Gospel Outreach Ministry Update 
May 16, 2007 

As we reflect on the accomplishments of this past year, and look forward to the challenges facing us in the coming year, we felt it good to share with you what God has done with regard to the Gospel Outreach Ministries.
 
First, let us say that we are grateful for what our heavenly Father has done for us, both individually and collectively. Even with all of its difficult challenges and fiery trials, it was said that this past year was the most rewarding time that we have ever had in our Christian life! When we provided our Open Letter to the Saints last May, we were not exactly sure where God would lead us, or what He would be doing through us, but we were willing to follow Him “wheresoever He goeth”. Through much prayer and times of tribulation and persecution, we have walked through each door of opportunity as they have been opened to us, not always knowing what was immediately out ahead. This outreach ministry has been an exercise of true faith and determination, and we are thankful to say that “Jesus led us all the way” and He has met each and every need.
 
Secondly, we are deeply indebted to those saints who have held this ministry up in your prayers. We are also thankful for those who have supported the special outreach meetings by their attendance. We trust that they have been an inspiration and encouragement to you. We know your prayers, your presence and your participation has been a source of great inspiration to us!
 
We would like to share with you a few of the accomplishments of this Gospel Outreach Ministry thus far.
 
First, we were privileged to conduct four series of evangelistic outreach meetings in South Charleston, Ohio. Prior to each series of meetings, our families and some our friends canvassed the entire village of South Charleston, going door-to-door and passing out hundreds and hundreds of flyers and evangelic literature. As some of you may know, this is the little village where Sis Faye Rude (Earles) was raised, and to some degree, we felt that we were honoring her life and memory by reaching out to those in her home town. Some of her distant family still reside there and we are thankful to report that a few of them attended these outreach meetings, as well as other community members who have known the Earles family for many years. Everyone who attended the meetings that personally knew Sis Faye spoke very favorably of her, and in a sense, through these outreach efforts and our lives “her works live on.”
 
The very first time we canvassed the community, we found ourselves on the same street as a little chapel known in the community as “Shorter Chapel”. It seemed to be abandoned and was in need of much repair, but it caught our attention. It is a small, plain chapel built in 1881. It comfortably seats about 75 people. We stopped in front of the chapel and had prayer regarding the potential use of it. Knowing no one in the community who could tell us about the owners of the chapel, we jotted down a phone number that was written on a public service notice regarding a community church painting project that had occurred in the past. To make a long story short, we eventually called the phone number and God opened up the door for us to hold meetings in the chapel. Our Gospel Outreach team undertook a cleaning /restoration project of the chapel and to date, we have not had to pay much for the use the building. Also, unbeknown to us, we became the “talk of the town” as the neighbors appreciated that we were cleaning up a longstanding “eyesore” within the community. While our focus is certainly not on a building or a specific location, we are thankful that we have a temporary place to worship and invite the community.
 
God has worked out so many circumstances for us that it is truly amazing. As an example, one such instance is as follows:
 
When the weather began to get cold, we found that we had another obstacle to overcome. The old fuel burning furnace in the basement of the little chapel was broken and previous attempts by the owners to have it repaired were unsuccessful. We purchased a couple of kerosene heaters thinking that they may provide enough heat to warm the chapel and would therefore allow us to continue to hold meetings over the Winter. However, after just a few services when the weather really began to turn cold, we realized that it would not be possible to heat the chapel in extremely cold temperatures with these types of heaters. In fact, we came to realize that unless God worked a miracle, we would only be meeting there a few more times. Being a small start-up ministry, we did not have the financial resources to have the old furnace repaired, in fact, we didn't have the financial means to even have a professional come out and look it over! We asked the saints to pray about the situation. We let God know we would obey Him in whatever way He would led us. Time was quickly running out. We committed the situation to the Lord.
 
But God likes to work when your backs to the wall….
 
Well, God saw our desire and He answered prayer. A brother heard of our dilemma and felt led to ask another man who is a furnace professional if he could come and look at the furnace. They went to the chapel and examined the furnace. They were able to quickly locate the source of the problem and make the necessary repairs on the spot, all with no charge. The repairman even had the right replacement part with him in his van!
 
From August 2006 to April 2007, we were able to have four series of community Gospel Outreach Meetings. In all, 16 individual outreach services were conducted at Shorter Chapel. These meetings were well attended by visitors from the local community, as well as saints from various congregations of the church of God (see meeting reports). The services were evangelistic in nature and the messages were focused solely on the plan of salvation. The Gospel Outreach Ministry team, which has now grown significantly, has been encouraged and renewed by being obedient to our calling and burden. We know that where seeds are being planted, His Word will not return void.
 
In addition to our burden for the reconciliation of sinners to God, we have felt it necessary to try to tear down divisional walls that have needlessly separated God’s people in past years. These include walls built because of doctrinal differences, personal disagreements and misunderstandings, differing religious customs and traditions, and even racial barriers. While we stand strongly against an ecumenical spirit of overlooking sin and wrong doing, we believe that God has called us to “reach our hands in fellowship to every blood-washed one”. These “networking” reconciliatory efforts have been fruitful in that we have experienced saints from different “groups” and backgrounds coming together at the outreach meetings for a common cause, i.e., the salvation of lost souls. We believe that having a ministry of reconciliation among brethren is also very much needed in our day. We have met many new people and have reestablished relationships that were needlessly broken apart by past divisions. Our sphere of fellowship and influence has grown in ways that we would have never imagined.
 
In addition to the Gospel Outreach Meetings, we held weekly Discipleship Classes and home meetings and Bible studies. The focus of these gatherings is to establish believers in the “faith once delivered to the saints.” These gatherings have been relaxed, informal and interactive and they are primarily focused on the teachings of Christ, as well as other New Testament passages and principles. These gatherings are usually led by a different person each meeting, and have been a great inspiration to us all. We, the adults, have learned many things through these gatherings, and we believe that they have also greatly benefited our children as well.
 
One of the biggest concerns we had when we first decided to press forward with our outreach burden was the affect our decision might have on our precious children. That was in fact the greatest struggle we dealt with. As little minds are so impressionable, we were fearful that if we were to make bad choices, we could cause irreparable damage to their lives later on in life. You only get one chance at raising children and time goes by so quickly. However, when all things were considered, we felt that God was clearly leading us in this direction and we therefore committed them to the Lord and covered them with much prayer. Looking back, we can see where this decision has worked in favor of our children’s spiritual growth. To illustrate this, the children help us pass out door-to-door literature in South Charleston. During one canvassing, the children gave a woman walking down the street an invitation to the upcoming outreach meeting. She despitefully mocked them as being so-called “fishers of men”. They were thrilled! For the first time in their lives, they were being persecuted for righteousness sake! They had read in the Bible about Jesus calling His disciples “fishers of men”, and they had sung about being “fishers of men”, but now they were actually being fishers of men. And someone noticed! They came running to us with happy smiles on their little faces. They had actually experienced what they had only previously heard and read about, and they were blessed by it! They also were excited each time a visitor came to an outreach meeting as a result of receiving a flyer.
 
We can see where our children have grown spiritually. Now, we are teaching them in a real way to carry a burden for lost souls and to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the Gospel. Our children freely participate in our home studies. They ask good questions, as well as answer hard ones from time to time!
 
Presently, we are meeting with a good number of saints with whom we used to worship with prior to these outreach efforts. God has truly blessed us to be able to enjoy rich fellowship in the Spirit. We are all learning how to better serve God and to be led of His Spirit. Since we have all left the institutionalized church, as well as the spirit of "groupism", we have been given the liberty to worship God in spirit and in truth, rather than tradition and formality.
 
In closing, we look forward to whatever and wherever God may lead us next. We have made ourselves available to be used in any way that He sees fit. We have posted a new Gospel Outreach Ministry website (www.JesusSavesFromSin.com) where we provide weekly meeting reports, pictures, and other interesting information. We have had visitors from all over the world come to visit our Gospel Outreach website. As of May 2007, there have been over 52,000 individual page hits from all over the world and we have come in contact with like minded individuals from both near and far. Finally, we have made ourselves available for evangelistic outreach efforts, speaking engagements and discipleship meetings at other assemblies of saints.
 
God is doing great things and we are thankful and humbled to be a small part of it! We solicit your continued prayers for divine direction and we invite you to any and all of our meetings.
 
Yours for the up building of the kingdom of God,
 
Bro Joe and Sis Joanne Coons  
Bro Dale and Sis Debbie Rude