Dear Church,
We are mid-way through August, and I have yet to fill everyone in on the details and results of our 3rd Annual Old-fashioned Gospel Tent Meeting held in July. We were blessed by donations exceeding our budget for the year and several people came from all over to help us with this outreach. We therefore have funds set aside for next year and are making plans to it all over again (only better!) I sure wish you could have heard the preaching and music!
God blessed us with fantastic weather and several new helpers this year. Planning was somewhat difficult because some who were coming to help did not come and others were planning to come and then weren’t and then did! Are you confused? so was I. The permit department in Astoria made things interesting by approving our building permit for the tent at the very last minute. It seems this year was an exercise in flexibility and spontaneity. We had several singers and musicians who came from great churches like Camas Bible Baptist Church, Longview Bible Baptist Church, Bible Baptist Church in Poulsbo, and Bible Missionary Baptist Church. A total of six people came from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Longview Texas and stayed the entire week to help us with every aspect of the meeting. Of course, there were so many others, and it is impossible to list all of them. Sister Burton from Greater Portland Baptist Church crocheted several small blankets to hand out to anyone needing some extra warmth. Donnie and Helen Plant did everything else!
Site security was a bit more difficult this year, but the many helpers came through and stayed at the property during the long hours of the night to make sure no one stole or vandalized our equipment. An audio cable snake was donated by Bro. David which greatly improved sound operations. After the meeting was over, the good folks of Beaver Falls Baptist Church came to remove the huge circus tent stakes from the hard rocky soil. Two jacks were broken in the process, but the men were dedicated and therefore successful!
Teams of soul-winners went out nearly every day of the meeting coordinated by Bro. Joshua Demarest after a brief Bible challenge by Dr. Jim Doster. The end and immediate result of the outreach included two professions of faith in the Lord Jesus. Just today I was able to follow up again with one of those who made a decision and plans are laid for a second meeting tomorrow morning with the other soul who prayed. Neither of these people have come to church or even to the meetings so we ask you to pray about this.
We had more help this year than in previous years but the attendance from the community was lower. In is amazing to think of the enormous effort, outreach, prayer, seed sown and the minimal result. Pastors came from far and near, and our meeting went for eight days. This is a spiritually hard place, and much plowing is needed before we will see the harvest that God wants. We are so blessed to have you praying for us, supporting us, and some even visiting us to help claim Astoria for the cause of Christ. Thank you for helping Anchor Baptist Church and our work here!