Website of Evangelist Chris Miller
Website of Evangelist Chris Miller
Gateway Baptist Church, Sundance, WY
In Wyoming, there is a small town named Sundance, which could be local dialect for “not much happening.” The population contains less than 1200 people, which allows Gateway Baptist Church an opportunity to be a big light to their small community. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Pastor John Burns, his wife Melissa, and their three children.
We also had a great time enjoying the snow. Yes, snow in April! With the consistent snow at the beginning of the week, we decided to take advantage of the fresh snowfall. Tuesday morning became a declared “snow” day for most of the Miller crew. We grabbed snow gear, borrowed sleds, and headed to the hills! We had a lot of fun sledding down different hills, such as our declared “bunny slopes,” steep hills, and even steeper hills! We hated to leave our snow fun that day. But, we enjoyed it before it melted away later in the week.
Sledding on a “Snow Day”
We had great services throughout the week and the Lord really met with us. Responsive hearts resulted in full altars. We saw two ladies receive assurance of salvation that week. Snack fellowships after each evening service gave us opportunities to meet and get to know this church family, as well as visitors. On Friend Night, we saw many visitors come! Although none got saved that night, the seed was planted and we pray that these folks will come to accept Jesus as their Savior very soon.
Throughout the week, Bro. Miller and Pastor Burns visited quite a few folks, whether in the hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation center, or home. And a couple of those times became opportunities for the kids to play their instruments and use their talents for the Lord.
We covet your prayers for Pastor Burns and Gateway Baptist Church, as Pastor Burns continues to follow up with the lost who came on Friend Night, as well as with those that he and Bro. Miller visited that week.
Lake Shore Drive Baptist Church, Nampa, ID
As we entered the parking lot of Lake Shore Drive Baptist Church, in Nampa, ID, we were greeted by Pastor James Bliss, his daughter MacKenzie, as well as the Youth Leader Don Jesup and his wife, Jeri. Their warm welcome and generosity that first day typified their church family the rest of the week. Throughout the week, we were the recipients of gracious hospitality from many church members. We enjoyed getting to know this church family. During the revival meetings, we saw tender hearts respond to the messages. One received assurance of salvation that week. We are very grateful for what God did in the hearts of this church family.
Pocatello Baptist Church, Pocatello, ID
If you drive into Pocatello, ID, anytime soon, you’ll discover quickly that you need to have both hands on the steering wheel and your foot close to
the brake. Pocatello is a busy city with very busy-minded drivers! And busy we became. Sunday began early at 7:30 a.m. for the Easter sunrise service. Pastor Colan Deatherage preached a challenging message from Mark 16 on Mary’s zeal to seek her Lord that very first Easter morning. As we listened to the message, we observed the sun peak over the mountain in front of us, adding a special beauty to the Easter service.
We had wonderful services throughout the week. Emphasis was placed on Thursday night for the church members to bring lost family and friends to hear the Gospel presentation. One young Christian man named Miguel, who came Sunday night, requested prayer for his brother to come and get saved. Throughout the week, we specifically prayed for his brother and others to come on Friend Night. And God answered our prayers. Miguel’s brother came and accepted Christ as Savior! The Lord also opened up an opportunity for Katie to witness to a young lady named Cozette. Cozette did not get saved that night, but we prayed for her to come back the next night. And she did! Bro. Miller and the Youth Leader had opportunities to speak to her that night, both at separate times. The seed was planted again and we pray that she will get saved soon.
We would appreciate your prayers for continued revival and for more souls to be saved. We know of an older Filipino lady named Josie that came on Friend Night. We’re hoping that hearing the Gospel again in Tagalog will help her. Please also keep Maggie, Michelle, and Joy in your prayers concerning the matter of salvation. We look forward to hearing what the Lord will continue to do in this church!
So the next time you enter Pocatello, be ready to brake quickly in traffic and pray fervently for revival. It will be a busy, but great stay! You’re in for a treat.
Fellowship Baptist Church, Meridian, ID
Hold onto your hat as you come into Meridian, ID, as strong winds may come any time, any day of the week! Along with that, you can be prepared for ready and tender hearts from the folks at Fellowship Baptist Church. Bro. Miller preached a series on brokenness throughout the week. What an encouragement to see many young people come forward, surrendering their lives to the Lord. We also saw many church members make decisions to share the Gospel more, relying on the Holy Spirit’s power. Throughout the week, we enjoyed fellowship with many of the church members, as well as Pastor Estes and his family.
As we prepared to leave, we discovered that snow was predicted at our next stay. Since we had a few days with no scheduled meetings, we decided to wait on the weather. While waiting, we realized that the weather was getting worse with heavy snowstorms on the way! Our trip kept getting pushed back farther and farther. But, the Lord had directed our steps and kept us from being caught in the big storms. Bro. Miller, who kept watching the weather and road conditions, decided upon a different route and the Lord gave us safe travels to Sundance, WY.
Entering into Peach Springs, we knew that God had given us an unique opportunity. If you travel the famous, but now desolate, Route 66, you can’t blink or you might just miss Peach Springs! Peach Springs is located on the Hualapai Indian Reservation. The Hualapai Baptist Church was started in part by H. A. Ironside and has been ministering to the Hualapai tribe for almost 100 years. We saw God do a wonderful work among the Hualapai during our stay with them. Hearts were tender and decisions were made every service. God was working not only in the main services, but also in the children’s meetings. The church family did a wonderful job that week bringing in so many visitors! We saw four people, including two children, make professions of faith, trusting Jesus to be their Savior. But the week was not without its hindrances from Satan. On Monday night, Bro. Miller preached a message on being filled with the Spirit from Ephesians 5:18. While Bro. Miller preached on not being drunk with wine, a drunk man stumbled into the church and began to cause no small disturbance. Gratefully, before things got worse, a church member escorted the man out. Inspite of all this, one lady accepted Christ as Savior, and three received assurance of salvation.
Another highlight of the week involved taking a trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon! On Wednesday, we packed our cameras and sack lunches and headed into the Grand Canyon. Traveling a bumpy, dirt road at 20 mph or less, we casually enjoyed the drive, taking plenty of pictures along the way. Reaching our destination, we enjoyed a different perspective looking from the very bottom of the Grand Canyon! Before us lay a peaceful but powerful section of the Colorado River, above us loomed the beautiful red rock that typifies the Grand Canyon. What a wonderful treat the Lord gave us that week!
We, as well as Pastor Steve Deford, covet your prayers for this ministry. We know that God did a great work and we know that He is not finished. The night before we left, Mrs. Deford witnessed to a woman at the end of the service. The woman clearly understood her need to trust Christ as her Savior, but refused as she did not want to give up Native American rain dancing. We left heart-broken for this lady. Please continue to keep Pastor Deford and his family, Hualapai Baptist Church, and the Hualapai tribe in your prayers.
After a restful break in Pecatonica, IL, the team made its way to Rockford Baptist Church in Rockford, MN. Here, the team began to experience the first signs of fall with the crisp, cool mornings. Since the very first meeting, we saw guests come on a regular basis. In the Sunday morning service, Bro. Miller preached a clear salvation message. At the last verse of invitation, a brother and sister in their twenties came forward to receive Christ as Savior! It was a wonderful way to start off the week. It was such a blessing to watch Richard and his sister Caroline come back throughout the week to hear more from God’s Word. After one of the services, Bro. Miller talked to Richard about the importance of reading the Bible. Richard said he read the Bible the previous night. He had read the first 25 chapters of Genesis in one evening!
Activities during the week included afternoon visitation on Monday and Tuesday. Even though we did not see those we invited come out, we know that the seed was planted and that the Lord said His Word would not return void.
Little did we know that we would meet young people from Germany, Slavakia, and Thailand, in Rockford, MN. These foreign exchange students come to America to not only learn the language in more depth, but to also experience the culture. What a wonderful ministry this church has to reach the world for Christ right where they are. Please pray for these students to trust Christ as their Savior.
On Wednesday night, we saw a young girl trust Christ during kids’ meetings. Donna Robertson got the opportunity to talk with her after the missionary story and invitation.
With a smaller congregation, we got to know the church members very well. Many were faithful to each service and faithful to respond to the messages from God’s Word. We grew to love those church members and were even tempted to take a couple with us on the road!
Our first full week of revival meetings took place August 26-31 at First Baptist Church in LaSalle, IL with Pastor Wesley Waddle. During our time there, Bro. Miller had the opportunity to speak in chapel on a daily basis. The children were very tender and six elementary-aged students accepted Christ as Savior. One of those students was a young boy named David. David, an immigrant from the Philippines, was still very new to America. He came forward one morning in response to an invitation for salvation. He told Bro. Miller that he wanted to “make right his wrongdoings.” From there, Bro. Miller knew that he didn’t understand. Raised in a Catholic home, young David was trying to trust in himself and his good works for salvation. Throughout the conversation, Bro. Miller saw that David was not understanding that salvation is simply trusting on Jesus Christ to save him from sin. Bro. Miller then told David to wait until the next day, but David was persistent! He wanted to get it settled. Bro. Miller continued with him, but it still seemed as if David did not understand. Again, Bro. Miller mentioned waiting a little longer, but then David told him “No, I want to accept Jesus today!” He finally understood and accepted Christ as Savior. What a testimony! Later on that week, David brought his dad to one of the evening services, and his dad cameto understand how to be sure of Heaven. It was such an exciting thing to watch take place.
We also saw a great response from the high school students. One teen girl received Christ and many decided to surrender their lives to Christ. It was exciting to see the altars full of young people.
Looking back, we not only enjoyed seeing the Lord work in such wonderful ways, but we also appreciated the warm, welcome from the congregation. The church members were so friendly, and helped make our first fall meeting very memorable.
We have kicked off our fall meetings with a wonderful start at the Bill Rice Ranch, Murfreesboro, TN. The Elementary Retreat took place Friday and Saturday, August 24-25. It was an exciting time as we crammed a week of junior camp into a day and a half! But, it was well worth it as we saw 17 children come to know Christ as Savior. The kids were kept busy with activities such as Monster Sports, Water Kickball, Chicken Noodle Soup, and Sponge Wars. And, of course, we can’t forget the Rodeo, Trail Rides, and time at Cowboy Town, all of which are famous at the Bill Rice Ranch. Yet, the most important were the services, as the children (worn in body, but excited in spirit) came to learn about Christ and make decisions for salvation or decisions about spiritual growth.
On Saturday morning, we packed up and headed out. This time, it was with additions to our revival team: Katie Skrabacz and Rae McCollum. Throughout the fall, these young ladies will help with special music in the services, music lessons for the children, secretarial work, and visitations, just to name a few ministry opportunities. In LaSalle, IL, we will meet up with the Doyle Robertson Family, who will be helping with special music in our first four meetings. This fall trip was also the maiden voyage of our new trailer! It was not without vehicle issues, but the Lord provided a truck repair shop next to a truck stop that fixed the problem.
We had the joy of being with Pastor John Goetsch Jr. at Faith Baptist Church in Yuma, AZ. We enjoyed this friendly and exciting church. I preached on the Wednesday praise service before Thanksgiving. My family also had the privilege to join the Goetsch family on Thanksgiving Day. We are grateful for the hospitality as well as the football game I participated in (and won!).
After traveling in evangelism for a number of years, God called him to pastor this growing church. In the short two years that Pastor Goetsch has been there the Lord has blessed with wonderful growth. The church had just purchased a property with an existing building, but now they are past their capacity already. They are running over 300 on Sundays and are seeking the Lord for wisdom to accommodate for the growth. Please pray for them as they continue to grow.
God’s blessings are abundant as we travel for Him! Please continue to hold us up in prayer as we seek revival and souls saved in each church in which we minister. We are coming to a close for our western meetings and are looking forward to arriving home after being away for four months.
It was wonderful to be back with Pastor Obero at Bible Baptist Church. It was a busy day with great services. I had the opportunity to preach in the early service, Sunday School, the later service, as well as the evening services. Oops! I forgot the the 7:00AM prayer time. This is a great church that is growing in many ways. They are growing in numbers; we had a total of 512 in the morning services. They are also growing in buildings; they just finished a beautiful multipurpose building.
The Lord helped in all the services but He especially met with us in the evening service. I preached on having “A Passion for The Presence of God”. God told Moses that he and the people of Israel could go into the Land of Promise, but that He would send an angel and not go Himself. Moses said in Exodus 33:15 “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” He chose the presence of God over the promised land! We ought to have the same determination to choose to have passion for God’s presence.
The Lord blessed with a very good response and many good decisions. We love this pastor and church and thank God for them.
First Baptist Church of Long Beach is a good example of a church in our day fulfilling the Great Commission against all odds. Many use the excuse of location, lack of space to build, the demographics or the main false religion in the area as a reason not grow a church. However, against all odds, there are churches obeying God’s command to reach their area for Christ. How are churches obeying the command to “teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost”? How are they doing it?
It is because of two other statements found in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. Jesus said “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth”. All power or authority belongs to Jesus Christ. He has right and power over all creation. This One who has this great power not only commands to teach all nations but also gives a great promise with it. Jesus said in verse 20 “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” That is the reason why churches and yourself can fulfill this Great Commission. It is because the Lord Jesus Christ, who has the power we need, is with us when we obey his command to go. The Holy Spirit can empower the very life of Christ in us as we depend upon Him to win this lost and dying world.
We had a great service and the people were very tender in their response to the preaching. It was a blessing to see Pastor John Wilkerson and his family again. May we all depend upon the Person of Jesus Christ to fulfill what He commands of us.
Stranded on Hilton Head Island! Apr 7, 2011
Hualapai Baptist Church Apr 3, 2013
Bible Baptist Church – National City, CA Nov 21, 2011