About This Program
The Assemblies of God Commission on Evangelism was formed by the Executive and General Presbyteries to "seek effective ways to intentionally fulfill the Great Commission." The Evangelism Commission is comprised of pastors, laypersons, evangelists, district superintendents and national leaders. Its primary focus is to serve the local church by providing resources to help facilitate evangelism in local communities.
Initially, these three primary emphases were determined by the Evangelism:
- Helping initiate greater involvement in motivation and training for personal evangelism.
- Inciting passion and understanding concerning the urgency of the spiritual lostness of those who don’t know Christ.
- Increasing understanding of the comprehensive purpose of the Holy Spirit baptism in being Christ’s witnesses.
When General Superintendent Thomas E. Trask viewed part of the first video concerning Holy Spirit baptism, he instructed the Commission to accelerate production and distribute a copy of Power for Purpose to each church prior to Pentecost Sunday.
The video for Pentecost Sunday is part of the first of three being produced for release this fall concerning the Holy Spirit baptism. This video is one of two being produced for seekers of the baptism. Other videos in production are designed for pastors and altar counselors. The complete series will be available in August.
The first half of the Pentecost Sunday program focuses on the purpose of the Holy Spirit baptism. The second half focuses on the comprehensive and practical nature of the power with which the Holy Spirit equips.
The objectives of this video are:
- To focus on the purpose of the Spirit’s empowerment in being witnesses of Jesus Christ.
- To emphasize the Holy Spirit baptism as a point of entrance into a life of ministry rather than a point of arrival or attainment.
- To help instill a spiritual desire in believers to seek the Spirit’s empowerment for witness and ministry.
The video can be shown in several ways: 1) Only 20 minutes in length, it can be shown prior to the pastor’s sermon if the earlier part of the service is abbreviated. 2) It can be used as a sermon, followed by a time of prayer for a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit or for seeking by those who have never received the baptism. 3) While it is recommended the program be shown all at once, since it is comprised of two 10-minute chapters, the segment on "Purpose" can be shown in one service and the segment on "Power" in a different service.
This video has been distributed to all churches in DVD format because of the superior picture quality for projection. Almost all churches have someone in the congregation who has access to a DVD player. Should you prefer a VHS copy of this video, you can order it for immediate delivery from Gospel Publishing House at 1-800-641-4310 for $4, plus shipping. Ask for product #7491250.
The Pentecost Sunday issue of Today’s Pentecostal Evangel (June 8, 2003) corresponds with the Pentecost Sunday video. All five articles in the Pentecost Sunday edition of Today’s Pentecostal Evangel can be read on this Web site.
May the Lord provide His abundant blessing on Pentecost Sunday.
