Image via istockphoto.com.
Robert Anderson, pastor of Colonial Baptist Church in Randallstown, Md., often frequents the 7-Eleven convenience store right down the street from his church. There, he noticed several of the same guys with coffee in hand, repeatedly gathered outside each morning.
So one day, he stopped and introduced himself. “I became part of the club, so to speak,” said Anderson, who presently serves as president of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware. “I had the opportunity to ask them all about Christ and their relationships with Him.”
Over time, he compiled all their names, including the store’s proprietor and owner, and placed them on his personal prayer list. As he prayed, he decided to host a “7-Eleven Sunday,” inviting the men and their families to come to church on that day. Several did come to church, and all remain in relationship with Anderson and on his prayer list.
On one occasion, Anderson outright asked a gentleman what he was doing that day. “Want to go to church?” he asked. “Sure enough, he got in my car and went right to church. He’s been coming ever since!” The young man, originally from Romania, got baptized and is now involved in the life of the church.
“Relationships mean a lot,” Anderson said. “Maybe one day, we’ll have a ‘Koons Ford Sunday,’ too!”