STREET EVANGELISM IN THE 90’s
by Stuart Geller
Until the 20th century people lived their lives mostly on the streets. People gathered in the markets, squares, cafes, bars, public meeting places, and social halls. This was true in the United States as well as in other nations. After World War I, people became more isolated and individualistic, living for themselves and their families and friends. Life on the streets was replaced by life in private dwellings and private clubs. Today our cities are full of people who live in physical closeness yet don’t know each other. One sociologist called it the “lonely crowd.” Many live in fear, locked in their dwellings with high tech security systems. Their contact with the outside world comes mainly from television. They live in sterile environments free from the outside world’s effect upon their lives.
Most life in major cities across the world still takes place on the streets. People still gather in the town square to talk. Since 1960, the United States has seen a greater return of people to the streets than ever before in the history of this country. Also, the spiritual need of the man on the street has not decreased because he has become more sophisticated. Instead, man has become more evil, unruly, hateful and arrogant. He has also taken desperate measures to fulfill his individual satisfaction at any cost. The sanctity of personal happiness has replaced the sanctity of community.
There are about 3.5 million homeless people in the United States and the numbers are increasing steadily by about 20% annually in cities. There are millions more lost in drugs, alcohol, gangs, suicides, homicides, sexual perversions, and extreme poverty. Millions of teenage girls are getting pregnant and having their children aborted. Worldwide unemployment is at an all time high. Millions of people are looking for god in themselves through “a new world order and age” while others are lost in false religions and cults. The world monetary systems are setting up for a one world economic system and what follows is clear in the Bible: the coming of the anti-Christ and the return of our Lord.
If the Lord tarries, by the year 2000 it is said that 70% of all people will live in the cities. He who wins the cities will win the world. We must unite the Word with our deed, meeting people’s physical needs as we minister to them spiritually. We need to go to where the people are and accept them where they are at, drawing them into the Kingdom with our love. Nehemiah went into the ruins of the city Jerusalem and rebuilt the crumbling walls and houses. He realized that a strong spiritual foundation was essential to his task. God’s Word had to be understood, known and obeyed. So Ezra took the Book of the Law to the square of the City and read it publicly. Jesus not only went to the Temple and synagogues but spent most of his ministry in street evangelism.
Our streets are filled with broken people who are ripe for harvest. In these past two months I have spoken with many pastors and church leaders who see a vision for revival coming to this country and the world. I believe God has shown me that the coming revival will take place first on the streets. Multitudes will be saved on the streets. But most of the church will not know what to do because it has scorned the ministry of street evangelism. In the Bay Area I believe we are getting ready for another Jesus Movement like the 60’s and 70’s only five times more powerful. The ingathering of the end times harvest will begin in our local area and spread across the United States. Already there is a great harvest in many countries of the world, particularly in the Third World where faith is very strong and God is moving powerfully in signs and wonders. Many of those leaders I have talked with share this vision for revival. So street evangelists get ready! We need repentance and prayer. We need to humble ourselves before an Almighty God and ask for His help in learning how to bring in the harvest we will be called to gather. Don’t miss out on what God is doing. God wants to use you as a laborer in this great end-times harvest! “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send and who shall go for us? Then said I, Here I am. Send me.” (Isa. 6:8)
Ministry News
Often we hear reports at outreaches of people who have “prayed to receive Christ.” However, when we try to follow-up on these people, there is little evidence of conversion. It is refreshing when we can see real converts who go on with the Lord. In August, a brother from San Jose witnessed to a young Chinese woman at a Powell St. worship rally. She didn’t speak good English, so he found another Christian who had a Chinese tract and Chinese New Testament to give her. She said she wanted to receive Christ so he prayed with her and got her address but forgot to get her phone number. A few weeks later she called him and told him that she had found a church to go to where she was being discipled and is growing in the Lord!
Also our friend Eric Livingston, who was saved last summer in Berkeley and participated in SOS this past summer, has graduated from Teen Challenge in Watsonville and is now studying at the Great Commission School near Portland, Oregon. Eric has a desire to be involved in street evangelism, possibly with us, and this will give him excellent preparation for future ministry.
Ralph Silvestri, who lives in our ministry house in Oakland, just returned from the National Street Ministries Conference in Dallas. About 650 Christians attended this conference. Ralph was particularly impressed by the messages by Sonny Arguinzoni (founder of Victory Outreach) and Tommy Barnett (Pastor of First Assembly of God, Phoenix). Sonny spoke about the need for the evangelist to work with the local church and disciple new believers. He shared about their ministry’s vision to train leaders to evangelize the world. Tommy spoke of the need to be sold out for Jesus and “overdose on the Holy Ghost” to do effective evangelism. God is doing a tremendous work in both of these ministries. Victory Outreach is growing at a tremendous rate with churches all over the world, built through extensive street evangelism. Their outreaches in England, Holland and Spain are growing rapidly. The First Assembly of God has dozens of different kinds of evangelism ministries, including a large street outreach and 50 buses to bring people to church each week.
A number of groups have contacted us wanting to do outreaches in San Francisco. We will be doing a monthly outreach with a youth group from Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, feeding and ministering to street people in the Haight area. A team from Youth With a Mission in Denver will be working with us for a few days at the end of November. A youth pastor from Auburn is planning to bring a high school group here in December. A group of 20 Bible School students from Alaska may be coming here the first of January. Also we have outreaches scheduled at the Powell St. BART station every Saturday from November 30 until Christmas. The SOS worship group from New Life Christian Church will be ministering on November 30 and December 14. Jerry Brandt will minister on December 7. And the Jubilee worship group from San Jose will minister on December 21. We may be planning some outreaches on Sundays as well. It will be a busy month, but the Christmas season is the time when people are most receptive to the gospel. Also, there are hundreds of thousands of extra people doing their Christmas shopping in the downtown area.
While I was writing this letter, I received a call from a youth pastor in Oregon who is bringing a youth group here the end of October to witness on the streets. Five minutes later, I received a call from a friend in San Francisco telling me about an 18 year old who got saved two weeks ago on Polk St. and seems to really want to serve God. He was asking me for places where he could get discipled, so I suggested a few places.
Book Reviews
We Cannot But Tell
by Ross Tooley
When John Goodfellow was here last summer, I asked him what he considered the best book on evangelism he had seen. He gave me this book, We Cannot But Tell, by Ross Tooley, who has worked with Youth With a Mission since 1967, mostly in the Philippines. He begins the book with a list of six major differences between Westerners and non-Westerners. Then he begins a thorough presentation of what is involved in presenting the gospel to anyone. He has separate chapters on proving God’s existence, the character of God, sin, the atonement, repentance, counting the cost and follow-up. I have read a lot of books on evangelism, and I cannot remember another book that explains these topics in such a clear and thorough manner. If you use this teaching in your personal witnessing, it will lead to a complete gospel presentation and genuine conversions. The book is available from Frontline Communications, Box 55787, Seattle, WA 98155, (206) 771-1153.
My Friends are Dying
by Ray Comfort
The word “prolific” was made for Ray Comfort. Having written one book, I amazed at the number of books he writes. He told me that he disciplines himself to get up early and write a few hours each day. My Friends are Dying is book 23. It is about his experiences witnessing in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. When he came to the U.S., God directed him to witness in this park, a hangout for thieves, drug addicts, drug dealers, murderers, and the homeless. He shares his experiences preaching, giving out food, treating people for medical conditions and trying to help people in horrible circumstances. Ray’s teaching on the use of the law in evangelism can be misused to justify preaching in a harsh, uncaring manner. However, Ray is a very compassionate person who shows great love for the people he is seeking to reach. Ray also has a great sense of humor, making this a very funny book. The book is written to be read by unbelievers as well as Christians, and has an extensive gospel presentation in it. I think Christians will find the book helpful in understanding the problems of the drug addict and homeless and how to reach them with the gospel.
Pray for Us
“And finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified” (2 Thess. 3:1). Since SOS Ministries began twelve years ago, we have had a community house for workers who are involved in our evangelism outreaches. This house forms the core of our workers in our weekly evangelism teams. Right now we have six men in our house, all of whom love God and are committed to evangelism. But we all have personal weaknesses in our lives that God is dealing with, as well as problems living with one another. Also, because we are in the front lines of spiritual warfare, committed to evangelizing Satan’s strongholds, we come under intense attack by the enemy.
As a street ministry, we spend a lot of time ministering to others. This year, however, God is directing us to focus more attention on bringing unity into our house. We know that our effectiveness in reaching others is affected by our own spiritual condition. We need to show love first to one another and secondarily to the lost. Our house members held a weekend retreat in August and we are having another one in October. We are spending more time working out interpersonal problems and praying for one another.
One thing we sense is the need for a greater prayer covering. Please pray for our house and each of us: Larry, George, Stuart, Brandon, Ralph, and Craig. Pray for house unity and for a strong sense of God’s direction. Pray for God to strengthen us in our prayer lives, in receiving instruction from God’s word, and in receiving healing of wounds in our personal lives. Also, pray for those who have been involved in our weekly evangelism teams. Each has faced intense satanic attack, and some have stopped witnessing as a result. I trust the God will give you specific direction in your prayers.
Our Tape of the Month is “True and False Conversion” by Ray Comfort. We need to see real converts who will go on to follow Christ, not just those will make a profession of faith. I hope you will join us for our November 30 worship rally, or at some other outreach during the next month.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
