At the release of this record, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH of HAMMOND,

INDIANA, has the WORLD'S LARGEST SUNDAY SCHOOL. They are

currently involved in their 1973 SPRING PROGRAM. Their goal is to average

10,000 per Sunday during that program. If they continue as they have for

the first six Sundays of the program, the attendance will average that for

the entire ten weeks. That is completely unheard of in modern day Sunday

Schools.

An integral part of that Sunday School is the First Baptist Bus Ministry,

the World's Largest Bus Ministry. On the Sunday prior to the recording of

this record, Rev. Jim Vineyard, Director of that Bus Ministry, reported that

this Church ran 135 buses. For the same period mentioned above, the buses

have an average 5358 in attendance on an average of 131 buses.

Dr. Jim Lyons was the gentleman who began the Bus Ministry at First

Baptist Church. Dr. Charles Hand assumed it when Bro. Lyons left. Under

his direction, the Ministry grew over 50 buses. Mr. Cal Streeter directed the

Bus Ministry after Bro. Hand and saw a high attendance on a big day of

over 5,000. Dr. Wally Beebee, often called "Mr. Bus”, then was the Bus

Director for almost two years. He also saw a high attendance of over 5,000

on the buses. Jim Vineyard came in late August 1972. During the Fall Pro-

gram that year the buses averaged 4,114. Bro. Vineyard has taken the number

of buses from 63 (that many ran the Sunday prior to his coming) to 135

in 8 months.

This Bus Ministry Sermon is exactly the ministry of Jim Vineyard.

The Sermon was preached at Forest Hills Baptist Church, Decatur, Georgia,

during the afternoon session of a Sword of the Lord conference. Dr. Curtis

Hutson is pastor of that great church, which Christian Life Magazine awarded

the plaque for being the WORLD'S FASTEST GROWING CHURCH in

September 1972. Mr. John Stancil is Director of that Church's Bus Ministry.

We trust this message will be a blessing and an inspiration to all those

who listen.