17,000 attend GiftFest, about 10,000
hear the gospel

By Connie Davis Bushey

Pastor Rick presents a prize to a young winner at the children's carnival. Photo by Don Brogan

COLUMBIA — About 17,000 people attended GiftFest ’08 which was held Sept. 20-27 and included two concerts, six extreme sports events at schools, a giveaway of items and food, a children’s carnival, two harvest nights, and three showings of the movie, Fireproof.

One result was that 256 people made professions of faith and everyone except the 6,900 who attended the school events heard the Gospel, reported Dale Ledbetter, director of missions, Maury Baptist Association, based in Columbia, and coordinator of GiftFest.

The GiftFest events were offered by about 300 volunteers from 42 churches of 13 denominations. Those churches along with the Tennessee Baptist Convention; LifeWay Christian Resources, Nashville; and Maury Baptist Association gave nearly all of the $116,000 budget for GiftFest.

At the giveaway 500 families received about $10,000 worth of groceries. Photo by Don Brogan

Ledbetter said the Christians here accomplished what they intended — “to express God’s love in an unconditional way by giving the citizens of Maury County a gift through free events.” The motivation, he added, is that 78 percent of the residents here don’t regularly attend church.

The volunteers also gave participants a plasma TV, three Wii video games, three scooters, three iPods, and an autographed guitar. About 4,000 families received a New Testament. At the giveaway 500 families received about $10,000 worth of groceries and others received furniture. Free admission to the movie, Fireproof, was given to 870 people.

A team member with Real Encounter Extreme Sports demonstates his skill during a school assembly. The team also performed two shows at the First Family and presented the Gospel. Nearly 250 people received Christ during the two events. Photo by Deb Lokey

Free admission also was offered to concerts held Sept. 20 on the parking lot of Columbia Mall. They featured Montel Jordan, a Grammy nominee who performs rhythm and blues, and Phil Stacey, an American Idol finalist whose genre is country music. Both men shared their Christian testimonies. The concerts drew about 2,850.

Ledbetter said planning for GiftFest began about 18 months ago and during that time he has seen God perform miracles as well as Satan try to attack the plans.

A great part of GiftFest was working with folks from different denominations, he said. “People of different denominations will continue to help each other in areas beyond the realm of GiftFest,” said Ledbetter.

Fans enjoy a free concert featuring Montel Jordan. Photo by Don Brogan

He said at one point he was standing in a church of the Church of Christ denomination telling over 300 volunteers of GiftFest that they should stop sending money because the planners had received too much. “Now that’s a miracle,” said Ledbetter, who has served the association for seven years.

Another miracle was seen in God’s use of individuals, he explained. For instance, Rosemary Fisher felt God moving her and her husband, Rick, to Columbia from Georgia. She become involved in GiftFest. Amazingly, in her work in Georgia, she had scheduled musicians for concerts and was familiar with all that is required, explained Ledbetter. Now she is administrative assistant for the association.

John Rushing, pastor of Northside Baptist Church, Columbia, for 22 years, said, “This is the biggest spiritual gathering that we’ve had in this county that I know of.”

Fellow Baptist pastor, Gary Bailey of Mooresville Pike Baptist Church, Columbia, said he was a part of the planning group for GiftFest and the members discussed holding a crusade but rejected that because crusades often draw mostly Christians.

American Idol finalist Phil Stacey performs and shares his testimony during a free concert Sept. 20. Photo by Don Brogan

The planners wanted to “make a lot of contact with the community” and provide events “where we can present the Gospel and give people an opportunity to respond,” said Bailey, who added that that is different from pushing the Gospel. “I believe we’ve accomplished that.”

Bailey added that he was amazed at the turnout on Sept. 20 although it was raining. People waited in the rain, some about two hours, to participate in the food or item giveaway.

Jerry Jeter, pastor, Cornerstone Baptist Church, Columbia, presented the Gospel to groups of about 150 before they participated in the item giveaway. Then he referred folks who wished more information to counselors.

Jeter said today Christians have to earn the right to witness and GiftFest was a way to earn that right.

Bailey said, “It’s been an outpouring of God’s love. It’s been amazing what has happened.”

*Reprinted with permission from the Baptist and Reflector