Newsletter December 1993

ISEMA Newsletters

SOS-San Francisco Outreach Report

About 250 Christians registered to participate in our 14th annual SOS-San Francisco  outreach. We were privileged to have Ray Comfort here to teach our workers on Saturday morning and evening. He spoke about the use of God’s law to bring true repentance and conversions. Ray also preached outdoors at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell and on Sunday morning at New Life Christian Church.

Chuck Girard was with us from Thursday through Saturday. We were blessed as he ministered to us and to the lost through his music. On Thursday and Saturday we had rallies at Washington Square Park in North Beach. At the Saturday outreach,  Washington Square was packed with sunbathers, volleyball players, children in the playground, and people who came to view an outdoor art show. Love a Child Ministries gave away hundreds of hot dogs and drinks to people in the park. Chuck Girard and “Mobsters for God,” a rap group from Richmond, ministered that afternoon.

After the rally, we had a March for Jesus to the Powell St. BART Station. We carried beautiful banners and sang songs from the “March for Jesus” tape, which played through speakers on a van. The police escorted us and gave us a lane in the street to march. We learned to say “Jesus loves you” in Chinese and shouted it as we marched through the packed streets of Chinatown. The outreach concluded with a rally at the BART Station with the Vineyard worship group and Chuck Girard.

Here are three testimonies from the outreach: Leslie witnessed to a backslidden Baptist. The day before, he had told the Lord he would throw himself into the river. But that night, she prayed with him to rededicate his life to Christ. One day, while a brother was preaching, a man cried out “God can’t love me.” The man had the HIV virus and was spreading it through homosexual activity. Several Christians ministered to him, after which he renounced  homosexuality and drunkenness.

On Tuesday night, a sister began witnessing to a man in the Mission District but he spoke very little English. She asked Kelly, who speaks Spanish, to talk with him. Mario had arrived recently from Guatemala. The night before, he learned that his mother and brothers had been murdered by Guatemalan soldiers. Despondent, he planned to kill himself that night at midnight. Instead, Kelly shared God’s love with him and he dedicated his life to Christ. She told him he needed to forgive the soldiers and he prayed, “Lord, I forgive the soldiers who killed my mother and brothers.”

Other Outreach Reports

Lompoc (CA) Flower Festival (Son Lite, 621 North F #D, Lompoc, CA 93436, (805) 736-3964). Joan Teran reports, “I worked together with one church. I used the maxi-mouse and the two question test to talk with people. Great response. God brought six young men from Chicago to me. We sat down on the sidewalk for 30-40 minutes, while I answered many spiritual questions. 45 were led to Jesus that night.”

Capital Outreach Ministry (6036 Forrest Hollow Lane, Springfield, VA 22152, (703) 451-0293). Eric Rose writes, “After years of  street witnessing, the Lord has opened up an excellent door. I’ve been a supporter of your ministry for years and finally the Lord has placed me in a ministry which I would like to share with you and your readers. Capital Outreach is an interdenominational outreach ministry to the city of Washington D.C. and metro areas of Virginia and Maryland. The ministry is about two years old. Capital Outreach (CO) obtains permits or management permission to go into a park or shopping center for the purpose of putting on a Christian concert. Under this guise the gospel is presented through various styles of music and drama and tracts are passed out. On October 2, CO is putting on an event at Dupont Circle Park in Washington D.C. which is the most visible homosexual area in the city. Please pray for this ministry. Also, CO has been granted permission to go into three of the largest shopping malls in November and December to put on gospel concerts. Many will be Christmas shopping and the pure truth about Christmas will be presented to them. Thanks for your prayers.

Witness International, Inc. (P O Box 300, Parsonsburg, MD 21849, (410) 749-1343). Howard Travers, President, writes, “I have recently returned from Tallinn, Estonia, where by invitation of Estonia’s Minister of the Interior, I assisted in the development and coordination of a Prison Chaplaincy Program for the entire nation! At present, seven Estonian ministers have received chaplaincy training and placement working among 7000 prisoners in ten of the nation’s institutions. Witness International is also currently working in Jamaica, where by invitation of Jamaica’s President and other cabinet members, a similar program is being developed.”

Voice of the King Ministries (P O Box 602, Navesink, NJ 07752, (908) 571-0456). Kevin Brown writes, “To date the only conference for evangelists, ministers, missions operators and coffee house ministries has been the Street Minister’s Conference held in Dallas, Texas each year during September. Well 1994 starts off with the first annual Street Retreat held up at Blue Mountain Christian Retreat, New Ringgold, PA. On Friday January 28 at 7:30 PM, laborers from all over will come together for a weekend of rest, recuperation, refreshing and encouragement and anointing. I will be opening up the retreat. Saturday evening our guest from Evangelism for Jesus, Scott Crawford, will take the pulpit.”

Coming Events and Announcements

Sat. December 11, 18. San Francisco Worship Rally and Outreach. 3-6 PM. Powell St. BART Station. Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27358, Oakland, CA 94602, (510) 531-5325.

Fri. December 31. New Year’s Eve Outreach, San Francisco. Contact SOS Ministries (address above).

December 31-January 1 Rose Parade Outreach, Pasadena, CA. Contact Sondra Berry Young, Box 3044, Newport Beach, CA 92659, (818) 792- 7424.

December 31-January 1 New Year’s Outreach, Atlanta, GA. “Dropping of the Peach” and Peach Bowl Game. Contact Rescue Atlanta, Box 965029, Atlanta, GA 30066, (404) 924-0201..

January 28-30 Street Retreat. Annual retreat for street ministers, evangelists, missions operators. Cost for lodging and meals: $99 before Dec. 31; $120 afterwards. Contact Kevin Brown Voice of the King Ministries, P O Box 602, Navesink, NJ 07752, (908) 571-0456.

January 28-30 Super Bowl Outreach, Atlanta, GA. Contact Rescue  Atlanta (address above).

February 7-9 Pastors’ and Leaders’ School. Over 6000 attended last year. Limited housing available in church members homes for those who mail registration by Jan. 21. Contact First Assembly of God, 13613 N Cave Creek Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85022, (602) 867-7117.

February 10-16 Mardi Gras Outreach, New Orleans, LA. Contact Christ in Action, Box 4200, Manassas, VA 22110, (703) 368-8286 or Rescue Atlanta (address above).

JOB OPPORTUNITY: Assistant Ministry Director. Help build on present ministry. Creation of new ministries. Training churches in personal evangelism. Public relations. Ministry operations. Additional job openings in various skill areas for both men and women available. Contact Outreach for Christ, Box 4326, Virginia Beach, VA 23454, (804) 428-8227.

DO YOU WANT TO START A FOOD AND CLOTHING EVANGELISM MINISTRY IN YOUR CITY? We will come to your city or you can come to ours. Victory Ministries has over 10 years experience in ministry to the poor. Contact Victory Ministries, Box 360833, Columbus, OH 43236, (614) 252-2500.

CONSULTING SERVICE FOR CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES AND CHURCHES–FUNDRAISING, PUBLIC RELATIONS, ADMINISTRATION, CRUSADE PLANNING. Contact David Patterson, The Patterson Group, 3380 Green Meadow Dr, Danville, CA 94506, (510) 736-7823.

It’s Time To Renew Your ISEMA Membership!

I want to wish each of you a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s. This is the time of year that people are most receptive to the gospel. I hope you will take advantage of this opportunity by participating in some outreach during this season. Thank you for the outreach reports you have sent us this past month. Thank you also for your prayers and financial support for ISEMA.

Finally, as we enter a new year, we want to encourage you to renew your ISEMA membership for 1994, or to join ISEMA if you haven’t already done so. ISEMA is the only association of street ministries, and your membership fee helps us to continue to serve those who are laboring in the gospel trenches.

Our Tape of the Month is “Witnessing to Children” by Sharon Flack, San Francisco Area Director of Child Evangelism Fellow ship. Most people come to Christ before they are 18. Children are most receptive to the gospel, and we need to reach them while their hearts are soft.

Yours in His love,

Larry Rosenbaum