About This Episode

More than 2,000 people. 122 baptisms. Multiple salvations. One unforgettable night in Providence, Rhode Island.

In this special edition of The Deep End, Pastor Tim Hatch is joined by members of the Waters Church team to look back at Worship Under the Stars, an outdoor Gospel event at Roger Williams Park that drew thousands of people for worship, prayer, preaching and baptism.

What began with an expectation of several hundred people grew into a crowd of more than 2,000. More than 50 people had registered in advance to be baptized—but by the end of the night, 122 people entered the water.

Some had planned to be there. Others simply encountered the event while visiting the park, playing softball, working at food trucks or going about their evening.

For Pastor Tim, the night was a reminder of something the Church can easily forget:

The Gospel was never meant to remain inside the walls of a church building.

From “Come and See” to “Go and Tell”

Pastor Tim explains why Waters Church decided to take worship and the preaching of the Gospel into the heart of Providence.

The model goes all the way back to the early Church.

In Acts 2, Peter publicly preaches Christ and thousands respond. Jesus’ Great Commission in Matthew 28 doesn’t tell Christians merely to wait for people to come into their buildings. His followers are commanded to go.

There is a place for “come and see.”

But there is also a command to go and tell.

That became the heart behind Worship Under the Stars: get outside the building, enter the community and make Jesus known.

Why Roger Williams Park Mattered

The location carried special significance.

Providence was founded by Roger Williams, a minister and theologian who advocated religious liberty and founded Rhode Island after being expelled from Massachusetts.

Holding an open-air Gospel event at Roger Williams Park provided a striking backdrop for a night centered on publicly proclaiming Christ.

People who had no intention of attending a Christian event suddenly found themselves hearing worship and the Gospel.

Softball players wondered why their usual parking spaces were filled. People came looking for food trucks. Others were simply spending time at the park.

And some stayed.

122 Baptisms—and Many Were Not Planned

Just over 50 people had registered to be baptized before the event.

By the end of the night, that number had grown to 122.

Pastor Tim and his guests recount watching people spontaneously decide that this was the night they were going to publicly declare their faith.

One young boy rushed toward the baptism area, pulling off his hoodie and kicking off his Crocs because he couldn’t wait to get into the water.

Another remarkable moment involved a worker from one of the food trucks. He arrived at Roger Williams Park expecting to work an event. Later that night, members of the team spotted the same man entering the water to be baptized.

A young girl who had encountered Christ through an after-school Bible program in Fall River also traveled to Providence and was baptized.

These weren’t simply statistics.

They were people responding to the Gospel.

A Hunger for God Among Young People

One of the most striking parts of the evening was the response from teenagers and young adults.

Young people crowded near the stage during worship. When the formal program ended and the band continued playing, many gathered around the musicians, dancing and worshiping.

Some later began sharing videos from the event across social media. Others talked about taking what they experienced back into their schools and inviting friends to youth and young-adult ministries.

Pastor Tim challenges the assumption that Christianity is something people should become serious about only after they have finished being young.

The Church is for young people right now.

And this night offered a glimpse of the spiritual hunger that can be found when the Church is willing to go where people already are.

This Wasn’t About Building Waters Church

Pastor Tim makes an important distinction during the conversation:

Worship Under the Stars wasn’t designed simply to grow Waters Church.

The goal was to build the Kingdom of God.

Other churches attended. Youth groups came. People from outside Waters Church participated. And Pastor Tim encourages other churches to join the mission.

If someone encountered Christ that night and ultimately becomes part of another local church where they can be discipled and grow in faith, that is a victory.

The mission is bigger than any single congregation.

Evangelism Must Lead to Discipleship

The work also didn’t end when the event ended.

Waters Church saw increased interest in Alpha, a course designed to give people a welcoming place to explore Christianity and ask difficult questions about faith, Jesus, suffering, truth and the Bible.

That matters because responding to the Gospel is the beginning of the Christian life—not the end.

The Church must be ready not only to preach Christ but also to walk alongside people afterward, answer their questions, help them understand their faith and make disciples.

Before the Crowd Came, the Church Prayed

Perhaps the most important part of the story happened before the main event even began.

The church prayed.

Waters Church had been fasting on Wednesdays leading up to Worship Under the Stars. Before the evening’s main program, church elders gathered and prayed over the event and the city.

Pastor Tim explains that churches can become deeply committed to excellent preaching, worship, children’s ministry and programming while overlooking something essential:

prayer.

Jesus Himself modeled prayer and fasting throughout His ministry.

If Christians want to see cities and lives transformed, Pastor Tim argues, it cannot happen merely through better production, bigger events or human effort.

The Church needs the work of the Holy Spirit.

“The Skies Proclaim His Handiwork”

Pastor Tim also shares the story behind the message he preached that evening.

After praying about what Scripture to use, he was drawn to Psalm 19:

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

As Pastor Tim preached beneath the open sky, the setting sun illuminated the clouds behind the crowd.

He asked everyone to turn around.

The message was suddenly illustrated directly in front of them.

Creation was pointing toward its Creator.

And Pastor Tim delivered the simple message at the heart of the evening:

The God who created you wants to know you.

What Happens When the Church Goes?

More than 2,000 people gathered.

122 people were baptized.

People responded to the Gospel.

Young people worshiped.

People who never intended to attend a Christian event heard about Jesus.

And Pastor Tim hopes the story doesn’t end in Providence.

This episode of The Deep End is an invitation to pastors, churches and Christians everywhere:

Get outside the walls. Pray. Preach the Gospel. Serve your city. Make Jesus known.

America doesn’t simply need more commentary about bad news.

The Church has good news.