Home Missions Service
By LJ Harry

A very enthusiastic and excited Mark Hattabaugh announced that over 100 people have already been filled with the Holy Ghost during rallies in Tampa.  These rallies are leading up to the "Experience Freedom" crusade Sunday night.  He announced that we're believing God for 1,000 people to receive the Holy Ghost during that service.

Carla Burton from Nashville, Tennessee led us in worship and set the atmosphere for what God would do during the service.  In his keynote address, the director of Home Missions Carlton Coon said that anybody who works for God is an answer to prayer.  For Jesus prayed that the Lord of the harvest would send forth laborers into the harvest.

The Clearwater Choir sang two songs which led us to a historical and daring feat:  the 25 minute offering.  Yes, a 25 minute offering.  Home Missions staff worked hard leading up to the Conference to ensure that the time to receive the offering during their conference service took less than 25 minutes.  And they did it. 

With a creative blend of multimedia and live action, Home Missions presented the following needs to the Conference:

• Church in a Day
• Metro Missionaries
  • Scott and Liane Grant to Montreal, Quebec (Meet the Grants)
  • Rick and Stacey Perry to New Haven, Connecticut (Meet the Perrys)
  • Brien and Lakelie Williams to Detroit, Michigan (Meet the Williams family)
  • Rick and Vicki Gonzalez to plant Chicago daughter works (Meet the Gonzalez family)
• Metro Missions Specialties
  • Darrell and Cynthia Collins to assist local churches in ministering to the hispanic community (Meet the Collins family)

You can learn more about the 25 minute offering by visiting their website (25minuteoffering.com). 

Home Missionary Mark Johnston then preached, "I'd Rather Be a Hero than a Celebrity."  Johnston passionately pleaded for the church to live as heroes to the unchurched rather than celebrities in the church.  Conviction filled the arena culminating in Johnston's final words, "you're probably gonna' have to choose.  So which are you?"  As he turned from the pulpit to pray, people from all over the arena rushed to the altar.

It was hard to identify who was praying because nary a face could be seen.  Most were buried in the carpet.  Perhaps that's what God was trying to do all night long.  Get us to forget us so we could seek Him.

View the photo galleries for this service | Watch the service online