Go & Tell Evangelism Workshop Testimonial

It was a privilege to have you at Bentheim. I thought you did an outstanding job teaching and connecting with the class. Your personal stories really bring it to life! Blessings on your ministry!Pastor Paul from Bentheim Reformed Church (ARC)

Pray until the Lord is done.

Coffee Devo with Go & Tell Ministries. I read Genesis 18:33 about how the Lord appeared to Abraham and shared how He would judge the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham pleaded for mercy on that group of people. At the close of that chapter, Genesis 18:33 says this: “When the Lord has finished speaking with Abraham, He left, and Abraham returned home.” What struck me in that passage was that conversation didn’t end when Abraham was done but ended when the Lord was done. I realized that often in my prayer walk with the Lord, I had finished way too early. I finished the conversation when I was done with my request, but I didn’t wait until the Lord dismissed me. May we pray to the Lord and not quit too early but wait until the Lord has finished a conversation with us, and then we go home. May we go and tell!

Canaan Community Church (C&MA) hosted a Go & Tell Ministries weekend.

I was blessed to return to Canaan Community Church in Coatesville, IN, to teach the Go & Tell Evangelism Workshop and to preach at their Sunday morning worship service recently. I was encouraged by their response, and I wanted to post two testimonials from the weekend. Please click these links to hear their thoughts about the Go & Tell Evangelism Workshop. Steve’s testimonial: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qw9t4gyJkqI Pastor Kevin’s testimonial: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8OtoJrjujx0

Coffee Devo with Pastor Jim @ Northwestern University

Coffee Devo with Go & Tell Ministries by Pastor Jim Halstead from Daniel Chapter 6. Daniel 6:10, “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel 6:16, “So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” Daniel 6:19-20, “At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.20  When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZZP2WB7BLnY

Bott Radio Interview

Pastor Jim Halstead was interviewed by Bott Radio (Friday, September 16, 2022) to share about Go & Tell Ministries and its upcoming events in the Allen County area. The interview was on the air on Thursday and Friday afternoons (September 22 & 23) at 3:45. Then it was on the air as the second part of the full program Saturday morning (September 24) at 10:30. All broadcasts were on 1090 AM and 93.7 FM.

Youth Worker on Fire YouTube Podcast

Doug Edwards wrote this introduction for the Youth Worker on Fire YouTube Podcast for Go & Tell: Jim Halstead started Go and Tell Ministries after working with students and discipling them for many years. Jim is a man who began life without a clue about who God is. A young man who did not grow up going to church. When I first met Jim, I had been five years into a student ministry that would end up being my most extended-term student ministry position. We would meet with youth pastors and volunteers as a district in the ministry department for the southeast and helped create one of three locations for Challenge 90 Evangelical Free Church of America. I recently learned that Jim would pray specifically for our student ministry and family for many years while he was located in Jacksonville, Florida, and I was in Central Florida. Jim has discipled so many students that are now adults, supporting him to help other workers do the same thing. Go and Tell Ministries: Jim’s story will inspire you to see beyond the next few weeks and months into your student ministry. Maybe even a glimpse far into your future and what staying around and investing more will look like on the other end of your life. Learn to Delight in God, declare the gospel, and disciple others to fulfill the great commission.

Delight in God by giving your best.

Mark 1:35 says, “very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus go tup, left his house and went off the solitary place, where He prayed.” Early in my faith in Jesus, I was encouraged to have a daily quiet time. To spend time daily with the Lord in prayer and Bible reading. My college pastor, Dave Faris, told me this great truth. Pastor Dave said: “Jim, it is just not enough to spend time with the Lord, but you want to give your best to Him.” Do you want to give your best to the Lord? To give your best in your Quiet Time, you need to ask yourself when you are at your best. Are you at your best in the morning, afternoon, or night? I’m a morning person, so every morning for years, I open my Bible to meet with Jesus. I read the Scriptures and pray like Jesus taught and modeled us. I want to ask you when you are at your best. Are you meeting with the Lord daily? To glorify God, we must delight in Him. If we delight in Him, we will go and tell. Watch the Coffee Devo by Go & Tell youtube link below:

Ancient Path Disciple Making

I was blessed to develop a friendship with Joel Zabrorowski when we went to Israel with Sonlife in 2017. Since then, our friendship has grown, and I have been blessed to teach the Go & Tell Evangelism Workshop and preach at Freedom Bible Church. Joel also founded the Ancient Path Disciple Making ministry. We are partnering together to make disciples who make disciples. Joel Zaborowski is an ordained pastor with the Evangelical Free Churches of America. He has served Christ for 32 years as a youth pastor, associate pastor, church planter (twice), senior pastor, and on the Board of Directors for the EFCA Northern Mountain District.  Joel currently pastors Freedom Bible Church (EFCA) in north central Ohio and serves on the Board of Directors for Montana Bible College in Bozeman, MT. He regularly partners with the Center for Indian Ministries and Chief ministries to equip Native American pastors and leaders and partners with JLife Africa to equip Tanzanian pastors and leaders.  We believe Jesus blazed a trail… an Ancient Path for his disciples to follow.  It is a pathway to making disciples, which He instructed His church to do. Joel and I are planning to partner to equip the church to share the gospel and make disciples. Ancient Path Disciple Making website at: https://www.ancientpathdm.org/

Thank Your Instructor

How does God go about calling and saving lost sinners? By using His disciples as they proclaim the power of the Gospel through His Word. Isaiah 55:10-11 says: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” God’s Word is the seed that the disciple of Jesus sows into others. Just as the rain and snow are not wasted but somehow accomplish His purposes, God’s Word never fails. Rain and snow come from above and do not return to the heavens without accomplishing their intended purpose. God compares His Word to the rain and snow because God’s Word always fulfills His purposes. We never know how God will use even a simple word of witness to plant and water the seed in somebody’s heart. I recently received an email from Richard. I shared the Gospel with him around 1995, and I never heard his testimony until he sent this to me recently. His email reminded me of Galatians 6:6, which states: “Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.” I was blessed to hear his testimonial and encouraging words. He sent this to me: Hello Jim, this is Richard from Jacksonville. I wanted to send you a message to say thank you. In a recent church small group, we were encouraged to send a note to someone that shared the Gospel with us.  And I’m not sure if I have ever shared with you that you were the first to share the Gospel with me. It was at an FCA event at Fletcher High School. My sophomore year. At the time, I was going to play basketball and eat pizza. And remember thinking it was cool that a pastor would play basketball with us. You shared the Gospel with me when we sat down to eat pizza. It was the first time I had heard that God wanted to have a relationship with me. That night I did not raise my hand because I believed I was already going to heaven. But I remember talking to God and telling him that if I could have a relationship with Him, I wanted to have that. Only a few years later, I realized that was the first moment I accepted the Gospel and could see how God changed my heart and desires towards Him. And from that time, I sought more Christian fellowship and read my Bible to learn more about Jesus. I have shared this as my testimony and in my sermons for many years. I don’t know that you have ever heard that. So, I just wanted to thank you for being so faithful to share the gospel action and its words!” I wonder how many Christians share the power of the Gospel through the Word with others. According to a recent Christian Post article; not too many:  A recent poll finds that two-thirds of American Christians don’t know any methods for telling others about Jesus. Most American Christians want to share their faith. Still, only a minority have encouraged others to embrace Jesus Christ in the last six months. According to new data released by Lifeway Research, more than 6 in 10 believers don’t know any methods for telling others about their faith in Christ. However, 52% of Americans who identify as Christian believe that encouraging someone to change their religious beliefs is “offensive and disrespectful,” and 66% of Christians are not familiar with any “methods for telling others about Jesus.” The survey also revealed that 70% of Christians have not shared with others how to become a Christian in the past six months. Go & Tell Ministries exist to equip the church to share the Gospel and make disciples who make disciples. I always share at our Go & Tell Evangelism Workshop that believers take this class for two reasons: First, to learn how to tell others the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The second reason usually surprises people. They take the course because someone has told them the Gospel and they had repented and professed faith in Jesus. I then have everyone in the seminar share the first name of the person most responsible for sharing the Gospel with them.  I was truly blessed to receive Richard’s note of thanks for sharing the Gospel many years ago. God’s Word is true, and His Word will not return empty but achieve the purpose He has for it. Richard’s word of affirmation gave me a renewed passion for continuing to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others, trusting it will achieve His intended purpose and that He will use it for His glory.  Romans 10:17 says: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

Coffee Devo: ‘The Day of Salvation”

45 years ago today, I repented of my sins and professed faith in Jesus and became a child of God (John 1:12). Thank you, Jesus, for drawing me to You and being born again! John 3:3 “Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 2 Corinthians 6:2 “ 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV)“For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”