Our Latest communication:  July 2010

Dear SCA Supporters:

“RELATIONAL VS. EVENT” and “HERE VS. THERE” EVANGELISM

If the Lord blessed your personal evangelistic efforts with just one positive result, which of the following two scenarios would you rather be part of:  A) You have preached at a meeting and someone came forward to accept Christ OR B) You receive a call from a friend of several years who tells you “I have good news for you.  I’ve just accepted Jesus into my heart.”   My point is not to minimize evangelistic preaching.  I participate in it myself.  I just know that a decision made for Christ under option B has, according to statistics and personal observation, a much greater chance of surviving the first opposition to the Christian life that the young believer would experience.

The SCA ministry is clearly focused on the option B approach.  Recently one of our missionaries received such a call as the one above from an Aboriginal ex-inmate.   Needless to say, it was received with great joy.  But to get to that stage, the missionary involved, after meeting this person several years ago in the process of their work, followed up with them on a regular basis via visits, phone calls, letters, and hospitality in the missionary’s home.   The resources of time, energy, and to a certain extent, funds required to facilitate this individual’s responding to the prodding of the Holy Spirit were worth every cent, every moment, and every effort.  Many of us would have given up a long time ago.

Wait, there’s more.  One missionary couple while visiting some contacts in a neighbourhood was approached by one family that was walking across the street.  They asked if our missionaries were the ones who set up the “play days in their rental complex” their kids enjoyed so much and if so, “when are you coming back to do it again?”  A third family wanted to actually come to our SCA Ministry Centre because the mother had gone to Bible camps as a child, and now wanted to have her children go. Or how about another former inmate who, with his wife, now heads up the youth group of about fifty youths at their church?  They use a converted pool hall as a drop-in centre.

I have recently come back from my first personal ministry trip to Africa.  I experienced why Christians here get so excited about going, giving, and generally being involved with missions overseas.  The results are so readily forthcoming.  The dollar goes a long way.  The recipients are grateful for anything that helps them.  There are also hundreds of national pastors and mission workers ready, able and willing to carry out the work of both evangelism and discipleship others facilitate or start.   There is no shortage of workers, only resources - both material and financial.

Here in North America, especially as we focus on our own indigenous peoples, mission work is indeed a difficult undertaking.  Yet, as we showed above, the results are just as rewarding and joyous.  And it is the same Holy Spirit that wants to change the lives of individuals here as He does overseas.

Thank you for all you are doing in support of the work here in Canada.  I encourage you to do all you can to increase the stake of your involvement.  Recently as I was driving to the SCA office I listened to an interview with the incoming President and CEO of United Way Toronto.  She indicated that both research and her own experience showed that as times got tougher economically, people dug deeper into their pockets and gave more to meet the physical needs of their fellow citizens.  I thought about that.   I wondered why it is that generally non-Christians respond in that way.  I also wondered why we Christians have a harder time giving more when ’spiritual needs’ of our people remain so high.  I believe Jesus still calls you and me to be witnesses first in “our” Jerusalem (Acts 1:8).

In His Service with you,

Ken Godevenos