When a church decides to hold an evangelistic series, they frequently request a guest evangelist. This was not the scenario for the North Cascade Church in Burlington, Wash.
Instead, Mark Witas, senior pastor, read books, listened to sermons and interviewed authors and evangelists. He pulled elements from his research to develop The Revealing, a 15-night series designed to take an honest look at the character of God.
"The goal was to look at God's character as revealed in the Bible and not through a medieval lens," says Witas. "We focused on the Great Controversy and the church's misrepresentation of God through the years."
The series generated a lot of interest within the church and in the community with an average attendance of 220 per night. And on Sabbath mornings, the sanctuary was full — for both services.
"Many people attended the meetings who weren't coming to church," Witas says. "The series rekindled their interest."
The meetings even captured the attention of children.
"We never had to drag our boys (ages 11 and 13) to a meeting," says Tami Rowe, member. "They chose to sit in the front row and diligently took notes."
The Revealing led into a two-month Daniel and Revelation seminar, with 60–80 people attending on Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings.
"The Lord is blessing," says Witas, "with members and guests alike having a new understanding of God's gracious character."
The Revealing, an evangelistic series at North Cascade Church in Burlington, Wash., examines the character of God. (Joan Libby)
Attendees at North Cascade Church's series "The Revealing" examine the character of God as illustrated in the Bible and not through a medieval lens. (Joan Libby)
