GLEN ALLEN, Va. -- Keeping a promise is a big deal. Whether it’s a commitment to make changes that will make a difference in your life, a promise to family or friends or one made to God, promises are important. Keeping a promise is more than making good on your end of the deal, it can also be an opportunity to do something good for others.

The Dover Baptist Association has kept a promise that it made in 2009 when it committed resources to spread the gospel and help Dover churches connect with their neighbors in new ways. One phase of the project encouraged churches to find new ways to reach their communities.

The second phase is KeepThePromise.com, a website for people to celebrate the power of promises kept and inspire them to make new ones. For each person who makes a promise, Dover Baptist Association will donate money to feed a family -- up to 20,000 families -- through the ministries of the Central Virginia Food Bank. This will touch households in every area served by Dover churches.

To raise the visibility of the campaign, churches posted KeepThePromise.com banners and members have displayed signs in their yards. A commercial ad campaign with spots highlighting the website has run on local television. The news media was supportive of the effort and its potential impact on the community and featured news segments with interviews encouraging the public to make a promise and provide food for a family. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter were developed to keep in touch with those participating.

Since its posting the week of Thanksgiving more than 5,000 people have visited KeepThePromise.com and more than 900 promises made. Some of them include: “I promise to value my husband’s opinion, even if I don’t agree with it.” “I promise to become a better friend.” “I promise to stop gossiping.” There were numerous promises to “read the Bible more often” and “take my children to church next Sunday.”

The website offers a “God’s Promise” page with a video clip explaining the promise God has made to every person to discover abundant life through Jesus Christ. It has received 1,413 visitors to date. And there is a “Church Locator” page to search for a nearby Dover church with the characteristics or programming that may best fit each person. So far this has been accessed by 1,507 visitors.

The KeepThePromise.com campaign will begin again for two weeks around Valentine’s Day and for six weeks prior to Easter -- the day that God fulfilled his promise of salvation through Christ to all who believe.

And as it has promised, Dover Association will be making a donation to the Central Virginia Food Bank to provide food for families in need.

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