ISEMA Newsletters
Why We Need a Street Ministry Association
by Larry Rosenbaum
All across America, and around the world, it is evident that Satan is holding his end-times revival. The drug epidemic is destroying our society. Meanwhile, we are reaping the consequences of what was called the “sexual revolution.” Television and movies pour out increasing amounts of sex and violence, stretching every limit of good taste and morality. Thirty million unborn babies have died in the past 20 years in the U.S. through abortion. The U.S. has the highest divorce rate on earth–the result being millions of children growing up in broken families, or no family at all.
These are but a few of the symptoms of decay in a nation that has turned away from God and Biblical morality. But God has already given us a solution to this problem: God’s people need to come to Him in repentance for our prayerlessness, worldliness and apathy and begin to obey the Great Commission, to go into all the world, preaching the gospel and making disciples for Jesus Christ. God is raising up an army of evangelism workers to reach the unsaved and to train the church to witness for our Lord. These godly warriors are giving their all to reach the lost, often with little or no pay, and often with very little appreciation or support from much of the Body of Christ.
What is ISEMA?
In 1984, leaders of street and evangelism ministries from around the U.S. joined together to form the International Street and Evangelism Ministries Association (ISEMA–pronounced iz’-ma). The purpose of ISEMA is to provide a network of caring, outreach, and support for evangelism ministers and ministries. In addition, ISEMA also provides churches with teaching and “on the job” training in front-line evangelism, as well as helping new ministries get established.
Until now, evangelism ministries (coffee houses, rehab- discipleship houses, hotlines, street ministries, campus ministries, etc.) have had no means of coordinating their efforts and looking out for and caring for each other. Lawyers, carpenters, senior citizens, even pastors and Christian businessmen have their associations. But, up until now, there has been no national organization to promote and aid the street-level ministries.
Why You Should Join ISEMA
1. You will receive a monthly newsletter. This newsletter contains reports of what God is doing in ministries around the world, teachings on evangelism, and the most complete listing available of upcoming outreaches around the world. The newsletter also is a forum for discussing issues related to evangelism.
- As we receive the latest in evangelism tools and teaching materials, we will let you know about them and make them available to you. If a church in your area needs training, we can refer you to experienced evangelists who can help you. If you are conducting an evangelism outreach, we can let hundreds of interested people and ministries know about it so they can participate.
- We publish each year a directory of hundreds of street and evangelism ministries around the world. Each listing includes a brief description of what the ministry does. This directory will help you locate ministries in your area, tract sources, discipleship programs, and ministries which can provide follow-up for new believers who live in other places. Write us if you would like to purchase a copy of the 1992 directory ($10 per copy).
4. As God directs, we will continue to organize regional evangelism conferences across the U.S. and around the world. These conferences are designed to promote love, fellowship, ideas and teaching along with a time of personal ministry to encourage, nourish, and refresh those in evangelism ministry. They also provide training in evangelism for all interested believers.
- If you are involved in evangelism ministry, we want to help you any way we can. We also welcome your input, your ideas. Your suggestions are needed in putting together this network. God wants to use you in an important way in taking our World for Jesus. We invite YOU to become a member in God’s Army on the front lines. Write us today for further information. You can use the coupon on the back page.
SOS-Hollywood
from the Oasis Newsletter, Box 1590, Hollywood, CA 90078, (213) 469-3027)
I know the forces of hell are furious because of the souls saved during our 8th annual S.O.S. Hollywood outreach…About 75 S.O.S. foot-soldiers from across American just spent the last nine days lifting up the name of Jesus on the streets of Hollywood….Our S.O.S. teams carried the cross throughout Hollywood and held mass praise rallies on the steps of Hollywood High School and down on Hollywood Blvd…We held a kids fair in the parking lot of the Catholic Church where many children enjoyed pony rides, Hollywood stuntmen and “movie star” animals…We had daily Children’s Outreaches with puppets and music at the Oasis…We had a Picnic in the Park and gave away free hotdogs…We blocked off the street in front of the Oasis up to the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and held an outrageous Jesus Block Party Concert…the two altar calls that night reaped about 50-60 souls for the Kingdom…
Our last order of “Holy Ghost business” during S.O.S. was to share Jesus on the streets of West Hollywood (proclaimed in the L.A. Herald Examiner as America’s first gay city) during the annual Gay Pride Festival and parade, where the L.A. Times reported over 200,000 in attendance. Many people were open to the Gospel…Early Sunday morning, hours before the start of the Gay Pride Parade, two major earthquakes shook Southern California!! I believe we are truly living in the last days. We must work for the Lord while we still can!!
SOS-San Francisco Outreach Report
Our 13th annual SOS-San Francisco outreach was certainly one of the best. On Saturday June 27, at a Union Square worship rally, a backslidden Christian, a cocaine addict, rededicated his life to Christ. We saw him again on Thursday and the final Saturday, still drug-free and following Jesus. On Saturday he gave his testimony at a banquet. Another cocaine addict received a Voice magazine on the streets, attended the Full Gospel Convention, and was set free from the addiction.
On Wednesday and Friday, we did outreaches at the Embarcadero Plaza, in the Financial District. Each day, about 200 Full Gospel businessmen joined us and were actively involved in ministering to hundreds of businessmen in the area. On Wednesday, several businessmen gave their testimonies, including Gene Ellerbee, one of the top executives at Procter and Gamble. On Friday, Jerry Brandt led worship and preached. A blind woman from the Tenderloin who was a Christian but out of fellowship had been prayed for earlier by one of our workers and received some of her sight. She attended the Embarcadero outreach and was prayed for again by Jerry Brandt. Afterwards, she could see even better, noticing Jerry’s green tie. Also, a 12 year old skateboarder said he had a dream the previous night of the death and resurrection of Jesus. He knew God was drawing him, but wasn’t ready to commit his life to the Lord.
On Thursday and Saturday, we were able to feed the people on the streets, serving over 400 hot dogs with chips and drinks each day. A worship team ministered one night near Ghiradelli Square. A young man walked by them and began to shake under the power of God. He repented of drugs and other sins and received Christ that night. On Saturday July 4, about 200 Christians marched down Stockton St. to the Powell St. BART Station, where the New Life worship group led our closing rally. The police closed one lane off the street so we could march down the street as thousands of onlookers saw the banners and heard us sing worship songs exalting Jesus.
On the final day, one of the Full Gospel businessmen planned a banquet for our workers and 300 street people at the Hilton Hotel Saturday night. All day, our workers invited people they were witnessing to, especially the homeless, to the banquet. These people, who have experienced so much suffering and rejection, were taken to a fancy banquet room and served by waiters. Mark Anderson, a top athlete who became a cocaine addict after missing the Olympics, gave his testimony. About 100 people responded the gospel message. Two gang members wearing bandanas were among those who received Christ. One of them had been to Victory Outreach and told the other, “We’ve got to get to Victory Outreach this week.” When Mark asked people who wanted to be set free from cocaine addiction, a dozen came forward and were prayed for. Mark and several others continued to pray for people for several hours. This dinner was truly an unforgettable experience and the highlight of the outreach. And our workers got a special blessing on Friday and Saturday nights. A Full Gospel business man paid for rooms for all of our workers at the Hilton on those nights!
Coming Events
October 31 Halloween Outreach, Berkeley, CA. Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27358, Oakland, CA 94602, (510) 531-5325.
October 3-11 International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, NM. $90. Contact Christ in Action, Box 100, Chatsworth, GA 30705, (706) 695-1868.
October 28-31 Fantasy Festival Outreach, Key West, FL. Call (813) 683-5728.
December 31-January 1. Rose Parade Outreach, Pasadena, CA. Contact Sondra Berry Young Ministries, Box 3044, Newport Beach, CA 92659, (714) 650-0525.
A Final Word
Many of you are learning about ISEMA for the first time at the National Street Ministries Conference. If so, we welcome you to sign up to receive our monthly newsletter, which we send free to all those who want it. If there is no sign up sheet, please mail us the coupon at the top of this page. Next month’s newsletter will include a report on the Rescue Atlanta outreach, plus an article on Servant Evangelism–how a church in Cincinnati is reaching their community by washing people’s cars and mowing their lawns for free, then praying for their needs.
Please send us evangelism reports from your area and a schedule of upcoming outreaches to include in this newsletter. We want to provide practical help and encouragement to everyone who is involved in evangelism ministry. Write or call us and let us know how we can help you. Each month we offer a special teaching tape. Our Tape of the Month is “Worship, warfare and witnessing” by ISEMA Vice-President Chuck Girard. This tape outlines a strategy for reaching our cities through concerted prayer, worship and evangelism.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
