Outreach at a Farmer's Market

The Kitchener assembly has been going to the St. Jacob's Farmers Market for the summer months for the past two years.  This market is well known for it's Mennonite background and people from all over the world come. The market has a location near the picnic table area reserved for charity groups.  It is a very busy area and best of all it is free.  We go there every Thursday and put up a display with gospel texts, bookmarks and fridge magnets.  The ladies in the Kitchener assembly work hard at making the bookmarks and fridge magnets.  The texts are provided by the International Bible House.  We take turns standing at the booth and there have been many opportunities to share Christ.  Many people do not approach the table but most people will read the signs posted on the wall.  We would value your prayers in this work and  maybe there is a market near you that has a free location for charities!!

For more info contact: Brian Kember

London, UK - May 01, 2010

In 2009, when atheist Richard Dawkins was launching his UK bus advertising campaign with the slogan on London buses: "God probably doesn't exist..." assembly believers coordinated a tract distribution in the city of London. A similar event is being held this year on Saturday, May 01st.

You may not be able to read the details in the promotional material below but it's great to know there are believers who are countering the philosophies of this godless age by distributing, to the masses, the Word of God in tract form.

This story was submitted by Melody Wallis. If you would like to contact one of the organizers you can email Michael Surry .

 

Downtown East Side - Vancouver

Barbara Kenny, in fellowship at the Victoria Drive Gospel Hall in Vancouver, submitted this update on the assembly's outreach in Downtown East Side Vancouver. Downtown East Side (DES) has the highest HIV rate in the Western World and it is the poorest area in Canada by postal code. The sadness of this area is known around the world for its poverty, drugs, prostitution, gangs and death.

For many years, our Sunday School work has been situated in the eastside of Vancouver and we have worked with under-privileged children from broken homes so our passion has always been to bring the Gospel message to those in desperate circumstances. For years we wondered how we could take it one step further to the Downtown Eastside - a few blocks in the downtown core of Vancouver which represents the most extreme drug addiction in our nation. So often we feel the calling to do a work and it is difficult to take the plunge and in this case we knew this work had an element of danger that we cowered from.

However, in the summer of 2006 while on vacation, we turned on the TV in our hotel room and a documentary was being aired on the Downtown Eastside. As we listened, we sat spellbound as we knew that God was giving us the final nudge to get the work started. Much prayer ensued and we opened it up to others in the Assembly to join us if they wished. The young people were most enthusiastic and recruited some from other Assemblies. We felt burdened to get the Gospel message into the hands of these dear souls as they approach the end of their lives. Life expectancy on these streets is very short - when people reach this level, they have fallen through every possible social safety net and now it is merely 'survival of the fittest.'

We believe that if the Lord Jesus was here, he would feed the people before He preached so we decided that in order to give them Gospel literature, we must feed them first. From the winter of 2006, we have met monthly on Sat. a.m. to make 400 lunches which we distribute from the back of our truck with a cup of hot chocolate in the winter or iced tea in the summer. Each sandwich is topped with a homemade cookie from a dear sister in her 80's that has adopted this ministry with faithfulness. Each lunch includes a text or a tract. We often distribute socks or mittens which are a favorite on the cold streets. When the truck is loaded to go downtown, we have a very focused prayer meeting seeking God's guidance as to location for a parking spot and safety in our endeavors. We have had many tense moments over the years as agitation is common amongst addicted folk but God has protected us and we are grateful for this opportunity.

We have had many good conversations, albeit short ones as concentration levels are limited. However, we are confident that the written texts will be read over and over again. Each month we see a few of the 'regulars' but really this is a very transient crowd so our distribution is not repetitive. We always run out and we could always do more, there is always someone who takes the last lunch but for the 400 each month that we reach - we are thankful that they are given an opportunity to find the Saviour who can free them from the bondage of sin.

Submitted by Barb Kenny

Street Work in England

Jim McMaster, a full-time commended Gospel worker along with his wife Janet and son David, labors in Newcastle, England. He is a frequent contributor to the Gospel Hall Forum. In response to our request for an update on the street work in which he is engaged he kindly provided this report.

In the mid nineties after a period of frustration and disappointment the Lord graciously and tenderly took strong dealings with me and changed completely the sphere in which I was to bring the gospel to the people of our nation. 

Two Things that Bothered Me

At that time two things particularly troubled me. The first was my seeming inability to reach folks with the gospel in the normal, long established activities. Often it seemed my preaching was predominantly to saints and empty seats yet we lived in a country which allowed the free and public preaching of the gospel in the open streets. Secondly was the frustration that even when opportunity arose it seemed as though the people who were hearing were failing to properly comprehend the message. Coupled with this was a study of the life of the Lord Jesus and His ways of reaching and touching the population around Him and a growing craving to be like Him in every way especially in the way I reached souls with the gospel.

The Eye and Heart Opener

By God’s grace He brought me in contact with a brother who laboured late at night among the homeless population of one of our nation’s largest cities. That single late night on the streets changed my life. It was a most wonderful experience to see the radiance of Christ displayed in the evidence of good works as a precursor to pouring the good news of the gospel into weary and yet receptive ears and hearts. From then till now the Lord by His grace has patiently borne with us as we seek in a very stumbling way to bring the gospel to the homeless, addiction ridden, strand of society here in our part of the world.

Stepping Outside the Box on to the Sidewalks

Beginning with late night trawling though the streets with flasks and tracts the Lord graciously gave us many contacts that began to trust us enough to talk about their situation and listen with respect to the gospel. 

From this we developed a Soup Kitchen work which means that we reach lots more people in a much more efficient way. On a Sunday evening immediately after gospel meeting I am privileged to have the fellowship of a few local Christians as we take up our pitch in the street in a car park in the centre of the city. We base our 'open air kitchen' around a small 'Good News Van' which the Lord has recently provided for us.

During our time we are able to feed between 40 and 80 people every night with a warm main meal, some dessert and tea and coffee. From the van we are able to provide some basic necessities of life by way of sleeping bags and blankets, toiletries and some basic clothing to relieve immediate hardship.

Wonderful Opportunities

Over the years these things buy us wonderful opportunities to not only show the love of Christ in action but share the gospel in word and by way of suitable literature. The most important factor that we need to keep in mind is “FOCUS”. It is so easy when dealing with these people to become so engrossed in the depths of their misery because of addiction and the accompanying social, financial mental and various other problems that we lose sight of the real reason why we are there. We are there PRIMARILY to share the gospel and use the material help only to open the door and the hearts to receive the word of the Lord. 

Keeping a Strong Gospel Focus

So we employ a variety of means to keep the gospel in the forefront of the work even if we are not able to engage in personal conversation with each one. The van we use is covered with the message and texts, we have a book table to provide good testimony books that are easy to read and free to take, stands hanging on the doors which contains suitable tracts, gospel CD’s and DVD’s and invitations to the meetings. Each one of these aspects of the work allows us innumerable easy opportunities to engage in conversation and bring the gospel to my friends with urgency and compassion. 

We strive constantly in prayer and in our heart to keep from being distracted into the material aspects of the work and remember constantly that many of our contacts could easily lose their life through addiction or violence at any time.

Pray for the Work

The work at time is hard but the over the years the Lord has encouraged us greatly. Likewise there is a growing awareness of the importance of this type of work all over the UK and many believers who we know do this and similar work without ever being heard of or written about. Please pray for all who are launching out into the deep with the gospel in this way.  (Submitted by: Jim McMaster )

For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: 

I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: 

I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

(Matthew 25:35-36)