For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Luke 19:10


Saturday, December 2, 2023

Gospel Verses in Transit Locations

Since 2021, the trustees of Eglinton Ave Gospel Hall have been investigating different opportunities for outreach with the Gospel. Around July 2022, we came to know that "Gospel Text Publishers"  have posted Gospel verses inside the transit buses in Mississauga. After praying and discussing, we approached Mississauga Transit (MiWay) to start a large campaign with Gospel verses inside the buses. We received approval and signed the contract. 

As we were encouraged by that exercise, we decided to approach other transit companies to see if they were ready to post the Gospel verses in different cities. The response was overwhelming. In a very short time, we had thousands of verses inside buses, on bus shelters, inside trains and train stations, and on billboards all across Mississauga, Toronto, Brampton, York Region (Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and the surroundings) and Durham region (Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa). 

See the photos for examples. On each posting was an offer for a free Bible by calling a phone number monitored by one of the brothers. We also listed an outreach website (heaven4sure.com). Millions of commuters were reading these verses every day and still are.

In the months after the start of this campaign, we received hundreds of phone calls. The nature of these calls covered a very broad spectrum. Very few of the calls were negative, and even some of the calls that began as negative turned positive and fruitful by the end. We received many requests for Bibles. 

In the beginning, we tried to hand over the Bibles personally but soon discovered that delivery was not practical. We decided to involve as many assemblies as possible in this ministry. All the assemblies we contacted were happy to help. We started directing every caller who was requesting a Bible to the assembly nearest to their approximate location. We asked them to stop by around the time of the Gospel meeting, and many of them happily attended the Gospel meetings at different assemblies. Some are still regularly coming out to meetings. One young lady was baptized and is in fellowship now with the saints in one of the assemblies. We received calls from people requesting prayer due to their difficult circumstances, and we made sure that they heard the Gospel first.

The postings started with 3 verses: John 3:16Ephesians 2:8-9, and John 14:6. Some calls were very interesting and encouraging. Christians would phone to tell us that they were encouraged and blessed by these verses. Some said that they decided to read the Bible more. 

One remarkable call was from a young lady, a college student. She said she was far from God but came to know a Christian boyfriend who helped her to start reading the scriptures. Her life was changed, but because she was from a ritualistic background, she had difficulty accepting that salvation is a free gift from God. She used to dispute with her boyfriend and say that salvation is valuable and should cost us a lot like any other valuable things we obtain. One day she had the same argument with her boyfriend and left him upset. She always thought she needed to do good works to be saved. She told us that she entered the bus and saw this verse in front of her eyes. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” She was in shock. She said I really felt that God was talking to me, and I submitted to the Truth of the Grace of God. She requested that we include Matthew 11:28 in any future campaign, so we did.

We had the opportunity to meet with some of the callers in person and share the Gospel with them. We appreciate the prayers of the saints. Some of the contracts are set to end in early 2024, and a few will run till the end of 2024. We are certainly happy with those who contacted us, but we also know that millions have read the Word of God and we will not know the full extent until we meet the Lord.

When Eglinton Ave Gospel Hall closed in 2021, there were feelings of loss felt by all. It is never a happy thing to see an assembly disappear. We all miss the happy fellowship we shared there with our brothers and sisters. When we closed, there was no real plan for how the funds from the sale of the building would be used. We only knew it was the Lord’s money. We could not have known how He would work.

Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

From the ashes of Eglinton, we were given the beauty of the Gospel. Although we are still in the middle of the story, we can see how God has and is working. He used the testimony of Eglinton for many years to touch the hearts of people in the neighborhoods round about it. He used the assembly members from Eglinton to aid and support the various other assemblies that they have now joined. And He used the funds from the sale of the property to bring the Gospel to countless numbers of both saved and lost souls, that He might be glorified. We are thankful that the Lord was pleased to use us this way. If we were asked to give one key lesson that we learned from this experience, it’s the words of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”.  When the Lord puts something in your heart, even if it sounds remotely possible, Just move ahead and leave it in His hands. 









Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Christmas and Easter Workshops in Schools

Several years ago, we were speaking to a school teacher who had responsibility for religious lessons. She lamented that science and history had all the fun subjects and that as far as she was concerned it was difficult to make the Bible interactive and fun. It was around Easter time and without giving it too much thought we made her an offer that if she could arrange for us to come into school for a day we would have something that would bring the Bible to life for all the classes.

Our first attempt was rather ‘home made’ but in the Lord’s goodness it was enough to get the idea started and it has grown to the point where along with a small team of helpers we have the privilege of presenting the Saviour to over 50 classes in Christmas and Easter workshops.

Ten years later some of the schools we have access to have changed, but we are grateful to the Lord that from that little start, several thousand young people and adults have heard about the central message of the Bible. We have also been able to adapt the material for use in halls and at community events – and using the materials in videos (see link at our website www.praiseandcrown.org) which was particularly useful during the pandemic.

What have we learnt? Be willing to think imaginatively about how to present the greatest message! Using good quality visuals (such as those available at www.eikonbibleart.com and www.freebibleimages.org ) is important to engage attention. We try not to take short cuts on the quality of materials and giveaways. Likewise, it has been essential to adapt for different age groups – from basic story books with toddlers up to teaching using Bibles with teens. One teacher remarked “I always look forward to the new twist you put on the same story” and each year we specifically plan so that there is something different to previous
occasions. We are now exploring options for adapting the unchanging material to take advantage of the technology with which youngsters are very familiar.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Informal Service At Local Nursing Home

Our experience has been an encouragement to the believers. 

It started during COVID at the invitation of the local nursing home. Actually the request  probably started from a few assembly believers at the facility. 

 

During the difficult months of COVID the restrictions were quite stringent, sometimes resulting in canceled visits. 

 

But complying to the protocol enabled the assembly to carry on the weekly effort. 

Prior to COVID another Christian group was involved with a Sunday meeting but due to COVID their meetings ended. Without intending to diminish the effort of the Christians who carried on this work for years, the interruption was an answer to prayer and through no prodding of our own the Lord opened the door. 


It commenced with 4 believers from the home joining in an informal service. The hour consists of some casual conversation and singing hymns and the sharing of a short scripture message. 

 


The original 4 faithfully attend barring any health issues. We are encouraged to see an increase in numbers since the onset. 


Although most of the residents are in failing health and their mental abilities are deteriorating, some of the regular attendees are in the home due to other reasons and their mental capacities are not affected.

 

I believe this effort could be initiated at most long-term care facilities in proximity to a local church especially if believers are  residents. 

 

The advantages are numerous

 

1. Fulfilling the spiritual needs of the believers

 

2. A gospel outreach

 

3.  Absolutely no cost involved

 

4. The staff support the effort(for the most part)

 

Report submitted by Theodore Chiasson, Baddeck, NS

Bible Card Games

My mother encouraged me to share a gospel outreach project I've been working on since 2022. The project itself is called "BibleCards". We started designing the cards then and have since produced and distributed around 100 copies of the game. My kids attend a Christian school in Stratford, Ontario and at the school they noticed a lot of kids playing the Pokemon card game. They came home and we discussed what to do about this since it is such a popular game. My oldest son Aaron and I both thought we should make a Christian card game which features characters from the Bible and their different strengths and weaknesses. So that is how the card game came about. The objective of the game is to "build" the characters with cards that relate to them. Whoever builds the most characters as gameplay continues wins. The cards have Bible verses and the Gospel message printed right on them. We are happy to share this with lostsheepfinders.com. Maybe some other creative people will do something similar! The website where you can see the cards is www.biblecards.ca.


Report submitted by Ted, Alanda, Aaron, Caleb, and Abel Fuller.

PNE Gospel Booth 2023

We have just received a brief report from a brother on the PNE Gospel Booth 2023, written for the Horizons Missionary Magazine, fall edition.:



This was the 50th year for the Gospel tent at the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, BC which runs the last two weeks of August through the Labour Day weekend. Despite current PNE policy not to allow further religious groups to be represented, the Lord has kept the door open for this assembly outreach during the 15-day fair. The booth won the award one year for the best entry at the PNE. Good relations have been established over the years with PNE management which is a tribute to brethren who started this work, some now at home in heaven. 

This good work is supported by the area assemblies and many believers volunteer their time in different shifts to allow the booth to be open 12 hours a day. Many good conversations are held and believers who drop by express appreciation for the gospel presence at the fair, and for good literature and texts that are available. Souls have been saved over the years through this work, one of them a brother shown in one of these pictures who has been a stalwart supporter for many years. 

This year, the theme was the story of Jonah. For the children, there was a large whale display that they could walk into where the story was displayed on the inside. A gospel tract was written to compliment the theme. 

Please pray for this work. We must not take it for granted that this door of opportunity will remain open. Restrictions on our liberties can be expected in these last days before the Lord returns.



Little Free Library - Adding Gospel Papers/Bookmarks


Something I’ve been doing on and off is going to the LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES in the area and taking out a book or two, putting calendars in them as if bookmarks and exchanging them with other LFL books… sometimes one can take three or four books out and immediately put them back after you’ve put a calendar in. I’ve also used Two Roads charts for larger books. 

Try and be discreet about it and don’t stuff every book with a calendar lol ! 
I try and operate in stealth mode…
The best calendars- from Moments with the Book…

Submitted anonymously 

Small Assembly with Active Outreach Work

The assembly in Indiana PA is a relatively small one (25 members), but we have a heart for the gospel. In addition to Sunday gospel meetings and our annual VBS week in August…


1. We have Youth Bible Club every 2nd Monday evening from 6:30-7:30. It is usually a Power Point message. We have been doing this for almost 25 years, minus Covid.


2. For the last 10 years on Halloween, we use the 2 hours to give out the gospel. The hall is opened for any needing rest rooms. 4 or 5 of the brothers are at tables outside of the hall, well-lighted, and we pass out 300 bags of treats. The bags are donated by a local convenience store.
We include in each bag a 12-month gospel verse wall calendar; a pocket calendar card with a gospel message on it; 2 new tracts; 2 leftover Sunday School papers; and a Little Bible, that is just KJV verses about salvation. Plus candy, and each kid gets a lightstick glow necklace.


3. 5 different times, we have personalized Seed Sower texts (they are ALL printed in Indiana PA) with our address and contact info on the back, and we send them out via the local newspaper. When we started, the circulation was over 17,000. It is now under 10,000. But we pay the newspaper, and they stuff each paper and deliver them.


4. Personally, my wife and I order the Little Bibles (Gospel Truth Publishers) at $15 for 100. We give them out everywhere- at drive thru restaurants; with a tip in a restaurant; with a tip left for a taxi driver, shuttle bus driver, or housekeeper in a hotel; and to an interested conversant. No one has yet refused one.

Submitted by Lindsay Parks on behalf of assembly meeting in Indiana, PA