I was now 25 years old. I had moved out of my apartment of several years and back into my mother's house. The ministry I was called to was in full force, along with still working at Duracell.
The ministry did not look like many other ministries. I was out at one of the city parks each afternoon. This is where I would have Children's church 6 days a week. I also was doing youth revivals 4 nights a week.
I started with nothing but a basketball that I had put six Bible verses on. The kids would come out and when they would shoot the ball they would say whatever verse was on the side facing them.
Then as the group got used to me, I added a daily Bible lesson using flannel graphs, puppets, and gospel magic. I would end each youth revival with a gospel magic show.
Kids and teens were getting saved! One Saturday morning an older brother came to pick up his younger brother. I thought nothing about the black and white head wrap until the Holy Spirit told me to stop teaching and to begin speaking salvation verses.
What I was about to find out was that the older brother was the leader of the gang called the Crips and a rival gang was headed down the hill from the other end of the park.
I don't know what they heard or saw, but when they got to the edge of the basketball court, one of them made a motion and they all turned around and left.
Each fall 3 other ministers and myself would hold a Gospel Crusade in the largest baseball field that the city had. Over the next 7 years, over 16,000 young people gave their lives to the Lord.
The ministry was about to change again... but that is for the next blog.
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