Almost Canceled
Yes, this year’s SOS outreach was almost canceled. Last fall, Paul Coca and I met with Pastor Jeff Green at Glad Tidings Church. We held last summer’s SOS outreach there and planned to hold this year’s outreach there as well. In February, I learned that Jeff Green was no longer pastor and that we would not be allowed to meet at this church. (Forrest Beiser, the new Glad Tidings pastor, thought he was too new at the church to host our outreach this year.)
I began calling the pastors of several local churches that I thought might be open to hosting our outreach. After leaving three or four messages for each pastor over a period of two weeks, most didn’t even return my call. Finally, I scheduled a meeting with an outreach director at one church. They turned us down. I wondered if any San Francisco church would be willing to host our outreach. We were running out of time. How could we hold the outreach without a meeting place?
At the weekly meeting of our house members, we prayed for wisdom. We believed God wanted us to hold the outreach, so we asked Him to provide a meeting location. Eric Livingston suggested that we mail a letter to those on our mailing list who live in San Francisco, telling them our problem and asking them to contact their pastor. To my surprise, I immediately received calls from three pastors: Roger Huang of San Francisco Worship Center, Melchor Jandayan of Parkside Community Church, and Earl Phillips of Park Presidio Bible Church. I was truly blessed and encouraged that these three pastors and their congregations were willing to open up their facilities to us.
After I spoke with the pastors and examined the facilities, we decided to hold this summer’s outreach at Park Presidio Bible Church. This is actually the first church I attended when I moved to San Francisco in 1975. It is located a block from Golden Gate Park at 10th Ave. and Cabrillo St.
The Greatest Need
The greatest need for every person on this earth is to receive salvation from Jesus Christ. The greatest thing any one of us can do is to present the gospel to someone and give him or her a chance to be saved. Almost every day, we have opportunities to witness to people. We encounter people at work, at school, on the bus or airplane, on the street, at the grocery store, in our neighborhood, etc. We all need to take better advantage of these opportunities and be bolder in our Christian witness.
However, there are many people who do not have any Christian friends or co‑workers to witness to them. They will not be reached for Jesus unless someone makes a special effort to reach them. This is why we need special evangelistic outreaches.
One of the main reasons we do not witness in our everyday lives is that our minds are focused on other things. During a special outreach like SOS‑San Francisco, we can focus on one thing‑‑reaching people with the gospel.
Another reason we do not witness is because we fear rejection by friends or co‑workers. SOS‑ San Francisco provides an opportunity to overcome fear and witness boldly for Jesus, with the encouragement of other Christians.
A third reason we don’t witness is that we don’t know how. SOS ‑San Francisco provides an opportunity to get practical training and experience in personal witnessing.
An “SOS” is an urgent call for help. The people of San Francisco are in great spiritual need. They may not be starving physically, but they are starving spiritually and are headed for eternal torment if they do not trust in Jesus. We have the spiritual food, the Word of God, that can save them from a fate worse than death. How can we withhold God’s Word from those who desperately need it?
Many Christians at one time had a zeal for God and a burden for souls. But today they are caught up in worldly activities and have lost that zeal. I believe that God wants to use this summer’s SOS outreach to restore this fervor in many of His people. Jesus is coming soon! Let’s get our hearts right with God and get busy doing the work He has commanded us to do: investing our lives winning souls for His Kingdom.
We need your help!
We have printed 2500 posters and 15,000 bulletin inserts to let people know about SOS‑San Francisco. Please help us get this literature to churches, Christian bookstores, and Bible schools in your area. Also, you can give them out at Christian concerts and other events. A response sheet has been enclosed to order literature. Also, talk with your pastor, youth pastor, and Christian friends and encourage them to get involved. Set aside the week of July 7-15 to attend the SOS outreach and bring a friend.
We have enclosed a registration form with this newsletter. Free housing is available at Park Presidio Bible Church. Bring a sleeping bag and foam pad. If you prefer, we can send you hotel information. We will be serving breakfast and lunch starting Monday July 10. If you live in the Bay Area and must work, you may join us at night and on weekends. Please call, write, or e‑mail us if you have any questions. See the bulletin insert enclosed with this newsletter for more outreach details.
Coming Events
Note: All outreaches are subject to change. Call (510) 531‑5325 the day before to confirm outreaches or for more information.
Friday May 5, 12, 19 7:30 – 10 PM. Witnessing in various S.F. neighborhoods. (Call us for meeting location and directions.)
Sat.May 6 and 13. San Francisco Worship Rally. 12‑1 PM Powell and Market St. 2‑4 PM Union Square (Powell and Geary St.)
Sat. May 20. Berkeley Outreach. 1:30‑5:30 PM. Telegraph and Haste St.
July 7-15 SOS-San Francisco. Set aside this week to attend this important outreach to the people of San Francisco.
On the Streets
Each month, we hold three outreaches on Friday night and three on Saturday afternoon. On Friday night, we witness at one of seven San Francisco neighborhoods: Fisherman’s Wharf, Broadway St., the Tenderloin, Haight St., Union St., Polk St. and Castro St. On Friday March 10, we were joined at Fisherman’s Wharf by twelve Christians from Lewelling Community Church in San Leandro. They sang and performed some drama skits. We had several good conversations that night. I spoke with Robert, a marine from New Orleans. He was raised in a Pentecostal Holiness church. He had been drinking, but was open to having a personal relationship with God that wasn’t based upon legalism. I also spoke with Cindy. She was sitting on a bench, crying. She had learned that day that her father had died. She said her father was a born-again Christian. However, she was addicted to crack and alcohol. I prayed with her and referred her to a Christian drug rehab program. Also, Eric spoke with Ian. Ian has lived on the streets for three years and has been to the Prodigal Project. He is addicted to alcohol and heroin. Please pray for Robert, Cindy and Ian.
On Saturday afternoon, we hold two outreaches in San Francisco and one in Berkeley each month. In San Francisco, we usually hold an outreach from noon to 1 PM at Powell and Market St. This is the busiest location in the city, filled with thousands of people from every nation. We used to get six hour permits here, but now our permits are limited to one hour. So we tear down our PA system at 1 PM and set it up a second time at Union Square, three blocks away at Powell and Geary St. We usually minister there from 2 to 4 PM. This is also an excellent location. Almost every weekend, this park is filled with dozens of art exhibits that attract hundreds of people.
Once a month, we hold a rally in Berkeley, three blocks from the University of California at Telegraph and Haste St. Here, we witness to thousands of people each month. One Berkeley Police officer has opposed our work since 1988 and recently threatened to arrest us. He used to attend a Foursquare Church but has apparently turned away from God. He has spent many hours monitoring our events but has not yet cited us.
We have had no problem with the San Francisco Police Department since August, 1998, when they cited me and confiscated our sound system for a year. After a four day hearing last spring, Judge Mason ruled that the San Francisco police were enforcing the law in a discriminatory manner and ordered the charges dismissed. In February, 1997, Eric Livingston was arrested for preaching at the Chinese New Year Parade. Judge Burleigh has twice dismissed the charges, but the District Attorney has appealed the matter twice. A hearing on the appeal was held on February 18, but a ruling has not yet been issued. Because the San Francisco police do not warn us before arresting us, we never know when they will arrest us or confiscate our sound system.
I have also begun teaching a weekly Bible study each Tuesday at 1 PM at the Prodigal Project house at 509 Ashbury St., SF. We invite youth from Haight St. to come to the house for lunch and a Bible study. Thirty unsaved youth aged 14-25 have attended the Bible study during the past three weeks. The Prodigal Project has a ranch in Mendocino County with a one year Bible school for those who are serious about serving God. I am excited about this new ministry.
During the past year, we have given out about 200,000 gospel tracts. We have preached the gospel to about 500,000 people from dozens of nations. Please pray for those who have prayed with us, or have written us in response to tracts this past year, including the following people: Cindy, Ian, Robert, Jennifer, Flora, Bob, Dale, Chris, Matt, Adam, Domingo, Giovanni, Anthony, Carlos, Mark, Stephen, Benjamin, Timothy, Lorene, Charles, Amy, Cynthia, Timothy, Enetra, Calvin, Andre, Christy, George, Marcus, Laurence, Yolanda, Dimitri, T.C., Ralph, Craig, Guy, Nancy, Frank, Salvatore, Nikki, Lorrie, and Ming (SF), Iola and Peggy (Oakland), Kevin (Daly City), Sal (South San Francisco), Mauricio (Hayward), Angela (Petaluma), Jennifer (San Bruno), Jill (Woodside), Marc (Sunnyvale), Emma (Brentwood), Delia (San Leandro), Dana (San Jose), Willie (Sacramento), Armando, Lucy, Jessica, Jacki, Margaret and Lucy (Lake Elsinore, CA), Chandra (San Luis Obispo), Mike and Robert (LA), Rob (Texas), Greg (Atlanta), Qing (Louisville, KY), Abenaide (Miami, FL), Anthony (Knox, IN), James (Dublin, CA prison), Pablo (Reprisa, CA prison), Joseph (PA prison), Richard (IN jail), Richard (TN prison), and Vijay (Middlesex, England).
Ministry Needs
Many of you haven’t received a newsletter from us since last year. Please let us know on the enclosed response card if you want to continue receiving our newsletter.
Last fall, after speaking on KFAX radio, I received a call from Bill Lane of Gloryworks.com. He offered to design a web site for our ministry. It is almost finished, and I hope it will be ready by the time you get this newsletter. Check it out at www.sosmin.com. Also, if you have a color printer, you can print out a full-color version of our poster at www.newstracts.org/sos.
Once again, we want to thank you for your prayers and financial support for this ministry. We need to print 200,000 gospel tracts to give out this summer. We need a roofer to replace the roof of our ministry house. We also need a newer van to transport our house members and sound system to outreaches. Our 1973 Chevy van has engine problems.
My mother is now 83. She almost died last month from pneumonia. Over the past 30 years, she has gotten angry with me every time I witnessed to her. Yesterday, I called a friend from Indianapolis, Pastor Roger Holloway, and asked if he would visit her. He was able to talk with her about Jesus and even prayed with her! She told him she attended several churches and read the Bible when she was young, but couldn’t believe in miracles. Please pray for her salvation.
Please pray that God will send Christians to join us for our Friday night and Saturday afternoon outreaches. Pray that many people will be saved at these outreaches. Also, please pray for us as we prepare for this summer’s SOS-San Francisco outreach, that God will work out every detail.
Our Tape of the Month is ABC’s of Street Evangelism by Ron Radachy. Ron is Director of The Oasis in Hollywood, CA and organizes an annual SOS-Hollywood outreach each June. This is an excellent introductory teaching on street witnessing. I am also offering my book, You Shall Be My Witnesses: How to Reach Your City for Christ. This 140 page book gives a history of SOS Ministries and contains a variety of teachings relating to street evangelism. Again, I urge you to get involved in some kind of evangelism outreach in your own community and to join us for this summer’s SOS outreach, July 7-15. If you live in this area, I hope you will join us for one of our outreaches this next month.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
