Dear Pastor and Youth Leader,
It brings me great joy to recommend the GO TELL Camp ministry of my dear friend, evangelist Rick Gage.
I have had the privilege of preaching and serving as Camp Pastor at several of the GO TELL Camps, and I can say, without hesitation, they are some of the most exciting and dynamic youth camps in America.
Each year thousands of students from churches nationwide are making life-changing decisions for Christ, and many are answering God’s call to the ministry.
I strongly encourage you to make plans for your youth to attend a GO TELL Camp. It will be a week that will change your young people’s lives forever. Don’t miss this awesome opportunity.
Sincerely in Christ,
James Merritt
Cross Pointe, The Church at Gwinnett Center
www.mycrosspointe.com
Monday, August 23, 2004
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Go Tell Campers Hear Pilgrim Story
The Toccoa Record
Bo Pilgrim, chairman and CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, a fortune 500 company based in Pittsburgh, Texas, takes advantage of every opportunity to share his passion for God with America’s youth.
More than 40 churches nationwide brought their teens and leaders to the Rick Gage Go Tell camp at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center.
Over 1,000 young people and counselors packed into the center’s auditorium for the evening service where Pilgrim would share his heart from the platform.
Wearing a black pilgrim’s hat and carrying a Bible and a stuffed chicken, the Texas businessman shared his story.
Pilgrim was born in the small community of Pine, Texas, population 100. Pilgrim’s father was the postmaster there, and he had a general merchandise store.
He died in 1939, leaving behind seven children. When Pilgrim was 10 years old, his mother remarried. Soon after this, Pilgrim left home to live with his grandmother.
Growing up around agriculture, Pilgrim started his chicken business after he finished high school in 1945. Over the next 50 years, what began as a small service to farmers grew into a business, grossing over $20 million in sales per day.
To what does Pilgrim attribute his success?
After his father died, Pilgrim said he had a very heavy heart and wanted to be with his earthly father as well as his heavenly father. During a church revival, Pilgrim said he committed his life to Christ. Pilgrim attributes his success to that commitment.
“I think my success comes from when I went into this business in Pittsburgh, “he said. “I was committed to the Lord and promised him if I ever amounted to anything that I’d always give him the credit for it.”
Pilgrim said he has built his company of more than 40,000 employees on the moral pillars of honesty, hard work, loyalty, selflessness and integrity.
He said he believes God wanted him to exemplify being a Christian businessman, and he is forever conscious of that calling. His father died at the age of 43 and his brothers died at the age of 42, 47 and 58, all due to hardening of the arteries.
Pilgrim had open-heart surgery in 1975 and a heart attack in 1982, and he said at the Go Tell service, “I am not supposed to be here, but the reason I am is that God has a purpose for me as a Christian businessman.”
Pilgrim said he takes seriously his responsibility to his customers, his employees and, most importantly, to God.
Pilgrim said he understands that as a businessman one has to be able to handle pressure daily. According to Pilgrim, the key to handling pressure is praying and reading the Bible daily, doing the best he can and leaving the rest to God.
After addressing the Go Tell campers with this story, Pilgrim presented a gospel tract to each of them.
Each tract held a $20 bill, and the campers gave Pilgrim a standing ovation when he left, said camp director Rick Gage.
“Bo Pilgrim is a man who is passionate about fulfilling the Great commission and advancing the kingdom of God,“ he said.
Bo Pilgrim, chairman and CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, a fortune 500 company based in Pittsburgh, Texas, takes advantage of every opportunity to share his passion for God with America’s youth.
More than 40 churches nationwide brought their teens and leaders to the Rick Gage Go Tell camp at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center.
Over 1,000 young people and counselors packed into the center’s auditorium for the evening service where Pilgrim would share his heart from the platform.
Wearing a black pilgrim’s hat and carrying a Bible and a stuffed chicken, the Texas businessman shared his story.
Pilgrim was born in the small community of Pine, Texas, population 100. Pilgrim’s father was the postmaster there, and he had a general merchandise store.
He died in 1939, leaving behind seven children. When Pilgrim was 10 years old, his mother remarried. Soon after this, Pilgrim left home to live with his grandmother.
Growing up around agriculture, Pilgrim started his chicken business after he finished high school in 1945. Over the next 50 years, what began as a small service to farmers grew into a business, grossing over $20 million in sales per day.
To what does Pilgrim attribute his success?
After his father died, Pilgrim said he had a very heavy heart and wanted to be with his earthly father as well as his heavenly father. During a church revival, Pilgrim said he committed his life to Christ. Pilgrim attributes his success to that commitment.
“I think my success comes from when I went into this business in Pittsburgh, “he said. “I was committed to the Lord and promised him if I ever amounted to anything that I’d always give him the credit for it.”
Pilgrim said he has built his company of more than 40,000 employees on the moral pillars of honesty, hard work, loyalty, selflessness and integrity.
He said he believes God wanted him to exemplify being a Christian businessman, and he is forever conscious of that calling. His father died at the age of 43 and his brothers died at the age of 42, 47 and 58, all due to hardening of the arteries.
Pilgrim had open-heart surgery in 1975 and a heart attack in 1982, and he said at the Go Tell service, “I am not supposed to be here, but the reason I am is that God has a purpose for me as a Christian businessman.”
Pilgrim said he takes seriously his responsibility to his customers, his employees and, most importantly, to God.
Pilgrim said he understands that as a businessman one has to be able to handle pressure daily. According to Pilgrim, the key to handling pressure is praying and reading the Bible daily, doing the best he can and leaving the rest to God.
After addressing the Go Tell campers with this story, Pilgrim presented a gospel tract to each of them.
Each tract held a $20 bill, and the campers gave Pilgrim a standing ovation when he left, said camp director Rick Gage.
“Bo Pilgrim is a man who is passionate about fulfilling the Great commission and advancing the kingdom of God,“ he said.
Friday, April 23, 2004
Small Texas town sees hundreds of decisions during crusade
By Staff
Baptist Press
SAN SABA, Texas (BP)--The little town of San Saba, Texas, which boasts a population of 2,637, was shaken to its core when Rick Gage's Heart of Texas Crusade drew thousands of people to an outdoor field at the local high school March 28-31.
By the conclusion of the crusade in this little town in the heart of Texas, 540 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 284 first-time professions of faith.
"We've never seen anything like it," said Tom Brand, pastor of The Father's House Church. "I have been pastoring here in San Saba for almost 12 years, and this is the most exciting, unbelievable move of God that has ever hit this county. As churches worked together, we felt the greatest sense of unity and a spirit of cooperation that has ever occurred in this area.
"We're still reeling from the mighty moving of God's Spirit among so many. The town is buzzing. We can't stop talking about what happened and what God is continuing to do. The baptismal waters stirred in my church on Easter Sunday!"
Sam Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church of San Saba, is leading follow-up teams who are visiting in the homes of those who made decisions for Christ. He said he was astonished at the great number of people who came to the football stadium who would never come to a church.
Shay Hardy, a local radio personality, and his wife, Betty Sue, made a profession of faith at the crusade.
"I am a different man," Shay Hardy said. "This week Jesus has changed my life."
Crosby baptized Shay and Betty Sue on Easter Sunday along with 15 others who made public decisions at the crusade.
"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," Crosby said. "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.
"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. Few know that Rogan Field was once an old graveyard. God breathed new life there during the Heart of Texas Crusade, and great numbers will be in heaven because of it."
Local police officers who worked security for the crusade reported that some people in surrounding neighborhoods who were within earshot of Rogan Field stopped their barbequing and listened. The officers used the opportunity to talk to these people about Christ.
A Saturday night student rally kicked off the crusade, reaping 74 decisions, with 32 salvation experiences from students and adults. The following night Bo Pilgrim, chairman and CEO of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, the second largest poultry corporation in America, gave his personal testimony as part of the beginning of the open-air crusade.
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and stepbrother of Elvis Presley, regularly travels with Rick Gage, giving his testimony at Gage's crusades. As he spoke on Monday evening, one lady, Christy Montoya, listened intently.
"At first, I did everything I could to keep from listening to Rick Stanley's testimony," Montoya said. "I desperately told God I would wait until the next night to get saved, but when I closed my eyes, I had a vision of a tomorrow that never comes. As tears welled up in my eyes, I knew that if I did not ask Jesus to save me right then, I would die and go to hell."
Montoya and her daughter, Kaysha, both made professions of faith and were baptized together on Easter Sunday.
During the day, the crusade team members visited seven local schools, speaking to 2,000 students. Gage's "On Track" school assembly program deals with life's choices and addresses issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide and premarital sex.
Team members also visited the Texas Youth Commission, a juvenile correction facility in San Saba. More than 40 young men committed their lives to Jesus Christ after Gage's team conducted its service.
Darwin Lewis, chairman of the crusade, said much work went into preparing for the event. Some 25 pastors helped bring the crusade to the town.
"For seven months we prayed and planned, but God far exceeded our expectations," Lewis said. "His Spirit moved in a way that will make a lasting impact on our community for Christ. I wish every small town like ours could experience a Rick Gage Crusade."
Baptist Press
SAN SABA, Texas (BP)--The little town of San Saba, Texas, which boasts a population of 2,637, was shaken to its core when Rick Gage's Heart of Texas Crusade drew thousands of people to an outdoor field at the local high school March 28-31.
By the conclusion of the crusade in this little town in the heart of Texas, 540 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 284 first-time professions of faith.
"We've never seen anything like it," said Tom Brand, pastor of The Father's House Church. "I have been pastoring here in San Saba for almost 12 years, and this is the most exciting, unbelievable move of God that has ever hit this county. As churches worked together, we felt the greatest sense of unity and a spirit of cooperation that has ever occurred in this area.
"We're still reeling from the mighty moving of God's Spirit among so many. The town is buzzing. We can't stop talking about what happened and what God is continuing to do. The baptismal waters stirred in my church on Easter Sunday!"
Sam Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church of San Saba, is leading follow-up teams who are visiting in the homes of those who made decisions for Christ. He said he was astonished at the great number of people who came to the football stadium who would never come to a church.
Shay Hardy, a local radio personality, and his wife, Betty Sue, made a profession of faith at the crusade.
"I am a different man," Shay Hardy said. "This week Jesus has changed my life."
Crosby baptized Shay and Betty Sue on Easter Sunday along with 15 others who made public decisions at the crusade.
"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," Crosby said. "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.
"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. Few know that Rogan Field was once an old graveyard. God breathed new life there during the Heart of Texas Crusade, and great numbers will be in heaven because of it."
Local police officers who worked security for the crusade reported that some people in surrounding neighborhoods who were within earshot of Rogan Field stopped their barbequing and listened. The officers used the opportunity to talk to these people about Christ.
A Saturday night student rally kicked off the crusade, reaping 74 decisions, with 32 salvation experiences from students and adults. The following night Bo Pilgrim, chairman and CEO of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, the second largest poultry corporation in America, gave his personal testimony as part of the beginning of the open-air crusade.
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and stepbrother of Elvis Presley, regularly travels with Rick Gage, giving his testimony at Gage's crusades. As he spoke on Monday evening, one lady, Christy Montoya, listened intently.
"At first, I did everything I could to keep from listening to Rick Stanley's testimony," Montoya said. "I desperately told God I would wait until the next night to get saved, but when I closed my eyes, I had a vision of a tomorrow that never comes. As tears welled up in my eyes, I knew that if I did not ask Jesus to save me right then, I would die and go to hell."
Montoya and her daughter, Kaysha, both made professions of faith and were baptized together on Easter Sunday.
During the day, the crusade team members visited seven local schools, speaking to 2,000 students. Gage's "On Track" school assembly program deals with life's choices and addresses issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide and premarital sex.
Team members also visited the Texas Youth Commission, a juvenile correction facility in San Saba. More than 40 young men committed their lives to Jesus Christ after Gage's team conducted its service.
Darwin Lewis, chairman of the crusade, said much work went into preparing for the event. Some 25 pastors helped bring the crusade to the town.
"For seven months we prayed and planned, but God far exceeded our expectations," Lewis said. "His Spirit moved in a way that will make a lasting impact on our community for Christ. I wish every small town like ours could experience a Rick Gage Crusade."
Small Texas town sees hundreds of decisions during crusade
Apr 23, 2004
By Staff
Baptist Press
Sam Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church of San Saba, Texas, speaks to Hailey Osbourne during a moment in the Rick Gage Heart of Texas Crusade.
SAN SABA, Texas (BP)--The little town of San Saba, Texas, which boasts a population of 2,637, was shaken to its core when Rick Gage's Heart of Texas Crusade drew thousands of people to an outdoor field at the local high school March 28-31.
By the conclusion of the crusade in this little town in the heart of Texas, 540 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 284 first-time professions of faith.
"We've never seen anything like it," said Tom Brand, pastor of The Father's House Church. "I have been pastoring here in San Saba for almost 12 years, and this is the most exciting, unbelievable move of God that has ever hit this county. As churches worked together, we felt the greatest sense of unity and a spirit of cooperation that has ever occurred in this area.
"We're still reeling from the mighty moving of God's Spirit among so many. The town is buzzing. We can't stop talking about what happened and what God is continuing to do. The baptismal waters stirred in my church on Easter Sunday!"
Sam Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church of San Saba, is leading follow-up teams who are visiting in the homes of those who made decisions for Christ. He said he was astonished at the great number of people who came to the football stadium who would never come to a church.
Shay Hardy, a local radio personality, and his wife, Betty Sue, made a profession of faith at the crusade.
"I am a different man," Shay Hardy said. "This week Jesus has changed my life."
Crosby baptized Shay and Betty Sue on Easter Sunday along with 15 others who made public decisions at the crusade.
"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," Crosby said. "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.
"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. Few know that Rogan Field was once an old graveyard. God breathed new life there during the Heart of Texas Crusade, and great numbers will be in heaven because of it."
Local police officers who worked security for the crusade reported that some people in surrounding neighborhoods who were within earshot of Rogan Field stopped their barbequing and listened. The officers used the opportunity to talk to these people about Christ.
A Saturday night student rally kicked off the crusade, reaping 74 decisions, with 32 salvation experiences from students and adults. The following night Bo Pilgrim, chairman and CEO of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, the second largest poultry corporation in America, gave his personal testimony as part of the beginning of the open-air crusade.
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and stepbrother of Elvis Presley, regularly travels with Rick Gage, giving his testimony at Gage's crusades. As he spoke on Monday evening, one lady, Christy Montoya, listened intently.
"At first, I did everything I could to keep from listening to Rick Stanley's testimony," Montoya said. "I desperately told God I would wait until the next night to get saved, but when I closed my eyes, I had a vision of a tomorrow that never comes. As tears welled up in my eyes, I knew that if I did not ask Jesus to save me right then, I would die and go to hell."
Montoya and her daughter, Kaysha, both made professions of faith and were baptized together on Easter Sunday.
During the day, the crusade team members visited seven local schools, speaking to 2,000 students. Gage's "On Track" school assembly program deals with life's choices and addresses issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide and premarital sex.
Team members also visited the Texas Youth Commission, a juvenile correction facility in San Saba. More than 40 young men committed their lives to Jesus Christ after Gage's team conducted its service.
Darwin Lewis, chairman of the crusade, said much work went into preparing for the event. Some 25 pastors helped bring the crusade to the town.
"For seven months we prayed and planned, but God far exceeded our expectations," Lewis said. "His Spirit moved in a way that will make a lasting impact on our community for Christ. I wish every small town like ours could experience a Rick Gage Crusade."
By Staff
Baptist Press
Sam Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church of San Saba, Texas, speaks to Hailey Osbourne during a moment in the Rick Gage Heart of Texas Crusade.
SAN SABA, Texas (BP)--The little town of San Saba, Texas, which boasts a population of 2,637, was shaken to its core when Rick Gage's Heart of Texas Crusade drew thousands of people to an outdoor field at the local high school March 28-31.
By the conclusion of the crusade in this little town in the heart of Texas, 540 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 284 first-time professions of faith.
"We've never seen anything like it," said Tom Brand, pastor of The Father's House Church. "I have been pastoring here in San Saba for almost 12 years, and this is the most exciting, unbelievable move of God that has ever hit this county. As churches worked together, we felt the greatest sense of unity and a spirit of cooperation that has ever occurred in this area.
"We're still reeling from the mighty moving of God's Spirit among so many. The town is buzzing. We can't stop talking about what happened and what God is continuing to do. The baptismal waters stirred in my church on Easter Sunday!"
Sam Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church of San Saba, is leading follow-up teams who are visiting in the homes of those who made decisions for Christ. He said he was astonished at the great number of people who came to the football stadium who would never come to a church.
Shay Hardy, a local radio personality, and his wife, Betty Sue, made a profession of faith at the crusade.
"I am a different man," Shay Hardy said. "This week Jesus has changed my life."
Crosby baptized Shay and Betty Sue on Easter Sunday along with 15 others who made public decisions at the crusade.
"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," Crosby said. "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.
"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. Few know that Rogan Field was once an old graveyard. God breathed new life there during the Heart of Texas Crusade, and great numbers will be in heaven because of it."
Local police officers who worked security for the crusade reported that some people in surrounding neighborhoods who were within earshot of Rogan Field stopped their barbequing and listened. The officers used the opportunity to talk to these people about Christ.
A Saturday night student rally kicked off the crusade, reaping 74 decisions, with 32 salvation experiences from students and adults. The following night Bo Pilgrim, chairman and CEO of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation, the second largest poultry corporation in America, gave his personal testimony as part of the beginning of the open-air crusade.
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and stepbrother of Elvis Presley, regularly travels with Rick Gage, giving his testimony at Gage's crusades. As he spoke on Monday evening, one lady, Christy Montoya, listened intently.
"At first, I did everything I could to keep from listening to Rick Stanley's testimony," Montoya said. "I desperately told God I would wait until the next night to get saved, but when I closed my eyes, I had a vision of a tomorrow that never comes. As tears welled up in my eyes, I knew that if I did not ask Jesus to save me right then, I would die and go to hell."
Montoya and her daughter, Kaysha, both made professions of faith and were baptized together on Easter Sunday.
During the day, the crusade team members visited seven local schools, speaking to 2,000 students. Gage's "On Track" school assembly program deals with life's choices and addresses issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide and premarital sex.
Team members also visited the Texas Youth Commission, a juvenile correction facility in San Saba. More than 40 young men committed their lives to Jesus Christ after Gage's team conducted its service.
Darwin Lewis, chairman of the crusade, said much work went into preparing for the event. Some 25 pastors helped bring the crusade to the town.
"For seven months we prayed and planned, but God far exceeded our expectations," Lewis said. "His Spirit moved in a way that will make a lasting impact on our community for Christ. I wish every small town like ours could experience a Rick Gage Crusade."
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Rick Gage continues to stir America's towns for Christ
By Staff
Baptist Press
HARTSVILLE, S.C. (BP)--Billy Graham probably will never lead a crusade in such Texas towns as San Saba, Clarendon or Perryton, or in Lincolnton, Ga.
But evangelist Rick Gage will hold a four-day GO TELL Area-Wide Crusade in each locale this year.
Last fall, Gage led similar campaigns in Kelleytown Stadium in Hartsville, S.C., and at the Lanier National Speedway near Gainesville, Ga.
In the Hartsville outreach, 660 decisions for Christ were made, including 356 first-time professions of faith.
At the Georgia speedway, 550 decisions were recorded, including 329 first-time professions of faith.
Jack Westmoreland, co-chairman of the Hartsville campaign, noted "the powerful way God moved in this crusade with Rick Gage," calling it high among "the most worthwhile, overwhelming" experiences of his 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," Westmoreland said amid tears.
The crusade's closing night -- a youth night -- capped Gage's outreach to area young people through his "On Track" school assemblies, attended by more than 5,000 students who listened to his reflections on life's choices and such issues as drugs, alcohol abuse and teen suicide.
The youth night, complete with a pizza blast, drew more than 1,700 young people to the crusade. "Young people flooded the altars making decisions for Christ that last night," local counseling chairman Warren Arthur said. "We had 100 counselors standing by, but we needed 300. It was phenomenal how powerful and strong the Spirit of God was as the Lord worked in hearts. Many were saved who had no church affiliation at all."
"As I left the stadium that night," said Judy Lyles, the crusade's prayer chairperson, "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" -- something about which "we are praying seriously."
More than 100 Hartsville-area churches joined forces for the crusade featuring "the Billy Graham of small-town America," working through 13 committees in the various planning stages prior to the Gage's arrival
In Gainesville, Ga., local businessman and crusade chairman Henry Slack remarked, "I've never seen anything like it in my life. Night after night people flooded to the altar. God moved in power and changed lives by the hundreds.
"As I arrived at the crusade Wednesday evening [for the closing service] 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 Gage preached, young people began to flood the altar in waves," so much so that "we asked for anyone in the stands who knew how to lead a person to Christ to come help counsel," Slack said. "Only a sovereign God can produce results like that."
Video testimonies were featured from University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt and Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey.
Robbie Foster, pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church, told of one high school football player who made a profession of faith on the crusade's opening night. "He then began to bring his friends, along with many others, who were saved at the crusade," Foster recounted.
"Scores of students from Johnson High School who made decisions at the crusade are hungry for more of the Lord," said Rick Stowe, associate pastor of Chestnut Mountain Church who served as the crusade's counseling and follow-up chairman. Stowe's own 18-year-old son also made a profession of faith in Christ.
Wayne Mock, police operations commander for the Hall County sheriff's department who was in charge of traffic and security for the crusade, told of a 12-year-old who came up to him after a pre-crusade rally and asked if Mock was a Christian. "'Yes, I am, son!'" the officer said, "to which he replied with a radiant face, 'I've only been a Christian for five minutes.' My eyes welled up with tears as he hugged me. All of our effort would have been worth it if just that one young boy had been saved. That is the awesomeness of our God -- He changes and transforms a life for all eternity in a moment of time."
More than 40 area churches worked together for a year in organizing the Hall County crusade.
"The old-time Gospel still works. Crusade evangelism still works," Gage often says. "Saturating our communities across America with the Gospel message must be done at all costs."
Baptist Press
HARTSVILLE, S.C. (BP)--Billy Graham probably will never lead a crusade in such Texas towns as San Saba, Clarendon or Perryton, or in Lincolnton, Ga.
But evangelist Rick Gage will hold a four-day GO TELL Area-Wide Crusade in each locale this year.
Last fall, Gage led similar campaigns in Kelleytown Stadium in Hartsville, S.C., and at the Lanier National Speedway near Gainesville, Ga.
In the Hartsville outreach, 660 decisions for Christ were made, including 356 first-time professions of faith.
At the Georgia speedway, 550 decisions were recorded, including 329 first-time professions of faith.
Jack Westmoreland, co-chairman of the Hartsville campaign, noted "the powerful way God moved in this crusade with Rick Gage," calling it high among "the most worthwhile, overwhelming" experiences of his 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," Westmoreland said amid tears.
The crusade's closing night -- a youth night -- capped Gage's outreach to area young people through his "On Track" school assemblies, attended by more than 5,000 students who listened to his reflections on life's choices and such issues as drugs, alcohol abuse and teen suicide.
The youth night, complete with a pizza blast, drew more than 1,700 young people to the crusade. "Young people flooded the altars making decisions for Christ that last night," local counseling chairman Warren Arthur said. "We had 100 counselors standing by, but we needed 300. It was phenomenal how powerful and strong the Spirit of God was as the Lord worked in hearts. Many were saved who had no church affiliation at all."
"As I left the stadium that night," said Judy Lyles, the crusade's prayer chairperson, "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" -- something about which "we are praying seriously."
More than 100 Hartsville-area churches joined forces for the crusade featuring "the Billy Graham of small-town America," working through 13 committees in the various planning stages prior to the Gage's arrival
In Gainesville, Ga., local businessman and crusade chairman Henry Slack remarked, "I've never seen anything like it in my life. Night after night people flooded to the altar. God moved in power and changed lives by the hundreds.
"As I arrived at the crusade Wednesday evening [for the closing service] 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 Gage preached, young people began to flood the altar in waves," so much so that "we asked for anyone in the stands who knew how to lead a person to Christ to come help counsel," Slack said. "Only a sovereign God can produce results like that."
Video testimonies were featured from University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt and Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey.
Robbie Foster, pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church, told of one high school football player who made a profession of faith on the crusade's opening night. "He then began to bring his friends, along with many others, who were saved at the crusade," Foster recounted.
"Scores of students from Johnson High School who made decisions at the crusade are hungry for more of the Lord," said Rick Stowe, associate pastor of Chestnut Mountain Church who served as the crusade's counseling and follow-up chairman. Stowe's own 18-year-old son also made a profession of faith in Christ.
Wayne Mock, police operations commander for the Hall County sheriff's department who was in charge of traffic and security for the crusade, told of a 12-year-old who came up to him after a pre-crusade rally and asked if Mock was a Christian. "'Yes, I am, son!'" the officer said, "to which he replied with a radiant face, 'I've only been a Christian for five minutes.' My eyes welled up with tears as he hugged me. All of our effort would have been worth it if just that one young boy had been saved. That is the awesomeness of our God -- He changes and transforms a life for all eternity in a moment of time."
More than 40 area churches worked together for a year in organizing the Hall County crusade.
"The old-time Gospel still works. Crusade evangelism still works," Gage often says. "Saturating our communities across America with the Gospel message must be done at all costs."
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Rick Gage crusade draws crowds of more than 12,000
Making history in Hall county
Rick Gage crusade draws crowds of more than 12,000
By Ruth McClellan, Special
Christian Index
Published October 23, 2003
Evangelist Rick Gage, increasingly becoming known as the Billy Graham of small towns, preached to crowds exceeding 12,000 during a four-night crusade at the Lanier National Speedway near Gainesville.
By the last night of the crusade, 550 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 329 first-time professions of faith. Hundreds more first-time decisions went unrecorded at Youth Night on Wednesday.
"I've never seen anything like it in my life," said Crusade Chairman Henry Slack, owner of Slack Auto Parts Company. "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 Gage 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!"
Youth night was the culmination of Gage's outreach to young people of the area through his "On Track" School Assemblies. Crusade Youth Chairman, Maclane Forbus, youth pastor of Blackshear Place Baptist Church in Flowery Branch, counted more than 14,000 young people from area schools who attended these assemblies where Gage talked about life's choices and addressed issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, and teen suicide.
Those who attended the crusade were also challenged by a dynamic video testimony from Coach of the Year Mark Richt, head football coach of the 2002 SEC Champion University of Georgia Bulldogs. Coach Richt clearly shared his faith and his life's commitment to bringing glory to God and honor to Christ in all his football efforts.
Coach Chan Gailey, head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellowjack-ets, shared via video what he feels is a calling on his life. "I have been called by God to coach football, called to tell my players and Georgia Tech fans everywhere about my faith in Jesus Christ!"
Five football players and several cheerleaders from Johnson High School in Hall County placed their faith in Jesus Christ during the crusade. "It was revolutionary for them," said Rick Stowe, associate pastor of Chestnut Mt. Church. "Scores of students from Johnson High who made decisions at the crusade are hungry for more of the Lord. They are meeting for Bible studies and influencing their fellow students."
"The impact on our community cannot be measured. Our church is baptizing over 30 people who were saved at the crusade. Decisions keep being made as the impact from changed lives permeates our county."
Pastor Robbie Foster of Hopewell Baptist Church said, "The crusade brought people together to win our Jerusalem for Christ. Its great impact extends not only to our church but to the entire county."
"Shaun Archer, one of the young men of our church who is a football player at Johnson High, got saved the first night of the crusade. He then began to bring his friends and saw many of them saved. I have already baptized ten of his friends, along with many others, who were saved at the crusade."
Major Wayne Mock, Police Operations Commander for the Hall County Sheriff's Department and member of Blackshear Place Church, was in charge of traffic and security for the crusade. "I felt closer to God at the Rick Gage Crusade than I have ever felt in my life," he said.
"At the end of the Saturday night pre-crusade rally, a 12-year-old boy came up to me and asked me if I was a Christian. I quickly replied, 'Yes, I am, son!' to which he replied with a radiant face, 'I've only been a Christian for five minutes.' My eyes welled up with tears as he hugged me. "All our effort would have been worth it if just that one young boy had been saved. That is the awesomeness of our God-He changes and transforms a life for all eternity in a moment of time!"
More than 40 churches of various denominations cooperated to reach Hall County with the gospel message. Their preparations began a year before the crusade team showed up.
Pastors agree that one of the most significant accomplishments of the crusade was the realization of the importance of working together to do outreach across denominational lines.
Rick Gage Ministries' Crusade Directors Bill and Tammy Loveless, members of South Calhoun Baptist Church in Calhoun, know that results such as those seen during the crusade do not come without a price. "Much sacrifice was involved over a year's time to see God work as He did. People who spent so much time working on the crusade reaped eternal dividends in many ways."
"Rudolph Uys, a co-chairman of the crusade, saw his son saved. Associate Pastor Rick Stowe, counseling and follow-up chairman, rejoiced as his 18-year-old son, Marcus, was saved; Mike Heddon, sound and video Productions chairman of the crusade, also had the privilege of seeing his son saved. As we rejoice and give God glory for every decision, we are especially grateful and humbled that God saved our 25-year-old daughter and her boyfriend. Our hearts are overwhelmed!"
James Merritt, a native of Hall County and pastor of Crosspointe Church in Duluth said, "It is quite possible that Hall County has never seen anything like this."
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and step-brother of Elvis Presley who often travels with Gage gave his testimony at the crusade. He has spoken at four Billy Graham crusades.
"Rick Gage has a heart for the towns that most people overlook," Stanley said. "His mentality is that there is nothing small in the kingdom of God. And God moves in mighty ways like He did here in Hall County."
"The old-time gospel still works," says Gage. "Crusade evangelism still works. Saturating our communities across America with the gospel must be done at all costs. It takes time, money, and involvement to reach lost people."
Rick Gage has witnessed more than 250,000 decisions for Christ through his many evangelistic outreaches in America and abroad. Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries include crusades, summer youth camps, school assemblies, one-day church revivals, and overseas missions trips.
Rick Gage crusade draws crowds of more than 12,000
By Ruth McClellan, Special
Christian Index
Published October 23, 2003
Evangelist Rick Gage, increasingly becoming known as the Billy Graham of small towns, preached to crowds exceeding 12,000 during a four-night crusade at the Lanier National Speedway near Gainesville.
By the last night of the crusade, 550 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 329 first-time professions of faith. Hundreds more first-time decisions went unrecorded at Youth Night on Wednesday.
"I've never seen anything like it in my life," said Crusade Chairman Henry Slack, owner of Slack Auto Parts Company. "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 Gage 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!"
Youth night was the culmination of Gage's outreach to young people of the area through his "On Track" School Assemblies. Crusade Youth Chairman, Maclane Forbus, youth pastor of Blackshear Place Baptist Church in Flowery Branch, counted more than 14,000 young people from area schools who attended these assemblies where Gage talked about life's choices and addressed issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, and teen suicide.
Those who attended the crusade were also challenged by a dynamic video testimony from Coach of the Year Mark Richt, head football coach of the 2002 SEC Champion University of Georgia Bulldogs. Coach Richt clearly shared his faith and his life's commitment to bringing glory to God and honor to Christ in all his football efforts.
Coach Chan Gailey, head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellowjack-ets, shared via video what he feels is a calling on his life. "I have been called by God to coach football, called to tell my players and Georgia Tech fans everywhere about my faith in Jesus Christ!"
Five football players and several cheerleaders from Johnson High School in Hall County placed their faith in Jesus Christ during the crusade. "It was revolutionary for them," said Rick Stowe, associate pastor of Chestnut Mt. Church. "Scores of students from Johnson High who made decisions at the crusade are hungry for more of the Lord. They are meeting for Bible studies and influencing their fellow students."
"The impact on our community cannot be measured. Our church is baptizing over 30 people who were saved at the crusade. Decisions keep being made as the impact from changed lives permeates our county."
Pastor Robbie Foster of Hopewell Baptist Church said, "The crusade brought people together to win our Jerusalem for Christ. Its great impact extends not only to our church but to the entire county."
"Shaun Archer, one of the young men of our church who is a football player at Johnson High, got saved the first night of the crusade. He then began to bring his friends and saw many of them saved. I have already baptized ten of his friends, along with many others, who were saved at the crusade."
Major Wayne Mock, Police Operations Commander for the Hall County Sheriff's Department and member of Blackshear Place Church, was in charge of traffic and security for the crusade. "I felt closer to God at the Rick Gage Crusade than I have ever felt in my life," he said.
"At the end of the Saturday night pre-crusade rally, a 12-year-old boy came up to me and asked me if I was a Christian. I quickly replied, 'Yes, I am, son!' to which he replied with a radiant face, 'I've only been a Christian for five minutes.' My eyes welled up with tears as he hugged me. "All our effort would have been worth it if just that one young boy had been saved. That is the awesomeness of our God-He changes and transforms a life for all eternity in a moment of time!"
More than 40 churches of various denominations cooperated to reach Hall County with the gospel message. Their preparations began a year before the crusade team showed up.
Pastors agree that one of the most significant accomplishments of the crusade was the realization of the importance of working together to do outreach across denominational lines.
Rick Gage Ministries' Crusade Directors Bill and Tammy Loveless, members of South Calhoun Baptist Church in Calhoun, know that results such as those seen during the crusade do not come without a price. "Much sacrifice was involved over a year's time to see God work as He did. People who spent so much time working on the crusade reaped eternal dividends in many ways."
"Rudolph Uys, a co-chairman of the crusade, saw his son saved. Associate Pastor Rick Stowe, counseling and follow-up chairman, rejoiced as his 18-year-old son, Marcus, was saved; Mike Heddon, sound and video Productions chairman of the crusade, also had the privilege of seeing his son saved. As we rejoice and give God glory for every decision, we are especially grateful and humbled that God saved our 25-year-old daughter and her boyfriend. Our hearts are overwhelmed!"
James Merritt, a native of Hall County and pastor of Crosspointe Church in Duluth said, "It is quite possible that Hall County has never seen anything like this."
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and step-brother of Elvis Presley who often travels with Gage gave his testimony at the crusade. He has spoken at four Billy Graham crusades.
"Rick Gage has a heart for the towns that most people overlook," Stanley said. "His mentality is that there is nothing small in the kingdom of God. And God moves in mighty ways like He did here in Hall County."
"The old-time gospel still works," says Gage. "Crusade evangelism still works. Saturating our communities across America with the gospel must be done at all costs. It takes time, money, and involvement to reach lost people."
Rick Gage has witnessed more than 250,000 decisions for Christ through his many evangelistic outreaches in America and abroad. Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries include crusades, summer youth camps, school assemblies, one-day church revivals, and overseas missions trips.
Making history in Hall county
Making history in Hall county
Rick Gage crusade draws crowds of more than 12,000
By Ruth McClellan, Special
Published October 23, 2003
Evangelist Rick Gage, increasingly becoming known as the Billy Graham of small towns, preached to crowds exceeding 12,000 during a four-night crusade at the Lanier National Speedway near Gainesville.
By the last night of the crusade, 550 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 329 first-time professions of faith. Hundreds more first-time decisions went unrecorded at Youth Night on Wednesday.
"I've never seen anything like it in my life," said Crusade Chairman Henry Slack, owner of Slack Auto Parts Company. "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 Gage 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!"
Youth night was the culmination of Gage's outreach to young people of the area through his "On Track" School Assemblies. Crusade Youth Chairman, Maclane Forbus, youth pastor of Blackshear Place Baptist Church in Flowery Branch, counted more than 14,000 young people from area schools who attended these assemblies where Gage talked about life's choices and addressed issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, and teen suicide.
Those who attended the crusade were also challenged by a dynamic video testimony from Coach of the Year Mark Richt, head football coach of the 2002 SEC Champion University of Georgia Bulldogs. Coach Richt clearly shared his faith and his life's commitment to bringing glory to God and honor to Christ in all his football efforts.
Coach Chan Gailey, head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets, shared via video what he feels is a calling on his life. "I have been called by God to coach football, called to tell my players and Georgia Tech fans everywhere about my faith in Jesus Christ!"
Rick Gage crusade draws crowds of more than 12,000
By Ruth McClellan, Special
Published October 23, 2003
Evangelist Rick Gage, increasingly becoming known as the Billy Graham of small towns, preached to crowds exceeding 12,000 during a four-night crusade at the Lanier National Speedway near Gainesville.
By the last night of the crusade, 550 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 329 first-time professions of faith. Hundreds more first-time decisions went unrecorded at Youth Night on Wednesday.
"I've never seen anything like it in my life," said Crusade Chairman Henry Slack, owner of Slack Auto Parts Company. "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 Gage 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!"
Youth night was the culmination of Gage's outreach to young people of the area through his "On Track" School Assemblies. Crusade Youth Chairman, Maclane Forbus, youth pastor of Blackshear Place Baptist Church in Flowery Branch, counted more than 14,000 young people from area schools who attended these assemblies where Gage talked about life's choices and addressed issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, and teen suicide.
Those who attended the crusade were also challenged by a dynamic video testimony from Coach of the Year Mark Richt, head football coach of the 2002 SEC Champion University of Georgia Bulldogs. Coach Richt clearly shared his faith and his life's commitment to bringing glory to God and honor to Christ in all his football efforts.
Coach Chan Gailey, head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets, shared via video what he feels is a calling on his life. "I have been called by God to coach football, called to tell my players and Georgia Tech fans everywhere about my faith in Jesus Christ!"
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