The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of ministry. Many churches have been shut down across the country, and also even more going virtual doing Facebook Live church services and having board meetings with Zoom calls. So far, all of our evangelism events this year have been cancelled, including St. Patrick's Day parade, Des Moines Farmers Market, and the Iowa State Fair. It was a huge loss for us Evangelists, and I think most of them would agree, that we all feel a little lost because of it.
One of such evangelistic outreaches that took a hit this year was the Gideon's International, which I am a part. Each fall we look forward to reaching the major college campuses across our state distributing Gideon New Testaments to thousands of students. Many of these students have never owned a copy of God's Word, and even more come from all over the country, and even the world, to study in Iowa. But this year all but one college distribution were cancelled.
That one distribution was hampered by many social distancing restrictions, including placing testaments on tables for students to take one instead of handing them out, talking through a mask, and staying over six feet from where students take the book. So how were the results? Last year at this particular campus, 2147 New Testaments were handed out, and in 2018 we distributed 2115. This year, unfortunately, we passed out an all time low of 259.
We wonder if making arrangements with campus staff, adhering to the COVID rules, and the time and effort it took to lug those boxes across campus, for only 10% of previous years, was worth it all. I believe it was. It could be that 259 students are now seeking a life Christ, understanding the gospel, and surrendering to His will. More than likely this distribution was even more fruitful because those who took a testament had to possibly conquer their own fears and pick it up themselves, not just take it out of guilt, as some do. But even if one person comes to a saving faith in Jesus, what a celebration! Our job is to be obedient and faithful to the call and the distribution of God's Word.
In the past several months, we Gideon's have had to get creative in sharing God's Word with those around us, without the ability to do mass distributions. This past month, members of my camp met to fill care packages to First Responders in Central Iowa. So, if you think about it, if it wasn't for the pandemic, this new group may have otherwise never been able to hear the gospel. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." All things work together for good. Even pandemics.
This year I decided to try something new and was accepted to become a Staff Writer for Got Questions Ministries, answering personal questions about God's Word, Christianity, cults, etc. This has been a huge blessing to the point where I am considering removing my other blog site, Honest Answers. I have also been sharing Christ on a one-to-one basis having bible studies with unbelievers over the phone. One in particular made it through the Gospel of John without dying [I have studied the Gospel of John with several people, all of whom have died before finishing it].
As Christians, we must be willing to change with the times and paradigm shifts to share God's Word. We must be open to try new ways to reach people with the gospel, without compromising Scripture. For God's Word says to be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). If you have any suggestions on how to share Christ during this pandemic, or if you have tried anything in this off-season, please comment below. We would love to hear from you.
