Pastor John Powers of Delano Baptist Church, Delano, talks with golfers during “The Invitational.”
By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
DELANO — On Sunday, Aug. 2, Delano Baptist Church here did something it has never done before.
“We stepped outside the box,” acknowledged Pastor John Powers.
In conjunction with Challenge Golf Association, the church sponsored “The Invitational,” a golf outing on Sunday at nearby Ridgewood Golf Course that drew 44 men and women who seldom, if ever, go to church.
Challenge Golf Association (CGA) is a Tennessee-based (Cleveland) organization which assists Christ-followers with the Great Commission by using the game of golf as a catalyst for relational evangelism. It is supported and endorsed by professional golfers such as Scott Simpson, Tom Lehman, Bernhard Langer, and others.
Powers said the church had the opportunity to reach people who normally would not attend.
The pastor acknowledged that the church would probably be criticized by some for hosting the event on a Sunday.
He admitted they have been asked why they didn’t hold the tournament on a Saturday. His answer: “All we would reach would be Baptists who want to play free golf.”
Powers said Jesus probably faced the same questions when He healed a man on the Sabbath.
His basic response to those who question the rationale of having the event on Sunday is simple. “Instead of going to church we are going to be the church.”
Powers said Delano Baptist did not cancel services. “We simply flip-flopped our times with worship at 9:30 and Sunday School at 10:45.”
Powers preached as always and then headed over to Ridgewood Golf Course, about 10 minutes from the church.
“If we want to reach lost people we have to go where they are,” Powers observed.
“Instead of fishing in a barrel (the church) we are going to where the fish are,” he added.
He noted church members were enthusiastic about the outreach event and about 40 of them volunteered in some role during the tournament, the pastor said.
Powers is optimistic that the event will result in a 1-5-1 Harvest Plant.
Harvest Plants, a Tennessee Baptist Convention initiative, are off-campus efforts (outside the four walls of the church) geared toward people who don’t know Christ as their Savior for the purpose of sharing the gospel, discipling people, and starting churches.
Churches that embrace the 1-5-1 Harvest Plant strategy make a commitment to start no less than one plant in an effort, with the Lord’s help, to reach, win, and baptize five people through each plant, with the goal for each plant to start one plant by the end of the first year.
Powers will lead the -1-5-1 group himself in the clubhouse at the golf course. He plans to use materials provided by Cooperative Program funds from the Tennessee Baptist Convention.
Powers chose to work with Challenge Golf Association because he knew Ron Potter, president, and the association’s desire to use golf as an outreach to share the gospel.
The CGA viewed the opportunity to help Delano Baptist as a means to make sure the event would work for any size church,” said Potter, a member of First Baptist Church, Cleveland.
He noted his organization has helped plan tournaments for large churches but had never done one for a small, rural church.
“We want to make sure our model will work for a church of any size,” he said.
CGA provides their tournament coordination services and evangelism strategy to the church at no cost and shows the church how to fund the event through sponsors.
He admits those who participate in the tournament are skeptical because they believe “there are no free lunches,” Potter noted. CGA dispels that theory, he added.
“The Invitational” is a picture of God’s grace, Potter said. “It’s all free.” He observed that during the tournament the golfers are “receiving grace” and “they don’t even know they’re receiving it.”
During the tournament each golfer is provided a free golf ball to use as a “mulligan.” A mulligan is an internationally known term for anyone who plays golf, Potter explained. A mulligan is a “second chance” after a poor shot and it does not count in the player’s score.
A mulligan equates to grace, Potter said. It provides an opportunity at some point to tell the players about God’s mulligan for mankind — Jesus Christ, he continued.
After the tournament, CGA provides an awards banquet where participants are told “about a gift greater than what they’ve received.”
Powers presented the gospel message during the banquet.
Though there were no decisions made following the tournament, both men agreed that “seeds” have been planted.
“The response has been very good but we have no spiritual decisions at this point. It takes awhile to build relationships,” he noted.
The event, however, achieved what was intended.
“We reached more unchurched people that afternoon on a golf course than we would in a decade inside the church building,” Powers observed.
CGA uses “caddies” during the event to build relationships with those playing. Caddies normally are members of the local church who will be trained by CGA to follow up with the golfers after the tournament is over.
For the Delano event Powers and Potter will personally visit everyone who played in the tournament “who will allow us in their home,” the pastor said.
Ryan Potts, director of missions for Polk County Baptist Association, volunteered during the golf event. “It is a blessing to see churches getting out of the box and out of the church building and into the community to share Jesus and to be the church not just go to church,” Potts said.
He observed that the golf tournament “impacted an unchurched people group that may never have attended a church, but they experienced servant evangelism, acts of kindness, displays of grace, the blessing of learning about the benefits of a second chance (with a free mulligan), and the plain presentation of the Good News of Jesus and God’s love.
“Having seen the event personally, it is more clear than ever that the sporting community should be engaged with the gospel,” Potts said.
Steve Pearson, TBC evangelism specialist who is assisting Powers with 1-5-1 material, agreed with Potts’ assessment.
“The event itself is a picture of God’s grace. Every moment of this event points to giving and grace,” he said.
Challenge Golf Association welcomes every opportunity to bring “The Invitational” to communities across the state of Tennessee. If you would like to discuss the possibilities for your church to connect with the unchurched at a local golf course, contact Potter at 423-596-1447 or visit their website at www.ChallengeGolf.org.
