by Ruth McClellan
May 22, 2006
Evangelist Rick Gage has been filling football stadiums for more than a decade in small towns across America. Many were skeptical that he could do it here in Dublin.
Citizens were astonished when, despite predictions of rain each evening, thousands flocked to West Laurens High School Football Stadium for the four-night event. By the conclusion of the Rick Gage Crusade, 465 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 211 first-time professions of faith.
Crusade Chairman Skip Evans, a Christian businessman, summarized the impact the crusade had on his life by saying, “It was a tremendous crusade. It was an awesome experience to sit on the stage and watch each night as people came forward and to see their lives miraculously changed by the power of God. There is excitement in our county.
“Everywhere I go people are still talking about what the Lord did, and our hearts are filled with gratitude. I truly believe the impact of this crusade will have far-reaching results and will be felt for years to come. The possibilities are limitless as we all continue to work together to see this move of God continue.”
Crusade Co-chair Anne Payne was especially impressed with the lives that were changed by the crusade. “The Lord really blessed our community,” she said. “It was overwhelming to walk through the counseling section in the end zone after each service and see ordinary people with their Bibles open, loving others to Christ. It was a tremendous witnessing effort I will never forget.”
Pastor Joe Sloakum of Poplar Springs North Baptist Church rejoiced in how the community pulled together for a common purpose. “What God did was incredible. Churches came together across denominational and racial lines with a united goal of loving and reaching people. We worked together, and that common bond enabled us to see people come to Christ who would never set foot in a church. We carried church to them and introduced them to Christ. The first Sunday morning after the crusade, I looked out over our congregation at people who had never been in a church except for a wedding or a funeral. Now they were worshipping the Lord with us for the first time, and it was truly a beautiful thing to see!”
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and step-brother of Elvis Presley, gave the testimony of his life story at the crusade. He has spoken at four Billy Graham crusades.
Associate Pastor of Dublin First United Methodist Church, John Drake, who served as the crusade’s chairman of the Counselors and Follow-up Committee, spoke of his formation of a ministerial association as a result of the crusade. “God moved in mighty ways, changing lives all across the community. Unchurched people found Christ as Savior; ministers were revitalized; and scores were brought to a closer walk with Christ. Church members saw those for whom they had prayed for many years come to Christ. Nothing will build up your faith more than that.”
A Wednesday Youth Night was the culmination of Rick Gage’s outreach to the Middle Georgia region. More than 4,000 people attended that evening; and over 1,000 students (youth) were treated to a free pizza blast prior to the evening service.
Talk of the crusade is still a main topic of conversation in and around Dublin. Miracle stories abound and are readily and excitedly shared. A few include: relationships that were healed; couples united; an alcoholic man saved whose family had prayed for him for years; forgiveness extended; denominational barriers broken down; family members saved—sons and fathers, grandmothers and granddaughters, and young people with tears bringing their friends to Christ.
The GO TELL Crusade Team conducted fourteen ON TRACK School Assembly Programs in area middle and high schools. More than 6,000 students listened intently to sobering talks which addressed issues dealing with life’s choices and the dangers of drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide, and premarital sex. These students were invited to attend the crusade.
More than sixty decisions for Christ were made at Trinity Christian School. Says student Charlsie Gerrard, “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. Lifetime decisions for Christ were made, and I can already tell a difference in my school.”
“God has burdened my heart to take the gospel to as many towns as possible in my lifetime,” Gage says. “Everywhere I go, people are personally embracing the gospel message. It is hope for the individual, for society, and for the world. Saturating our communities across America with the gospel must be done at all costs. It takes time, money, and involvement to reach lost people; but it will be eternally worth it one day.”
For more information about Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries, please email info@gotellministries.com or visit his website at www.gotellministries.com.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Monday, May 8, 2006
Go Tell Crusade to begin Sunday
The Courier Herald
Go Tell Crusade to begin Sunday
Organizers planning for thousands each night
By BRANDY T. MULLIS
05/08/06
After months of anticipation, the Laurens County “Go Tell” Crusade with Rick Gage will begin Sunday.
Gage, a former collegiate football coach, now leads a large Atlanta-based ministry and his crusade events have been dubbed “small town Billy Graham crusades.”
“We believe Rick’s life-changing message will have a very positive influence on our community,” Skip Evans, chairman of the local crusade, said. Over 40 area churches have been involved in bringing the massive crusade to Laurens County.
Laurens County is approximately 70 percent unchurched, according to publicity chair Don Clark. He said organizers feel a “major revival” in the community is needed.
“We are expecting 2,500 people per night,” Evans said.
In 2005 Rick Gage Ministries held four crusades in four states and 40,000 men, women and children attended.
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and step-brother of Elvis Presley, will be a part of the crusade. Gage brings a praise band that promises to move the crowd and Amy Lowry will sing nightly as well. Sunday night will feature a county-wide mass choir comprised of 150 local church members.
The final night will be geared toward area youth, with UGA football players speaking and free pizza being served. The Youth Pizza Blast will begin at 6 p.m.
The crusade will be held May 7-10 at 7 p.m. nightly at West Laurens High School’s Raider Stadium.
Go Tell Crusade to begin Sunday
Organizers planning for thousands each night
By BRANDY T. MULLIS
05/08/06
After months of anticipation, the Laurens County “Go Tell” Crusade with Rick Gage will begin Sunday.
Gage, a former collegiate football coach, now leads a large Atlanta-based ministry and his crusade events have been dubbed “small town Billy Graham crusades.”
“We believe Rick’s life-changing message will have a very positive influence on our community,” Skip Evans, chairman of the local crusade, said. Over 40 area churches have been involved in bringing the massive crusade to Laurens County.
Laurens County is approximately 70 percent unchurched, according to publicity chair Don Clark. He said organizers feel a “major revival” in the community is needed.
“We are expecting 2,500 people per night,” Evans said.
In 2005 Rick Gage Ministries held four crusades in four states and 40,000 men, women and children attended.
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and step-brother of Elvis Presley, will be a part of the crusade. Gage brings a praise band that promises to move the crowd and Amy Lowry will sing nightly as well. Sunday night will feature a county-wide mass choir comprised of 150 local church members.
The final night will be geared toward area youth, with UGA football players speaking and free pizza being served. The Youth Pizza Blast will begin at 6 p.m.
The crusade will be held May 7-10 at 7 p.m. nightly at West Laurens High School’s Raider Stadium.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
'Small Town Billy Graham' bringing crusade to Dublin
The Macon Telegraph
'Small Town Billy Graham' bringing crusade to Dublin
Rodney Manley, TELEGRAPH STAFF WRITER
Staging a crusade is a lot like getting a team ready for a college football game, says coach-turned evangelist Rick Gage.
Gage remembers the 15- to 18-hour days he put in as a coach at three colleges, including Texas Tech. The days might not be as long now, but there's still a lot of teamwork and game planning required.
"If the preparation has not been done properly, don't expect results. That is the key to a successful evangelism crusade - preparation," Gage said. "It's hard work. It takes a lot of time, a lot of effort. But it's worth it for every soul that is won."
That explains the half-dozen or so trips Gage will have made from his offices in Atlanta to Dublin by the time his next "Go Tell" crusade kicks off May 7 at the West Laurens High football stadium.
Gage, 48, has been dubbed the "Small Town Billy Graham" for his focus on smaller communities. For more than a decade, he has been filling football stadiums in communities ranging in population from 5,000 to 150,000.
"Our vision, our calling, is to do the Billy Graham-type crusade in the county-seat towns of America," said Gage. "There's a lot more Dublin, Georgias, than there are Atlanta, Georgias. People in small towns need Jesus just as much as big towns do."
Gage's father, Freddie Gage, has been a leading evangelist for a half-century, but his son had no plans of following his father into the pulpit. That was before attending a crusade by James Robison and, he said, surrendering "to Christ totally and completely."
He launched his own ministry in 1990. In addition to the crusades, Gage holds summer youth camps and has an overseas ministry that reaches into the former Soviet Union, helping at Russian orphanages and placing some children in U.S. homes.
His crusades often draw well-known guests speakers, including Robison, Jerry Falwell, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden and NFL Hall of Famer Mike Ditka.
Scheduled to speak at the Dublin crusade are Rick Stanley, the stepbrother of Elvis Presley, Pilgrim's Pride Corp. board chairman Bo Pilgrim, and Georgia Bulldogs players Blake Barnes and Brian Mimbs. Georgia coach Mark Richt and Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey will share video testimony on a giant television screen.
He and his crusade staff also visit area prisons, youth homes and high schools. His "On Track" school assembly program uses a "secular message," he said, to discuss choices high-schoolers face with drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide and premarital sex.
"We need to remind these kids that they were brought into this world to be a winner in the game called life. We're here to tell them they can be winners, but it starts with making right choices, right decisions."
The Dublin crusade has been months in planning. Gage's crusade director also has made about a half-dozen trips down I-75 and I-16, meeting with "an army of lay leaders" from area churches.
The crusade runs from Sunday, May 7, through Wednesday, May 10. The final night will be geared toward youths, with the UGA players speaking and Gage serving up 350-400 free pizzas.
The "Pizza Blast" is idea borrowed from his father, who started offering free pizza at crusades during the 1960s.
"He knew the hippies would show up to eat free food."
IF YOU GO
What: Go Tell Crusade with evangelist Rick Gage
When: 7 p.m., May 7-10; Pizza Blast at 6 p.m., May 10
Where: West Laurens High football stadium, off Interstate 16 at U.S. 441, Dublin
Cost: Free
Phone: (478) 274-9470
'Small Town Billy Graham' bringing crusade to Dublin
Rodney Manley, TELEGRAPH STAFF WRITER
Staging a crusade is a lot like getting a team ready for a college football game, says coach-turned evangelist Rick Gage.
Gage remembers the 15- to 18-hour days he put in as a coach at three colleges, including Texas Tech. The days might not be as long now, but there's still a lot of teamwork and game planning required.
"If the preparation has not been done properly, don't expect results. That is the key to a successful evangelism crusade - preparation," Gage said. "It's hard work. It takes a lot of time, a lot of effort. But it's worth it for every soul that is won."
That explains the half-dozen or so trips Gage will have made from his offices in Atlanta to Dublin by the time his next "Go Tell" crusade kicks off May 7 at the West Laurens High football stadium.
Gage, 48, has been dubbed the "Small Town Billy Graham" for his focus on smaller communities. For more than a decade, he has been filling football stadiums in communities ranging in population from 5,000 to 150,000.
"Our vision, our calling, is to do the Billy Graham-type crusade in the county-seat towns of America," said Gage. "There's a lot more Dublin, Georgias, than there are Atlanta, Georgias. People in small towns need Jesus just as much as big towns do."
Gage's father, Freddie Gage, has been a leading evangelist for a half-century, but his son had no plans of following his father into the pulpit. That was before attending a crusade by James Robison and, he said, surrendering "to Christ totally and completely."
He launched his own ministry in 1990. In addition to the crusades, Gage holds summer youth camps and has an overseas ministry that reaches into the former Soviet Union, helping at Russian orphanages and placing some children in U.S. homes.
His crusades often draw well-known guests speakers, including Robison, Jerry Falwell, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden and NFL Hall of Famer Mike Ditka.
Scheduled to speak at the Dublin crusade are Rick Stanley, the stepbrother of Elvis Presley, Pilgrim's Pride Corp. board chairman Bo Pilgrim, and Georgia Bulldogs players Blake Barnes and Brian Mimbs. Georgia coach Mark Richt and Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey will share video testimony on a giant television screen.
He and his crusade staff also visit area prisons, youth homes and high schools. His "On Track" school assembly program uses a "secular message," he said, to discuss choices high-schoolers face with drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide and premarital sex.
"We need to remind these kids that they were brought into this world to be a winner in the game called life. We're here to tell them they can be winners, but it starts with making right choices, right decisions."
The Dublin crusade has been months in planning. Gage's crusade director also has made about a half-dozen trips down I-75 and I-16, meeting with "an army of lay leaders" from area churches.
The crusade runs from Sunday, May 7, through Wednesday, May 10. The final night will be geared toward youths, with the UGA players speaking and Gage serving up 350-400 free pizzas.
The "Pizza Blast" is idea borrowed from his father, who started offering free pizza at crusades during the 1960s.
"He knew the hippies would show up to eat free food."
IF YOU GO
What: Go Tell Crusade with evangelist Rick Gage
When: 7 p.m., May 7-10; Pizza Blast at 6 p.m., May 10
Where: West Laurens High football stadium, off Interstate 16 at U.S. 441, Dublin
Cost: Free
Phone: (478) 274-9470
Friday, April 21, 2006
Rick Gage Crusade Draws Crowds of More than 13,500
The Messenger
Hartsville, South Carolina
Rick Gage Crusade Draws Crowds of More than 13,500
Four-night event makes history in Hartsville
By Ruth McClellan
Rick Gage has often been labeled the Billy Graham of small town America. There are not many places you can go in Hartsville, South Carolina, which boasts 8,000 as its official population, where people are not still talking about the recent Tri-County Crusade with Evangelist Rick Gage at Kelleytown Stadium.
The local paper, The Messenger, reported the amazing event as drawing more than 13,500 of its citizens for the four-night crusade. By its conclusion, 660 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 356 first-time professions of faith. More than 100 churches joined forces, forming 13 committees, working together to bring revival to their area.
“The powerful way God moved in this crusade with Rick Gage,” says Co-chairman Jack Westmoreland, “made it the most worthwhile, overwhelming experience of my life.” He chokes back tears as he continues, “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.”
Youth night was the culmination of Gage’s outreach to young people of the area through his “On Track” School Assemblies. More than 5,000 students attended these assemblies where Gage talked about life’s choices and addressed issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, and teen suicide.
The last night of the crusade ended with a youth pizza blast attended by over 1,700 young people. “Young people flooded the altars making decisions for Christ that last night,” said Counseling Chairman, Warren Arthur, of Lakeview Baptist. “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, Prayer Chairperson for the crusade, “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. We are praying seriously about that.”
Following the crusade, churches in three counties canceled their Sunday evening service plans to conduct testimony services. “We couldn’t do anything else,” said Pastor Gary Colbach of Emmanuel Baptist Church. “People are excited! We couldn’t stop talking about what God had done.
“Our school administrator, Jim Tritle, told us a moving story about one of the students from our Christian school whom he had had to expel the week before the crusade. He had been deeply burdened for that young man. The last night of the crusade someone tapped him on the back. There was that boy. He gave a powerful testimony about how he had never been saved but how the Lord had saved him that night. The glowing stories just went on and on.”
Several who attended the crusade remarked that they had never seen a spiritual awakening of this magnitude in their lives. “The only thing I can think of that could come anywhere close to it was when Freddie Gage, Rick Gage’s father, came here 30 years ago, in 1973” said Iris Rice. “I don’t remember much about the crusade except that many people were saved and a great impact was made at the high school.”
Co-chairman David McFarland of Jerusalem Baptist Church spoke of the exciting future of the Hartsville area, “The revival that was begun by this crusade will always continue. We are making sure of that. Barriers that had been forged for years with denominations and races were broken by the power of God. We are unified in our mission. We are praying together, meeting together, working together, contacting every person who made a decision for Christ and loving our city and our world to Christ.”
“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.”
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 mission trips.
For more information about Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries, please call 1-866-I-GO-TELL; email at info@gotellministries.com or visit his website at www.gotellministries.com.
McClellan is a writer for the Rick Gage Crusade team.
Hartsville, South Carolina
Rick Gage Crusade Draws Crowds of More than 13,500
Four-night event makes history in Hartsville
By Ruth McClellan
Rick Gage has often been labeled the Billy Graham of small town America. There are not many places you can go in Hartsville, South Carolina, which boasts 8,000 as its official population, where people are not still talking about the recent Tri-County Crusade with Evangelist Rick Gage at Kelleytown Stadium.
The local paper, The Messenger, reported the amazing event as drawing more than 13,500 of its citizens for the four-night crusade. By its conclusion, 660 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 356 first-time professions of faith. More than 100 churches joined forces, forming 13 committees, working together to bring revival to their area.
“The powerful way God moved in this crusade with Rick Gage,” says Co-chairman Jack Westmoreland, “made it the most worthwhile, overwhelming experience of my life.” He chokes back tears as he continues, “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.”
Youth night was the culmination of Gage’s outreach to young people of the area through his “On Track” School Assemblies. More than 5,000 students attended these assemblies where Gage talked about life’s choices and addressed issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, and teen suicide.
The last night of the crusade ended with a youth pizza blast attended by over 1,700 young people. “Young people flooded the altars making decisions for Christ that last night,” said Counseling Chairman, Warren Arthur, of Lakeview Baptist. “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, Prayer Chairperson for the crusade, “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. We are praying seriously about that.”
Following the crusade, churches in three counties canceled their Sunday evening service plans to conduct testimony services. “We couldn’t do anything else,” said Pastor Gary Colbach of Emmanuel Baptist Church. “People are excited! We couldn’t stop talking about what God had done.
“Our school administrator, Jim Tritle, told us a moving story about one of the students from our Christian school whom he had had to expel the week before the crusade. He had been deeply burdened for that young man. The last night of the crusade someone tapped him on the back. There was that boy. He gave a powerful testimony about how he had never been saved but how the Lord had saved him that night. The glowing stories just went on and on.”
Several who attended the crusade remarked that they had never seen a spiritual awakening of this magnitude in their lives. “The only thing I can think of that could come anywhere close to it was when Freddie Gage, Rick Gage’s father, came here 30 years ago, in 1973” said Iris Rice. “I don’t remember much about the crusade except that many people were saved and a great impact was made at the high school.”
Co-chairman David McFarland of Jerusalem Baptist Church spoke of the exciting future of the Hartsville area, “The revival that was begun by this crusade will always continue. We are making sure of that. Barriers that had been forged for years with denominations and races were broken by the power of God. We are unified in our mission. We are praying together, meeting together, working together, contacting every person who made a decision for Christ and loving our city and our world to Christ.”
“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.”
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 mission trips.
For more information about Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries, please call 1-866-I-GO-TELL; email at info@gotellministries.com or visit his website at www.gotellministries.com.
McClellan is a writer for the Rick Gage Crusade team.
Tuesday, March 7, 2006
The Impossible Becomes Possible in Lincoln County, Georgia
Rick Gage Crusade Storms Football Haven
The little town of Lincolnton, Georgia, nestled on the eastern border of the state, boasts a population of 1,595. Except for its high school football success, it is a town that has drawn little attention. That is, until the Rick Gage Crusade came to town.
Lincoln County’s 8,348 citizens were astonished when thousands flocked to Buddy Bufford Stadium at the local Lincoln County High School for a four-night crusade. By the conclusion of the Rick Gage Crusade in this little unknown town, 627 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 391 first-time professions of faith.
“No one believed it could happen in our small town,” said Andy Warner, a member of Lincolnton First Assembly of God Church, who volunteered on six different crusade planning committees. “When it was first discussed, most agreed, ‘We simply can’t do this. It couldn’t possibly succeed.’ But we went ahead anyway. More than 30 churches came together to work and pray, and then God took over. What happened is the most overwhelming and marvelous thing I have ever seen!”
Frank Hester, Area Director for Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Lincoln County High School’s Football Team Chaplain, is thrilled at what occurred in the lives of many tough football players as a result of the powerful moving of God’s Spirit at the crusade. “Isn’t it just like God,” he said, “that we’re known for football in Lincoln County, and that’s where countless lives were changed for all eternity—on the football field!”
“One night I worried as I watched five star football players from a rival high school walk across the football field. I wondered if they had come to make a scene. Tears coursed down my face as I watched them kneel and in brokenness each give his life to Christ.”
Young and old alike packed the stands of the football stadium, and then flooded the football field night after night when the invitation was given—giving their lives to Christ and getting right with God.
“I have been a Christian for more than 50 years,” said Prayer Chairman Jim Neal of Double Branches Baptist Church, “But this crusade was out of this world. Many lives were changed; Lincoln County was changed; I was changed.”
Of the 30 football players at Lincolnton High, 22 made professions of faith in Christ during the crusade. There has been a revival among the coaching staff, most of whom were at the crusade. They are now leading Bible studies in Lincolnton to facilitate the Christian growth of their players.
Head football coach Larry Campbell is the winningest high school football coach in the state of Georgia. “It is hard to put into words what this crusade meant in my life and in the lives of those God touched and changed,” he says. “I have lived in Lincolnton for 34 years and nothing can come close to what happened during the crusade. I can’t believe I was reluctant at first, thinking we couldn’t pull off something so big. We’re just a tiny town where the largest business is the Board of Education. If we could do it in Lincolnton, it can be done anywhere.”
Dana O’Neil, secretary of Lincoln County High, and her husband, Alex, members of Kiokee Baptist Church, were in charge of counseling for the crusade. “God accomplished what to us was an impossible task,” she shares. “And what He continues to do is nothing short of miraculous. The crusade was only the beginning. Many decisions that were made at the crusade were not even recorded. Teens are still coming to Christ. I’ve seen kids getting saved in the halls at school. Scores of teens who made decisions are now in church and in Bible studies.”
“We started a Bible study in our home the Monday night after the crusade. We had a young man come who had been drunk the last time he was at our house. Now he is studying the Bible and leading others to Christ. Another Bible study is being led by the J.V. Girls’ Cheerleading Coach. One of Rick Gage’s staff members is coming for a follow-up rally, and we’ve already planned a rally for the fall before school starts. What God started will never die.”
“This crusade is the best thing that has ever happened to Lincoln,” said counselor Cedric Pitts. “It crossed racial lines and brought us together in love and unity. It is the first time I’ve seen Lincoln County come together for anything other than a football game, and this time we were all on the same side! God left a mark on my life that will never be erased.”
Pastor Gary Johnson of Lincolnton Baptist Church is preparing to baptize nine of 14 from his church who made decisions at the crusade. “The Rick Gage Crusade was a spiritual milestone” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Churches worked together to do outreach across denominational lines. God has changed our community forever.”
Price McWhorter, Crusade Chairman and member of Double Branches Baptist Church, was credited with putting his “heart and soul” into crusade preparation. He expressed deep gratitude to the Lord for the privilege of being part of the crusade. “It is impossible to put into words how moving it is to see two people whom you work with, in their 50s and 60s, give their lives to Christ. Nothing compares to that kind of joy!”
“God had His hand on our little town when he brought Rick Gage to us,” says Marcene Powell, Finance Chairperson for the crusade. “What at first seemed impossible turned out to be miraculous. God multiplied everything we did because you cannot outgive or outplan Him. This town saw wonderful miracles because we stepped out in faith.”
Pastor Russell Davis of New Work Baptist Church agrees, “God lit a fire in this county that will not go away. Twelve of my members served as counselors at the crusade. This strengthened their faith tremendously. Our congregation is so excited that they do not want to stop sharing their faith. The work has just begun.”
The Gage staff conducted luncheons at local restaurants every day of the crusade where glowing testimonies were given. One especially moving testimony was from medical Doctor Robert Williams. “The Rick Gage Crusade is the best thing that has ever happened in this community. God had not been in our home since the death of our 21-year-old son on August 3, 2002. But on Wednesday night of the crusade, my wife and I went down to rededicate our lives, get rid of bitterness, and promise to get our two girls back to church. Our healing has begun.”
During the days of the crusade, Rick Gage and his crusade team members visited local schools, presenting Gage’s “On Track” School Assembly Program which deals with life’s choices and addresses the dangers of issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide, and premarital sex. Team members also visited the county jail where fifty inmates accepted Christ as Savior.
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 mission trips.
“The old-time gospel still works,” says Gage. “It is hope for the individual, for society, and for the world. Saturating our communities across America with the gospel must be done at all costs. It takes time, money, and involvement to reach lost people. But it will be eternally worth it one day.”
The little town of Lincolnton, Georgia, nestled on the eastern border of the state, boasts a population of 1,595. Except for its high school football success, it is a town that has drawn little attention. That is, until the Rick Gage Crusade came to town.
Lincoln County’s 8,348 citizens were astonished when thousands flocked to Buddy Bufford Stadium at the local Lincoln County High School for a four-night crusade. By the conclusion of the Rick Gage Crusade in this little unknown town, 627 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 391 first-time professions of faith.
“No one believed it could happen in our small town,” said Andy Warner, a member of Lincolnton First Assembly of God Church, who volunteered on six different crusade planning committees. “When it was first discussed, most agreed, ‘We simply can’t do this. It couldn’t possibly succeed.’ But we went ahead anyway. More than 30 churches came together to work and pray, and then God took over. What happened is the most overwhelming and marvelous thing I have ever seen!”
Frank Hester, Area Director for Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Lincoln County High School’s Football Team Chaplain, is thrilled at what occurred in the lives of many tough football players as a result of the powerful moving of God’s Spirit at the crusade. “Isn’t it just like God,” he said, “that we’re known for football in Lincoln County, and that’s where countless lives were changed for all eternity—on the football field!”
“One night I worried as I watched five star football players from a rival high school walk across the football field. I wondered if they had come to make a scene. Tears coursed down my face as I watched them kneel and in brokenness each give his life to Christ.”
Young and old alike packed the stands of the football stadium, and then flooded the football field night after night when the invitation was given—giving their lives to Christ and getting right with God.
“I have been a Christian for more than 50 years,” said Prayer Chairman Jim Neal of Double Branches Baptist Church, “But this crusade was out of this world. Many lives were changed; Lincoln County was changed; I was changed.”
Of the 30 football players at Lincolnton High, 22 made professions of faith in Christ during the crusade. There has been a revival among the coaching staff, most of whom were at the crusade. They are now leading Bible studies in Lincolnton to facilitate the Christian growth of their players.
Head football coach Larry Campbell is the winningest high school football coach in the state of Georgia. “It is hard to put into words what this crusade meant in my life and in the lives of those God touched and changed,” he says. “I have lived in Lincolnton for 34 years and nothing can come close to what happened during the crusade. I can’t believe I was reluctant at first, thinking we couldn’t pull off something so big. We’re just a tiny town where the largest business is the Board of Education. If we could do it in Lincolnton, it can be done anywhere.”
Dana O’Neil, secretary of Lincoln County High, and her husband, Alex, members of Kiokee Baptist Church, were in charge of counseling for the crusade. “God accomplished what to us was an impossible task,” she shares. “And what He continues to do is nothing short of miraculous. The crusade was only the beginning. Many decisions that were made at the crusade were not even recorded. Teens are still coming to Christ. I’ve seen kids getting saved in the halls at school. Scores of teens who made decisions are now in church and in Bible studies.”
“We started a Bible study in our home the Monday night after the crusade. We had a young man come who had been drunk the last time he was at our house. Now he is studying the Bible and leading others to Christ. Another Bible study is being led by the J.V. Girls’ Cheerleading Coach. One of Rick Gage’s staff members is coming for a follow-up rally, and we’ve already planned a rally for the fall before school starts. What God started will never die.”
“This crusade is the best thing that has ever happened to Lincoln,” said counselor Cedric Pitts. “It crossed racial lines and brought us together in love and unity. It is the first time I’ve seen Lincoln County come together for anything other than a football game, and this time we were all on the same side! God left a mark on my life that will never be erased.”
Pastor Gary Johnson of Lincolnton Baptist Church is preparing to baptize nine of 14 from his church who made decisions at the crusade. “The Rick Gage Crusade was a spiritual milestone” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Churches worked together to do outreach across denominational lines. God has changed our community forever.”
Price McWhorter, Crusade Chairman and member of Double Branches Baptist Church, was credited with putting his “heart and soul” into crusade preparation. He expressed deep gratitude to the Lord for the privilege of being part of the crusade. “It is impossible to put into words how moving it is to see two people whom you work with, in their 50s and 60s, give their lives to Christ. Nothing compares to that kind of joy!”
“God had His hand on our little town when he brought Rick Gage to us,” says Marcene Powell, Finance Chairperson for the crusade. “What at first seemed impossible turned out to be miraculous. God multiplied everything we did because you cannot outgive or outplan Him. This town saw wonderful miracles because we stepped out in faith.”
Pastor Russell Davis of New Work Baptist Church agrees, “God lit a fire in this county that will not go away. Twelve of my members served as counselors at the crusade. This strengthened their faith tremendously. Our congregation is so excited that they do not want to stop sharing their faith. The work has just begun.”
The Gage staff conducted luncheons at local restaurants every day of the crusade where glowing testimonies were given. One especially moving testimony was from medical Doctor Robert Williams. “The Rick Gage Crusade is the best thing that has ever happened in this community. God had not been in our home since the death of our 21-year-old son on August 3, 2002. But on Wednesday night of the crusade, my wife and I went down to rededicate our lives, get rid of bitterness, and promise to get our two girls back to church. Our healing has begun.”
During the days of the crusade, Rick Gage and his crusade team members visited local schools, presenting Gage’s “On Track” School Assembly Program which deals with life’s choices and addresses the dangers of issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide, and premarital sex. Team members also visited the county jail where fifty inmates accepted Christ as Savior.
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 mission trips.
“The old-time gospel still works,” says Gage. “It is hope for the individual, for society, and for the world. Saturating our communities across America with the gospel must be done at all costs. It takes time, money, and involvement to reach lost people. But it will be eternally worth it one day.”
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Making History in Emanuel County
Making History in Emanuel County
Rick Gage Crusade Draws Crowds of More Than 10,000
Wesleyan Christian Advocate, By the Swainsboro Blade
Evangelist Rick Gage has been filling football stadiums for more than a decade in small towns across America. Many were skeptical that he could do it in Swainsboro which claims a population of only 6,943.
Emanuel County’s citizens were astonished when thousands flocked to Tiger Stadium at the local Swainsboro High School for a four-night crusade. By the conclusion of the Rick Gage Crusade, 878 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 524 first-time professions of faith.
More than 40 churches worked together in what pastors claim is the greatest sense of unity and spirit of cooperation of churches ever seen in Emanuel County. Churches came together across denominational lines with a united goal of loving and reaching people.
Crusade Chairman Russell Collins and Co-chairman Pastor Jamie Archer worked on crusade planning and preparation for over a year and enlisted more than 200 committee workers.
“The crusade was absolutely the most wonderful move of God this county has ever experienced,” says Archer. “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.”
Among the many who will be baptized will be five family members of one of Pastor Archer’s members who attended church alone for years. Words are inadequate to describe her joy at seeing her husband, three grown children, and future-son-in-law make first-time professions of faith in Christ during the crusade.
Milton Gray, Finance Chairman for the crusade and member of First United Methodist Church, marvels at the provision of God. “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. Although it was large, everything came together perfectly. Our financial response was 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 for all eternity.”
Miracle stories abound in Emanuel County. “God has visited our county in a miraculous way,” said Cail Pressey, Pastor of Hawhammock Baptist Church. “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 community.”
Counseling Chairman, Pastor Ray Jenkins, of Oak Chapel, is enthusiastic about continuing what the crusade started. “My heart raced,” he says, “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 talking to and praying for for a year and a half got saved at the crusade. The miracle stories just go on and on, and we will see to it that they continue.”
Businessman Ken Warnock recounts the thrill of seeing so many come to Christ. “God answers prayer,” he said. “All our prayer vigil rallies and preparation were rewarded as God saved so many. How do you describe the tremendous impact of seeing a hardened, 78-year-old man, a 74 year-old woman, or a 20-year-old who had just moved to the community come to Christ? As Christians, we have been renewed, refocused, and recommissioned.”
Karen Carter worked diligently to make the crusade a success. “My husband was so excited about the crusade and what God was doing,” she says, “that even though he works nights, he took his supper break to park cars. My ten-year-old son attended planning meetings with me and was jubilant to be included as a helper.
“I still can’t get over the blessing of seeing several young guys get saved who had come to the crusade with coolers of beer in their cars. Instead of leaving the crusade to go party as they had planned, they went to the fairgrounds and poured out every bottle of alcohol after they gave their lives to Christ. It was amazing! There is no greater joy than being a part of seeing people come to Christ in so great a way.”
Betty Dunn, wife of Associate Pastor Fred Dunn, speaks with intense emotion about the crusade, “Our church worked tirelessly, with an enormous vision for lost souls. I humbly stand in awe at what was the most glorious, mighty moving of God I have ever witnessed. I am beside myself with gratitude that I was able to have witnessed people saved as they stood in the vast, marvelous presence of the Holy Spirit.”
The first night of the crusade, Bo Pilgrim, Chairman and CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, the second largest poultry corporation in the world and a Fortune 500 Company, gave a stirring testimony. He concluded his talk by presenting each person in the crowd of 2,000 with a gospel tract in which was included in its folds a twenty-dollar bill.
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and step-brother of Elvis Presley, gave the testimony of his life story Monday evening of the crusade. More than 130 youth and adults flooded the football field where trained counselors assisted them in making spiritual decisions.
Swainsboro native, Ben Troupe, starting tight end for the Tennessee Titians, shared a vibrant testimony with Tuesday night’s crusade crowd.
During the days of the crusade, Gage and his crusade team conducted daily noon luncheons focused on vibrant testimonies and prayer. They visited three prisons where 70 inmates made first-time professions of faith in Christ. Decisions were also made at the Mel Blount Youth Home and the Paul Anderson Youth Home.
The GO TELL Crusade team also visited local middle and high schools, conducting Gage’s On Track School Assembly Program dealing with life’s choices and addressing the dangers of issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide, and premarital sex. Students were invited to attend the crusade.
Wednesday night was the culmination of Gage’s outreach to Emanuel County when more than 4,500 attended the crusade, including 2,500 youth who were treated to a free pizza blast prior to the evening service. University of Georgia first-string football players Russ Tanner, Josh Brock, and D.J. Shockley held the students at rapt attention as they shared their personal testimonies and challenged young people and adults to live for Christ. After Rick Gage preached, hundreds flooded the altars, culminating in 458 decisions for Christ that night.
“When I looked up into the stands, I was awe-struck by the number of teen-agers,” said Pastor Archer. “We had worked and prayed, and God swept scores into the kingdom. It was one of the most absolutely wonderful moves of God I have ever seen.”
Coaches Brandon Jernigan and David Johnson of Swainsboro High School were Co-chairmen of the crusade’s Youth Committee. “I am overwhelmed by what God did,” says Jernigan. “We prayed over every seat in Tiger Stadium, and they were filled just about every night. After the stadium filled on Wednesday night we had to seat kids anywhere we could fit them, all over the grass and on the track.
“Wednesday night was a sight I will remember forever as young people poured to the altars in droves. Our high school is known for its athletic prominence, but the victory of this crusade far outweighed any human victory we’ve ever experienced.”
Sunday evening after the crusade, Coach Jernigan’s church service did not include a sermon. Says Jernigan, “Our people overflowed with praise reports and testimonies, and it turned into a Praise and Worship Service. Our churches and our entire community have been revived!”
Rick Stanley, who has spoken at four Billy Graham crusades, says of Rick Gage, “Rick Gage has a heart for the towns that most people overlook. His mentality is that there is nothing small in the Kingdom of God. And God moves in mighty ways like He did here in Emanuel County.”
“God has burdened my heart to take the gospel to as many towns as possible in my lifetime,” Gage says. “Everywhere I go, people are personally embracing the gospel message. It is hope for the individual, for society, and for the world. Saturating our communities across America with the gospel must be done at all costs. It takes time, money, and involvement to reach lost people, but it will be eternally worth it one day.”
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, GO TELL Sundays, and overseas mission trips.”
For more information about Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries, please call 1-866-I-GO-TELL; email at info@gotellministries.com or visit his website at www.gotellministries.com.
Rick Gage Crusade Draws Crowds of More Than 10,000
Wesleyan Christian Advocate, By the Swainsboro Blade
Evangelist Rick Gage has been filling football stadiums for more than a decade in small towns across America. Many were skeptical that he could do it in Swainsboro which claims a population of only 6,943.
Emanuel County’s citizens were astonished when thousands flocked to Tiger Stadium at the local Swainsboro High School for a four-night crusade. By the conclusion of the Rick Gage Crusade, 878 spiritual decisions had been recorded, including 524 first-time professions of faith.
More than 40 churches worked together in what pastors claim is the greatest sense of unity and spirit of cooperation of churches ever seen in Emanuel County. Churches came together across denominational lines with a united goal of loving and reaching people.
Crusade Chairman Russell Collins and Co-chairman Pastor Jamie Archer worked on crusade planning and preparation for over a year and enlisted more than 200 committee workers.
“The crusade was absolutely the most wonderful move of God this county has ever experienced,” says Archer. “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.”
Among the many who will be baptized will be five family members of one of Pastor Archer’s members who attended church alone for years. Words are inadequate to describe her joy at seeing her husband, three grown children, and future-son-in-law make first-time professions of faith in Christ during the crusade.
Milton Gray, Finance Chairman for the crusade and member of First United Methodist Church, marvels at the provision of God. “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. Although it was large, everything came together perfectly. Our financial response was 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 for all eternity.”
Miracle stories abound in Emanuel County. “God has visited our county in a miraculous way,” said Cail Pressey, Pastor of Hawhammock Baptist Church. “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 community.”
Counseling Chairman, Pastor Ray Jenkins, of Oak Chapel, is enthusiastic about continuing what the crusade started. “My heart raced,” he says, “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 talking to and praying for for a year and a half got saved at the crusade. The miracle stories just go on and on, and we will see to it that they continue.”
Businessman Ken Warnock recounts the thrill of seeing so many come to Christ. “God answers prayer,” he said. “All our prayer vigil rallies and preparation were rewarded as God saved so many. How do you describe the tremendous impact of seeing a hardened, 78-year-old man, a 74 year-old woman, or a 20-year-old who had just moved to the community come to Christ? As Christians, we have been renewed, refocused, and recommissioned.”
Karen Carter worked diligently to make the crusade a success. “My husband was so excited about the crusade and what God was doing,” she says, “that even though he works nights, he took his supper break to park cars. My ten-year-old son attended planning meetings with me and was jubilant to be included as a helper.
“I still can’t get over the blessing of seeing several young guys get saved who had come to the crusade with coolers of beer in their cars. Instead of leaving the crusade to go party as they had planned, they went to the fairgrounds and poured out every bottle of alcohol after they gave their lives to Christ. It was amazing! There is no greater joy than being a part of seeing people come to Christ in so great a way.”
Betty Dunn, wife of Associate Pastor Fred Dunn, speaks with intense emotion about the crusade, “Our church worked tirelessly, with an enormous vision for lost souls. I humbly stand in awe at what was the most glorious, mighty moving of God I have ever witnessed. I am beside myself with gratitude that I was able to have witnessed people saved as they stood in the vast, marvelous presence of the Holy Spirit.”
The first night of the crusade, Bo Pilgrim, Chairman and CEO of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, the second largest poultry corporation in the world and a Fortune 500 Company, gave a stirring testimony. He concluded his talk by presenting each person in the crowd of 2,000 with a gospel tract in which was included in its folds a twenty-dollar bill.
Rick Stanley, an evangelist and step-brother of Elvis Presley, gave the testimony of his life story Monday evening of the crusade. More than 130 youth and adults flooded the football field where trained counselors assisted them in making spiritual decisions.
Swainsboro native, Ben Troupe, starting tight end for the Tennessee Titians, shared a vibrant testimony with Tuesday night’s crusade crowd.
During the days of the crusade, Gage and his crusade team conducted daily noon luncheons focused on vibrant testimonies and prayer. They visited three prisons where 70 inmates made first-time professions of faith in Christ. Decisions were also made at the Mel Blount Youth Home and the Paul Anderson Youth Home.
The GO TELL Crusade team also visited local middle and high schools, conducting Gage’s On Track School Assembly Program dealing with life’s choices and addressing the dangers of issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse, teen suicide, and premarital sex. Students were invited to attend the crusade.
Wednesday night was the culmination of Gage’s outreach to Emanuel County when more than 4,500 attended the crusade, including 2,500 youth who were treated to a free pizza blast prior to the evening service. University of Georgia first-string football players Russ Tanner, Josh Brock, and D.J. Shockley held the students at rapt attention as they shared their personal testimonies and challenged young people and adults to live for Christ. After Rick Gage preached, hundreds flooded the altars, culminating in 458 decisions for Christ that night.
“When I looked up into the stands, I was awe-struck by the number of teen-agers,” said Pastor Archer. “We had worked and prayed, and God swept scores into the kingdom. It was one of the most absolutely wonderful moves of God I have ever seen.”
Coaches Brandon Jernigan and David Johnson of Swainsboro High School were Co-chairmen of the crusade’s Youth Committee. “I am overwhelmed by what God did,” says Jernigan. “We prayed over every seat in Tiger Stadium, and they were filled just about every night. After the stadium filled on Wednesday night we had to seat kids anywhere we could fit them, all over the grass and on the track.
“Wednesday night was a sight I will remember forever as young people poured to the altars in droves. Our high school is known for its athletic prominence, but the victory of this crusade far outweighed any human victory we’ve ever experienced.”
Sunday evening after the crusade, Coach Jernigan’s church service did not include a sermon. Says Jernigan, “Our people overflowed with praise reports and testimonies, and it turned into a Praise and Worship Service. Our churches and our entire community have been revived!”
Rick Stanley, who has spoken at four Billy Graham crusades, says of Rick Gage, “Rick Gage has a heart for the towns that most people overlook. His mentality is that there is nothing small in the Kingdom of God. And God moves in mighty ways like He did here in Emanuel County.”
“God has burdened my heart to take the gospel to as many towns as possible in my lifetime,” Gage says. “Everywhere I go, people are personally embracing the gospel message. It is hope for the individual, for society, and for the world. Saturating our communities across America with the gospel must be done at all costs. It takes time, money, and involvement to reach lost people, but it will be eternally worth it one day.”
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, GO TELL Sundays, and overseas mission trips.”
For more information about Rick Gage GO TELL Ministries, please call 1-866-I-GO-TELL; email at info@gotellministries.com or visit his website at www.gotellministries.com.
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