A New Decade of Street Ministry
Dear Christian Friends,
During the Jesus Movement of the 1970’s, there was a lot of street evangelism. Young people who had been recently been saved out of drugs, sexual immorality, and Eastern religion were zealous to witness to others about Jesus. I was saved in Portland, Oregon in 1970. At the time I was living in a Christian ministry house called Shiloh. Two months after I was saved, we stopped working at our agricultural job to witness full-time on the streets. During the winter, it rained almost every day. We walked around downtown Portland and passed out gospel tracts for hours. I would stand on the street in the rain, peeling off wet gospel tracts and offering them to business men! Amazingly, a lot of people took them. We also invited young travelers to our house for dinner and a nightly Bible study. Quite a few people joined us and, at times, we saw at least one person radically saved every day.
The Jesus Movement ended around 1978, but some Jesus Movement veterans began street ministries in the 1980’s. Many cities around the country had ministries that witnessed in busy areas and at special events. Christians from many locations joined together to witness at events like the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Rose Parade in Pasadena, and the Super Bowl. These outreaches are still going on. We had a Street Ministry Association and a National Street Ministry Conference which drew 1000 Christians each year.
After the Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart scandals of the late 1980’s, there was a sharp decline in financial contributions to street ministries. Many street ministries closed down. Others changed their direction. Christians, it seemed, did not want to support “pure evangelism” but they would support a ministry that was helping with people’s physical needs as well as witnessing to them. Almost every street ministry started to focus on helping the homeless or drug addicts. Some got government funding as “faith-based” organizations. Often, a ministry that focuses on the poor will get so caught up meeting physical needs that they neglect or even reject evangelism.
The last time I attended the National Street Ministry Conference in the early 1990’s, I was surprised to learn that we were virtually the only ministry there that did not focus exclusively on reaching the poor. When we witness at a place like UN Plaza, with lots of poor people, we see a far greater response to the gospel. God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith (James 2:5). We need to continue witnessing to them. Many Christians find it satisfying to walk up to a homeless person at UN Plaza and offer him a sandwich. He clearly appreciates it. It is often easy to talk with him about Jesus. He may even pray with you. It is far less satisfying to try to witness to middle-class people who often act like you don’t exist. But there are dozens of places that offer free food to the homeless. Many if not most of the homeless in UN Plaza hear the gospel several times a month. Quite a few Christian ministries focus on this place. We don’t witness for our own personal satisfaction but rather to please God and reach the lost.
Unlike the people in UN Plaza, 95% of the people in San Francisco and Berkeley almost never hear the gospel. In many of the places where we witness, we are the only Christians who witness there. It is much more difficult witnessing to tourists at Fisherman’s Wharf and intellectuals in Berkeley. They also need to hear the gospel. They may pretend they have no needs, but we know that they need salvation as much as anyone. Who will go with us?
Redeeming the Time
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5: 15-17). Many Christians drift through life with no clear understanding of God’s will. Sometimes we think of God’s will as a mysterious thing, but the greatest part of God’s plan for our lives is clearly revealed in scripture. First, God desires that we will know Him. Second, He wants us to make Him known to others.
How much time should we give to evangelism? The average Jehovah’s Witness spends four hours a week spreading their false message. They go to work each day, spend time with their families, and are involved in “church” activities, but still find time to “witness.” Should we do less than they with the true gospel? They are also persistent–it takes them about 16 years to make a single convert!
We find time for the things that are important to us. But are our priorities the same as God’s? For most Christians, evangelism is at the bottom of their list of priorities. As we enter into a new decade, let us reevaluate our priorities, making time for the things that really matter. Let us redeem the time (make the most of every opportunity), find out what God wants us to do, and give ourselves to His work.
If you live in the SF area and are not presently involved in some kind of evangelism, consider joining us once a week, either on Friday night or Saturday afternoon. If you are timid about witnessing, come out with us and pray for the other workers. One easy way to start witnessing is by passing out gospel tracts. If you make yourself available, God will use you, giving you boldness and an anointing to witness for Him. If you don’t live in this area, look for an evangelism ministry in your area that you can work with. One good way to find a street ministry, for example, in Dallas, is to do an internet search for “Dallas street evangelism” or something similar to that. The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Jesus is coming soon, and we need to make an extra effort to bring in an abundant harvest before He returns.
Coming Events
Note: Outreaches are subject to change. Call (510) 761-6120 to confirm outreaches or for more information.
Friday February 12, 19, 26 Witnessing in San Francisco neighborhoods. 7:30 – 10 PM (Call for location.)
Saturday February 13, 20, 27 San Francisco or Berkeley Evangelism Outreach (outreach location depends on weather. Call Sat. from 8-10 AM for location.)
Ministry Needs
Thank you again for your prayers and financial support for this ministry. We have three openings in our Oakland ministry house. We are looking for men in their 20’s or 30’s who are spiritually strong and are committed to evangelism. We need to train younger believers in evangelism – to reach a new generation and help us continue this work of evangelizing San Francisco and Berkeley. We are also open to having older Christian men live in this house. Please pray that God will bring the right people for our house. It is very difficult to do these outreaches with such a small outreach team.
We have a new ministry phone number: 510-761-6120. This number rings on my cell phone and our internet phone, making me easier to reach. We are getting rid of a landline phone (510-531-5325), which will save us $35 a month. Our CD of the Month is Raising Up Frontline Leaders by Sonny Arguinzoni. Sonny is founder and director of Victory Outreach, a worldwide network of churches ministering primarily to drug addicts and gang members.
Yours in His Love,
Larry Rosenbaum