I've been trying to think of a way to reach more people with at least a hook to the Gospel.

In Jesus' and Paul's day, there were plenty of places where people gathered and you could call out, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 3:2, 4:17, NASB) But not so much in today's America. We're a car-based society. We drive everywhere, and we immediately go into climate-controlled buildings.

We have knocked on doors. We have approached strangers and tried to strike up conversations about Jesus. People can say no, and we have to respect that. We count it a win because we were bold enough to try and we mentioned Jesus.

But it has bothered me that even those who refuse aren't getting more of a warning of what's to come. Also, if you can get into a conversation, it can too easily become my opinion, your opinion. Not to mention that the gospel we share seems so much about what Jesus can do for us, and too little about who Jesus actually is!

How about street preaching? Again, where do you find the crowds in these Midwest cities? And so far that has seemed a bridge too far for me.

I've been kicking around some ideas, mostly in my own head. I've been taking little steps to prepare.

And I've been looking for other ways to serve Jesus so I don't have to go try some of these things. But as you know, every ministry avenue we've tried has been a closed door.

A Sign!

It's time. I need to stop stalling.

This is our "next thing"—nothing earth-shattering or paradigm-shifting. Just a little "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Nothing more than that. But in a way that those we face cannot avoid it.

Rush hour! Car crowds! We look for a busy corner or street, where cars are lined up for blocks, held up not by us but by each other. And we just hold up signs. We hold them so that we're available to talk to anyone, just in case. We can do yard signs with QR connect codes, and we're ready to add that. But I want to be available for conversation.

Looking for Partners

We would love to partner with churches. At least to park in their lot and stand on their property. A convenient place for anyone to pull off and talk. And let them connect that church with the message, so those who have questions think of it as a place to go and ask, if they don't stop and ask us.

If your church (in Linn or neighboring Iowa counties) is beside a rush-hour thoroughfare, talk to your pastor and have them contact us. If you have a business fronting a major roadway and you don't mind us and our signs out front, reach out to us. If you want to come out and take a turn at a sign, let us know. (We can also print more signs!)

This is one thing we'll be doing for the time being. In as many places as we can find. Evening rush hour as long as there's still light. Morning rush hour if the light's better. Till we can't take the cold.

Pray for us. And pray with us for our neighbors and our communities and our churches and our fellow believers. People need to know the real Jesus, that He is worthy of glory and honor and power and praise. They need to be warned that the next time He comes, it's to judge the nations. He stands ready to receive all who will receive His free gift of grace, forgiveness and salvation. But unless they repent, they will be lost.

Whether they want to hear that or not, they need to.