GCR website goes live at pray4gcr.com


NASHVILLE, Tenn.?A website encouraging support for the Southern Baptist Convention’s Great Commission Resurgence Task Force has been launched at www.pray4gcr.com.

The site, which went live Aug. 1, gives interested people an opportunity to register their commitment to pray, interact with the task force through blogs, Facebook and Twitter, sign up for updates about significant developments and see photos of the 23 task force members.

The task force is asking for 5,000 believers to commit themselves to pray for task force members and a renewed passion for the Great Commission among Southern Baptists, chairman Ronnie Floyd said in a press statement.

“We cannot accomplish the task entrusted to us without a groundswell of prayer support. Surely, thousands will join in prayer together,” said Floyd, who is senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Springdale, Ark., and the Church at Pinnacle Hills in Rogers. “I know Southern Baptists love the Great Commission and will want to join us in praying for this resurgence. The urgency of the hour calls us to pray.

“Southern Baptists have entrusted the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force with a great responsibility. I can assure all Southern Baptists that our final report will reflect the boldest visionary dreams of Southern Baptists to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are ready to get busy with bold thinking, hard questions, fervent prayer, and big dreams. The world is waiting to see how serious we are. I can tell you that this task force is ready to get to work. This is why we are asking you to join us by going to pray4gcr.com, sign the prayer partner list and share it with your friends and family members across the world.”

In a statement posted on the website, Southern Baptist Convention president Johnny Hunt echoed the call to prayer.

“Would you please pray for us daily, weekly, or ever how God lays it on your heart? Also, please encourage your church family to join us in praying that God would help the Southern Baptist Convention to have a Great Commission Resurgence in order that church-planting, as well as church revitalization, would become a priority in our hearts like never before and that we, as pastors and laypeople, would be intentional witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying nation,” Hunt said. “May we give like never before that the Gospel would be taken to the furthest ends of the earth. I trust that it will become the rally cry of our denomination that, as we think of the Cooperative Program, we would all simply say, ‘We can do more.’ I will assure you that if that would be our mindset, only heaven knows what will be given for that cause.”

Floyd said he is asking supporters to pray about three primary concerns:

?for the members of the task force and “for God’s leadership to be upon them mightily, making His direction clear for them;”

?for a Great Commission resurgence “to occur in my life, my church, and through the 50,000 churches and missions in our convention;”

?for a Great Commission resurgence “to occur in the leaders of and through the entities of the Southern Baptist Convention.”

The SBTC’s Richards added,”1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, ‘Pray without ceasing.’ The Great Commission Resurgence Task Force needs your prayer. Please lift up to the Lord the individual members and the group. Ask God to minister to and through the GCR Task Force. We are asking for at least 5,000 to sign up to pray for the GCR. Thank you for your willingness to intercede for us.”

Task force members were scheduled to meet twice in August, the first time Aug. 11-12 at the Renaissance Hotel near the Atlanta airport and then Aug. 26-27 at the Embassy Suites Northwest Arkansas in Rogers. Floyd said the Arkansas meeting will be preceded by a luncheon for area pastors and staff, laypersons serving on SBC entities and “anyone who wants to come.” Reservations must be made by 2 p.m., Aug. 24, by e-mailing Debbie Swart at debbies@fbcs.netor calling (479) 751-4523.

As of press time, 1,300 prayer partners had registered through the site.

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