ISEMA Newsletters
Winter Olympic Outreach, Norway
By Mark Johnson. From the Forerunner Ministry Times, Box 6084, Minneapolis, MN 55406, (612) 722-0751
This was a very special outreach, having been my first overseas trip….Lillehammer was never dull! A group of us were allowed the center stage area in the town itself, for 20 minutes on a Friday night. I sang “John 3:16” and “Little Bit of Faith.” The sound people shut us down five or six times. No missionary message was to be given from the platform. At the closing rally, one of the leaders said that never before in the country of Norway had so many people gathered together for an evangelistic outreach! 700 people from 23 countries came and shared the gospel at an event hosting eighty countries.
One of our team members, Mike Erickson, seemed to have a favorite spot to share at, the local post office. “In Hamar, Norway, God had a resident of Hamar come into the post office. His name was Kadr, originally from Kurdstan in Iraq. I asked him if he would translate for me Romans 10:9-13 from the Norwegian Bible and he did and then he received Christ as his Savior. At that moment…the pastor from Hamar Baptist Church came into [the post office]. We were able to introduce Kadr to the Baptist Pastor. Later on that evening, John Anderson from Alaska came into Hamar Christian Center. He came for the Olympic skiing events and after two hours of sharing the Word of God with him, he found Jesus Christ as his Savior.”
Freedom Festival — Harvest Time in the Heart of Cajun Country
By Jules Boquet, Senior Pastor, Christian Community Fellowship, Houma, LA.
“DADDY! DADDY! God loves you, Daddy! Come up here, Daddy, God loves you! We need you Daddy.” The five year old boy’s words echoed over the microphone through the crowd as he stood upon the platform with his mother and brother and the 50 other people who had responded to the final altar call. I watched from alongside the boy as the anointing of God hung thick in the air and tears poured from hundreds of hearts, believers and unbelievers alike being touched by the innocence of truth spoken from the mouth of the babe. I watched as the young man ran along the backside of the crowd, tears streaming down his face, working through the mass of humanity until he climbed those stairs to grasp his family in repentant arms. And then the prayer of salvation as literally thousands joyfully watched heaven open its gates to those who were once lost but now were found…souls saved, families restored. Freedom Festival 1993 ended with heavenly hosts shouting with joy at the salvation of sinners set free in Jesus Christ.
The Freedom Festival was birthed eight years ago in the heart of “Cajun country”, in Houma, Louisiana (just south of New Orleans). Freedom Festival is NOT a Christian Festival to entertain Christians, but a Festival given to draw the unbelievers while the church goes into action outside its walls reaching the lost, setting the captives free with the Gospel of Christ.
The Freedom Festival began with a small red, white and blue tent, hamburgers and hot dogs, homemade lemonade, games for the children, music, lots of fliers for advertisement and the fireworks display for the entire city on the night of the 4th. The Gospel was preached at every opportunity. The entire church participated: some cooked, some did drama, others contacted businesses to raise funds for the event, evangelism teams were formed and sent out into the city in the back of trucks, witnessing and inviting everyone to come to the big event; everyone had a part, young and old. We battled the rain, dug trenches and stood firm on the high ground as a beaming light in the darkness. Over 200 souls were won to the Lord that first year.
Since its beginning, the Freedom Festival has grown to 3 full days and 4 nights. A Freedom Parade has been added with floats filled with people and music praising God, along with marching groups carrying banners that glorify His name. It’s a patriotic and Gospel-proclaiming processional down the main streets of the City. The Festival now has a large Gospel tent, a children’s tent, a food tent and strategically placed open air stages for drama, mime, dance, music, strongman feats, singing and preaching the Good News. The unbelievers come, first by the 50’s, then by the 100’s and then as the evening of the 4th draws near, thousands of unbelievers are lining up while the soldiers of Jesus Christ preach the Good News, bearing witness of the resurrection and having one altar call after another. Jesse Duplantis, Jeff Fenholt, Bill Henderson of Soldiers for Jesus, E-Rock and Mike Deasy, just to name a few, are some of the ministers and musicians that have come from across the country to join hands with us in reaching the lost.
As commanded in scripture to “Go ye into the harvest…”, the people of Christian Community Fellowship have seized the opportunity of the 4th of July holiday and made it a harvest time for God. We invite church groups, soulwinners, drama teams, mimes and musicians to come and join us July 1st – 4th, 1994 as we harvest the ripened fields.
For further information of how you can be a part, contact by writing: Christian Community Fellowship, Station 2, Box 5, Houma, LA 70360 ATTN: Freedom Festival or by calling Sharon at (504) 851-3000.
Travelin’ Preacher
From the Humboldt County, CA Union.
Traveling preacher “Mattole” hit Arcata Saturday night, surprising more than a few motorists on U.S. Highway 101 with his covered wagon and horses. Assisting him from south Eureka to Arcata was Jonathan Weltsch of Eureka, who helped the preacher change a flat tire on his wagon. Mattole, from Redway, went on the road in June to spread “the absolute truth.” His goal is to travel the world on horseback and preach the gospel. He was heading for Redding Saturday in his wagon, made entirely from donated spare parts.
(Note: Mattole can be contacted at Living Water Ministries, Box 1086, Redway, CA 95560, (707) 923-4384.)
Coming Events
May 6-7 Kentucky Derby Outreach, Louisville, KY. Contact No Greater Love Ministries, Box 263, DuQuoin, IL 62832, (618) 542- 4503.
May 19-21 National Street Ministries Conference, Pacific Northwest. Portland, OR. John Dawson, Mario Murillo, Tommy Barnett, others. Contact Scott Hinkle Outreach Ministries, Box 380306, Duncanville, TX 75138, (214) 283-3900.
May 27-29 Indianapolis 500 Outreach. Contact Christ in Action, Box 4200, Manassas, VA 22110, (703) 368-6286 or No Greater Love (address above).
Sat. May 28 Worship Rally and Outreach, San Francisco. 12-2 PM. Meet at Embarcadero Plaza, foot of Market St. Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27358, Oakland, CA 94602, (510) 531-5325.
Sat May 28 Riverwalk Outreach, San Antonio, TX. Contact Rev. David O’Dell, 3400 W Park Blvd. #2117, Plano, TX 75075, (214) 519-0195..
June 17-25 SOS-San Francisco Outreach. Guests include Chuck Girard. Contact SOS Ministries (address above).
June 24-July 1 SOS-Hollywood. Contact the Oasis, Box 1590, Hollywood, CA 90076, (213) 77-OASIS.
June 28-July 1 North America Conference for Itinerant Evangelists, Louisville, KY. Christians from 40 denominations participating. Affiliated with Billy Graham Assn. Write Box 94, Minneapolis, MN 55440.
June 29-July 2 Harvest Awakening Missions & Evangelism Conference, Skokie, IL. Workshops and outreach opportunities daily. For housing and schedule information call (312) 637-2121.
June 30-July 5 Fourth of July Outreach, Washington D.C. This outreach is designed to help people find personal vision, and equip them to fulfill God’s purpose for their life. Evangelism, fellowship, spiritual renewal. Contact B.A.S.I.C. Ministries c/o Henry Pulsifer, Box 431, Kiln, MS 39556, (601) 255-9251.
FORWARD EDGE is sending outreach teams to Cuba, Central America, Europe, Vietnam, and several other places. For more information, contact them at 15121-A NE 72nd Ave., Vancouver, WA 98686, (206) 574-EDGE.
It’s Time To Renew Your ISEMA Membership!
“Two are better than one… and a threefold cord is not easily broken.” Once again, we want to urge you to become a member of ISEMA if you have not already done so, linking up with other evangelism ministries and Christians who believe in the Great Commission. If you are already an ISEMA member, now is the time to renew your membership for 1994. As the only association of street ministries in existence, ISEMA depends on your active involvement. If you cannot afford a membership, even $10 per year will help with the cost of sending this newsletter to you each month. Please consider sending monthly support to help us contin ue this ministry to street ministers, most of whom are very poor and can’t afford to support us.
Our Tape of the Month is “Asia Conquest 2000 AD–What will we present to Jesus on His 2000th Birthday?” by Dennis Balcombe. Dennis has been a missionary to Hong Kong since 1969 and has been visiting and ministering to Christians in Communist China since 1979, making over 450 trips to the mainland. During that time, over 4 million Bibles have been given to Chinese Christians through his ministry. This teaching is a continuation of the one offered a few months ago: “Revival in China.”
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
