2009 - Vol 3

MISSIONS AT THE MALL:
WOMEN’S DAY OUTREACHES

Every year, since 1995, Africa Christian Action has used National Women’s Day on 9 August, as an opportunity for outreaches in shopping centres. This year (10 August 2009) ACA mobilised outreaches in three different shopping centres in the Cape Town area and two others in Ballito and Mokopane. Tens of thousands of leaflets and Gospel tracts were printed and 3,000 balloons with Scriptures and pro-family messages were produced for the event. We especially printed copies of: “The Christian Liberation of Women”, “The Greatest Book in the World” and “Women Need Protection and Respect” for these outreaches.

52 volunteers took part in the various outreaches in Cape Town alone. The Director of Africa Christian Action, Charl van Wyk, led 7 volunteers at the Sanlam shopping centre in Khayelitsha. The Shoprite manager allowed them to set up their table inside his shop to avoid the wind and rain outside. Boxes of World Missionary Press Gospel booklets in Xhosa were distributed, along with boxes of Frontline Fellowship and Christian Action tracts. Over 700 balloons with Scripture messages were also distributed in Khayelitsha. Charl had several good one-on-one Gospel conversations with shoppers, taking them through the Ten Commandments to show them their need for Christ.

The Hammond family set up ACA display tables at one of the busiest intersections at Somerset Mall. They were right by the escalators and entrance leading to the food court and cinemas. There was great interest and many positive responses from passers-by. Numerous individuals expressed great appreciation for the work of Africa Christian Action and Frontline Fellowship. Many mentioned how they listened to ACA’s Salt and Light radio programme on Radio Tygerberg every Tuesday night, others mentioned how much they enjoyed the Christian Action Magazine and all of the regular ACA and Frontline E-updates. Some were very enthusiastic about the articles in JOY! magazine. There was also a very good response from teenagers to The Way of the Master evangelistic tracts and to our Evangelism Explosion conversations. Roses were also given to numerous women passing by our table.

We fielded numerous questions from passers-by and numerous evangelistic conversations ensued, including with a Mormon and with Muslims. Many of the Christians at Somerset Mall expressed their appreciation for how we make this stand against the exploitative pornography industry and have an outreach in their shopping mall every year. It was clear that there is a deep penetration of the community from the various mediums of our ministries. Several of the people were on our mailing list, e-mailing list, listened to the radio and subscribed to JOY! magazine as well as having attended various of our meetings or outreaches, and having read several of our books.

From the testimonies we personally received from passers-by at Somerset Mall it is clear that the Gospel is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes”, that “Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God.” That the Lord’s Word “never returns void”, it always accomplishes what the Lord has sent it out to achieve.

In the afternoon 5 volunteers from Kwasizabantu Mission were kept busy distributing literature and balloons. However, despite the energy of all, and the vigorous attempts of the Hammond children and other volunteers to ensure that every child passing by received a balloon, and every adult Gospel literature, we seldom had enough people at the Somerset Mall outreach to fully take advantage of the opportunity. We could have done with another 12 people at Somerset Mall, especially for all of the evangelistic conversations which people were responsive to.

The third outreach in Cape Town, was in the largest and busiest shopping centre, Canal Walk. Here, National Co-ordinator of Africa Christian Action, Taryn Hodgson, and other volunteers from Livingstone Fellowship, Frontline Fellowship, Joshua Generation Church and Montevista Reformed Presbyterian Church distributed many hundreds of balloons and approximately 3 000 Gospel leaflets. Thousands of Muslims walking passed the table received a Gospel tract. A Turkish family visiting Cape Town was most interested in the tracts and magazines.

Taryn had an excellent discussion with a man who mentioned he is a member of the Communist Party after he had picked up a tract off the table called "Glamorising a Mass Murderer" (about Che Guevara). She was able to give him some of Frontline Fellowship's other evangelistic leaflets aimed at communists and explain that communism has inflicted untold suffering, devastation and poverty in every country where it has been imposed.

John Leach enjoyed distributing the "Finding Freedom From Pornography" leaflet to men and discussing the responsibility of men to lead and protect their families.

There was much interest in the literature table and many of the children were plainly delighted to receive the colourful balloons. Soon the shopping centre was filled with children carrying balloons which declared: A woman who fears the Lord shall be praised; A family that prays together stays together; The Bible is the greatest Book ever written; Read the Bible everyday; Say no to porn; Whom the Son sets free is free indeed, and similar messages in other languages.

It is very hard, even for an irate atheist adult, to take a balloon away from a child!

Throughout the twelve hours of the outreach, many conversations, discussions, witnessing and counselling opportunities came thick and fast, and at the end of the day, many of the volunteers had aching legs and swirling heads. Everyone who took part in these outreaches rejoiced at the opportunity to sow Gospel seed and to take a stand in the busy shopping centres, being Salt and Light in the community. It was encouraging to receive many positive and enthusiastic responses from Christians passing by.

Thank you so very much to each one of you who had a part in organising, sponsoring, praying for, or conducting these outreaches. Let us continue to pray that the Lord will mercifully and graciously work in the hearts and lives of each one who has been touched and impacted through the literature distribution, witnessing, conversations and counselling, or even through the simple Scriptures and pro-family messages on the balloons.

“Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gates in the city she speaks her word.” Proverbs 1:20-21

Please help us maintain favourable relationships with the Mall Management by calling or emailing them to express your appreciation for the opportunity they provided us to help expose the abuse and exploitation of women and provide practical solutions.

Somerset Mall: Malcolm Hodgkiss - 021 - 852 7114, mally@word4word.co.za.

Canal Walk: Danusha Jeneke - 021 - 529 9699, danushaj@canalwalk.co.za.

Should you be interested in starting, or joining, an Action Group or Reformation Society in your area, please contact Africa Christian Action and request a Starter Pack, purchase a copy of Make a Difference : A Christian Action Handbook for Southern Africa and request the: How to Start a Reformation Society in Your Area article.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world…in the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16

Africa Christian Action
P.O. Box 23632
Claremont, 7735
Cape Town, South Africa
Tel: (021) 689-4481
Fax: (021) 685-5884
E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za
Web: www.christianaction.org.za and www.ReformationSA.org