University of Kansas Outreach

I'm part of a start-up ministry in the Kansas City area called Firebase KC, which is most likely going to be called, "Love Kansas City".  It's part of the Firebase Movement, which includes "Love Twin Cities", "Love San Francisco", "Love Chicago", "Love Dallas", "Love New York", "Love Detroit", and "Love LA".  

We network and partner with local churches to reach out and share the gospel to the lost in the Kansas City area. Host prayer and outreach events, as well as provide evangelism training to the body of Christ.

Today we partnered up with a Christian ministry on the campus of the University of Kansas, Chi Alpha, located in Lawrence, Kansas.  In addition, about 30-40 students from the International House of Prayer University came in to take part in the evangelism outreach.  

It began at 10:00am with milling about and meeting each other and a briefing of how the day was going to go.  Around 11:30am - 12:30pm we had prayer with a worship band set up. 

Worship Band

Olga with Firebase KC / Love Kansas City

Zach - Director of Chi Alpha at University of Kansas

Then we began to split off into our various outreach events, both on campus and out in town.  I led a team of 12 into town to do one-on-one witnessing and prayer with people.  We split into teams of two and even three to a team.  We didn't want a mob of five or six people walking up and wanting to talk to them about Jesus...it might just scare them off! 😉

Since it was so cold today - mid 30's and pretty windy, part of what we did was go to lunch and witnessed to the waiters and waitresses. My team witnessing partner was Wei.  

We finally found a parking lot on Massachusetts Street (Called Mass Street to the locals), dumped in a bunch of coins in the parking meter and began our witnessing adventure.  

We decided we were hungry and went to "The Burger Stand" to eat.  It's kind of expensive, but the burgers and fries are really good...I will just say this is my "cheat meal" of the week since I'm on a diet! 

The Burger Stand

Wei and I ordered our food at the counter, then we went to the window to pick it up.  We didn't really have a waiter / waitress to come by so that we could witness to.  So after eating, Wei says, "I'm going to go over and talk with someone at a table".  Awesome.  He walks up to a family sitting at the table and proceeds to get into a conversation with them.  

I didn't want to be left out, so I decided to go over to the couple who were behind us.  I gave them a gospel tract and told them we were in town for an outreach, and asked if there was anything I can pray with them about.  They didn't have much time, as they were watching a football game on the TV.  The lady said that I can pray for her to make a good grade on her test coming up.  No problem.  I prayed for her.  She thanked me.  We walked out. 

We started walking up and down Mass Street and was passing out gospel tracts and asking people if they would like us to pray for them.  Since it was so cold, not too many people wanted to stop and chat, but some did take the tracts.  We did pray for several people and they have the gospel tract to read. that we gave them.  We pray that God will use the message to reach their heart and make them think about Him.  

As we were heading to the car to go back to campus, God did what He does sometimes.  He put someone in our path to talk with.  A man was sitting on the bench and asked us if we could spare any money.  Wei began speaking with him.  He is a homeless man.  He slept under the trailer of an 18-wheeler last night.  It got down to 14 degrees this morning!  We don't realize how well off we are most of the time, that's for sure.  

Anyway, Wei asked the man, Rob, if he could buy him a burger.  He said yes, and we proceeded to go back to "The Burger Stand" where we ate earlier.  He picked out a fancy burger, Wei ordered it for him and we sat and talked while it was getting prepared.  

He grew up in a Catholic home.  He said he got really bored with it and didn't keep up with it later on in life.  He said he was in his mid 30's.  He said he believes in God and Jesus, and he has even said "Foxhole prayers" (praying when you are in a tough spot and need God to really come through for you, because you have no other way out of your situation).    

However, he kept talking about different religions, Buddhism, etc.  He also kept going off topic and wanted to discuss a variety of things.  I've found over the years that Satan will try to do everything he can to keep the person from hearing the gospel, and they have all these thoughts and change the subject.  We only need to stay the course and don't let it distract us from sharing the gospel.  

I shared the gospel with him and Wei gave his testimony and talked about how God has changed his life and gave him a real inner peace.  Rob said that he is "getting it".  Wei led him in a salvation prayer right there in the burger joint.  We were sitting next to the front door, so people seen and heard us as they were walking in and out. I gave him some money and some snacks I had in my backpack, and Wei gave him an apple.  

We walked outside and he gave us a big hug.  Then, all of a sudden, a man walked by and just handed him a pair of winter gloves and said that he already has a pair of them.  We told him that was God taking care of him already.  We took a selfie with Rob and let him know we will continue to pray for him.  Wei let him know that he should find a church and begin attending.  He didn't have a cell phone, but he gave us his email address.  We will stay in touch with him. 

Brad St. Clair - Wei - Rob

We went back to the KU campus and they were winding down telling stories about how God had worked through them to reach others during the day.  

It was a great day.  A bunch of Christians came together to do what Christians are supposed to do...share the gospel with the lost and be salt and light in this world.  There are 150,000 people per day in this world who steps off into eternity, and the majority are going to hell, sad to say.  Look what Jesus said, 

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

Please pray for those who heard the gospel, who were prayed for, and those who received gospel tracts.  We want the Holy Spirit to convict their heart so they will realize that God loves them and they need to repent and trust in Jesus to be saved.

In Christ, 

Brad St. Clair