The numbers are in and it's no surprise they indicate a church's focus on Kingdom growth and Acts 1:8 missions makes a significant impact on baptisms, mission participants and giving.
An informal survey of churches committing to the Acts 1:8 Challenge, versus all Southern Baptist churches, shows a church's focus on its role in carrying out "the mission of God" makes a huge difference in Great Commission impact. More than 3,800 SBC churches have signed up to be a part of the Acts 1:8 Challenge initiative since its launch in May 2004. The survey was done by the North American Mission Board (NAMB) research team.
Per capita, the number of baptisms by churches embracing the Acts 1:8 Challenge are double the number baptized in all SBC churches. The survey showed that mission participants averaged 28 per capita in Acts 1:8-focused churches, as compared to four per capita in non-Acts 1:8 Challenge churches.
Additionally, giving to the Cooperative Program, Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon were markedly higher. Below is a summary of the survey:
Gains Seen Around EKG Emphasis in Louisiana
Recently, an article published in Baptist Press pointed to similar gains in Louisiana churches as a result of the Louisiana Baptist Convention's focus on Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG). The Acts 1:8 Challenge has been the missional component of EKG since 2004.
The Baptist Press article, "Making an Effective Difference for the Kingdom," with details from the Louisiana survey, is available here.
Below, John Yeats, director of communications for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, discusses results of the Louisiana EKG survey with Scott Pittman of Kentucky, center, and Duane Kuykendall of North Carolina, left, at the Acts 1:8 Challenge Advisory Team meeting Feb. 23 in Nashville.
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