesome event with more than 15,000 in total attendance and over 1,300 decisions with 618 of those for salvation. It was one of our greatest crusades ever! To God be the glory!” Gage said.

“I met one couple with a small child who had been separated and were on the verge of divorce; but as result of the crusade and the power of God, their marriage and family were brought back together,” Gage added.

“This is a story that needs to be told. A great movement of God took place here in Anderson County,” said Dennis Ashley, who co-chaired the crusade with Tom Langston. At Barker’s Creek Baptist Church in Honea Path, Ashley said, “We have had 12 come forward for baptism.”

Members from area churches comprised the 155-person Mass Choir. On the first night, more than 3,000 attended with many churches suspending their Sunday evening worship services to encourage their members to attend the crusade instead. On the last night, more than 6,000 attended – in spite of thunderstorms both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

Prayer Committee Chairman Betty Mitchell said, “I don't think I've ever seen a movement of God quite so powerful. All I can say is God showed up and showed us His power! When His people come together in agreement and pray, He moves in a mighty way.“

For instance, Mitchell said, “The weather was doubtful at times but would clear off when the crusade began. I know my preacher made a comment about it raining across the street but not at the crusade one night.

“People came, people shared their hearts; and God heard and answered all our prayers. I feel honored to have been a part of such a movement of God. To Him be all the glory. Great things He has done!”

Among Mitchell’s Prayer Committee members was Evelyn Ashley, saying, “I was disappointed that we only got six cottage prayer meetings from our church but overwhelmed when 91 people agreed to pray every day.” Ashley said daily and weekly prayer cells met, and now one daily and one weekly prayer group continue to meet.

On the Sunday morning following the crusade, she said her pastor asked those who had been involved in the crusade to share their experiences. “We had two hours of public testimony of experiences at the crusade,” she said.

Then this past Sunday morning, Ashley said 10 people were baptized and at least five more will be baptized next Sunday morning. “People are continuing to visit every day. In the past, getting people to visit once a month was impossible,” she added.

“Pray for the enthusiasm to continue and for follow-up of those who made decisions during the crusade,” Ashley said. “Praise God for people like the Go Tell Team.”Ted Coody, senior pastor of Honea Path Pentecostal Holiness Church, said, “What thrilled me most about the Go Tell Crusade was to see the body of Christ come together in unity – regardless of the wide range of denominational affiliations – out of mutual concern for lost souls and with great passion to reach them for Christ. The souls reached through this effort, I believe, are just the beginning of a greater harvest as we continue to advance His kingdom cause together!

By the second Sunday following the crusade, Rev. Coody said, “We had baptized 10 new believers – most of whom were brought to Christ through the Tri-County GO TELL Crusade effort! We are committed to disciple these who are a part of our congregation and will continue reaching out to win others to Him.

“I will never forget the excitement of seeing souls hungry for God falling on their faces on the wet field, following a thunderstorm prior to the service! What an awesome sight to witness the Holy Spirit, convicting and drawing souls to Christ for salvation or into a deeper walk of faith with Him! PRAISE GOD FOR GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE AND GREATER THINGS HE WILL STILL DO FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE ON HIM!!!”

Helen Watson, a teacher at Honea Path Middle School, said, “There was something wonderful that happened at the crusade and then at my school a week following the crusade. These things were not just a blessing for the students but a blessing for me that has renewed my faith and has me walking a closer walk with the Lord.”

One regarded a student for whom Watson had been burdened, and the other dealt with carnations.

Watson said this student “was so filled with anger that I wasn’t able to get through to her.” Attending the crusade on Monday night, Watson was struck by similarities between this student and the testimony of the crusade’s guest speaker. Then she saw the student sitting alone.

Seeing her lift her hand to say she was not sure of her salvation, Watson said she struggled for several minutes, wondering if she should join the student. Although she had prayed for this student many times, Watson said she did not feel she had a strong relationship with her and did not want to make her feel uncomfortable.

Then Watson “felt something like a gentle push on my back. I even turned around to see if someone had touched me.” Continuing to feel “a heaviness on my back, urging me to go forward,” she concluded this pressure must be from the Lord. Watson decided she would do what He was commanding “though difficult for me.”

Approaching the young lady, Watson said, “She was tearful and had her head bowed in prayer. I put my arm around her; and as she looked up at me, I asked her did she want to go forward to where others were praying. She took my hand; and we walked to the front with others, went to our knees and I began to pray for her. I saw a colleague and asked them to come lay hands on her as well. When we stood, I heard her telling me softly, ‘Thank you’; and she walked away.”

The next day at school, Watson said she learned from another colleague that this same young lady also had attended the crusade on Sunday night and had prayed.

During the week of the crusade and the week following, Watson continued to meet students in the halls who would say, “Ms. Watson, did you go to the crusade? I got saved. Ms. Watson, I went to the crusade at BHP and it was awesome.”

Watson commented, “I couldn’t help notice a glow on their faces.” Feeling she needed to do something to help them celebrate, Watson said, “With separation of school and church, I wasn’t sure what to do, so I prayed to the Lord that He would guide me.”

The next week, she spent nearly $100 for 200 white carnations to give to students wanting to tell her of the changes in their lives. Watson said she wanted to tell them that white was for purity and a sign of starting over, that they had been forgiven of their sins and cleansed, that they were blemish free.

Watson also planned on telling them that, just like we ask the Lord for forgiveness, He also expects us to ask forgiveness of those we have hurt or wronged in some way. Also, she wanted to tell them they should be proud of what they experienced at the crusade and to share what had happened with their friends and family.

However, the carnations did not come Friday or Saturday – not until the following Tuesday from another country. By then, a company official told her the flowers would be “rotten” and she would be issued a refund.

When she opened the package, Watson said, “I saw the most beautiful white carnations that I have ever seen” with only a couple with a few brown spots. “They were in full bloom and as white as snow.”

She spread the word by intercom that students would be welcome to stop by her room at certain times the next day to tell her about their crusade experience – though not mentioning the carnations.

“The next day, I had students lined up at my door. As students came in, I asked them what night they went to the crusade and what their experience was like. Some said they had been saved. They talked about how they cried and prayed with their family and friends. Some said they had been saved before, but they prayed and cried for strength to handle certain situations in their lives.”

Playing “Amazing Grace” by Chris Tomlin on her computer, Watson and her friend hugged each student when giving them their white carnation. Then she saw the young lady with whom she had prayed at the crusade, being urged to enter her room to receive her carnation. While she did not share her story, she did receive a flower. As she left the room, Watson heard her softly and shyly say, “Thank you.”

“Another student said she had been to the crusade but wanted to talk in private about another concern. She was fearful about leaving middle school and going to high school. We talked about her fears and about the power of prayer for strength.”

Then a couple of young ladies asked if they could stay and listen to all of the words to “Amazing Grace.” “They not only listened but sang along. One said it had been many years since she had heard the song. One of them became very tearful. I wondered what was going on in her mind as she listened to the song. I knew she had to have a heavy burden as she is a foster child.”

That day Watson said she gave out 122 of the nearly 200 white carnations. Then on the last day of school, she had a few more students come by to tell her their stories. Also on the last day of school, she received another email from the florist, promising to give her a 50 percent discount on her next order. “The Lord is good, and I praise Him.”

For more information and scheduling, contact Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries at 1-866-446-8355 or email info@gotellministries.com.

".... the crusade team was asked to stay for the entire week because the response was so overwhelming..."

Dear Pastor:

Rick Gage is implementing an idea that I believe is surely from our Lord. Our city of 21,000, Plainview, in the Bible belt of West Texas, had watched 30 years go by, 25 of them while I have been pastor of College Heights Baptist Church, without a city-wide evangelistic effort of any kind. While most churches dwindled during that period, people were actually thirsting critically for the gospel. Many of our churches, Baptist included, quit using revivalism in favor of more "sophisticated" approaches to not reaching people.

The initial meeting with Rick in February of 2011 was intriguing. While many of the pastors from several denominations were obviously "dragging our heels," me included, mostly concerning timing, Rick was gently trying to persuade us that it was not too late to schedule a crusade in 2011. I was amazed that after a couple of extra planning meetings the group voted to go for it. The event was scheduled for October 2-5, at our high school football stadium.

To make a long, long story very short, the crusade team was asked to stay for the entire week because the response was so overwhelming, proof positive that revivalism is not dead. Hundreds got saved, and hundreds more made meaningful commitments of other kinds. Our church was blessed beyond measure.

The idea I mentioned first is Rick's vision to take Billy Graham-type crusades to our nation's small towns. It stands to reason that the smaller market requires a smaller budget, which made it financially feasible for us. But the ratio of decisions-to-population was proportional to the grand crusades we have seen in metro areas.

Rick's counseling and follow-up preparations are comparable to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The churches that invested most heavily in time and personnel are enjoying the greatest benefits in terms of number of baptisms and other blessings of revival.

Perhaps you too have heard about a meeting of pastors considering a Billy Graham Crusade decades ago, in which the pastors spent a half hour criticizing the cost, effort, lack of follow-up, and other negatives. Finally one pastor rose and said, "Brothers, I like the way Billy is doing it better than the way we are not doing it."

I urge you to give Rick Gage an ear, and let him share his spirit and vision with you and with any other pastors you can get into his presence. I truly believe you will be blessed, and your city may be changed forever.

Sincerely yours,

Don Robertson
Pastor, College Heights Baptist Church
Plainview, Texas

"Rick Gage has an unmistakable gift of an evangelist..."

Dear Pastors,

I am writing to give you a report of the Montgomery County GO TELL Crusade that was held in September of 2011. For years, several pastors in the area had a burden to pull churches together for a countywide evangelistic event that would cross denominational borders and unite our churches around the central aspect of the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In October of 2010, I spoke with Rick Gage about this vision, and he offered clear directions on how to get this process started. The dream became a reality in February 2011 when forty-six area churches covenanted together and invited Rick and GO TELL Ministries to conduct the crusade. During the crusade, we saw 600 people give their lives to Christ as Savior and Lord and about the same number make other significant spiritual decisions. In addition, close fellowship bonds were established among the churches as we worked shoulder to shoulder to exalt Christ in our county.

I can assure you that GO TELL Ministries worked with us with the highest degree of integrity and spirit of servanthood. Every night of the crusade, the Gospel was presented in music, testimony, and preaching with the anointed power of the Holy Spirit. Rick Gage has an unmistakable gift of an evangelist, coupled with a spirit of humility, that endears him to the hearts of pastors and volunteer leaders.

If you are planning such an event for your community or, like us, just have a dream for one, I would highly recommend you contact GO TELL Ministries and see what the Lord might have in store for your churches and the multitudes of those who need Christ within your reach.

Sincerely Yours - Eternally His,

James T. Gross
West Conroe Baptist Church - Conroe, TX

Texas churches see revival, community sees awakening
By Carolyn Cunningham

West Conroe, TEXAS (BP)--About 600 individuals made spiritual decisions during the Montgomery County GO TELL Crusade in Conroe, Texas, led by evangelist Rick Gage. More than 10,000 persons total attended the four evening services, Sept. 18-21, at the Buddy Moorhead Memorial Stadium. Of the 600 who made commitments, about half made professions of faith in Christ and the others repented as the first step for spiritual renewal.
Crusade team members also spoke to students in 11 public and private schools, presenting a positive message to discourage drug and alcohol use among teens. The Outcast BMX freestyle stunt team performed daring acts of balance, control and jumps at the schools, and they also highlighted the crusade’s youth rally prior to the final evening service.
Future Hall of Fame pitcher Andy Pettitte gave a testimonial Monday night.
Receiving Jesus as his Savior at the age of 11, Pettitte recalled that day as “the greatest day in my life – greater than the day I got married; greater than the day my children were born; greater than the times that we won those five World Series. The reason is that on that day my life was changed.”
Pettitte also recalled how God used difficult times in his career to keep his focus on Him. In spite of his pitching talent, he remained four years in the minor leagues – the last half of that time with a wife and a child to support on a monthly salary of $700. “My wife’s sleeping on an air mattress -- while I’m in the minor leagues -- following the team bus around in a pickup truck.”
But he sees now God’s plan in allowing those difficult times.
Pettitte said God “delayed my jump to the big leagues” to mold and shape him and his wife “into the kind of people He wanted us to be. He got me to the big leagues in His perfect timing.”
On Tuesday, Miss Texas USA 2012 Brittany Booker shared her testimony, and former Southern Baptist Convention President James Merritt presented the evening’s message.
Booker won her first pageant earlier this year to become Miss Houston 2011. A graduate of Bay Area Christian School, she is a student at the University of Houston, where she volunteers some of her spare time at Hope Village, a residency program for adults with special needs. Receiving Jesus at an early age, Booker said she was hesitant about participating in pageants. “There are a lot of stereotypes about ‘pageant girls.’ People think they’re all beauty and no brains or that they’re fake, stuck up or superficial.
“But when I got involved, I definitely learned differently. There are so many amazing girls; so many strong Christian women; so many sisters in Christ who are just there to promote their charitable platforms and speak about the Lord.
“I’ve had so many opportunities to support my platform, which is special needs, and to share the word of Christ with so many different people that I wouldn’t have ever come into contact with had I not won Miss Houston.
“I was even more shocked when I won Miss Texas USA – my very first try. God has so blessed me abundantly.
“When the Lord’s involved, anything can happen. He is in control. So don’t worry. Just follow in His calling and He will take care of you,” Booker concluded.
James Merritt, senior pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Georgia, focused on the need to be “born again.”
Sharing from Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, he said, “I’m going to put it in 21st century terminology.”
“Nick, you don’t have to be a member of a church. You don’t have to be baptized. You don’t have to be religious. You don’t have to do good works. You don’t have to give money to the poor. But, Nick, if you want to go to Heaven, if you want to enter the Kingdom of God, you must be born again.”
“Nicodemus replied, ‘I know who You are. You’re a great teacher who has come from God.’ But Jesus did not let Nicodemus distract him from His original point,” Merritt said. “Nick, you don’t understand. It has nothing to do with doing. It has everything to do with becoming and being.
“For the first time in Nicodemus’ life,” Merritt said, “he was confronted with this shattering thought: Good isn’t good enough.”
Merritt applied the lesson to the crusade crowd. “It doesn’t matter if Billy Graham was your father and Joan of Arc was your mother. Ladies and gentlemen, God only has children; He doesn’t have grandchildren.
“Jesus was saying to Nicodemus and He’s saying to us, ‘Whether you go to Heaven or not has nothing to do with your physical birth. It has everything to do with your spiritual birth.’
“Being born again is not making a new start in life; it’s receiving a new life to start with. Going to Heaven has absolutely nothing to do with what you do for God. Nothing. It has everything to do with what God does through you and what God has done for you through the cross of Jesus Christ,” Merritt urged.
During the concluding Wednesday night service, John Bisagno, legendary former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Houston, was a guest in the audience. Bisagno called GO TELL evangelist Rick Gage “a mixture of Freddie Gage [Gage’s father also was a nationally known evangelist] and Billy Graham," adding it was the first time in a long time he had heard a message preached to the lost.
Gage, who presented a Gospel message Sunday, Monday and Wednesday evenings, closed the crusade with the same emphasis with which he started it.
“Thank God for the shed blood of Jesus,” Gage said. “Thank God for His redeeming power. Thank God He is the God of the second chance. Thank God He is the God of salvation. Thank God He wants to bring victory and freedom into your heart.”
During the altar call, about 700 persons of the 4,500 in the stands gathered on the field to ask for prayer or decision counseling. Gage emphasized that the altar call is only the beginning for them. “We want to help them get plugged into a Bible-believing church and help them begin their spiritual growth process,” he said.
Churches who joined the crusade effort pledged to follow up with each person who came forward for counseling and to engage them right away in a program of discipleship.
The crusade was the answer to months of prayers by six pastors of different denominations, gathering as friends to ask God to bring revival among the churches and awakening among the public in Montgomery County, Texas. Other pastors joined this original group; and by the launch of events, 47 area congregations, including Assembly of God, Church of Christ, Lutheran, Methodist, non-denominational, Presbyterian and Southern Baptist, had joined together for this large-scale ministry and outreach to the community.
The core group of six pastors included Jay Gross of West Conroe Baptist Church, Mark Denison of the First Baptist Church of Conroe, Lloyd Maddoux of Conroe First Assembly of God, Kjell Johansson of Living Branch Church in Conroe, Steve Yates of Conroe Church of Christ and Wes Pratt of Northside Baptist Church.
Gross, who was crusade chairman, summed up the crusade less in terms of its immediate affects and more in terms of its enduring impact.
“The crusade brought the Gospel of Christ to the forefront of the county’s attention, created an unprecedented unity among churches across a diverse denominational spectrum and made tremendous inroads into area schools through a powerful assembly program,” he said.
“Now in the follow-up phase, the Montgomery County GO TELL Crusade is proving to be a spiritual harvest that will continue to bear fruit in the months to follow.”
For more information about GO TELL Ministries of area crusades, youth camps and international missions, please visit www.gotellministries.com.

Rick Gage receives Honorary Doctorate from Louisiana Baptist University and Theological Seminary in Shreveport

Jonathan Falwell and Rick Gage recently received Honorary Doctorates from Louisiana Baptist University and Theological Seminary in Shreveport.

LBU President Neal Weaver made the presentations during the spring graduation ceremony.

Rev. Falwell is a son of the late Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr., who was the pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church (TRBC) and founder 40 years ago of Liberty University - both in Lynchburg, Virginia. Like his father, Rev. Falwell is the church's senior pastor, reaching millions through the church's television ministries.

He also serves as the executive vice-president of Spiritual Affairs at Liberty University, the world's largest evangelical Christian university with around 70,000 students - both on campus and in external degree programs. Rev. Falwell additionally oversees the School of Religion and Liberty Theological Seminary programs and works with all schools within the University in long-term planning.

A global evangelist, Rev. Gage is the son of renowned evangelist Freddie Gage of Texas. In 1990, Rick Gage founded GO TELL Ministries, Inc. and since has reached many thousands around the world with the Gospel message of the Lord Jesus Christ. He continues to do so through crusades, summer camps for teens and children, a summer internship program, public and private schools and overseas missions trips.

Author of More Than A Game, his autobiography, Rev. Gage also is the author of a Bible study titled Download to help young people and adults draw nearer to the Lord.

Go Tell Team Ministers in Russia

GO TELL Team
Ministers in Russia

CHANGED LIVES!

We Must Be About Our Father’s Business

“As long as it is day, we must do the work. . . Night is coming when no one can work.”

–John 9:4

Ministering love and hope in the city of Tver, Russia, Rick Gage and a team of GO TELL volunteers were used of God to led 160 precious Russian people to the Lord. Over 1,300 Bible, Christian books, and Gospel bracelets were distributed along with 500 pounds of aid and medical supplies. Seven churches were encouraged and given hope.

This was Ron Jessup’s fourteenth year traveling with GO TELL’S mission teams. “The Lord led us to a difficult area,” says Ron. “We were the first American missionaries many of the Tver residents had ever seen. Most had never heard of Jesus or knew that He loved them and died for them. The Lord gave us a great ministry opportunity in this unevangelized area.”

Mechelle Bryant spoke of her fifth trip to Russia with GO TELL, “God uses each trip to do a new work in my life as well as the people we minister to. God has laid on my heart a burden for the people in Russia. Each year He opens doors for us and we have to be willing to go through them and do the work He had called us to do. This year we were able to minister in orphanages, hospitals, culture centers, homes and churches. It's amazing how God pulls together a team from five different states who meet for the first time at the airport, and He uses us to make an eternal difference for HIM!"

“God was always with us in Russia,” says Bev Noe. “This was my second year, and I knew I was supposed to go. It wasn't about me. I had never before wanted to go to Russia, but when I saw the video clip of the children in the orphanages and realized the tremendous need, it brought tears to my eyes. It was not a convenient trip, but I knew it was an opportunity to be faithful to God. As we lived out the Great Commission, it was awesome. God was with us in a powerful way! I believe He used me and all the others to make a difference in the lives of people who are so hungry for Him—we connected; we cried together. I will never forget sharing the love of Christ, and I am so thankful!

“We are so very blessed to be able to serve with Rick Gage. He is a man of God who is totally focused on winning souls for Christ. Many decisions were made for Christ at every destination. His work with the pastors in Russia, his passion for sharing Christ and reaching people has opened many doors...in hospitals, schools, orphanages, senior homes, shelters, everywhere. There is such tremendous need. For God to use each of us as we shared our personal testimonies through interpreters was an experience of a lifetime. We came home from Russia forever changed, blessed beyond measure.”

Roger Green was thrilled to be able to preach in Russia. “The people were very receptive. They are a beautiful people who we saw transformed by the love of Christ. I believe our presence brought great encouragement to faithful pastors who labor in difficult circumstances with the Russian Orthodox Church that does not allow evangelism.”

Although just fifteen years old, Roxanne Squires was deeply impacted by the trip. “Flying to the other side of the world to share God’s love with others is life changing. The smiles on orphans’ faces and hugs from the elderly melted my heart. I can never be the same again. The Lord has definitely called me to the mission field for the rest of my life.”

“I was on a rough road for a while,” comments Ron Bayer. “How deeply thankful I am that the Lord was so good to allow me to go on this trip and work in His harvest fields. God works miracles. He has in my life and in the lives of those we touched and saw changed in Russia. You can’t go on a trip like this and not be changed.”

“I believe with all my heart that one day very soon we will stand before the Lord,” says evangelist Rick Gage, founder and president of GO TELL. “While I long for that day, God has entrusted us now with the tremendous responsibility and privilege of sharing the Gospel with a lost and dying world.

“We ministered and shared the Gospel with hundreds of children living in orphanages in Tver, Russia. With shortages of food, clothing, and medicines, these children are living in deplorable conditions with little hope. We showered them with God’s love as we ministered to their physical and spiritual needs. Tver is filled with people who have never heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. As long as God gives me strength, I will continue to take the life-changing message of Christ to a lost world. Our team comes back from every trip knowing they received far more than they gave.”

For more information about GO TELL mission trips, call 1-866-I-GO-TELL, email at info@gotellministries.com, or visit the Website at www.gotellministries.com.

Harvest moon shines on harvest of hundreds at West Georgia Rick Gage GO TELL Crusade

Harvest moon shines on harvest of hundreds
at West Georgia Rick Gage GO TELL Crusade

Douglasville, Georgia (Sept. 27, 2010) – A rare appearance of the super harvest moon shone down upon hundreds who turned to Jesus for salvation during the West Georgia Rick Gage GO TELL Crusade in Douglasville, Georgia. Hosted by nearly 40 Douglas County churches, the four-night event took place Sept. 19-22 in the parking lot of Arbor Place Mall off of Interstate 20 at the Chapel Hill Road exit.

“In the parking lot of a mall, we experienced a super harvest,” commented Jerry Adair of County Line Baptist Church in Lithia Springs, one of the crusade’s counseling chairmen. For the entire event, Adair said there were 477 spiritual decisions, including 260 salvation commitments. On the concluding night alone, there were 143 salvation decisions and 90 other spiritual decisions. More than 12,000 attended the event.

GO TELL evangelists Rick Gage and Rick Stanley also spoke to 15,000 students in the county’s 13 middle and high schools in 22 ON TRACK School Assemblies, said Kevin Williams, minister to students at the First Baptist Church of Douglasville. Gage said he is “especially grateful” to the Douglas County Board of Education and School District.

While they were not allowed to speak of Jesus, Gage and Stanley did encourage the students to avoid addictions. They also invited them to attend the closing night of the crusade when free Chick-fil-A sandwiches and drinks were given away courtesy of Crusade Chairman Mike Moore of Chick-fil-A. More than 5,000 attended that Wednesday night service, keeping the more than 300 counselors busy with hundreds of decisions for Christ.

The thousands in attendance were invited to sing along with worship leader Chuck Sullivan, his band and guest singer Joy Fowler. On Tuesday night, the guest evangelist was Tony Nolan, author of “The Hurt Healer” and tour pastor and Gospel communicator for Casting Crowns Lifesong Tour and Winter Jam, the largest Christian concert tour in America, visiting more than 119 cities and experiencing more than 87,000 public professions of faith in Christ. Other GO TELL guest artists were Outcast BMX, A Ransom Plea, Edenfield and Don Dodds.

The Rick Gage GO TELL Crusade also occurred during the first anniversary of the devastating 500-year flood that claimed the lives of seven Douglas County residents, damaged 170 roads and bridges and flooded many homes.

“We had another flood this week, rolling down those hills, surrounding the parking lot, wave after wave, flowing down as hundreds got saved,” said Randy Shirley, pastor of Chapel Hill Baptist Church in Douglasville. “It’s been the biggest blessing of my life to see what happened the last four nights.”

“The real value is to be part of a movement of God with churches of different tags,” observed Barnabas Sprinkle, evangelist with the First Presbyterian Church of Douglasville of the PC(USA) denomination.

Crusade Treasurer Ned Fowler, a local banker and a member of The Church at Chapel Hill in Douglasville, said, “I’ve really felt a lot of unity building in this community. Rick Gage has helped change the spiritual landscape of our community.”

Calling Gage “a man of high integrity,” Fowler said, “Last night’s message was absolutely the best, most anointed evangelical message I have ever heard. I would put that message up against anybody’s.”

Mary Kaplan, who assisted her husband Tom, one of the crusade’s counseling chairmen, said one counselor was grateful to see his own young son being led to the Lord by another counselor. Tom Kaplan is the interim pastor of Cowan Mill Church (SBC) in Winston.

Gage also preached to the pastors and lay leaders attending the daily luncheons, encouraging them to “follow up by getting into the homes” of each person who made a salvation decision. Agreeing with Gage, Dr. John Pennington, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Douglasville, said, “We don’t need to wait around. They need visits from more than one church.”

During these luncheons, thanks were given to Kevin Maples, senior pastor of Dorsett Shoals Baptist Church in Douglasville, for expressing his burden to bring a countywide crusade event to the area two years ago. “Kevin got the flame,” added Fowler. Ned Fowler is also the organizer of the Prayer Center of West Georgia which has a weekly jail ministry.

Maples said, “All I can say is our church invested countless man hours and thousands of dollars, and it was worth it all. We would do it all over again. How often can we see 260 people saved in one week in our county? Praise the Lord.”

“I would like to do six to eight of these crusades a year. We’re ready to go,” Gage told the pastors and lay leaders.

For 22 years, Gage has been leading GO TELL Crusades in smaller towns across America. He and his Georgia-based team also host overseas missions trips to Russia, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica; GO TELL Sundays; and summer camps for children and teens in several states. His student internship program has led to the awarding of full- and half-tuition scholarships to several students at Christian colleges and universities across America.

The former college football coach is a son of evangelist Freddie Gage of Texas, whose other sons Rodney, Paul and Daniel also are involved in Christian ministry.

For more information about Rick Gage and GO TELL Ministries, call 1-866-I-GO-TELL, email info@gotellministries.com or visit www.gotellministries.com

RICK GAGE CRUSADE DRAWS HUNDREDS TO FOOTBALL STADIUM

RICK GAGE CRUSADE DRAWS HUNDREDS

TO FOOTBALL STADIUM

Four-night Event Makes History in Tulia

Evangelist Rick Gage has a big heart for small towns. When key leaders met with him about bringing a spiritual crusade to Swisher County, many were skeptical it could be done.

Although planning took almost nine months, citizens were astonished as hundreds attended the Panhandle Plains GO TELL Crusade. The results were staggering. By the crusade’s conclusion, 343 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 175 first-time professions of faith.

“It was an amazing week,” said Crusade Chairman Bryan Schrader. “I knew God was really about to do something big in our community when we started out Saturday evening with a pre-crusade youth rally. When Rick Gage talked to an area high school football team, 15 of them made life-changing decisions for Jesus Christ. The crusade was the greatest, most impactful event our county has ever seen.”

“What I witnessed happen in our county cannot be humanly explained,” said Pastor Eddie Helms of Calvary Baptist. “Our community needed hope, and God moved in mighty power. Our people have watched Billy Graham on television, but to see that same kind of thing happen here has deeply touched and moved us. This is just the beginning for us.”

Pastor Helms continued, “The economic downturn has hurt our community, but we believed God and stepped out in faith to see this crusade happen. When Rick Gage left town, all the bills were paid! People were sacrificial in their giving, knowing their gifts will reap eternal rewards. One lady in my church was asked by her hairdresser when she was coming in for her regular permanent. She said, ‘I’m skipping this one. I gave my perm money to the crusade.’ We are continuing what the crusade started and will feel its impact for years to come.”

Excitement pervades the area as churches are welcoming those who were saved at the crusade and are preparing to baptize them and help them grow in their faith. Pastor Ed Soules of the First Assembly of God Church is working feverishly on a dream center he envisions being used by all the churches of the area for life ministries as the spirit of revival continues.

“It was amazing how laypeople from many churches came together and worked hard to make this crusade a success,” commented Pastor Soules. “The unity was tremendous and was greatly needed in our county that has seen its share of hardships. This is the biggest thing we’ve ever experienced.”

Wednesday’s service, the culmination of the crusade, was its greatest night. More than 600 students were treated to a Pizza Blast. More than 80 first-time professions of faith were made that night.

A counselor for the crusade, Barry Street took his mission of loving young people seriously. He hired two school buses from another county and brought 40 students from Kress, a neighboring community, to the Wednesday night crusade service. Of those, all but seven made first-time salvation decisions for Christ at the crusade. “What Barry did for those students was phenomenal,” said Schrader. “The demeanor of those kids going up and going back was totally different. It was a God-thing!”

Counseling Co-chairman Don Sanders said excitedly, “We had trained what we thought were a lot of counselors, but nothing could have prepared us for what we experienced the last night of the crusade. As young people began to respond to the invitation, I told the counselors, ‘You’re each going to have to counsel two people.’ But as waves kept coming, some had to help even more.”

Sanders continued, “Rick Gage was very straightforward and did not play games when talking about a person’s eternal destiny. It was amazing how the Spirit of God came over the football field as people responded, making lifetime decisions. It is a sight I will never forget. I saw many young people literally sobbing their way to Christ. Our community will never be the same again.”

Greg Culwell, Executive Director of Driscoll House, a faith-based halfway house recovery program, was elated when every single one of the men going through the program made a decision for Christ. “The sight of the men huddled together at the altar– with their arms wrapped around each other praying–was priceless. The work the Lord did and continues to do in their lives will be felt in their homes and communities. One young man, who was 19 years old, had the greatest change I have ever seen in an individual. We are deeply grateful to God!”

“The crusade was absolutely wonderful,” Linda Foster said excitedly. “Big crowds. Many decisions. Beautiful weather. God is good! I worked with children, and that was so heartwarming. An orphanage from the Plainview area brought some children, and several of those precious ones were saved. When one of the little girls was asked what happened to her, she replied, ‘I found Jesus in my heart!’ They have already begun a follow-up program with the children.”

The Saturday before the crusade, every house in Tulia was visited and left with a crusade flyer. For weeks before the crusade, people met at the downtown gazebo and prayed. The meeting grew and became so popular, uniting denominations, that many asked after the crusade, “Can we continue?”

The Thursday night after the crusade, people gathered again at the gazebo to continue what the crusade started. The Friday after the crusade, Don Sander’s real estate office was visited by five people who could not talk about anything but the crusade.

During the day, Gage and his GO TELL team conducted ON TRACK School Assemblies in area schools. Topics addressed life’s choices and the dangers of drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide and premarital sex. Daily noon luncheons were blessed times when people shared testimonies from the previous evening and church leaders received decision-card information.

Follow-up is being taken seriously by pastors and lay leaders. The Sunday after the crusade, First Assembly hosted a dinner for all those who made decisions. They also will be offering a New Beginner’s Class to help them grow in their faith.

“Nothing is more important to me than winning people to Jesus,” says Evangelist Rick Gage. “My heart is overwhelmed at what God did and will continue to do in Swisher County. Saturating our communities across America with the life-changing Gospel message must be done at all costs. It takes time, money and involvement to reach people; but it will be eternally worth it one day soon.”

Rick Stanley, an evangelist and a stepbrother of Elvis Presley, gave his moving testimony at the crusade. He is in demand as a speaker and has spoken at four Billy Graham Crusades. “Rick Gage has a heart for the towns that most people overlook,” Stanley says. “His mentality is that there is nothing small in the Kingdom of God. And God always moves in mighty ways–like He did here in Swisher County.”

Chuck Sullivan and the Joel Vaughn Band provided anointed praise and worship music during the five-night event.

Rick Gage and his crusade team have moved on to another town and another crusade, but his thoughts are not far from Texas. “I look forward to being back to my native Texas,” he says.

Gage has witnessed multiplied thousands of decisions for Christ through his many evangelistic outreaches in America and abroad. Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries include crusades, summer youth camps, school assemblies, GO TELL Sundays and overseas missions trips.

For more information about Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries, please call 1-866-I-GO-
TELL, email at info@gotellministries.com or visit the Web site at www.gotellministries.com.

Testimonies

GO TELL Camps

“I am a 15-year-old guy and have attended GO TELL Camp for two years now. Thank you for caring about teens like me. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be on my way to hell right now. I accepted Christ in my life at GO TELL Camp. I love coming there to worship. Please pray for me and my brothers. We hardly ever see my mom because she is always in the living room doing drugs and we are not allowed in there. I’ll never quit praying for her to get saved and know my Jesus. It was so wonderful at GO TELL and now I’m back home where it is like a little taste of hell, but I’m going to keep praying. I love you.”
--Rodney

“This was our fourth GO TELL Camp and the best. On the drive home, our students sought God about how they could step up and be proactive in reaching their friends for Christ. When we got home, we purchased a 10X-sized Tee shirt and hung it in our youth building. It is huge! Students have written names of unsaved friends on it and are clothing them with Jesus Christ. They have started a buddy program and are adopting an unsaved friend to pray for and win to Christ. Because of God’s work in our lives at GO TELL, we’re excited, refreshed, and rejuvenated!”
--Youth Pastor Brian Canuteson

“We love the great balance between evangelism and discipleship and fun games and activities. Our students are still on fire from last year because the focus is on equipping them to minister once they return from camp. The decisions we have seen made at GO TELL are genuine and lasting. Last Sunday I baptized twelve who were saved this year at camp. How very thankful we are to have found GO TELL Camp.”
--Youth Pastor Dan Brower

“We came back from GO TELL Camp on fire for God! In the evening service this past Sunday night we brought GO TELL to our church. Because of our testimonies, many came to the altars and rededicated their lives to God. Afterward, we went to Burger King, which is also the Greyhound stop for our town. We witnessed to 40 people and nine accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior!”
--Donnie

“I just got back from GO TELL Camp. God used you all to change my life. I will never be the same again! Even though I have been in church all my life, I was never saved. The last night of camp, I surrendered my life to Christ. It was the best day of my life. I started crying then because my life had really just begun. I’m crying now as I type this. Thank you! I love you and I love the Lord!”
--Samantha

“I’ll never forget the first time I took a youth group to a GO TELL Camp in 1994. My kids had never heard preaching so intense, and I wondered if they could handle it or if I’d be without a job by the end of the week. God’s Spirit fell on our group in a mighty way. Kids who had never shown any spiritual interest were on their faces weeping, crying out to God. Kids were saved. Nominal Christian kids got serious about their faith. Our leaders were convicted of sin in their lives, and I was convicted of my complacency and lack of care for souls. God did a radical work in our youth group that night. GO TELL Camp is the highlight of our year and critical to the spiritual health of our students and leaders. The results we see year after year are real and lasting.”
--Associate Pastor Shane O’Guin

“I came to GO TELL Camp as a youth leader. The first night God’s Spirit was so strong in convicting power that after leading a teen in my youth group to Christ, I put my Bible down, turned to another counselor, and got saved myself. This act of humility broke the hearts of my youth group; many began to weep and admit they had never really been saved. Twenty of us were saved that night!”
--Youth leader, Cathy

“I desperately needed to know that somebody cared. The youth group that invited me to attend GO TELL Camp with them didn’t know before we left that I was pregnant and scared. At GO TELL I heard about and saw the love of Jesus. I had thought about an abortion. Now my baby will be told about the Lord who has given me hope and a future.”
--Bridgett

“GO TELL Camp is so critical to the spiritual health of our young people and leaders that I offer it for two different weeks each summer. That is how badly I want our student and leaders to go. Many of them go both weeks. How God moves at GO TELL is nothing short of miraculous. Every year I’ve brought hard, cold-hearted kids who no one could seem to reach. The Spirit of God is so strong at GO TELL that I’ve never seen one of those kids get past Thursday night without God breaking their hearts and changing their lives.”
--Youth Pastor Vince Pienske

GO TELL Crusades

“As I left the stadium Wednesday night, I felt as if my heart would burst with thankfulness to God. My husband and three sons had been saved at the crusade. I was overwhelmed with an awesome sense that the work God began in this miraculous crusade will go on and on.”
--Judy Lyles, Prayer Chairman

"I've never seen anything like it in my life. Night after night people flooded to the altars. God moved in power and changed lives by the hundreds! As I arrived at the crusade Wednesday evening and turned the corner, I saw a sight that literally took my breath away. More than 4,000 young people and adults packed the grandstands. It was as if I could see God's hand in Holy Spirit power sweeping over the crowd. It was the largest gathering of young people for any event in the history of Hall County. After Rick preached, young people began to flood the altars in waves. The first wave brought over 300 who repeated the sinner's prayer out loud. We sent them to the counseling station where they could speak one-on-one with our trained counselors. Then, almost 500 came in a second wave! We asked for anyone in the stands who knew how to lead a person to Christ to come help counsel. Only a sovereign God can produce results like that!"
--Henry Slack, Crusade Chairman

“Churches of our county came together and we worked as one for the Lord. I truly believe that as God saw our hearts united, it put a smile on His face. A shofar was sounded, and God’s children came together. The great effort was met with a mighty move of God. The long-term effects will be seen for many years to come. Words cannot describe the awesome joy of seeing entire families come to Christ. One man who had visited my church came to me and said, ‘Pastor, I want to be free. I want to be delivered from pot.’ He handed me a bag of pot, and then raised his hands to the sky and began to praise God who had gloriously liberated him!”
--Pastor Joey Turner

“The crusade was awesome, one of the greatest things that has ever happened in my life. Our football coach brought the entire team to the crusade straight from practice. They were still in their uniforms. As you looked out during the invitation time, it was an amazing sight to see many bowed in prayer in their uniforms all over the end zone. Life-time decisions for Christ were made, and I can already tell a difference in my school.”
--Student Charlsie Gerrard

“The powerful way God moved made this crusade the most worthwhile, overwhelming experience of my life. It is hard to put into words glorious enough to do it justice. The Spirit of God swept through night after night, saving and changing lives. It is beyond anything I could have imagined this side of heaven.”
--Co-chairman Jack Westmoreland

“When Rick Gage talked about having a tremendous number of young people on Youth Night, I really doubted it could happen. But I stood in awe as I parked cars and watched young people flood in. I’ve lived in Lincoln Country since 1970, but I’ve never seen anything like what God did, and continues to do, through the crusade. I thought events of this caliber only came to big cities.” --Bryan Morrison

“God visited our county in a miraculous way. Hundreds were swept into the Kingdom. Relationships were healed; families were reunited; prominent citizens were led to faith in Christ by people broken with love for others; church members were saved; denominational and racial barriers came down. There is a different atmosphere in our entire community.”
--Pastor Cail Pressey

“The crusade was the most awesome spiritual experience of my life. On the Sunday morning after the crusade, our entire worship service was devoted to testimonies of how God powerfully moved in lives at the crusade. The service just went on and on. Our evening service included our entire congregation working together to follow up on those who had made decisions. Now that is powerful and something only God could do!”
--Kirby Sechrist, Missions Coordinator

“It was an awesome thing to be a part of this crusade. Our kick-off banquet in February had over 900 people present. It was the largest banquet ever held in Cherokee County. Over 200 committee workers from 67 churches worked together to see people of all ages make decisions for Christ. Seeing how many lives were impacted was truly awesome. The long-term effects will be seen for many years to come.”
--Crusade Chairman Sam Burns

“My heart raced as I looked at those standing in line waiting for counselors, and there stood my grandson and his fiancé. What a personally elating time it was to lead them to faith in Christ. A couple I had been praying for and talking to for a year and half also got saved at the crusade. The miracle stories just go one and on, and we will see to it that they continue.”
--Pastor Ray Jenkins, Counseling Chairman

“The crusade was absolutely the most wonderful move of God this county has ever experienced. The mighty outpouring of God’s Spirit sparked a revival that will continue. God moved in power in countless lives, and the huge impact of this crusade has changed this county forever. We are already working diligently to follow-up on the many decisions that were made. Blundale Baptist will baptize more than 50 people in the days ahead. Included in that number will be five family members of one of our church’s most faithful women who has attended this church alone for years. Words can’t possibly describe her joy at seeing her husband, three gown children, and a future son-in-law make first-time professions of faith during the crusade.”
--Pastor Jamie Archer

“The crusade far surpassed any of my expectations. Our community is on fire for Christ now. Everywhere you go people are talking about what God did and continues to do. God even worked in our budget with our financial response almost identical to our budget. It was the best money we ever spent. A call for Christ was issued like we’ve never had before in this community, and God showed up and changed and transformed lives.”
--Milton Gray, Finance Chairman

“As we prepared for the crusade, we prayed for a mighty moving of God’s Spirit. We prayed like Isaiah, that God would rend the heavens and come down. And God far exceeded our expectations! Local police officers who worked security for the crusade reported astonishing results from people in surrounding neighborhoods who were within earshot of Rogan Field. As the gospel message resounded from the football field, some stopped their barbeques and listened. They started to weep and bowed their knees on the grass in their backyards. The officers used this opportunity to talk to them about Christ. More than 40 people walked the aisle of my church the Sunday after the crusade to make public the decisions they had made during the crusade. We have already started a class for new Christians. Four adults were saved in homes immediately after the crusade as the Spirit of God continues to move mightily.”
--Pastor Sam Crosby

A Letter from John Hays

To Whom It May Concern,

Our meeting with Rick Gage will go down as the most successful harvest event in the life of Jersey Baptist Church.

Rick shared the Gospel in a way that was captivating and with incredible conviction. Over 200 total decisions were made over the 4 day event; approximately 70 decisions to follow Christ with half of those being adults.

In my entire ministry of 28 years, I have never had a more flexible and easy to accommodate guest speaker in our church.

I would highly recommend Rick Gage and Go Tell Ministries.

Most Sincerely,
John A. Hays

Senior Pastor

Pastor, our team stands ready to partner with you in reaching a multitude of souls for Christ in your area. Call 1-866-I-GO-TELL to schedule a GO TELL local church crusade today.

2009 Ministry Newsletter

To God be the glory for the great things He has done! We have seen more than 3,000 people make commitments to Christ through the ministries of GO TELL this year. We are grateful for your prayers and support which enable us to reach so many with the Gospel.


Recently, a couple from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, wrote, "Our 16-year-old son Daniel accepted Christ during your recent visit to Jersey Baptist Church. Praise the Lord! Thank you for your ministry! My wife and I had been praying for him for some time. May the Lord bless you for your work and ministry!"


Reaching people for Christ is the mission of GO TELL Ministries and the heartbeat of God. Thank you for believing in this evangelistic ministry.


We are certainly aware of the difficult economic times everyone is facing and the impact they are having on families across our nation. For instance, we received a note from a teenager, who had been touched by God at our GO TELL Camps, that said, "I love GO TELL Ministries and ask that you pray for my family this winter. We are living in a camper with hardly any heat, but we are together and that is all that matters."


Times are truly tough for so many families who are concerned with job security and how to pay their bills. Due to the worldwide recession and economic downturn, many of our donors have not been able to continue their financial support of this ministry.


In addition, many of our ministry events did not have the participation that was expected, resulting in a substantial loss in revenue. This downturn has created a large deficit in our ministry and a huge financial burden.


Please consider helping us with the following stewardship plan:

• Pray. Prayer is asking, and the answer to prayer is receiving.


• Consider helping us change lives for eternity and save yourself extra dollars by making a charitable gift of appreciated stock or appreciated property to GO TELL Ministries.


• Give $20. If everyone receiving this newsletter would give $20, we could easily knock out the deficit and be totally ministry-focused going into the New Year to reach a harvest of lost souls.
  

I eagerly await your reply and will be praying for God to work a mighty miracle.

Sincerely,

Rick Gage


Help us reach more souls in 2010 by giving an online donation to GO TELL today!

Click here to download our 2009 Ministry Newsletter.

Four-day evangelistic event draws more than 3,200

More than 210 spiritual decisions for Christ at Jersey Baptist Church event with Rick Gage in Ohio Four-day evangelistic event draws more than 3,200

Pataskala, OH (Oct. 22, 2009) – Rick Gage lived up to his nickname, “The Small Town Billy Graham” at a four-day evangelistic event at Jersey Baptist Church in Pataskala, Ohio. More than 210 spiritual decisions were recorded for Christ with 83 initial decisions for salvation.

“Our meeting with Rick Gage will go down as the most successful harvest event in the life of Jersey Baptist Church. Rick shared the gospel in a way that was captivating and with incredible conviction,” said John A. Hays, senior pastor of Jersey Baptist Church.

Phil Duncan, the church’s evangelism director added, “As a church, we felt the crusade was extremely effective and we were very pleased with the manner in which Rick Gage conducted the event. God’s anointing was on him. The crusade will be a work in progress through the end of the year and possibly into 2010.”

Duncan expects that the church’s membership will grow over the next six months as a result of the crusade. “We continue following up to give everyone who made a decision the opportunity to become an involved member of Jersey if they aren’t already a member of another church,” he said.

More than 3,200 attended the September event, which also featured Rick Stanley, stepbrother of the late Elvis Presley, who shared his testimony. In addition to Sunday morning and evening services, there were three weekday services, including a youth service that also incorporated basketball and Wii tournaments and a concert.

“The week was incredible with more than 70 decisions after the Sunday morning service alone. It was awesome to see God’s power in action in Ohio,” said Gage, a former college football coach turned evangelist. During the week, Gage and his crusade team also addressed approximately 2,000 students at three area high schools in Johnstown and Pataskala, and at a middle school in Newark.

“The assembly we had ranks as one of the best assemblies we’ve had in the past five years. We really enjoyed it,” said Kim Jakeway, principal of Johnstown High School. “The students easily related to the experiences that Rick Gage and Rick Stanley shared and they appreciated the valuable message that both men brought to the assembly.”

According to Duncan, crusade leaders were impressed with the efforts of the local high school leaders. “We sensed that God is especially doing a good work in Watkins High School through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes,” he said. “There were 20 in attendance prior to the crusade and the meeting after the crusade saw 48 in attendance. Jersey church member and FCA Huddle leader Bob Morcom is being used by the Lord in a wonderful way at Watkins and he will continue to try to capitalize on what God has done through the crusade.”

For more than a decade, Rick Gage has filled high school football stadiums with crusades in small communities throughout America. Using Billy Graham’s strategy, local churches team to help organize the events and provide follow-up ministry.

In addition to his crusades, Gage has a summer camp ministry for high school and middle school students. Over the past 21 years, his camps in Colorado, Georgia, Florida, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia have trained more than 85,000 teens and leaders in evangelism.

For more details on Rick Gage’s GO TELL Ministries, visit http://www.gotellministries.com/. For information on the Jersey Baptist Church event, call (740) 927-1859 or visit http://www.jerseychurch.org/.

# # #

After a successful football coaching career, Rick Gage launched his ministry in 1990 and has presented more than 500 evangelistic events nationally and abroad, resulting in about 250,000 people dedicating their lives to Jesus Christ. Many nationally-known athletes, two former Miss Americas and Christian leaders Josh McDowell, Johnny Hunt and James Robison have spoken on his platform. His ministry has been endorsed by college football coaches Bobby Bowden and Mark Richt, Hall of Famer/former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar.

"God 'responded' to Rick Gage crusade"

Read the Baptist Press article about the recent Waycross, Georgia crusade.

More than 1,100 make decisions

More than 1,100 make spiritual decisions for Christ at Southeast Georgia GO TELL Crusade with Rick Gage

By Tina Kicklighter

WAYCROSS, Ga. (April 29, 2009) –There’s a reason people refer to evangelist Rick Gage as “the Small Town Billy Graham.” His Southeast Georgia Go Tell crusade on April 19-22 at Waycross Memorial Stadium drew more than 16,000 and resulted in 1,140 spiritual decisions for Christ with 673 salvations, 374 rededications and 93 other decisions. The event also featured Rick Stanley, stepbrother of the late Elvis Presley, and Dr. James Merritt, host of Touching Lives international broadcast ministries and founder and senior pastor of Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, Georgia.

"The Bible says that when one sinner comes to Christ, all of heaven rejoices. I know that this crusade made our Savior proud,” said Jerry Weathersby, chairman of Gage’s Waycross crusade. “We spent more than a year organizing and praying that God would bring a revival to our area. Clearly, He heard us and responded in a big way.”

Crusade plans began in October 2007 when event co-chair Bill Bryson recruited several local businessmen who prayed that God would remove denominational and racial barriers and bring a major revival. “God honored our prayers. It was a complete team effort for Jesus Christ. People forgot religion and banded together to see souls won,” he said.

The final night of the crusade – Youth Night – drew more than 7,500 and resulted in 564 spiritual decisions. The evening also featured a mini-concert with the Oswald Brothers, third place winners of CBS’s “Singing Family Face-Off” on The Early Show. Each night, the Go Tell crusade also featured worship leader Chuck Sullivan and musical guest artist Joy Fowler of Atlanta.

“I watched masses of people going forward on that final night. I have never witnessed anything like it – it was one of the most amazing moments of my life,” said Len Knowlton, who served as a counselor at the event. “As long as I live, I will never forget it.”

Gage and his crusade team also addressed approximately 6,000 students through assembly programs at area high schools and middle schools in five counties. The crusade team also visited inmates at the Youth Detention Center at Ware State Prison, where several inmates received Christ as their Savior. The event kicked off on Friday evening with a youth service at the Brunel Street Church of God and Gage preached on Sunday morning at Sweat Memorial Baptist Church.

“The crusade team’s mission was to get out into the community and touch as many lives as possible and share the Gospel with them,” said Gage. “No one rested until the stadium lights went down at about 1 a.m. on that final evening.”

According to co-chair Bryson, young people accounted for about half of the salvations and the oldest person saved at the crusade was 90 years old. He also cited a wheelchair-bound 76-year-old man who kept asking for someone to help him to get down to the grassy area on the field during the altar call. “Finally, someone heard him and helped wheel him down. He said that if no one had heard him, he was going to dump himself out of his chair and crawl forward,” said Bryson.

Other testimonies included a 32-year-old woman who was depressed because her husband had left her. A friend invited her to attend the final night of the crusade. “She was saved at the crusade and later admitted that she had planned to kill herself that night. God transformed her life and within days her husband came back,” said Bryson. “A teenage boy had also planned to kill himself on that same night. A friend invited him to the crusade and he was saved as well.”

Bryson says that several marriages were also reconciled during the event and that three people who had signed up as counselors were saved during the crusade, along with two church elders.

“Now the real work begins,” said Gage. “All participating churches will spend the next several weeks following up on those who made decisions during the crusade, helping new Christians find church homes and providing spiritual leadership to everyone who made a decision for Christ.”

For more than a decade, Gage – a former college football coach turned evangelist – has filled high school football stadiums with crusades in small communities throughout America. Using Billy Graham’s strategy, local churches team to help organize the events and provide follow-up ministry. Fifty-two area churches were involved with the Southeast Georgia crusade.

In addition to his crusades, Gage has a summer camp ministry for high school and middle school students. Over the past 20 years, his camps in Colorado, Georgia, Florida, New Mexico, Kentucky, Texas and Virginia have trained more than 85,000 teens and leaders in evangelism.

For more details on Rick Gage’s Go Tell Ministries, visit http://www.gotellministries.com/. For information on the Waycross crusade, call (912) 490-0144.

Read the Florida-Times Union's coverage of the crusade here.

Read the Baptist Press article here.

Charleston senses God saving souls in recent crusade

By Allen Palmeri
Associate Editor
The Pathway

CHARLESTON—This Mississippi County town of around 5,000 residents just experienced what may have been its greatest event in a history that dates back to the formation of a community in 1837 on the segment of southeast Missouri land that nestles beside Illinois and Kentucky.


The Rick Gage Go Tell Crusade from Sept. 28-Oct. 1 drew 3,400 to the local high school football stadium and reached about 3,000 in the public school system. There were 282 decisions for Christ, including 165 professions of faith.


“God still does the impossible and the miraculous,” said Michael Brewer, pastor, First Baptist Church, Charleston, and point person for the crusade.


Gage, the evangelist from metropolitan Atlanta, described it as a move of God through a faithful, holy remnant on the ground that refused to get discouraged in the face of financial, emotional and spiritual oppression.


“They could have thrown in the towel, but they didn’t,” Gage said. “They were adamant about seeing God touch their town and touch their community.”


The idea for bringing a crusade to Charleston began within the Charleston Ministerial Alliance, which held a prayer meeting in January at First Charleston, a church that generally runs 130-140 in Sunday worship.


“We were lying prone on the altar of First Baptist in Charleston, and after an hour and a half of crying out to God, we stood up,” Brewer said. “It was the unanimous consensus that God meant for us to go forward with this, and that the body of Christ needed unity to see souls saved and to see Charleston changed.”


By February an organizational plan was in place that would eventually train 75 counselors and pull in more than a dozen churches from Charleston, East Prairie, Scott County, and surrounding communities in the Charleston Baptist Association. It even spread to the point where churches from Illinois and Kentucky, who began to hear about the plans, said they wanted to help.

The original budget was $83,000, but because of the economic downturn both Go Tell and local organizers had to work together to trim it to $52,500, Brewer said.

“We knew that we were going to have to streamline this as much as we could without hurting the overall goal and impact of the crusade vision,” Gage said. “My hat goes off to the local community.”

What the local community did was give.

“One church went into a business meeting and the board recommended to the church family that they give $5,000 to the crusade,” Brewer said. “The people stood up and said, ‘That’s not enough.’ They voted to up it by another $2,500.”

Businesses wrote checks for $1,000, and Charleston Baptist Association Director of Missions Richard Smith delivered a check for the same amount plus another $1,000. The Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) came through with $4,000, local people donated items, participants stayed in homes instead of hotels, and meals were provided by the Charleston church community instead of by local restaurants.

It all came together on the morning of Oct. 1 when the last dollar amount that was needed was received.

“God just did a miracle,” Brewer said. “He didn’t come in early, and He didn’t come in late. He came right on time with the resources to do this.”

Brewer said he and other ministers working on the crusade overcame Satan in spiritual warfare by “prayer, fasting, weeping, prayer, weeping, prayer, prayer. My wife and I felt it in our home. Other ministers shared (that) they felt the struggle in and out of Charleston.”

Gage, who has been in full-time evangelism since 1986, has seen the devil try to disrupt a lot of crusades around the country, but the spiritual reality of Satan sowing discouragement in Charleston by planting seeds of cancelling the crusade amid the financial difficulties, human frailties and skepticism of “small vision” church members around town really hit home.

“There was a lot of resistance,” Gage said. “You could sense and feel the resistance from the evil world. Satan is fighting and bidding for every lost soul. Evangelistically, nothing like this has ever occurred in Mississippi County Missouri. Many have stated that there’s been a stronghold on this area for quite some time, and so when a vision like this comes to enemy territory, you’d better expect opposition.”

One of the more dynamic successes connected to the week of the crusade was in the area of football. A total of 27 players at East Prairie High School made professions of faith, and another seven players plus one coach at Charleston High did the same. The head coach at East Prairie, Jason Acock, is a member of Elm Street Baptist Church in Charleston; the Charleston head coach re-dedicated his life to Christ.

All in all, God showed up.

“The budget was met, souls were saved, and they accomplished something that they had never been able to do, ever,” Gage said. “We’re all in agreement that God gets the credit and the glory.”

Note from Coach Aycock

Rick,

This is Coach Jason Aycock. I just wanted you to know what a blessing it was to have you come to the East Prairie Football locker room and speak to the players. I needed to tell you this because it has been on my mind ever since you came. When you first asked to speak, I thought you were going to give a speech on choices and that was it. Then when you began to explain the gospel to those players, I got very nervous. You know how strict schools are today about promoting religion. My mind was whirling, and I came very close to stopping you. I didn't want to, but my thinking was confused as I thought about my job versus my faith. Well, you know what won. Something came over me that day. It was as if I felt God grab me and say, "This is my man speaking. You sit down and let him go." The Lord touched me that day.

When these events occurred, I knew something very special was going to happen that day. And it most certainly did! Twenty-seven of my thirty-nine players surrendered their lives to Christ! I want you to know that this has been the talk of Mississippi County. It was a tremendous blessing for me because God showed me that He wants to bring revival to football teams as well as churches.

What happened here at our school is monumental. It made me think that if one lady in the past could remove prayer from our schools, one football coach could make a difference and see it put back in. I would love to hear back from you on this. I need your support and guidance regarding how I can go about this. I know that the devil will attack me, but I feel we must stand and do something.

What do you think?

Coach Jason Aycock
East Prairie

Rick Gage Crusades Rock Georgia's Historic Heartland and Russell County, Kentucky

The Spirit of God moved as lives were eternally changed in two recent crusades in Madison, Georgia, and Russell County, Kentucky.

More than 700 spiritual decisions were recorded during the crusades with almost 400 first-time professions of faith. The GO TELL Crusade Team ministered in jails and in county middle and high schools, presenting their nationally-acclaimed On Track School Assembly Program. This drew hundreds of students to each of the crusade’s Wednesday Youth Nights where scores made decisions for Christ.

Crusade Chairman Keith Kelly was excited to serve again as chairman at Madison’s second GO TELL Crusade. “We had a GO TELL Crusade in 2004 that was the most phenomenal thing Morgan County has ever witnessed. It started fires of revival that swept through our county uniting churches, individuals, and races, and it has had lasting results” said Keith.

“We had a completely new group of young people in our high school and wanted them to experience a real move of God. If it could be possible, this crusade was even better than the last one!

“It’s difficult to put into words what it means to see a young man, a middle-school football leader, get saved, then turn around the next night and bring eight of his team members to the crusade. Every one of them was also saved!

“At the invitation of the head high school football coach, Rick Gage spoke to the high school varsity team. One coach and 25 players prayed to receive Christ as Savior at that meeting! It is phenomenal how the Lord works. A distinguished UGA football player is joining the FCA staff that will work in our county and several nearby counties to help follow up and disciple all the athletes who got saved at the crusade.”

Many from both crusades testified to the life-changing impact of Christians from many different churches coming together to work for a common cause. Churches reported that God had worked in incredible ways through the crusade to unify their congregations as well as congregations from church to church.

“The pastors here in Russell County, Kentucky, are excited about how God used the crusade to unite us, breaking down strongholds and barriers that existed between our churches,” said Pastor Rick Mann. “We’re working together to support an Addiction Ministry that will minister the love of Christ to many who desperately need this kind of ministry.

“I deeply appreciate Rick Gage and his staff’s commitment to seeing people come to Christ and then seeing churches come together to disciple those people. The daily luncheons with the crusade staff and those who had made decisions at the crusade were special times. Not only was it a tremendous testimony time for those who had made decisions, but we were all encouraged with how important it is to follow-up with each decision.

“The day after the crusade, we had our final luncheon. I thought Rick Gage would be in a hurry to get away and begin his five-hour drive home. Instead, he went with some men to witness to a man who they felt burdened to see. That man accepted Christ while sitting on his lawnmower!

“This man who got saved is an avid fisherman. Last evening (September 18th), at the conclusion of a fishing tournament, he testified in front of all his fishing buddies and then was baptized right there at the boat ramp at Lake Cumberland. Between 60 and 70 people were there to see him baptized. Nothing can compare to that kind of excitement!”

Both counties have reported baptisms every Sunday in various churches. Stories abound about businessmen and women being saved; counselors taking off their badges and getting saved, long-standing church members getting saved, and many bringing their friends and loved ones to the crusades and witnessing their salvation.

As counseling chairman, Pastor Tom Duff was thrilled to be a part of seeing so many people come to Christ. “It was great,” he says. “I loved the high energy of the crusade, and now the follow-up that is so critical. We have five ready to baptize and will baptize others also. I asked one young man who was one of our crusade counselors when he had been saved. He answered, ‘At the Rick Gage Crusade four years ago.’ This is a lasting work that will have an impact for years to come.”

Hank Parker, a professional bass fisherman who is seen on his popular television show, gave a powerful testimony at the crusades. He was so moved by the work of GO TELL Ministries and what he witnessed at the crusades that he donated his personal bass boat to GO TELL Ministries.

Hospitality Chairwoman Mary Jean Smith spoke of the crusade in glowing terms: “It was such a privilege to serve as part of this crusade that was indeed orchestrated by God. My impressions are from the inside of things, and I was thrilled to see Rick Gage’s true heart. He is a man consumed with seeing people come to a personal relationship with Christ. I was truly inspired to reach out to people everywhere and be aware of everyone around me.

“The highlight of the crusade for me was helping to lead three young girls to Christ. I am in awe of that moment. I’ve already seen ten students baptized as a result of the crusade. Another direct outgrowth of the crusade is my starting a discipleship class for children grades 1-6. We will not only be following up on those who were saved, but we will continue to lead people to Christ in our county as churches work together.”

South Central KY Go Tell Crusade

Western Recorder: "Nearly 400 accept Christ during 4-day crusade in Campbellsville"

Baptist Press: "Cooperation bolsters Taylor Co. response"

Baptist Press: "University 'First Class' a lesson on eternity"

A Word from Pastor James Jones

Bowden will share faith during crusade via video

The Gaffney Ledger

Bowden will share faith during crusade via video

By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

Clemson Head Football Coach Tommy Bowden will share his Christian faith via video on Youth Night of a May crusade in Gaffney.

Bowden is entering his eighth year at Clemson, where he has a 52-33 overall record and six bowl appearances. He was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2003 and ranks third behind Frank Howard and Danny Ford in total wins at Clemson.

While prior scheduling conflicts prevented Bowden from making a personal appearance, crusade chairman Sam Burns said organizers are pleased the Clemson coach's message will still be heard.
"It warms my heart for someone who coaches our young people to be willing to express his faith in this way," Burns said. "He shows the type of leadership we need to see from all of our coaches and youth leaders."

A devout Christian, Bowden has spoken in several Cherokee County churches and has provided a videotape for use at the Upstate Go Tell Crusade. Bowden was presented the Grant Teaff Coach of the Year Award in January by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The crusade will be held May 21-24 at 7 p.m. nightly at W.K. Brumbach Stadium. Each event is open to the public.

Nationally known evangelist Rick Gage will lead the crusade. Gage entered full-time ministry in 1986 after quitting a successful college coaching career to follow in his father's footsteps as an evangelist.
More than 60 churches have joined Broad River Baptist Association in working with Rick Gage Ministries to plan the 4-day event.

Bowden's video testimony will be shown at Youth Night on May 24. A free "pizza blast" will be held at 6 p.m. before the program.

"We are still trying to get several football players from Clemson to come for our Youth Night on Wednesday," Broad River Baptist Association Director of Missions Donnie Padgett said. "We hope the football players will be able to speak in some of our schools and then spend time with our youth that evening."

Rick Stanley, Elvis Presley's stepbrother, will speak at the crusade Monday. Pilgrim's Pride CEO Bo Pilgrim will share his testimony Tuesday. Stanley become a Christian two months after Elvis' death and has been preaching for 26 years. Pilgrim has developed his company, Pilgrim's Pride, into the second-largest poultry company in America and Mexico.

Chuck Sullivan will serve as music worship leader while Nashville singer Amy Lowry will perform. The Restoration Praise Band will provide special music at the crusade.