"The Ridgecrest Church seats 270, and we had to turn away guests for lack of space,” Pastor John Aitken reported after his “Buried Blueprints” evangelistic series. “The members were really jazzed!” Extensive advertising in Ridgecrest drew a capacity crowd; just over half were guests from the community.

The two-week series featured presentations spanning Genesis to Revelation. Rooted in archaeology and laced with more than 100 contemporary film clips and other visuals, the meetings were augmented by artifact displays in the church. Many children as well as adults arrived at 6:10 p.m. for the 7 p.m. meetings to ensure getting the best seats.

Traditional evangelistic topics took on a new aura in the “Buried Blueprints” context. Even dinosaurs were featured. “I referred to the leviathan and behemoth in Job 40 and 41, described as enormous, scaled creatures that could not be subdued. God created them, therefore they went into the ark. Visitors expressed appreciation for the series and the fact that we didn’t attack other churches,” Aitken said. “The participants were highly educated and found Scripture less threatening when considered from an archaeological viewpoint. They are thirsty for the Word.”

A clergyman’s wife said, “I appreciated the ‘umbrella’ view of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. This is the first time I understood about the Sabbath in relation to the Great Controversy rather than as an unusual doctrine.”

At the final meeting, guests asked, “What now? We can’t go back to TV!” In response, the pastor is developing “Buried Blueprints II.” Aitken pointed out, “Storytelling was number one in the first century—and today, too, especially among young people and young adults.”

Since the series, 12 people have been baptized; another 14 were considering Bible studies.

A Lay Person’s Experience

“Connie was the least likely person I expected to come to the meetings. Surprisingly, she came to every meeting. On the first Sunday night, she asked me about Revelation. ‘Do you understand those beasts?’

“I told her that I have videos on Daniel and Revelation that might help her understand. When Connie said she'd like to see them, I arranged for her to come to my home on Wednesday.

“Later, I learned that Connie had had a connection with our church in the ’70s; her children had attended Adventist schools for a while. Connie spoke highly of Ellen White.

“On the second Saturday night, I noticed a lady sitting alone. Since I was talking to another visitor, I asked Steve to talk with her. I learned that her name is Julie, so the next Friday night I greeted her by name. She was waiting for her friend, Beverly, whose husband had recently passed away. After the meeting Beverly said she'd return the next night. When I told her about the prophecy videos, she responded that if her bed and breakfast didn't have customers, she'd also be able to come to see the videos.

“We learned that both women had moved to Ridgecrest at about the same time and were married at around the same time. The seminar reunited them, years later. Julie had provided the missing link by inviting Beverly to the meetings, where she and Connie re-established their friendship.”