April, 2012 | SOS Ministries

April 2012

Sowing Gospel Seeds

Paul Coca and Valley Springs youth ministered at Washington Square last summer.

After 30 years, we can’t get permits there any more.

Dear Christian friends,

When people enquire about living in our evangelism house, we send them some information about our ministry, in addition to an application form. Recently, I decided to add this section to the information sheet, in order to help people understand what it is we do on the streets, and why. I thought you would be interested in reading what I wrote:

The central focus of our ministry is our Friday night and Saturday afternoon evangelism outreaches. On Friday nights, we witness in different neighborhoods of San Francisco. We choose locations primarily because they have lots of people. Each neighborhood is different. We witness to everyone – rich or poor, young or old, immigrants and tourists from almost every country on earth. We normally use a small amplifier on Friday night for music, preaching, and sharing testimonies. Most of the time, we pass out gospel tracts and try to get into conversations about Jesus with non-Christians.

On Saturday afternoons, we witness either in San Francisco or Berkeley. We usually have permits to set up a PA system in a park or on a street corner. We either have Christian bands or individual musicians to play music. Sometimes churches bring their worship band or youth drama team. We try whenever possible to work with local churches. A large part of our ministry is encouraging other Christians to witness boldly for Christ.

When we preach, we try to share the gospel in as loving and gentle way as possible, without compromising the message. We also use banners and signs that challenge people to think about Jesus, such as “God resists the proud and helps the humble” or “Open your heart to Jesus.” We have learned that playing music, especially worship music, helps create a spiritual atmosphere in which non-Christians sense the presence of God and become more receptive to the gospel. Both San Francisco and Berkeley have a lot of residents who are quite hostile to Christianity. Many are well-educated. So we try to give them good reasons for trusting in Christ, and help them see their sinful condition and need for a savior.

One of the most important things we can do on the streets is giving out gospel tracts. A person walking down the street may hear only a brief excerpt of our preaching or music. They probably will read our signs, but they don’t present the whole gospel message. A few are willing to stop and talk with us, but most do not. But many people will take a gospel tract, and read it later. That is why we use gospel tracts that are written in an intelligent way to relate to the people of the San Francisco area, and that explain the gospel clearly. They also contain our contact information and a coupon people can mail in to get more information.

Every year, we sow many thousands of gospel seeds on the streets. These seeds need to be “watered” and eventually some will bear fruit in that a person will be saved. We sow in faith, trusting God to work in people’s lives and save some. Most of the fruit of our labors we will not see until we are in Heaven. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” 1 Cor. 3:6,7. We need to be content to take the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, leaving the results to God. We walk by faith, not by sight, and trust that God is working in people’s lives, regardless of what we see or don’t see.

Our ministry is more of a “seed ministry” than a “need ministry.” A “need ministry” is focused upon meeting the felt needs of people and using this to provide an opening to share the gospel with them. One common example is giving out food to the homeless. We sometimes have groups that provide food or clothing for the homeless, as part of a gospel witness. But this is not our main focus of outreach, and is not suitable for all neighborhoods. It is more difficult to find a way to meet the “felt needs” of middle class or wealthy people. After Jesus fed the multitudes, a lot of people followed Him for the free food. He told them, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” John 6:27.

In a “need ministry” it is easy for Christians to find personal satisfaction in the grateful appreciation of poor people in having some of their felt needs met. This encourages us to continue ministering. In a “seed ministry” we can easily get discouraged by the opposite response—rejection and hostility towards the gospel message. While we often experience joy when we witness, we need to remember that our purpose for ministry is not our own personal pleasure. It is to please God and bring the gospel to people who desperately need Christ, whether they realize it or not.

The decision to repent of one’s sins and trust in Christ is a very serious one, and not one to be made casually. That is why we do not try to pressure a person to make an immediate profession of faith. I have known evangelists who were good salesmen. They could talk almost anyone into repeating a “sinner’s prayer.” But few of these people showed any evidence of being true converts. Often, they became more resistant to future attempts to witness to them. Many of them told us, “I tried that and it didn’t work.”

We are a team ministry. Normally, we all witness in the same area. That way, we can help one another and encourage one another. By working together, we can accomplish more than we can as individuals. We can help establish a Christian atmosphere in one location where the Holy Spirit will draw people to Christ. “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” Matt. 18:20.

Some of you may have no previous experience in street evangelism. Others may have experience with a different kind of outreach. Witnessing to strangers involves overcoming fear and getting out of our “comfort zone.” Nobody likes to be rejected, but we will experience rejection if we do evangelism. We must learn not to take it personally. It is easier to witness to homeless people and drug addicts, because they often realize their lives are in trouble. Middle-class people are often less aware of any need to change their lives, but we need to help them see their need for a savior. Everyone needs Jesus, whether they realize it or not.

On the streets, we usually do not have time to develop a friendship with someone before witnessing to them. Nonetheless, we often are able to get into productive conversations with people about Christ. Learning to witness is a life-long process – one for which we will reap eternal rewards. We will make mistakes, but we can learn from them. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” Gal. 6:9.

While the gospel message never changes, sometimes our methods need to change. We welcome and will prayerfully consider new ideas for how to be more effective in reaching unbelievers with the gospel. “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” 1 Corin. 9:22.

Coming Events

Note: Outreaches are subject to change. Call (510) 282-5629 to confirm outreaches or for more information.

Friday April 13, 20, 27 7:30 – 10 PM Witnessing in San Francisco neighborhoods.

Sat. April 14 12:30-4:30 PM Berkeley Outreach (Telegraph & Haste St.)

Sat. April 21 12-4 PM San Francisco Outreach (5^th St. and Market)

Sat. April 28 11 AM – 1 PM San Francisco Outreach, Fisherman’s Wharf (Jefferson St. near Mason) 3-5 PM Union Square (Powell & Geary St.)

Ministry News

“I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” (NLT) Isaiah 65:24. Often, I send out prayer requests with this newsletter. Occasionally, the prayer is answered before the newsletter is even mailed out!

On Friday February 17 I was printing out our March newsletter. In it, I asked for prayer that we would once again get permits in Berkeley. We had not been able to get permits there since last November, when there was a fire across the street from the place where we minister. I had called city officials numerous times, but nobody could give me even an estimate as to when we would be able to get permits. I assumed this could take many months. However, as our newsletter was being printed, I received a fax from the city of Berkeley. It was our permit for the next day! We had planned to minister in San Francisco, even though the Bay Bridge was closed and we knew it would take a long time to get there. We quickly changed our plans and witnessed in Berkeley.

Several hundred high-school students were there as part of a national debate tournament. Most of the boys were wearing suits and ties, an unusual sight for Berkeley. We gave out tracts to many of them. Dave St. Marie witnessed to Jesus, a debater from Union City. He was raised Catholic but did not attend church. Dave shared with him about sin, God’s judgment, and the need for a payment to be made for his sins. Jesus was quite receptive to the message.

Ministry Needs

Thank you for your prayers and financial support for our ministry. Loi Carstensen has been replacing the front and back steps of our house. They were rotting and unsafe. This is costing us over $3000. We would greatly appreciate it if anyone could help us with this expense.

As I was applying for San Francisco park permits, I was told that we can no longer receive permits for amplification at Washington Square Park. This park is located in the center of the North Beach area of San Francisco. We have obtained permits there for about 30 years, and it is quite sad that we will no longer be able to do outreaches in this park. Some of the local residents are strongly anti-Christian and have complained about us for years. They finally got their way.

As I write this, I do not know if we will be able to minister in Dolores Park this year, as it is being renovated. Fortunately, this is only a temporary problem. Please pray about our permit situation, that good locations for ministry would remain available to us. As San Francisco (and the world) becomes more wicked, people become less tolerant of any public Christian witness.