GRAHAM ASSOCIATE WARNS OF 'SUPERFICIAL ENTHUSIASM'

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Nearly 2,000 years after Jesus Christ, the motives for why people follow him probably haven't changed, said the Rev. Dr. Ralph Bell.

Christian disciples must "count the cost of following Jesus" in the coming days of the crusade, he said. It will mean sacrifices, schedule changes and work.

Bell spoke to a crowd of 1,041 people who attended the dedication service for Celebration 2000 Wednesday night at the Sikeston Field House. He is an associate evangelist with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The crusade begins at 7:30 tonight and continues through Sunday. About 2,000 people are expected each night.

Christians today must consider their motives and forsake the "road to self-destruction" and follow the road to self-discovery found in God, Bell said.

First-century people "were more interested in the loaves than the Lord," Bell said. Today, people seek him as "the epitome of selflessness or insurance against hell," he said.

But Christ sets out some rigorous terms for discipleship to "weed out superficial enthusiasm." Those terms require Christians to deny their selfish interests and strive to find "the image of God in us," he said.

"You are a disciple tonight but on whose terms?" Bell asked the crowd.

Christianity comes into conflict in many arenas "that involves a lifelong conflict with the world, the flesh and the devil. It means you and I are declaring war," Bell said.

At the conclusion of the sermon, Bell asked people to bring forward the cards and items that showed they had been praying for friends and community members in the weeks prior to the crusade.

Ushers shuffled up the aisles carrying baskets and displays to hold all the cards. The cards "help us to focus on what we're all about and what our purpose is in the next four days and in the rest of our lives," he said.

The service encouraged Kathy Denning of Sikeston to remember the people in her life who aren't Christians. "We really hope this will be the stepping stone," she said.

Bell encouraged the crowd to invite neighbors, friends and relatives to the service. He spoke for 30 minutes during a service that lasted more than 90 minutes. Typically the service will last about 70 minutes.

Wednesday's service was a trial run for sound and lighting crews before the opening night and helped team members work out any problems in the program schedule.

A mass choir opened and closed the service with choruses and hymns. Choir rehearsal begins at 6 each night of the crusade.

The dedication service is meant to thank the volunteers and issue them a challenge as Christians, said Bill Jackson, crusade director.

Bell admitted that the service "was for the believers" but that other services will appeal to people who haven't been to church before.

Many of the congregations canceled their regular Wednesday night services so that members could attend the dedication service. Churches from 11 counties in Southeast Missouri have worked for more than a year to bring the crusade team to town.

Ministers from the community invited Bell to come to Southeast Missouri, a necessary step before any associate evangelist will plan a crusade event.

Having an event of this magnitude shows a spirit of cooperation that hasn't been present before, said Jim Smith, a volunteer from First Church of God in East Prairie, Mo. "You can already see the difference," said Smith. "Before, churches wouldn't even speak to one another."

Josh Monroe, 16, of Sikeston, thinks the crusade will "bring people closer to God."

It's already been talked about at his school and in the community, he said. He and several other members of the youth group at Tanner Street Church of God in Sikeston sat in the gymnasium bleachers for the service.

Folding chairs 17 rows deep filled the gym floor for extra seating.

Ushers, each of whom wore a white baseball cap with Celebration 2000 printed on its front, collected offerings in Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets that were passed up and down the rows of bleachers and chairs before Bell took the stage.

The money collected will be used to pay expenses for the crusade, not to pay any of the crusade speakers or ministers, said Lloyd Smith, finance chairman. Bell and the team of evangelists, musicians and others are all paid by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The crusade is likely the greatest event to be held in the region or in the field house since it was built, he said.

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Celebration 2000 schedule of events

Service times are at 7:30 tonight through Sunday at the Sikeston, Mo., Field House. The Rev. Dr. Ralph Bell, an associate minister with the Billy Graham Association, will speak each night.

Tonight: Opening night.

Friday: Family emphasis night.

Saturday: 10 a.m. KIDSfest with Lesha Campbell, ventriloquist and performer.

4 p.m. Xtreme Games for teen-agers. Food and refreshments will be served.

7 p.m. Xtreme giveaways.

7:30 p.m. Xtreme challenge with Bell.

Sunday: Closing night.

To get to the Sikeston Field House, take Interstate 55 south to the second Sikeston exit (Malone Street or Highway 62 West). Turn left at intersection of Pine Street. Field House is on the corner of Pine and Abels streets.

Parking and admission are free. A special lot is reserved for church vans and buses.