ISEMA Newsletters
Multiplying Your Ministry
By Larry Rosenbaum
When I first came to San Francisco 14 years ago, I knew only that God had called me to witness to the people of that city. I rented a room, got a part-time job to support myself, and went witnessing on the streets at every spare moment. I started attending a local church that was known for being evangelistic. They had a full-time minister of evangelism and most of the people in that church had completed an extensive evangelism training program. As I met people in church, I would invite them to go witnessing with me. Usually they would agree, and we would set a time and meeting place. Almost every time, the person wouldn’t show up. Finally, I realized that most of these Christians, even though they had received a lot of teaching on evangelism, had virtually no experience witnessing to strangers and were terribly afraid to do this.
I continued witnessing on the streets, mostly by myself, but my real desire was to see more Christians involved in evangelism. I read in Ephesians 4 that the job of the evangelist was to equip the church to do the work of the ministry, not to try to do it all himself. I knew Jesus had told us to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest field, so I continued to pray for laborers.
Over the next few years, God began to answer this prayer in an amazing way. I can’t tell you everything that happened in this short article, but first God showed me to start doing outside evangelistic concerts in downtown San Francisco. We had a wonderful response from unbelievers and many Christians expressed an interest in this kind of outreach. Several pastors wanted to bring groups from their church. Before long, we were doing outreaches every six weeks with 100-200 Christians. In January, 1980, twenty pastors and evangelists met to plan the first SOS- San Francisco outreach for August 16-24. About 1500 Christians participated in this outreach. Every day and night we sent teams of Christians throughout the city to witness. We had major rallies every day in a downtown park or plaza. We gave out half a million tracts. Everywhere people went that week in San Francisco, they were likely to run into Christians who would witness to them about Christ.
SOS-San Francisco is now in its tenth year. Last fall, I started a new ministry called Bay Area Outreach Ministries to help San Francisco Bay Area churches do outreaches to reach their communities. In the next two months, we will be doing outreaches in nine different Bay Area cities, working with different local churches in all these outreaches. Dozens of city-wide outreaches have been patterned after SOS-San Francisco. Dozens of evangelism ministries have been started by those who participated in SOS outreaches or read my book, You Shall Be My Witnesses.
As I read what I just wrote, it sounds like I’m boasting. Paul had that same problem in 2 Corinthians, as he related the ways God had used him. I write these things not to boast in myself but in the Lord. God has given each of you gifts and He wants to use many of you in far greater ways than He has used me. I am well aware of my faults and weaknesses and I know that if God can use me, He can use anyone.
When I came to San Francisco in 1975, I had no concept of starting a ministry. I just wanted to see the city reached with the gospel and I knew I couldn’t do very much by myself. I want to challenge you to multiply your ministry. Pray for laborers. Look for ways to get other Christians involved in evangelism. Start with your own church. You’ll get a lot of rejection but don’t give in to discouragement. Your ministry may involve discipling one believer at a time in evangelism or it may involve groups of believers. Be consistent–set aside a regular time and place for outreach and go out whether anyone else comes or not, rain or shine. God honors faithfulness. “Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not” Gal. 6:9.
Coming Events
MAY 25-28 INDIANAPOLIS 500 OUTREACH $15-40. Contact No Greater Love Box 263, DuQuoin, IL 62932, (618) 542-4503 or Christ in Action, Box 41848, Chicago, IL 60641, (312) 736-1400.
JUNE 14-AUGUST 16 OUTREACH TO UTAH AND MORMON MIRACLE PAGEANT $460 incl. food, travel, housing. Contact Mission: Utah, Box 511124, Salt Lake City, UT 84151.
JUNE 17-AUGUST 26 VINEYARD INSTITUTE OF URBAN MINISTRIES Evangelism training and practical application. Contact Michael Flowers, Box 1127, San Francisco, CA 94101, (415) 558-9900.
JUNE 21-25 LOMPOC FLOWER FESTIVAL OUTREACH. Contact Box 554, Lompoc, CA 93438, (805) 736-3964.
JUNE 18-JULY 2 BASIC TRAINING CAMP $150. Training in evangelism, discipleship and Christian living. Contact BASIC Institute, Box 431, Kiln, MS 39556, (601) 255-9251.
JUNE 29-JULY 5 SOS-HOLLYWOOD Contact Holy Ghost Repair Service, Box 1590, Hollywood, CA 90078, (213) 469-3027.
JUNE 30-JULY 1 ST. LOUIS V.P. FAIR Contact No Greater Love (address above.)
JULY 1-5 CHICAGO OUTREACH ’89 Contact Rev. Fred Franks, Ill. Youth and College Ministries, Box 225, Carlinville, IL 62626, (217) 854-3261.
JULY 6-8 EAST ST. LOUIS OUTREACH Contact Rev. Fred Franks (address above.)
JULY 8-16 JESUS LOVES YOU-NEW YORK $300 incl. food, housing. Contact Abounding Grace Ministries, 1912 Richmond Terr., Staten Island, NY 10302, (718) 816-6626.
JULY 13-22 TWIN CITIES FOR JESUS, MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL Contact Forerunner Ministries, Box 1537, Redlands, CA 92374, (714) 886-1171.
JULY 19-22 JESUS IS LORD OVER SAN ANTONIO Contact Rev. David O’Dell, 3400 W Park Blvd #2117, Plano, TX 75075, (214) 519- 0195.
JULY 21-27 TIMES SQUARE CHURCH SUMMER EVANGELISM WORKSHOP Evangelism training and witnessing, New York City. Contact Don Wilkerson/Summer Outreach, 1995 Broadway #203, New York, NY 10023, (214) 963-8626.
JULY 23-AUGUST 6 MINERS DAYS, BIG BEAR LAKE,CA Contact Forerunner Ministries (address above.)
AUGUST 7-19 SOS-SAN FRANCISCO Guests include Chuck Girard. Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27054, San Francisco, CA 94127, (415) 552-2300.
FORWARD EDGE OUTREACHES (partial listing, contact them for complete list) Box 4976, Eureka, CA 95502, (707) 443-6315. NEW YORK CITY June 15-23 (with NY School of Urban Ministry and Francis Anfuso) $395; VIETNAM June 23-July 10 $2295; LEON, MEXICO CITY July 20-31 $895 ROSEBUD, SD SIOUX RESERVATION August 19-27 $395.
Ministry Needs
Five years ago, our SOS outreach in San Francisco was going very well. But God started speaking to me about helping those who were involved in evangelism in other places. Many had a desire to do evangelism, but didn’t know how to get started. Others were getting discouraged from lack of support from other Christians. Jonathan Gainsbrugh, whose book Take Him to the Streets had been a real help to me, encouraged me to write my own book. He also told me about a new organization being started, the International Street Ministries Association. He encouraged me to get involved, and I realized that God wanted me to do this. I attended the first National Street Ministries Conference in Dallas and was encouraged to see all the new ministries that were starting. God wanted to bring together evangelism ministries so we could help one another to be more effective in the work God has called us to do and to get more Christians involved in evangelism.
Since that time, God has enabled us to put on regional evangelism conferences around the country, to put out a monthly newsletter sharing news reports, teachings, and a schedule of major outreaches. We have recently put together a directory of evangelism ministries around the world. Things have not always been easy for us but God has shown us that if we would be faithful in doing the work He has given us, He would bless it and ISEMA would become all that He wants us to be. Please pray for us that we will persevere and that we will be sensitive to His direction for us.
Our Tape of the Month is a teaching I did called “Starting a Street Witnessing Team.” We are also offering my 140 page book, You Shall Be My Witnesses: How to Reach Your City for Christ. It contains a more complete history of SOS Ministries and teachings on a wide variety of subjects related to evangelism. Finally, we are again offering the new International Street and Evangelism Ministry Directory, a listing of 400 ministries around the world. Again we want to thank you for your prayers and financial support for ISEMA. Keep praying for us. Until next month—
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum