More than 1,100 people attended a One Night of Your Life evangelism event held at the Spokane Convention Center, Dec. 21, 2002. The event, called Simply Christmas, was a concert by recording artists Steve Darmody and Jennifer LaMountain, as well as a gospel presentation by Randy Maxwell, author of Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled, designed to introduce non-Christians to Jesus.
Even though the event was only one night, “it was part of a larger strategy for bringing people to Jesus,” says Curtis Rittenour, Spokane Valley Church associate pastor.
“The larger strategy is for church members to conduct friendship evangelism on an ongoing basis with their friends and neighbors. The Simply Christmas event is just one opportunity, among many, members can use to introduce people to Jesus,” says Rittenour.
Steve Darmody and Jennifer LaMountain began the event with a Christmas concert. Next, Randy Maxwell joined them on the stage and they all shared some of their own testimony of what Christ means to them at Christmas. Finally, Maxwell shared a gospel that focused on a very realistic picture of what Jesus’ birth was all about as opposed to the typical Nativity scenes we often see.
“When we realize how lowly Christ’s birth really was, what the birth really means, and all the glory that Christ actually gave up when he was born as a human, then the Christmas scene doesn’t seem so pristine any more,” says Maxwell.
At the end of his gospel presentation Maxwell invited all the attendees to fill out a decision card. The card had a place for people to write down prayer requests, have correspondence studies sent to them, or to have someone call or visit them.
Of the 200 response cards received, 30 requested Bible studies. Members of the local Spokane area churches responded to each card the following week. •
Jennifer LaMountain, Randy Maxwell, and Steve Darmody share what Christmas means to them at a One Night of Your Life event in the Spokane Convention Center.
