August 1994
SOS-San Francisco Outreach Report
Once again I am faced with the impossible task of describing this year’s SOS-San Francisco outreach. About 400 Christians were involved this year, with about 50 staying for the entire week. Christians came from Minnesota, Washington, Oregon and California. This year we tried to work with as many local churches as possible. We had worship groups from seven local churches and messages from four local pastors. We also joined with many other churches through the March for Jesus. On Friday night, we opened the outreach with a joint prayer meeting with the March in which hundreds of local Christians participated.
Bill Henderson from Soldiers for Jesus and Sondra Berry Young joined us the first weekend. Bill preached at Dolores Park and Union Square. Several people prayed to receive Christ at Dolores Park, including Miguel, who came to our meeting that night. We also had an extended time of intercession the first weekend. An hour after our peaceful outreach at Dolores Park ended, thousands of angry lesbians converged on the park.
On Sunday afternoon, as I was riding home from church, I fell asleep. When I awoke, my two eyes couldn’t focus together. I called a nurse who said it was probably caused by stress. The condition lasted through the night, but fortunately I was OK the next day. This had never happened to me before, and was pretty scary.
On Tuesday, West Heights Christian Church led a rally at Civic Center, in front of City Hall. As soon as we arrived, we saw a man with AIDS who had received Christ the last time West Heights had ministered at Powell St. He said he was still following the Lord. One brother walked up to a man with his leg in a brace and asked to pray for him. He took off his brace and was able to walk, but his leg was still swollen. He prayed again and the swelling went down noticeably. That night, a team went to Haight Street and met a young man named Christian. Christian was 18, was following the Grateful Dead band, had an abusive father, and had been an alcoholic since he was 14. Despite this, he had a sweet spirit and a sister allowed him to sleep in her car that night. He came to the Wednesday morning meeting. That afternoon, he entered a Christian discipleship program in Modesto.
On Wednesday, Bethel Church led the outreach at the Embarcadero. A huge crowd of about 1000 people, mostly businessmen, listened to the gospel during their lunch time. We gave out 150 New Testaments that day. New Song, a children’s ministry from Vallejo, ministered that afternoon and on Friday at Union Square. On Thursday, Chuck Girard ministered at Civic Center. A dozen people stood on the balcony outside the Mayor’s office at City Hall to listen as Chuck sang. On Friday night, three people who had dedicated their lives to Christ that afternoon came to the meeting and later entered the Victory Outreach program in San Jose. Please pray for Billy, Sam and Dawn.
Saturday morning, approximately 5000-7000 Christians joined the March for Jesus, marching from the Embarcadero to the Civic Center. It was a powerful display of Christian unity. Our SOS outreach workers gave out hundreds of tracts to people along the parade route.
On Saturday morning, I still did not have a group to complete our outreach at Dolores Park that afternoon. At 10 AM, I got a call from Kyle, who was the leader of a 70 person youth choir from Cedar Park Church in Bothell, WA. He had been in a gymnasium in Sacramento when a Christian came in and told him about SOS-San Francisco. Kyle had been trying to reach us for three days when I answered the phone. Yes, they would be happy to minister at Dolores Park that afternoon!
When we arrived at Dolores Park, a hundred Indians and New Agers were performing an occultic fertility ritual right next to us, beating drums so loud we could hardly be heard. Our sound board had overheated from excessive use so we couldn’t turn it up. West Heights Christian Church ministered the best they could under these difficult circumstances. Then Kyle’s group arrived with a gigantic P.A. system. They were really excited about this opportunity to minister in San Francisco. Please pray that they would be able to join us for the entire week of SOS next year.
That night, eight of the portable toilets used by the March for Jesus were torched with gasoline, either by the homeless or some anti-Christian group. On Sunday morning, many in the S F area (including myself) were awakened at 1 AM by an earthquake centered in Berkeley. It was only a 4 point quake, but I could not imagine an 8 point quake, 10,000 times stronger!
Please pray for those we mentioned above, that they would continue to grow spiritually. New believers often face intense spiritual attacks, as Satan seeks to entice them to return to their old ways. Please pray for all those who responded to the gospel during the week, including the following: Tony, Inger, James, Ken, Ricky, Jerry, Dan, Joven, Adriana (age 6), Alba (age 8), Malcolm, Dawn, Shirley, Oscar, Kevin, Rufus, Wayne, Luis, Richard L., Michael, Liesel, Tony, Jose A., Luna, Jose R., Robert, Halven, Charlotte, Romy, Stanley, Bobby, Terry, Vitelio, Jay, David, DeWayne, Richard F., Paul. Also for those who wrote in response to tracts: Janice, Elise, York, Ofelia, and Dante (Vacaville prison). Janice wrote us: “I was thankful that I received this tract. I needed to receive Jesus and I would like to receive some Christian material.” Please pray also for Pastor David Slentz of Christian Life Mission who will be leading the follow-up effort.
One final testimony–Right before the outreach, Paul Coca received a call from Michael, whom he had prayed with two months before at Powell St. Michael was an atheist, as was his father and grandfather. But that Sunday he was wondering if there is a God so he decided to walk into a church. The pastor saw him coming and slammed the church door. Michael thought perhaps God doesn’t want him and was planning to commit suicide as he approached Powell St. and heard the worship music. Paul saw the tears in his eyes and approached him and started witnessing to him. He prayed with him and got his phone number but forgot to follow up on him. But right before the SOS outreach, Michael called Paul. He said he had gone to jail to take care of some warrants and had quit cigarettes, womanizing and drugs. He was attending the Assembly of God church in Fremont and was planning to attend Bible college. He was also witnessing to his friends. He brought a friend who was dying of cancer to church and she got saved.
There is no way to know the full impact of an outreach like SOS- San Francisco. Surely, hundreds of people were saved or will be saved as a result of the witness they received during the week. Tens of thousands of gospel seeds were planted through tracts, personal witness, and people hearing the music and preaching at the various rallies. Then, there is the ministry to those who participated in the outreach. They received training and encouragement to witness boldly for Jesus in their own community and wherever God sends them. And there is the effect in the spiritual realm of the concerted prayer, worship, and evangelism directed towards this city. And the breaking down of denominational barriers as Christians from different churches join together to fulfill the Great Commission.