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Jan 01

Members on a Mission for God

by christopher C. Thompson, d.min.

While walking through the neighborhood near their church, Alethea Truman (left) and Peach Brooks stop to reflect on how the Breath of Life summer revival helped activate the members. Truman and Brooks knock on doors weekly, paying special attention to attendees of the summer revival who were not baptized.

C.C. Thompson, D.Min.

The Sabbath afternoon Bible study prepares prospective members for baptism and nurtures new church members. The study time includes prayer and personal testimonies directly related to the study subject.

C.C. Thompson, D.Min.

Peach Brooks (left) and Alethea Truman gather after canvassing the neighborhood before the afternoon Bible study. Their Bible study group is preparing candidates for baptism and nurturing new members.

C.C.Thompson, D.Min.

The Tampa afternoon Bible study group spends an hour studying the biblical doctrine of baptism. The group uses simple Bible study guides to make the study interactive and easy to follow.

C.C. Thompson, D.Min.

Alethea Truman is an elder and active member of the personal ministries team at the Mt. Calvary Church in Tampa, Florida. Truman started an initiative to encourage local church members to start small group Bible studies in their homes.

C.C. Thompson, D.Min.

It’s 9:30 on Sabbath morning, and Alethea Truman is already on her way to the newly planted Breath of Life Church in Tampa, Florida, where she is set to participate in the divine worship service. But, she is not simply reading Scripture or collecting the offering. On this particular Sabbath, she is scheduled to deliver the sermon. Most people would be terrified to stand in front of a crowd and deliver a message, but not Truman. She is a local elder at the Mt. Calvary Church in Tampa, and she is emboldened with a passion to speak for God.

After the sermon, Truman grabs a quick bite to eat, and then she hits the street with another member of the Mt. Calvary Church, Peach Brooks. Together, they are visiting contacts from the recent Breath of Life summer evangelistic revival who were never baptized. Although the revival netted 117 baptisms, they continue to follow up with those who may still be willing to make a decision to accept Jesus as their personal Savior and join the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

After conducting home visits, they head back to church for an afternoon Bible study with newly baptized members of the church and other individuals who are candidates for baptism. Following the Bible study, they talk to the new members about getting involved with evangelism.

These are just two of the many members who demonstrated a commitment to ministry and evangelism during the Breath of Life summer revival in Tampa. While Carlton P. Byrd, D.Min., Breath of Life speaker/director, was the nightly revival speaker, local members from the various Adventist churches in Tampa and the surrounding area leagued together to execute the multiple ministry needs that were present before and during the revival.

Truman and Brooks, aligned with Breath of Life Bible instructors, went door to door “fishing” for prospective attendees for the revival. They then worked with the candidates and prepared them for baptism after the candidates made decisions to follow Jesus.

Additionally, lay ministry leaders from the Tampa area churches led in other ministry functions — children’s, ushers, greeters, and prayer ministries. Pat Smith, who led prayer ministries, coordinated with other area church prayer ministries leaders, and developed a prayer schedule and strategy for the revival, which included praying with visitors as they attended the revival about the specific needs they had come to seek God for.

Although it has been several months since the revival ended, these local church members are still on fire for the Lord. Brooks remarked, “The revival started a fire in Tampa that just won’t go out!” In harmony with this statement, these three women connect weekly with potential members who attended the summer revival. Truman has suggested that each member enlist their friends and neighbors in a Bible study course. Smith and Brooks have positively responded and begun a Bible study each Tuesday evening with about 10 individuals in Smith’s home.

At the conclusion of the Bible study series, they will hold a special graduation ceremony for Bible students at an upcoming Community Guest Day at the church.

These members have an infectious passion for ministry and evangelism. Their faces light up when they talk about ministry and soul winning. Brooks summed up their energy succinctly, saying with a gleaming smile, “I’m mission-driven!”


Christopher C. Thompson, D.Min. is the communications and marketing director for Breath of Life Ministries in Huntsville, Alabama.

Southern Union | January 2019

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1 Comment

  1. Church members on mission for God in Tampa | WTLM Autodesk
    February 2019 at 4:07 pm ·

    […] — Christopher C. Thompson is the communications and marketing director for Breath of Life Ministries in Huntsville, Alabama. A version of this article appears on the Southern Tidings website. […]

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