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05/16/2010: "The Open Arms of God"
On Saturday, May 15, 2010, Maximum Impact was invaded by members of Community Bible Church and their friends. Over 70 volunteers from Community came out in support of Drew Sewell's Maximum Impact event on Fulton Industrial Boulevard in Atlanta. The church's primary responsibility was to handle registrations and food service, but members of the church served as needed throughout the event including, but in no way limited to, serving as Prayer Warriors in the prayer tent, supervising children in the moon walk and slide, helping break down the grill site (at a nearby location), foot washing and providing medical screening. A number of CBC volunteers began working at 6:30 AM on the morning of the event only to finish at 9:30 PM that night. Even Pastor Beau showed up and lead us in prayer at the beginning of the event. So, yeah. It was worth it.
Representatives from a number of CBC ministries including the Local Out-Team and Celebrate Recovery, various small groups, and the general congregation converged upon the event location to help demonstrate God's love and to lead the lost to Christ.
A whole lot of effort went into this event by hundreds of people. Was it really worth all of the effort?
On the night of the event many people went to bed with their eternal lives secure. How many, we do not know.. but at least eight people were lead to Christ off the end of the food line alone. We should have a solid count from the overall event in a few days. A lot more people went to bed with the Gospel seed planted, wondering what all of this was really about. As time passes, many of those will accept Christ as a direct result of the efforts made today. Still, there are many who went to bed with a better understanding of Christianity... the Christians who finally understand that the gift of Salvation is just that, a gift which they accepted.
Some prostitutes or people suffering from addictions slept that night in comfortable surroundings, lead there by people who care for them and who will give them their best opportunity to recover from their former lifestyles. Many went to bed with their bellies swollen with food, suffering from the discomfort of over-eating rather than the sharp pain of hunger they are so accustomed to.
Finally, there were the children. Children living in the shadows of Six Flags over Georgia, but who had never even hoped to have such an experience. While this event would in no way compare to Six Flags in terms of fun and thrill rides, never could Six Flags ever provide the comfort and love demonstrated by the volunteers on Saturday.
If you were a volunteer at Maximum Impact, every time you handed someone a burger, some chips, a cupcake or a drink you were saying God loves you and I do too. If you were supervising children at the moonwalk or slide, every time you helped a child up on the attraction you were safely guiding them as the Holy Spirit safely guides you. If you were registering guests, you were asking guests to tell you a little about them and their lives just as God wants them to tell him about their lives through prayer. If you were standing at the end of the food line asking “If you were to die tonight, are you certain you will go to heaven” you was giving them the same opportunity Christ gave his followers when he walked the Earth.
You see, if you spent the day at Maximum Impact you showed up as yourself, but you spent the day being the open arms of God.