The picture is not one of the gates of hell attacking the church, but of a victorious church storming the gates of hell and rescuing those held captive inside them. God wants to use ordinary people like you and me to change our communities. He wants to make us bold witnesses for Him. This book is a practical guide to how you can join with other Christians to change your community for Jesus in these last days. It is also the story of what God has done in San Francisco and other cities through Christians who have said, "Lord, use me."

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Some of the topics discussed in the book:

Starting a street witnessing team. Getting your church involved in street evangelism. Organizing a city-wide outreach. Witnessing to homosexuals. Witnessing at shopping centers, rock concerts, and schools. Open air preaching. Witnessing to children, the elderly, Catholics, Jews and cultists. Starting a discipleship house ministry. Personal discipleship in the life of a street minister. What God is doing in ten other street ministries and much more!

CONTENTS

Foreword . . . . . . . . . .

Preface . . . . . . . . .

1. From Graveyard to Harvest Field . . . . . . . . . .
2. Where Do I Start? . . . . . . . .
3. Starting a Weekly Street Witnessing Team . . . . .
4. The Gospel Message . . . . . . . . .
5. High-Visibility Evangelism Part I. Open Air Preaching . . . . .
6. High-Visibility Evangelism Part II. Tract Distribution. Signs and Banners. Carrying a Cross. Marches. Street Music and Drama. Church on the Street. Balloons, Stickers, Posters, Floats. The Effectiveness of High-Visibility Evangelism. . . .
7. Getting Your Church Involved in Street Witnessing .
8. Some Places to Witness: Shopping Centers, Rock Concerts, Schools . . . . . . .
9. Witnessing to Different Kinds of People: Children, Youth, the Elderly, Catholics, Jews, Cultists . . . .
10. Witnessing to Homosexuals . . . . .
11. Signs and Wonders in Street Evangelism . . . . . .
12. Dealing with Opposition . . . . . . .
13. How SOS Ministries got Started . . . . . .
14. A Brief History of SOS Ministries . . . . . .
15. Organizing a City-wide Evangelistic Outreach in Your City . . . . .
16. Starting a Discipleship House Ministry . . . . . .
17. Recruiting and Training Leaders . . . . .
18. Personal Discipleship in the Life of a Street Minister . . . . . . . . .
19. Pastors and Evangelists Join Together . . . . . .
20. What God is Doing in Ten Other Street Ministries . . . . . . . . .
21. The Great Omission . . . . . . . .
22. What Will You Do? . . . . . . .
23. The Future of SOS Ministries . . . . .
24. Reader Response Sheet  

Larry Rosenbaum is Director of SOS Ministries in San Francisco and has been involved in street ministry in San Francisco for the past 25 years. Raised in a Jewish home, Larry studied psychology at Yale University (B.A.) and Brandeis University (M.A.) before receiving Christ in 1970.

* Note for Internet edition: I wrote this book in 1986. I printed 5000 copies. All but 200 have been sold or given away. In time, I hope to do a complete update. Meanwhile, many of the ministry addresses have changed. Also, many street ministries that were operating in 1986 no longer exist. Also, the International Street Ministries Association no longer exists.

Let me know if you need to reach a person or ministry mentioned in this book and I'll try to get you a current address or phone number.