ISEMA Newsletters
Year End Special Report
Servant Evangelism
Six years ago, Steve Sjogren began a Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Cincinnati with 35 people. He felt the church would grow to 1000 people one day, but people seemed very unreceptive to the gospel. One day as he was sitting in a restaurant, having been rejected again in an attempt to witness, he felt God speak to him, “If you will befriend my friends then you’ll have more people than you know what to do with.”
From this came the idea of “servant evangelism,” serving the community as a means of opening hearts to the gospel. First, they organized an “absolutely free car wash.” After washing the person’s car, they would ask if they could pray for any need the person had. Almost everyone accepted the offer. Over the past six years they have tried over 40 creative types of outreaches. Last year they ministered to over 60,000 people. Their church has grown to over 1600 in six years.
Once they were doing a “Free Lawn Care” outreach. One man was watching TV and they asked if they could mow his lawn. He said yes, so they mowed it in half an hour. Afterwards, they asked if he had any need they could pray about. He said, No. But they felt they should persist and prayed, “Come Holy Spirit and touch this man’s pain, whatever it is.” The man immediately started to weep, and kept crying for several minutes. They he shared how his son had been arrested the previous night. He had stolen a car to pay for drugs.
A Vineyard pastor in Toledo has photo teams that walk around a park offering to take pictures of families free–“just because God loves you.” On the back of each picture is a sticker with the church’s address and phone number. According to Sjogren, the pastor needs to set an example. “Most pastors I know aren’t natural evangelists. However, we have all been called to do the work of an evangelist. Your people will listen to all you teach and talk about, but they really won’t do more than you as the primary leader do….It’s exciting to consider the sort of impact a church could make if it’s organized to serve its way into the hearts of the community.
Rescue Atlanta
from the Rescue Atlanta Newsletter, Box 965039, Marietta, GA 30066, (404) 924-0201
What a powerful week of ministry as we reached out to the hurting here in the city of Atlanta….We had 80 people join us from 6 states…TUESDAY: After a morning of prayer, praise, and instruction, we headed downtown for a Praise & Prayer Rally on the steps of the State Capitol. This was an incredible event as the glory of the Lord fell on us all…We then sent teams out all across the downtown area with crosses, banners, signs and tracts. Later on that night we held an outdoor rally for the people in “Hutville.” Hutville is the place where the people live under the…overpass in small wooden huts….We pulled in the flatbed trailer, set up the sound system, fired up the grill, and then proceeded to have church and dinner on the grounds….Over 20 people responded for salvation, and afterwards we prayed for the sick.
WEDNESDAY: This was the day for the huge rally in Techwood/Clark Howell Homes. After working the neighborhood all day, we pulled the flatbed trailer onto the parking lot and began to set up for the rally. Our special guests were “Errick Redmond & The Challenge Team” from Greenville, South Carolina. These are friends of ours who do feats of strength to draw a crowd to reach the lost. An estimated crowd of over 1200 showed up of all ages!…Over 250 people responded to make Jesus their Lord….After the altar call, and a time of counseling, we celebrated together with dinner on the grounds. We had balloons and stickers for the children….
THURSDAY: We had to use our vans to mobilize over 150 kids in Techwood to a State Park….because our transportation fell through. Therefore we had to drop off our teams early in Techwood, and send our drivers to the State Park…Our outreach team stayed in the community and personally went door to door, and followed up in the homes of the 250 people who gave their lives to the Lord the previous night. Not only was the response overwhelming, but we were also able to lead many more people to the Lord, and pray for the sick and the needy.
FRIDAY: We held a follow up rally for everyone who had given their lives to the Lord. This was done in order to reaffirm their commitment to the Lord and to get them started on the basic foundational truths of the Bible. Even though the weather didn’t cooperate, we did have nearly 100 people show up for the rally.
Testimonies around the World
from the World Missionary Press (WMP) Newsletter, Box 120, New Paris IN 46553, (219) 831-2111.
In Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Albania, and Estonia, people are crying out for spiritual things. WMP is experiencing a time of “challenging frustration” as we try to respond to the endless need for Scripture literature. Holly Cannon, a student who distributed WMP literature in Russia, said, “Those Russian people are looking for the god with the most power, whether music, dress, or intellect.” We must quickly get the Word of God to them before the wall of materialism rises to separate them from God.
Holly also wrote: “A large part of my heart remains in Russia with a wide-eyed eight-year-old girl named Natasha who knew nothing about God before we came; with Svyeta, a woman whose parents were executed for being Christians; and with Rima, whose entire face changed from sadness to joy upon receiving a booklet. She expressed her gratefulness by giving me the bouquet of daffodils she was carrying.” WMP recently sent a ship container of over 2 million Russian and Ukranian Scripture booklets to Eastern Europe.
Zaire: I have been a Christian since January 1, 1992. I am 19. I did not know God existed until December 31, 1991 when a friend came and gave me a “Help from Above” tract in French and asked me to read it. When I was in bed I thought about what I had read during the day. The thought came to me that if God’s Son would come today, I would not have a part in His glory. From that time I got rid of all that wasn’t according to God’s will. I want you to know how your literature has blessed me. I want to know more about Jesus Christ. Send other booklets in French. I want to share them with others who don’t know the Lord.
Yugoslavia: The civil war in Yugoslavia has caused 300,000 people to be without homes. There are around 14 Baptist churches in the Croatian area. A number of them have been destroyed. Just last week a bus and trailer of food and relief were sent into that area where a children’s home with 200 children was without help. This is an open door to the gospel….We hope that the shipment of booklets for Yugoslavia will soon arrive so we can use them with the relief effort to see people come to the Lord in this area.
The Philippines: The booklet entitled “Satan versus Christ” has truly given me light and insight as I struggle myself from the satanic spirit. I have found my Savior…This beautiful booklet brought light to my life. I’m no longer a slave of Satan but a child of God.
China: I am sending some pictures from our trips into China…I thought you would especially like the picture of the Chinese girl re-reading the bilingual “How to Know God” booklet. I took it on a bus several hours west of Beijing. My friend and I gave everyone on the bus a booklet and the response was overwhelming. There was an immediate sense of love and acceptance from them all. We handed out hundreds of booklets in northern China, and there was always great joy from the people. But the greatest blessing came when we went back through the bus a little later and saw the people everywhere huddled together reading the booklets. It was as though they were reading every word of every page. The expressions of curiosity and joy on their faces I will never forget.
USA: Praise God for a class of 15 first-graders in Pennsylvania who raised $132.70 worth of nickels to send 3,582 Scripture booklets to people in Russia. They were inspired by the challenge that the price of a stick of chewing gum would produce and mail one topical Scripture booklet anywhere in the free world.
City Gate Opens Wide
from the Spokane, WA Spokesman-Review (9/12/92) by Beverly Vorpahl
City Gate’s new facility at S114 Madison is a great improvement over its previous store-front church across the street from the bus station. For one thing, the new place is bigger. But the need is also bigger, said the Rev. Kevin Ch’en, the pastor who has ministered to Spokane’s street people the past seven years….
One thing that’s happening is about one-third more street people drop into City Gate since the move at Easter. An average of 130 hungry people come four nights a week for a dinner of soup and sandwiches. The other night, 200 arrived looking for some food to eat and some place to rest. Twenty-five churches from nearly every denomination take turns supplying the simple meal, said Ch’en.
But he wants to do more than nourish bodies. He wants to spiritually feed their souls. Ch’en doesn’t force religion on others; he merely provides. Anyone is welcome to come into City Gate to eat, socialize or hear his sermons and sing the songs he plays on his guitar. They can come sober or drunk. City Gate accepts the people “where they are,” he said. He practices patience, hoping that if he waits long enough, his message about God will eventually be heard.
Ch’en knows all about the ache the street people live….He knows because he once walked in their shoes. As his teenage years unceremoniously ushered him into young adulthood, he had a drinking and drug problem and no bed to crawl into at night….It was his conversion in 1979 that now allows Ch’en, 36, to serve home less people rather than be served, he said.
Ed. note: Last week, I received a call from Pastor Kevin Ch’en, who sent me this article and other information about City Gate, a Spokane church for street people. City Gate operates a food and clothing bank and a drop-in center. They have church services five times weekly. They also offer travel assistance, counseling, discipleship, and Bible teaching. They have a vision one day to operate a short-term “Crash House” and longer term live-in discipleship houses. For more information, contact Pastor Kevin Ch’en, the City Gate, P O Box 7384, Spokane, WA 99207, (509) 455-9670.
Preach Across America
Scott Crawford and his family have recently returned to Willits, CA after a year in Kansas. Scott is one of the founders and a board member of SOS Ministries and the International Street and Evangelism Ministries Assn. (ISEMA) as well as Director of Evangelism for Jesus. According to Scott, “I plan to travel and preach extensively this winter in California. God has filled me with a fresh urgency because our country is experiencing the four judgments of a backslidden nation. These are, violence throughout the land, economic disaster, deadly disease and the loss of control over insects, animals and the environment.”
Scott believes the Lord has given him a vision to help organize an event called “Preach Across America” for the Summer of 1993. He is seeking to help mobilize hundreds of Christians to proclaim the gospel in as many cities and towns in our nation as possible next summer. “During my research for `Preach Across America,’ I discovered that there are approximately 6118 cities and towns in the U.S.A. The breakdown state by state reveals that most states have between 90 and 140 towns in them. A few have more–California has 222, New York 288, Ohio 289, Pennsylvania 215, and Texas 286. The interesting thing about these statistics is if we can get just 200 Christians involved, each one would only have to go to 31 towns. This could be done easily during the summer of 1993.
Now for the message. God’s Word only has three main messages. They are–Get saved through Jesus. Live holy through the Holy Spirit. And preach to others under the power of the Holy Spirit. Our message in cities therefore will be for the sinner to get saved and the church to repent, live holy, and get the gospel out to the people. This summer of preaching to America will be like Jonah preaching to Ninevah.”
A brochure for “Preach Across America” is enclosed with this newsletter. If you think God might be calling you to join this effort, contact Scott right away at 234 Alice Dr., Willits, CA 95490, (707) 459-9588. I am happy that Scott is back in the area and look forward to working with him in San Francisco and Northern California. Scott is also in need of financial support as he is seeking to minister full-time.
“The stress of ministering full time and living on inadequate finances finally got to me.” Scott wrote in a letter to supporters. “After 20 years of living on faith and ministering, I said, `The heck with this.’ and went to work. What a mistake that was. For me it was like backsliding. You just can’t minister full time and work full time too. Don’t take this wrong. I don’t think everyone is called to full time ministry. But if you are, you better not try to do anything else….I always resisted the idea that some were called to minister full time while others were called to send them. But, now I know that this is God’s plan because you can’t do both. We each have an equally important part.”
Fall River, MA Outreach
by Evangelist Robert W. Silling, 1105 Magruder Rd, Smithfield, VA 23430, (804) 357-5053.
This past Labor Day weekend, I had the privilege of going to Fall River, MA where I worked with Word of Life Christian Fellowship in doing a weekend of evangelistic outreach. When I got to Fall River, I found out that the church on the previous Saturday had canvassed the streets of the city, passing out flyers announcing the crusade to be held the Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend. The Saturday I was there, the church and I did more of the same. We passed out more crusade fliers, Gospels of John, tracts, and did one on one evangelism. Much of the city was evangelized that day thanks to a few zealous believers.
The Sunday afternoon crusade turned out just great. The choir of the First Pentecostal Church of Cranston, Rhode Island did a fantastic music presentation. Afterwards I delivered the word of the Lord found in 2 Tim. 2:8. Thanks to a good P.A. system, the word was carried throughout the park. There was a good crowd at the crusade, not counting those who happened to be at the park at the time of the meeting, who were sitting around or passing the time away.
I would like to make it known that I’m willing to come to your community and spend some days engaging in evangelistic outreach such as tract distribution, one on one witnessing, street preaching, open air meetings or crusades such as the one in Fall River. I am especially interested in doing outreaches in the summer of 1993. If interested contact me at the above address.
Coming Events
Sat. December 19 San Francisco Christmas Outreach, 3-6 PM. Meet at Powell Street BART Station. Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27358, Oakland, CA 94602, (510) 531-5325.
December 26-January 1. Florida Bowl Outreaches. Contact Rescue Atlanta, Box 965039, Marietta, GA 30066, (404) 924-0201.
December 31-January 1. Rose Parade Outreach, Pasadena, CA. Contact Sondra Berry Young Ministries, Box 3044, Newport Beach, CA 92659, (714) 650-0525.
January 21- February 1. Russia Outreach. $995 for air, food and lodging from New York. Ministry in schools, prisons, streets. Contact Jeannie Griffin immediately through her secretary Dianne, (615) 833-5056.
February 19-24. Mardi Gras Outreach, New Orleans, LA. Contact Heart Fire Ministries, Box 14031, Milwaukee, WI 53214, (414) 445- 9490 or Christ in Action, Box 100, Chatsworth, GA 30705, (404) 695-1868.
February 20-21. Mardi Gras Outreach, Galveston, TX. RSVP by Feb. 12 for overnight housing. Contact Pastor John Elliott, Gulf Coast Christian Center, Box 143, Hitchcock, TX 77563, (713) 337-4364 or (409) 986-7889.
March 19-20. South Texas Street Ministers Conference, San Antonio, TX. Workshops in English and Spanish. Contact Rev. David O’Dell, 3400 W. Park Blvd. #2117, Plano, TX 75075, (214) 519- 0195.
A Final Word
Scott Crawford’s frank confession reminds me of the dilemma most street evangelists share. Many of us know God has called us to full-time street ministry but we hate to say anything about our financial needs, especially after seeing the dishonest, manipulative tactics of certain “ministers” who have raised millions of dollars for their personal gain. Most mission boards will not send out a missionary unless he or she has raised $30-50,000 per year in personal support, and many have even more support. Yet hundreds of full-time missionaries in this country live on far less. I believe the answer is for Christians to direct their giving where it will do the most good. We need to stop supporting those who are living extravagantly and start supporting those who live simply and use the funds they receive wisely to get the gospel to the lost.
I’m sure many Christians are disappointed with the results of the U.S. election (to put it mildly). Our nation has certainly turned far from God. Several TV commentators were blaming the President’s loss on the “Christian right.” We are probably witnessing the most rapid spiritual decline a nation has undergone in world history. It is very painful for us as Christians to see this happen to our nation. It is also terrible to see the epidemic of divorce among Christians, as well as the number of Christians caught up in various sins. We must remember that the scriptures did predict this: “In the last days it is going to be very diffi cult to be a Christian. For people will love only themselves and their money…and will think nothing of immorality….They have dirty minds, warped and twisted, and have turned against the Christian faith” (2 Tim. 3: 1-8 LB). It would seem that only terrible moral and economic conditions would lead the world to submit to the Antichrist.
What are we to do in such times? We must draw close to the Lord, live holy lives, minister to our families, and seek to reach the world with the Gospel. Political involvement and protests are no substitute for evangelism and should not take precedence over evangelism. When the world rejects Christian values, it means Christ’s return is near. When people reject the Gospel, we need to keep reaching out to them with God’s love. Some will come to the end of themselves and ultimately will be saved. Finally, we must remember that we are strangers and pilgrims in this land, and that our citizenship is in heaven.
I hope you were encouraged, as I was, reading the testimonies in this newsletter–from Rescue Atlanta and around the world–as well as the report on Servant Evangelism from Cincinnati. Two encouraging events occurred in September. “See you at the Pole” on Thursday September 17 brought as many as three million Christian high school students together for a morning prayer at their school’s flagpole. On Sunday September 20, Christians from over 60,000 churches in over 70 denominations sought to do a survey and witness door-to-door in every home in America as part of the National Evangelistic Census. One organizer called it the “single largest mobilization of Christians in the history of the country.” Several other nations also participated in the survey.
It is easy to get discouraged, thinking that Christians are doing little to evangelize the world, but actually much more is happening than any of us know. One purpose of this newsletter is to let you know some of what is happening around the world. I need your help to do this. Please send us reports of the evangelistic events you know about — both those that have already happened and those that are going to happen — so others can be informed and encouraged.
Our Tape of the Month is Open Air Preaching by Scott Crawford. One of the most common themes in the Bible is the open proclamation of God’s Word in public places. This teaching will help you get started or become more effective preaching the Gospel. Also, cassette tapes and some video tapes of the National Street Minis tries Conference are available by writing Scott Hinkle, Box 380306, Duncanville, TX 75138 and requesting an order form. I urge you to listen to the messages by David Wilkerson. I did not attend the conference, but have heard these tapes. Much thanks to Scott Hinkle for allowing us to put out ISEMA literature at the conference. Over fifty new people signed up to receive this newsletter. We welcome you who are new ISEMA newsletter readers. Please send us reports of what is happening in your community and let us know how we can help you.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
