MINNESOTA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION

Plant Now!

by Dave Barba of Press On! Ministries

Who Has Re-Seeded Lately? - Folsom, CA

Folsom, CA: More Than a Prison

When we arrived in Folsom (a Sacramento suburb) in August 2003, Derek and Robin Harm and their many children had already started the Faith Baptist Church. God used Joel Morgan to show them the need. Joel and his wife were sent by God to help with music, teaching, the weekly task of setting up, etc. Meeting in a public school, they had about 30 people in their Sunday morning services.

Claudia, my son Jeremiah, and I helped them run the phones program. In one month of calling we made 22,000 phone calls. 1100 people gave us permission to send them mail about the upcoming Celebration Service in October. We sent four weeks of beautifully designed and printed invitations, then called many of these folks again the week before the service. We reminded each one of the opening service and invited some to bring refreshments. (The "Law of Cookles" states that if someone is responsible to bring cookies to church, he will most likely show up with the goodies.)

The Celebration Service day finally arrived. Over 140 folks came to the service. Several brought cookies.

Faith Baptist is now about three years old, searching for property, and averaging almost 100 on Sunday mornings. Though they do not yet have their own land and building, they give over $12,000 a year to missionary families in the USA and around the world.