Georgia Church Sets 5-Year Goal: 10,000 Gospel Conversations in Athens
ATHENS, Ga. Beech Haven Church in Athens has launched a bold five-year initiative to engage in 10,000 Gospel-centered conversations. The goal: inspire everyday believers to speak openly about their faith within their own circles.
Senior Pastor Rob Tims believes the mission is both ambitious and achievable. “It felt like a dream, but also like something we could press on towards,” he said.
The church isn’t relying on special training or big events. Instead, it’s encouraging members to recognize where God has placed them in workplaces, schools, homes and to speak up when the opportunity arises.
With a target of 2,000 conversations annually, that breaks down to just 40 per week a pace that fits the church’s mid-sized membership.
“We’re not asking people to clear their schedules. We’re asking them to be intentional where they already are,” Tims explained.
The campaign began with prayer in 2023. Last fall, the church sensed clarity and direction, drawing inspiration from 1 Peter 3:15 being ready to give a reason for the hope they have in Christ.
“A high affection for Jesus leads to a powerful evangelism for Jesus,” said Tims. The church is now focused on equipping its members to live and share the Gospel with clarity, love, and confidence.
The lobby of Beech Haven now features a large map of Athens, dotted with red pins marking where Gospel conversations have taken place. Each Sunday, members pass by it reminded of their mission and inspired by the progress.
As of mid-July, 65 conversations have been recorded since the initiative officially launched in June. The very first pin came from an 8-year-old girl who shared Jesus with a classmate. She and her mother were later baptized together.
Interestingly, senior adults are among the most active participants. Conversations have sprouted in places like Waffle House and the Salvation Army center, where groups of seniors regularly share the message of Christ.
To support members, the church offers a custom booklet explaining what Gospel conversations are and what they are not. Weekly Life Group materials also incorporate conversation tips based on recent sermons. When members are willing, their stories are shared during services and online to inspire others.
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Steve Foster, evangelism catalyst with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, believes Beech Haven’s example will resonate. “This is a God-sized vision,” he said. “But it’s not just about numbers. It’s about serious obedience to the Great Commission.”
He encourages other churches across Georgia to set similar, scalable goals whether 100 or 1,000 conversations.
Tims hopes this focus will change church culture. Rather than measuring success by attendance alone, he wants Beech Haven to be known for planting seeds honest, Spirit-led conversations about salvation.
“Churches count baptisms and attendance. We want to count the seeds too,” he said.
For Tims, patience and persistence are key. “It takes time to get comfortable sharing our faith. It takes even longer to build a culture where it’s natural.”
The vision is long-term. “We don’t want this to be a flash in the pan,” Tims said. “We want to build something lasting a church where being a member means being on mission.”
The hope: that 10,000 conversations will lead not only to changed lives but to a deeper, united church body living out the Gospel together.
Content Credit | Dada Blessing
Image Credit | baptistpress.com
