After one year break REACH THE CITY (RTC in short) took place for the 11th time in Vienna. For the last 2 years we - the organizing team – asked ourselves what way we should go with this campaign. We didn’t just want to continue because we have “always” done it this way. Some routine is good (we gathered a lot of experience in how to run such a week) but it would be spiritually hazardous just to rely on past experiences. Over the months we got a deep sense that we should focus on the essentials (training in proclamation evangelism) and be happy with smaller teams that will strengthen the regular outreaches. Compared to the years before there was very little work to be done in preparing for the week in July.
There was a wonderful team atmosphere amongst the 25 participants from 6 countries. In the morning we started with worship lead by Max Harrison (a local worship leader with a great heart for the Lord and the lost) and prayer time. After that there was lots of time for practical training in sketchboard evangelism lead by Dave Knight (Teach and Tell Australia) and Korky Davey (OAC Great Britain) and Karen Bolton (associate of OAC GB). Their stories, years of experience and deep commitment is truly inspiring. The other workshop was on personal evangelism which was lead by Hartmut Freischlad (chairman of OAC Austria) with contributions from his wife Monika and Daniela Regez.
After an early evening meal we went into the city centre to hold open air meetings on 3 evenings which went on for about 3 hours each. Because of extensive construction in the pedestrian zone we had to move away from the sites that we were in the years before. So we set up in a “side street” – the Graben (still part of the inner city traffic free area). This proved to be a good spot especially for those who preached the first time with paints and sketchboard. The crowds were smaller but it was also a more relaxed and quiet atmosphere than right in the midst of all the tourists and buskers. We still had crowds up to 100 listening to the messages. In total we reached over 800 people with the gospel (a conservative estimate). At the end of each message the preachers challenged the audience to a personal decision. We were able to talk to many and answer their questions. I know of at least 4 people who made a first time profession. Follow up is still going on.
Here are some of those we met. Please join us in praying for them.
- F. (16 years, from Kongo) while waitng for his friends we could share the gospel and pray with him. He received a New Testament.
- T. (25, student from Vienna) He works as a bike courier and did not get a call for an hour so there was enough time to chat and explain Christ’s claims. He said he never heard this and left being deeply touched.
- J. (from Romania) wants to read the Bible together with Monika F.
- E. (young Austrian lady) laready knows some local Christians and attended church a few times. Yet she still did not put her trust in Jesus. After the outreach she joined us for an ice cream and a number of us could share our testimonies with her. One of the ladies on our team will keep in touch with her.
- H. and her boy D. stayed for the whole 3 hour programme. Towards the end they agreed to pray and open their lives to the Lord Jesus.
- R. ask for prayer concerning his family situation. His wife left him recently.
- S. (Albanian muslim) reads the Bible but Jesus is only a prophet for him. At the end we could pray with him.
The weather was simply fantastic during the whole week. I guess that all of us – the first-timers and the experienced participants – got fresh motivation for the ministry. Please pray that more believers would commit themselves to be evangelists – fishers of men. With God’s help there will be REACH THE CITY in 2009. And in the meantime the local outreaches in Vienna are continuing on a by-weekly basis and would be most thrilled about more support.
If you would you like to get another taster of the RTC week check out the video on YouTube (about 7Mb of pictures)! Here is the address!
Let’s continue to make Christ known!
Stefan Höfler Leader of the RTC organizing team