For more than 15 years, Southern Baptists across the country have utilized evangelistic block parties for various reasons: launching a new church, celebrating a fall festival or kicking off Vacation Bible School. The foundational motivation, however, is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those who don’t yet know Him.

California Southern Baptists capitalize on this evangelistic strategy by hosting block parties, and by giving to the California Mission Offering, which has provided funding for several block party trailers. Ten of 31 California Baptist associations have at least one block party trailer, and thousands of people have heard the gospel through this effective ministry while countless others have found new life in Christ.

The math is simple: more trailers mean more block parties, and that means more people coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. A block party trailer is a single-package solution for churches trying to reach their communities for Christ, and it provides a means for California Southern Baptists to fulfill this year’s California Mission Offering theme: “Reaching the World in California: The Great Commission Begins Here.”

Opportunity Baptist Church in South Central Los Angeles used a block party trailer in cooperation with another entity to distribute humanitarian aid. More than 3,000 people were helped; but more significantly, more than 400 found salvation in Jesus Christ.

The church used a trailer belonging to LAX Urban Center, where Ted Knapp is director of missions. He reports the association of 100 churches received the trailer in April of last year and has used it in almost 50 events. Knapp projects the number of block parties will reach nearly 80 for 2010.

“Ours was the second association to receive a trailer from the CBSC, and we’re using this thing all the time. It’s constantly on the go,” Knapp said. “It was a blessing that came from Heaven.”

That blessing accounted for almost half of the 5,138 conversions to Christ in the association last year, he added.

Knapp explained that for many events the association will send an ICE team (Intentional Community Evangelism), which not only will train church members how to evangelize those attending the block party, but will venture into the neighborhood, sharing the Good News with all who’ll listen. Sending an ICE Team with the trailer dramatically increases the number of conversions at a block party, Knapp said.

LAX Urban Center loans the trailer for free to church planters, but established churches pay a nominal fee and refundable deposit for its use. “We make it as easy as we can,” Knapp said. “We even provide drivers to haul the trailer to and from each ministry location. It’s a complete package when it arrives on-site.”

At a cost of about $12,000, the trailer comes completely equipped with all that’s needed for a successful block party. Included in the 6 x 12 trailer are: a large and small inflatable moonwalk, popcorn and snow-cone machine, large grill, sound system, boom box, tables and chairs, 10 x 10 canopies, carnival and board games, ice chests, generator and more.

“Our block party trailer creates avenues for people to come to Christ,” Knapp said. “And that’s all because of CSBC and the California Mission Offering.”