The hope of One City Under God

The City of Atlanta, Texas did its best to live up to the City’s motto “One City Under God” this week after hosting two large community faith events this last week. On October 13 the Fellowship of Christian Athletes brought the nationally known Fields of Faith event to Rabbit Stadium to a packed stadium full of students from around the area. While on this Saturday, October 16, several churches came together to collectively worship God for what is known as Atlanta United.

The original Fields of Faith started in 2002 when the Oklahoma Fellowship of Christian Athletes Area Director, Jeff Martin, prayed how to help generation “regarding the temptations and spiritual battles facing our more “spectator generation” youth. God led him to 2 Chronicles 34 for the answer. King Josiah, an influential teenager, gathered his people and challenged them to read God’s Word. As a result, they changed their culture.”

“In 2004, The Josiah-influenced dream came true when more than 6,000 students gathered on school athletic fields throughout Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas for Fields of Faith. Through the student-led events, more than 100 students made decisions for Christ. Since that day hundreds of thousands of people have attended Fields of Faith and thousands have accepted Christ.”

The heart of many in our area was to bring that same vision here to Cass County when a stadium full of youth and youth leaders came together for a night of powerful worship, fellowship, and teaching. The result was several youths and even adults moved to make a change, as many moved forward to receive prayer, make a commitment to Faith and pour their hearts out to God.

During and after the event the community watched the event online at RabbitTV while worshiping and praying for the people who attended. This was the first Fields of Faith event in Atlanta and possibly Cass County.

Later on, in the week, several churches came together for a night of worship, fellowship, and sharing their heart for the community. Atlanta United, as it is called, was also a time where the community prayed for local leaders and first responders.

In 2020 Keith Hampton, a pastor for one of the Atlanta churches was given the vision about uniting churches to come together and “exercise the power of the church” to help grow a Christ-like community. Hampton invited a number of the pastors in the area to come together for a night of worship, with no agenda other than to come together to worship Jesus.

The challenge from Hampton was “I’m not going to publicize my church, please don’t publicize yours lets make this about Jesus!” For this reason, Hampton asked that I not include the church he pastors in the article.

According to Hampton, there were nine churches present. Ricky Green and Tammy Mason from different churches lead the community worship. The praise band was made from four different churches in the community. There was also a 25-member Choir that participated.

The event started off with Worship, like the National Day of Prayer, and then they subsequently prayed over the community as well as the city government.

A little under 200 came together Saturday night with the mantra of “One night, one purpose, and which was Jesus,” says Hampton. The goal is to continually grow the event and maybe even meet more regularly.