SOS-San Francisco Outreach Report
Our 13th annual SOS-San Francisco outreach was certainly one of the best. There is no way we can really convey all that happened during the week, but I do want to give a few of the highlights. Two hundred Christians from all over the West Coast participated in the outreach, with about eighty here for the whole week. In addition, another 100-200 Full Gospel businessmen participated in the afternoon outreaches each afternoon from Wednesday to Saturday. Several SOS participants had attended ten or more SOS outreaches. We also had eight of our original SOS steering committee members in attendance: Richard Paradise, Doug Shearer, Ron Woodruff, Gary Goodell, Michael Brodeur, Dan Russell, Danny Lehmann and myself.
On Saturday June 27, the New Life Christian Church worship group led us in a worship rally at Union Square. The Revelation Revue drama group from Sacramento performed some excellent skits. Several people came forward for prayer that afternoon. One backslidden Christian, a cocaine addict, rededicated his life to Christ that day. We saw him again on Thursday and the final Saturday, still drug-free and following Jesus. On Saturday he gave his testimony at a banquet. Another cocaine addict received a Voice magazine on the streets, attended the Full Gospel Convention, and was set free from the addiction.
On Monday, we held another rally at Union Square. The Strike Force power team from Bethany Bible College did some feats of strength and shared testimonies of how Jesus had saved them. Evangelist Marty Tharp sang a few songs and preached, but his ministry was interrupted by rain, a rare event in San Francisco in the summer. We were able to continue our outreach at the Powell St. BART station, where we had shelter from the rain. A King’s Kids group from Vallejo performed some choreographed songs and many people stood around. The weather report was calling for continued rain for the next few days, but we prayed for good weather and the rain ended.
On Tuesday, the Victory Outreach band led an outreach at Dolores Park, in the Mission District. This park is a hangout for drug dealers and users and several salvations were reported. Later that afternoon, the band did another outreach at a nearby housing project, Valencia Gardens. On Friday, the Full Gospel youth did an outreach at Geneva Towers, another housing project.
On Wednesday and Friday, we did outreaches at the Embarcadero Plaza, in the Financial District. Each day, about 200 Full Gospel businessmen joined us and were actively involved in ministering to hundreds of businessmen in the area. On Wednesday, the West Contra Costa Christian Center choir ministered, and several businessmen gave their testimonies, including Gene Ellerbee, one of the top executives at Procter and Gamble. On Friday, Jerry Brandt led worship and preached. A blind woman from the Tenderloin who was a Christian but out of fellowship had been prayed for earlier by one of our workers and received some of her sight. She attended the Embarcadero outreach and was prayed for again by Jerry Brandt. Afterwards, she could see even better, noticing Jerry’s green tie. Also, a 12 year old skateboarder said he had a dream the previous night of the death and resurrection of Jesus. He knew God was drawing him, but wasn’t ready to commit his life to the Lord.
On Thursday, the New Life worship group led an outreach at Union Square. On Thursday and Saturday, we were able to feed the people on the streets, serving over 400 hot dogs with chips and drinks each day. After the Thursday outreach, the Jubilate children’s group performed some skits at a park in the Tenderloin, while several dozen Asian children watched. A worship team ministered one night near Ghiradelli Square. A young man walked by them and began to shake under the power of God. He repented of drugs and other sins and received Christ that night.
On Saturday July 4, the Family Worship Center choir from Pleasant Hill led worship at Washington Square. At 2:30 PM, about 200 Christians marched down Stockton St. to the Powell St. BART Station, where the New Life worship group led our closing rally. The police closed one lane off the street so we could march down the street as thousands of onlookers saw the banners and heard us sing worship songs exalting Jesus.
Jesus said, “When you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And you shall be blessed, for they cannot recompense you; for you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:13). There are many Christians who feed the poor, but I have never seen anyone hold an elaborate feast and invite the poor. But one of the Full Gospel businessmen planned a banquet for our workers and 300 street people at the Hilton Hotel Saturday night. All day, our workers invited people they were witnessing to, especially the homeless, to the banquet. These people, who have experienced so much suffering and rejection, were taken to a fancy banquet room and served by waiters.
Mark Anderson, a top athlete who became a cocaine addict after missing the Olympics, gave his testimony. About 100 people responded the gospel message. Two gang members wearing bandanas were among those who received Christ. One of them had been to Victory Outreach and told the other, “We’ve got to get to Victory Outreach this week.” When Mark asked people who wanted to be set free from cocaine addiction, a dozen came forward and were prayed for. Mark and several others continued to pray for people for several hours. This dinner was truly an unforgettable experience and the highlight of the outreach.
We are very thankful to the Vineyard Christian Fellowship for opening up their new facility to us. We ate there, slept there, and held our meetings there. We even had foam pads to give to our workers. There was plenty of room for everyone in this huge facility. But our workers got a special blessing on Friday and Saturday nights. A Full Gospel business man paid for rooms for all of our workers at the Hilton on those nights!
We had wonderful teachings throughout the week from some of the best equipping evangelists in the world: Jerry Brandt, Floyd McClung, Tal Brooke, Gilbert Alcala, Doug Shearer, Richard Paradise, Danny Lehmann, Sondra Berry Young, and Dennis McNally. We also had two meetings in which SOS participants shared testimonies of what happened during the week. I strongly urge you to get these tapes.
Steve Cavalli shared about a young man he had led to Christ at SOS twelve years ago. He brought the man into his home at Santa Rosa where he stayed for three months. He tried to minister to this man, but the man was very rebellious and heavily demonized and he finally had to ask him to leave. He didn’t see this man for twelve years, but three months ago he saw him at his church. The man was in his right mind, married, with two children. He had spent four years in the military, had gone to college, and is now drug-free with a full time job in electronics. When Steve asked him why he returned to Santa Rosa, he said that this was the only place he had ever known real love.
God only allows us to see a small part of what was accomplished during the outreach. Most of the fruit we will only see in heaven. But He promises that His word will not return void, and that in due season we will reap if we faint not. I praise God for the wonderful work He did during SOS week, both in our own lives and the lives of those who were touched by the gospel.
Please continue to pray for those in whose hearts gospel seeds were planted and watered, as well as those who committed their lives to Jesus during the week. Please pray also for our SOS workers. After we are used by God in an outreach, we can expect satanic attack and need God’s strength to resist it and continue to preach the gospel wherever He sends us. Today, a sister told me that, although she was unable to attend the outreach, God spoke to her to pray for us on Saturday July 4 from 5-7 PM. She did not know it, but that was when we had the banquet for the homeless, when we had the greatest response to the gospel.
Berkeley Update
Last month, I shared about some of the legal problems we have had in Berkeley and about the new permit fee that is being imposed. We were able to get free permits for July and August, and intend to use as many as possible. Ilana Wherry, a sister who attends my church, works for the Berkeley Tri-City Post and received a press release about the lawsuit to be printed in this paper. She interviewed me on the issue and the article ended up as the lead article on the front page on July 1. Here is an excerpt from the article:
End of Amplified Free Speech on Berkeley Streets
As of July 1…the city will no longer be issuing noise permits to operate sound amplifiers, free of charge. From that date a fee of $68 per permit will be charged. What has this to do with the fundamental First Amendment right of “free speech”? Plenty, according to Larry Rosenbaum, leader of Bay Area Outreach Ministries….
Rosenbaum and Bay Area Outreach Ministries have been preaching on the streets of Berkeley since 1987. From that time to the date their lawsuit was filed (August 19, 1989), there had been almost constant harassment from hecklers (see photo), street vendors and police.
Rosenbaum says, “I was put in prison twice, and several of us were cited and arrested. After a number of such situations, we filed a lawsuit against harassment. All the cases were thrown out of court by the judges, and it was established in court that we had been wrongfully arrested. A not guilty verdict was returned on each occasion of arrest. Eventually the suit was settled, with an unspecified amount of money being paid by U. C. Berkeley and the City of Berkeley.”
“Since that time we have had no further trouble with the police and the community of Berkeley. People have been very kind and the police have been cooperative and helpful. We’re concerned (about the $68 fee being charged for the new noise ordinance permits). Berkeley has a reputation for being a center of free speech; speech is no longer so free in Berkeley. People who want to speak their minds on Berkeley streets can no longer do so. This (ordinance) will affect anybody who needs to use an amplifier, such as protest groups, rallies or street musicians. There is also a questionable constitutionality of such a fee. It may price people out of the market for free speech,” Rosenbaum said.
“This will virtually eliminate spontaneous protests and rallies (a 30 day notice is required) that use amplification. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that “amplifiers are an indispensable item of modern public speech,” (Saia vs. New York 1948) Rosenbaum concluded….
Those concerned about these issues, and/or interested in repealing this ordinance, may send written concerns and/or petitions to the City of Berkeley c/o: L. Rosenbaum…All of which, according to Rosenbaum, will be forwarded to the City Attorney’s Office.
A Final Word
We want to thank all of you who participated in SOS-San Francisco as well as those of you who prayed for us and sent contributions so we could end the outreach will our bills paid.
We continue to witness in San Francisco and Berkeley every Friday night and Saturday afternoon. We also have worship rallies once or twice a month on Saturday afternoon. We need Christians to join us for these outreaches. We especially need people to lead worship and to help make food for the homeless.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
