Shopping Center Evangelism
San Francisco is an ideal city for street witnessing. Any time, day or night, you can find people on the streets to witness to. It never gets very cold here and the rain usually doesn’t last too long. However, you may live in a small town where the streets are dead after 6 PM. Winters may be horribly cold. Where can you go to witness? Chances are, there is a shopping center somewhere near you. Shopping centers have replaced downtown areas in many cities and towns, becoming the only remaining public gathering place. The problem is that shopping centers normally are located on private property and have security guards and “no soliciting” rules. How do you get around this?
First, nobody can prevent you from talking with people about Christ, as long as you don`t force people to talk with you. If a security guard complains, ask him two questions: 1) Are all conversations about religion prohibited in this shopping center? and 2) Are all conversations with strangers prohibited? The First Amendment to the Constitution clearly prevents any such restriction. If he says that the shopping center prohibits soliciting or loitering, explain to him that soliciting means asking for money and loitering means being somewhere with no good purpose. So these do not apply to you.
A shopping center can prevent you from distributing literature, but not from giving out a tract to someone you are talking with. And you can give out literature until an official asks you to stop. By the way, the same is true of stores, restaurants, buses, or any place that is open to the public. You can give out literature until some official tells you to stop.
Second, you can use entertainment as a means to witness. Some times shopping centers allow music, drama, clowns, or other entertainment. Perhaps you can get permission from the management to perform. At Christmas and Easter times, religious music is particularly welcome, and often you can share the Gospel openly.
Third, you can go to the management and ask permission to set up a table and give out literature about Christ. If you live in California, inform them of the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Pruneyard Shopping Center vs. Michael Robins, 64 L ED 2d 741, l00 S Ct 2035, decided June 9, l980. In this case, some students seeking support for a political position set up a table in a shopping center in California and began distributing pamphlets and asking passers-by to sign a petition. A security guard told them they could not do this. The California Supreme Court ruled that the California Constitution gave these students the rights they were exercising, and that they did not infringe on the property rights of the shopping center owners. On appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed.
This means that a shopping center owner in California cannot deny you the right to give out literature or set up a table in their shopping center. If you go to the management of a shopping center with a copy of this Supreme Court decision, he may allow you to set up a table and give out literature in his shopping center. If not, you may want to contact a Christian lawyer. The Christian Legal Society, (703) 642-1070, can help you find one. Also, you can contact the American Center for Law and Justice at (804) 523-7570. Often a letter from a lawyer will be sufficient.
If the management won’t back down, you need to decide whether to go to court. If that shopping center is the best place to witness in your area, it may be wise to go to court. The Pruneyard decision presently only applies in California. I believe that a similar case was decided in New York. In other states, the matter still has not been decided in the courts. Perhaps God will use you to help extend this decision to other states. A favorable court decision will help Christians in other places who want to witness in shopping centers. But you need to count the cost. Legal action can take a lot of time, energy, and money.
There are times when we must fight for our rights, or we will lose them. The apostle Paul took advantage of his rights as a Roman citizen, and several times rebuked officials who acted illegally. One thing that we need to remember is that the shopping center administrator is not our enemy. We must relate to him with kindness and respect, showing him Christ’s love.
Ministry News
Christmas is one time of year that many shopping centers will allow Christian groups to minister. They want people to get into the “Christmas spirit” so they will spend their money. Often, they welcome church groups that will sing Christmas carols. If you contact the management at local malls in November, you will probably be able to schedule as many outreaches as you want.
My home church, New Life Christian Church, was actually invited by the management at New Park Mall in Fremont to minister on Friday night December 23. They gave us a three hour permit and a stage, and we set up our own sound system. We sang Christmas carols and other worship songs and were able to give out thousands of Christmas tracts. In Sacramento, New Hope Christian Fellowship put together a singing group, dressed them in 19th century English garb, and got permission to sing in Arden Mall and give out several thousand special tracts.
We also had Christmas outreaches at 5th St. and Market on December 10 and 17. We printed special Christmas tracts and many people stood around listening to the Christmas carols and worship music. This location is across the street from the Powell St. BART station, where we used to minister. We can’t reach quite as many people on this side of the street. But it is the best location we can now get, and thousands of people heard the gospel that afternoon. After the December 17 outreach, Robin Woodruff spoke with two members of the North of Market Commission, a group of businessmen in the area. They were really happy that we were there, as they thought it would help reduce drugs, crime and prostitution in the area. They may be able to help us with our permit problems.
Last month, the Recreation Commissioner denied most of our park permits for next year, citing the complaints he had received last summer. I appealed his decision. Today, I spoke with him and he said he was referring the matter to the City Attorney. Please pray that we will be able to get these permits and that we could get a lawyer if we need one to pursue the matter.
On New Year’s Eve, we again witnessed at Union Square. Tens of thousands of people, including thousands of teenagers, come to this area to celebrate. We preached, sang worship songs, and gave out thousands of tracts. Rain had been predicted, and it started to rain just as we ended our outreach at 11 PM. I wish I could say that thousands of people repented of their sins that night and were saved. However, that did not happen. Perhaps only some great judgment like a major earthquake or economic collapse will cause multitudes to repent in this nation. Many tracts littered the ground and most people appeared to be drunk. But a few people surely woke up on New Year’s Day with a hangover and read the tract they stuck in their pocket. Only in Heaven will we know how many were saved because 11 people chose to spend a few hours on New Year’s Eve witnessing for Jesus.
Ministry Needs
Recently, we completed our financial report for our fiscal year, ending October 31. We want to let you know our financial condition, so you can know where your donations are going. Our donations increased 4% in 1994 (after a 17% decline in 1993). As of January 1, 1995, our bank balance was $715. We thank God for providing all our needs this past year, and trust He will continue to supply all our needs. We want to thank each of you who has given to SOS Ministries this past year. Please ask God if He would have you support this ministry monthly or on a one-time basis in 1995.
For years, we have borrowed a sound system from our church for our outdoor outreaches. However, this system is becoming less available to us now, and we need to get our own P.A. system, at least for smaller outreaches. I am looking into different systems, but expect to pay $2000-3000 for the whole system.
Please pray for those who have responded to the gospel this past month, including Michael T. (S.F.– “needs help fighting the Devil”) Rodolfo (Daly City), Michael R. (S.F.– “I am a lost soul and need help finding the right path”) Stanley and Jeff (S.F.– “Please send us other things about God and Jesus because we want to go to Heaven. I like to read and collect them”) Juan and Robert (S.F.), and Steve (Alameda). Also please pray for us as we prepare for next summer’s SOS-San Francisco outreach, June 30- July 8. Please pray that God will bring many laborers to San Francisco this summer, and that He will get us permits in outdoor parks.
The Chinese New Year Parade outreach will be held on Saturday February 11. This is the largest annual event in San Francisco, drawing about 300,000 people. Call us a few days before the parade for time and location. We continue to witness every Friday night and Saturday afternoon. On Friday we meet at 7:30 PM at Vineyard Christian Fellowship, 1098 Harrison St. at 7th St. Call us for information about our Saturday outreaches. Please help us bring the gospel to those who are perishing.
We still need two men to live in our evangelism house in Oakland. The house is for spiritually-mature Christians with a call to evangelism. This is an excellent opportunity to receive practical training in witnessing. Please call or write me right away if you are interested, or know someone who is. Our Tape of the Month is Legal Issues in Evangelism by Michael Imfeld. Michael is a Christian attorney in Southern California. This is one of the clearest teachings on this subject I have heard.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
