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The 700 Club with Pat Robertson


John Smoltz at Faith Night

SPORTS & Faith

Faith Night with the Atlanta Braves

By Will Dawson
The 700 Club

CBN.comTake me out to the ballgame. Take me out to the congregation? Faith Night is a promotion designed to get the church out of the church and into the world or in this case… the stands.

One fan says, “This isn’t your grandmother’s church anymore. It’s about reaching, thinking outside the box and doing things differently. It’s not just Sunday mornings. It’s 24/7, 365.”

Faith Nights are taking place in baseball stadiums all across the country including Atlanta’s Turner Field.

In Atlanta the fans have grown accostomed to winning -- 14 straight division titles to be exact, but this year the Braves find themselves on the outside looking in. Throw in a Faith Night promotion and the stands are filling up…

Brent High came up with the idea five years ago for the Minor League Nashville Sounds -- an idea that combines Christian artists and biblical bobbleheads along with player testimonies and special appearances by The Veggie Tales.

“I’ve got a great PR guy but we’re not going to be taking credit for that kind of amazing supernatural movement that’s happening with this,” says Brent.

Faith Night with the Nashville Sounds was so popular that Brent and his company, Third Coast Sports, decided to take it up a level to the big leagues.

“When we’re able to come to something like Faith Night, we see other believers,” he explains. “They may not be the same denomination. They may not have some of the same beliefs but our core values are Christian values and we're able to join together and enjoy a sport we all love.”

Jon SmoltzThe stage of professional sports gives Major League athletes like Atlanta Braves superstar John Smoltz the opportunity to share their relationship with Jesus Christ.

“It’s not because of me. It has nothing to do with me,” John says. “I walk away every chance I can to share my testimony -- feeling that it was for me, that God had me speak for me. Now it might be for some other people out there but the obedience of knowing that he has used me for whatever reason to get a point across is very humbling.”

From Tacoma to Buffalo and everywhere in between, baseball fans are not only singing, "Take me out to the ballgame," but they’re singing hallelujah as well… and they’re coming to a ballpark near you.



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