Hello all!
We are headed toward the holidays, and I’m excited to share a little bit about our summer and early fall ministry. Also, as we get closer to Christmas, I’d love to be able to partner for more local Christmas event outreaches. If you have any ideas, or things going on in your area, please let me know. I will be going out to Christmas in the Park again of course, but want to diversify a little bit in 2025. Also, reminder, Christmas is a great time to practice your evangelism skills. So if you want to learn how to share the gospel, or need a refresher, let me know and we’ll schedule something. Thanks!
Dan B. 408-768-9262 dan@yoursoulmatters.org
You can also give to our work at https://dan.livethegospel.net/donate/
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING
Fourth of July Outreach
I’ve been doing 4th of July outreach and Morgan Hill almost since I started doing public Ministry back in 2008. Even though it’s part of the Bay area, that 4th of July in Morgan Hill still feels very much like a small town event, and many thousands of people come out. We had a great team this year, and lots of great conversations!
Tiny Heartbeat Ministries Visit
Each summer Tiny Heartbeat Ministries, an organization based in Idaho and Washington State, bring their team of Summer interns down for training and outreach here in the Bay Area. It has been a great blessing to partner with them! Because they focus on the pro-life message, their daily ministry can be really tough, with a lot of stress and conflict, so it’s nice to give them an opportunity to share the gospel with whoever walks by in a much more positive environment. We had another great batch of young Ministry leaders come out this year. I have no doubt they will continue to make an impact for the gospel, and for the lives of the unborn, when they head back home.
Santa Clara Art and Wine Festival
This Art and Wine Festival hasn’t been our busiest or most exciting, but it certainly been one of our most consistent. We’ve been attending for a decade, and God always gives us divine appointments and stories to share.
This year the event was just a few days after the murder of conservative Christian and political activist Charlie Kirk, and I wondered if that would impact the outreach. Most of the time it felt pretty normal, but people did bring the topic up. One young man we spoke with had been particularly impacted. He lived near Santa Clara Central Park, where the event takes place. He hadn’t come to attend the festival. He was only walking his dog. But when he saw our booth he came up to talk and ask questions. It seems he had been binge-watching Charlie Kirk videos after the shooting, and had heard the gospel message. He had even tried to go to a local church to talk to somebody, but the church he visited was closed and locked. I still think local churches should be more available to the public! But even though that it discouraged him, he found us. We shard the gospel, and gave him his first Bible. He was excited, and kept saying “This isn’t an accident!” And he was right. God has been using that tragedy to draw people to Himself. It’s exciting to be a small part of what He is doing!
I also made a short video of some thoughts about the shooting, just as I was headed out to a local University right after the shooting. I hope it is thought-provoking.
Halloween Outreach
We had another good outreach on Halloween at the safe trick or treat event in Morgan Hill. Every year we get to hand out hundreds of tracts and talk to hundreds of people. This year we ran out of candy for a while, and even while one of the team ran out to get more candy, people still stopped to try our riddle sketch! It’s amazing that something as simple as a riddle can help transition from a natural conversation to a spiritual conversation. Many seeds were planted on Halloween. Please pray that God causes them to grow!
Is your church looking for opportunity to reach the local community? Look for local festivals and holiday parades. They are some of the best! If you would like help setting something up, give me a call.
Let’s Talk About It! at Stanford
A new event just started up at Stanford University. It’s called Let’s Talk About It!, and it is a student-led outreach on campus. One of the organizers is a friend, and invited me to participate. The first meeting went well, but was a bit slow. That’s to be expected though. As time goes on, and more students see and hear what the event is about, it will get busier. I’m excited to be involved and to see what God will do. Graduates from Stanford go on to shape the country in the world, and I can think of nothing better than seeing those young men and women shaped by the gospel before they head out. Please pray that God works powerfully!
Personal Notes – Idaho Trip, Our New Grandson, and Our Daughter Naomi Married!
I thought I’d include a couple personal notes. We’ve had some exciting events this year! In May or older daughter Naomi was married. She’s been with her now husband, Christian, a couple of years and we’re very happy to have him as part of the family. Please pray that God blesses their marriage and draws them closer to Him.
We also had a chance about a month ago to take another drive up to Idaho to visit our daughter Melody, her husband Aiden, and our new grandson Leo. What a blessing it is to be grandparents! Leo is strong and healthy, and growing fast. And, of course, he’s the most handsome little boy ever. Please pray that God blesses and provides for their young family.
Public Evangelism Message at West Hills San Jose
This summer our church did a short preaching series on Biblical evangelism, and I have the privilege of giving the first message. You can watch it at the link below. I hope it encourages you!
Echo Ranch Update
Bible Camp in Juneau Alaska recently posted recaps from each of their summer camps. These are largely for the parents benefit, so that they can see what their kids got to do. But this year they also put more focus on including some of the Gospel preaching, for those who have not heard it before. It was a huge blessing to hear some of my message shared in the video below.
Also, the second video is young adults who are looking for summer Ministry opportunities. What could be better than spending a few months in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, making lifelong friends, and helping little ones learn to follow Christ! I highly recommend this ministry.
Echo Ranch/Colt 1 Recap
WHAT’S COMING UP
Christmas is Coming!: stay tuned for more information on our Christmas outreaches. The best way to be kept in the loop is to join our weekly text message group. Simply send me a private message or text, let me know which phone number you prefer, and I’ll add you to the list. The text generally go out Monday or early Tuesday, and will give you an idea of scheduled outreaches for the next 2 weeks. Even if you just want to pray, or aren’t sure how often you’ll be able to join us, we would still love to have you as part of our list.
MINISTRY/PRAYER NEEDS
Financial Support: God is continuing to provide as I do this work full time. It’s been almost a year now since I’ve done any secular work, and we are so amazed and grateful! We are still a bit short of where we need to be, so please pray for us and give if you are able.
New Church Ministry Partnerships: There are a couple of local churches, including my own, that I’m trying to plan regular outreaches for. Please pray God gives me wisdom on the locations and details.
Kids Bible Clubs being planted in the near future: we are still working at planting a couple of kids Bible clubs. I’m also helping as a small group leader at an existing Bible Club in local elementary school. Please pray that God leads me where he wants me in kids ministry.
Thanks all for your interest in this ministry, and for making it all the way through to the end! If you have any questions, any prayer needs, or if I can encourage you in any way, please send me an email or give me a call. God bless you!
OTHER OUTREACH PICTURES
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